By: Russ Matthews
During 2024, the two big events that impacted cinemas were Barbenheimer and the Writers/Actors strike.
One lifted the industry to new heights, while the other dropped a bomb on the rest of the year. Interestingly, the strike had a detrimental effect on cinemas and left little to the imagination of who would emerge the victor during awards season.
Ultimately, these historical situations left Oppenheimer as the pack’s primary focus and potential leader at the 96th annual Academy Awards nominations as the Christopher Nolan film was nominated in 13 categories.
The Academy Awards, set to air on March 11 Australia-time, has one clear stand out for the show, but it managed to have a few surprises for the night. There were no nominations for Barbie director Greta Gerwig and no acting nomination for the movie’s star, Margot Robbie. Also, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in Killers of the Flower Moon, did not get a nomination. Still, America Ferrera received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance in Barbie after she wasn’t nominated on other award shows.
Every year, Reel Dialogue gives our predictions for key Academy Awards categories, and we include our preferences, too.
To read more about the films nominated for Best Picture, check out our past reviews. (We chose not to review Poor Things; if you wish to know why, please contact us).
Our Predictions
Here is the full list of this year’s Oscar nominees accompanied by our Reel Dialogue predictions:
Best picture
- “American Fiction”
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “Barbie”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Maestro”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Past Lives”
- “Poor Things”
- “The Zone of Interest”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Oppenheimer
Reel Dialogue Preference: Oppenheimer or Past Lives
Best actor
- Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
- Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
- Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
- Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
- Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Reel Dialogue Preference: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Best actress
- Annette Bening, “Nyad”
- Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
- Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
- Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Reel Dialogue Preference: Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Best supporting actor
- Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”
- Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
- Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”
- Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Reel Dialogue Preference: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Best supporting actress
- Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
- Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
- America Ferrera, “Barbie”
- Jodie Foster, “Nyad”
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Reel Dialogue Preference: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Best director
- Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”
- Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”
- Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”
- Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Reel Dialogue Preference: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Animated feature film
- “The Boy and the Heron”
- “Elemental”
- “Nimona”
- “Robot Dreams”
- “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: The Boy and the Heron
Reel Dialogue Preference: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or Elemental
Adapted screenplay
- “American Fiction”
- “Barbie”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Poor Things”
- “The Zone of Interest”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: Oppenheimer
Reel Dialogue Preference: Oppenheimer
Original screenplay
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Maestro”
- “May December”
- “Past Lives”
Reel Dialogue Prediction: The Holdovers
Reel Dialogue Preference: Past Lives
To read more about the films nominated for Best Picture, check out our past reviews.
Article supplied with thanks to City Bible Forum.
Feature image: Canva Pro
About the author: Russ Matthews is a film critic at City Bible Forum and Reel Dialogue. He has a passion for film and sparking spiritual conversations.