FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Embrace of the Serpent
Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb
A War
Reasoning: None of the other films have made a splash at all this awards season, so this is pretty much a lock..
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MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant
Reasoning: I love this category, I really do. There’s always some out of left field random nomination that aligns with nothing else happening on the show, other than it’s just a movie with good makeup. Anyway, there is no way Mad Max loses. One of the selling price of the entire film was how very little CGI it used, and how detailed and stunning its makeup effects were. Immorten Joe has some wicked hair too.
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MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Reasoning: Quentin Tarantino somehow got Ennio Morricone out of retirement for this. He’s also won almost every other precursor award. Essentially, this is another done deal.
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MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey
“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction
“Simple Song #3,” Youth
“Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground
“Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre
Reasoning: Confession time: I am actually listening to Writing’s on the Wall while writing this article. It’s not an amazing song, but it fits for James Bond. More importantly, none of the songs here are really that special, but considering that the subject matter of Til It Happens To You is rape, and that the song stems from a more mature film, it will probably win. Sam Smith could very well pull out the upset though.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Reasoning: There’s not really much to say other than it has the absolute toughest and most rewarding production design of the bunch. Like I said before, Max is taking home quite a few of these technical categories.
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SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow
Reasoning: I am mostly making a random uneducated guess here again, but it’s not unlikely that the Academy goes for the Pixar short. World of Tomorrow is definitely most deserving though.
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SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok
Stutterer
Reasoning: It seems to be the popular favorite.
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SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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SOUND MIXING
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Reasoning: More potentially easy technical awards for Max, but as I think about it Star Wars could always pull out the victory too. I just have a feeling the Academy will go with Max because it’s generally just a more impressive movie as a whole, even in sound design and mixing.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Reasoning: Keeping in mind that last thought, Star Wars was an amazing movie and I just cannot see it getting shut out. This also seems like the perfect award to give it.
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WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room
Reasoning: Both of the screenwriting categories are pretty weird, because neither of its probable winners will likely take home many other awards. I would have went with The Martian considering it is rather popular with these ceremonies, but Ridley Scott was shut out for a directing nomination which tells me the Academy isn’t too obsessed with it. The Big Short also has a bunch of other nominations, but most importantly, has been gaining some major traction lately.
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WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Reasoning: Once the projected winner for all of the big ones, Spotlight will just have to settle for a screenwriting award. The movie hasn’t really fizzled out, other movies just have more buzz.
So there you have it, my predictions for the 88th Academy Awards. Let’s all come back here Sunday night and laugh at how wrong I am. Realistically speaking though, I usually get at least 20-23 right just from following along voting patterns throughout the awards season, and having a great working knowledge of all of the films nominated.
Robert Kojder – Chief Film Critic of Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews weekly, friend me on Facebook, follow my Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
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Originally published February 25, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
