Arguably one of the most prestigious award shows in the industry, the 95th Academy Awards will honor the best movies of 2022 on Sunday, March 12. With films like Top Gun: Maverick, Everything Everywhere All at Once, All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, and more up for awards, the Academy will have some tough decisions to make. Here are my predictions for who will win some of the top categories of the night: Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, and Costume Design.
Best Picture
As much as I would love to say Top Gun: Maverick is the top contender for this award, my prediction for the best picture is Everything Everywhere All at Once. Up for 11 nominations this year, Everything Everywhere All at Once is the story of a Chinese-American immigrant who goes on an adventure to prevent somebody (or something) from destroying the multiverse. With strong performances from lead actress, Michelle Yeoh, and supporting actors Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis, this film has brought in over $100 million in gross revenue and is the strongest contender for this Oscar. Recently, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), this movie triumphed and won four awards — the record for the most SAG awards by any single film ever. Often seen as an Oscars preview, only one movie has won in three major categories at SAG and then lost best picture at the Oscars. The only other two movies that may give it a run for its money would be All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
The nominations for actor in a leading role are as follows: Austin Butler from Elvis, Colin Farrell from The Banshees of Inisherin, Brendan Fraser from The Whale, Paul Mescal from Aftersun, and Bill Nighy from Living. Following his win at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, my prediction for actor in a leading role is Austin Butler for his role in Elvis. However, Butler, Fraser, and Farrell will be in a close race for this win, as all three had spectacular performances, and have all won prestigious awards throughout the year.
Actress in a supporting role
The top contenders for the Oscar for actress in a supporting role are Angela Bassett from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hong Chau from The Whale, Kerry Condon from The Banshees of Inisherin, and Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis from Everything Everywhere All at Once. My prediction for actress in a supporting role is Angela Bassett for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While this sequel movie looks very different without leading actor Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett is able to command her presence in every scene. She is able to make fans feel something with her acting, as her role is protecting her people and family from harm, something I think everyone can relate to. I would say Angela Bassett’s biggest competitor this year would be one of my all-time favorite actresses, Jamie Lee Curtis. She played the villain role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and her acting helped cement her role as a true supporting actor that aided in the huge success of the film. Jamie Lee Curtis recently beat Bassett at the SAG awards, winning “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role,” but I do think Bassett will take the Oscar.
Costume design
To me, costume design can make or break a movie. The costumes add to the scene of the movie, make everything look more realistic, and they are incredible to watch in motion. The following movies are nominated for an Oscar in Costume Design: Babylon, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. While each of these films has incredible costume design, one stands out more than the others: My prediction for this Oscar is Ruth Carter for her designs in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is the Critics’ Choice winner and is going for her second win, as she also won the same award for her work in the first Black Panther. This win would be historic as she would go down as the first African American woman to earn two Oscars for the same award. I think it would be silly for me to count out the 11-time nominated Everything Everywhere All at Once, but Ruth Carter’s designs truly make the movie come to life.
Well, there you have it! This year’s Academy Awards has some of the best nominated movies I have ever seen. It will be interesting to see if my predictions hold up, and I can’t wait to see the winners of the many other categories. Don’t forget to tune in on March 12!