The 98th annual Academy Awards will be held over Spring Break on Sunday. There is some tense competition between the top three films that are most likely to win Best Picture this year. These films are “Sinners”, “One Battle After Another”, and “Hamnet”. So let’s go through all three to see who really has the best chance.

• Sinners

“Sinners” is by far the most popular choice this year in the public eye. People not only love the mature horror-fiction genre of the film, but the casting is also impeccable. This is subjectively Michael B Jordan’s best performance of all time, with him playing two different characters that are twins. Directed by Ryan Coogler, this movie explores the theme of ancestral trauma, black culture, and art. They used vampires to represent the aggressive nature of white supremacy in the Jim Crow Deep South, making the film also extremely political. So will it get Best Picture? We definitely think Sinnners will win many Oscars this year, especially considering they have the most nominations. But I think Best Picture is very up in the air for them. The last time a horror film won Best Picture was at the 64th Academy Awards, when “The Silence of the Lambs” won five awards. But the likelihood is still there for “Sinners”; the 17 nominations they received are definitely a big achievement already, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they win most of those nominations.

To read more about Sinners, check out an article in the Treaty from last May: https://psouthtreaty.com/5082/entertainment/sinners-vampires-blues-and-history/

• One Battle After Another

Directed by the famous Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” is by far one of the most popular films to come out this year. This film is extremely political, displaying a feud between a radical left-wing group and a white supremacist military. It is not confirmed when this movie takes place, so it is assumed it is somewhere in the future. It has lots of modern 2020s technology featured, while also giving it that nostalgic feel. This movie had viewers hooked from start to end. The characters are engaging and also very funny at times. Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor were amazing as always, but the most surprising acting performance for most was Chase Infiniti, a new actress who definitely held her own in this movie. So, how will this movie do at The Oscars? While “One Battle After Another” doesn’t quite have as many nominations as “Sinners”, it still has a fair chance at Best Picture. The Academy not only loves political films, but also long films, and “One Battle After Another” has both of those traits. Overall, I think this film has a good chance at Best Picture and other large awards like Best Actor.

• Hamnet

I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t the book called ‘Hamlet?’” Which you’re not wrong, but this film is the story of how Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet”, came to be. Hamnet is the name of Shakespeare’s only son, who died at just 11 years old. Now, although the death of his son is true, this movie is still considered a dramatized fiction. Meaning this is not an exact “true story” of Shakespeare’s life. Regardless, the cinematography of this movie is simply unbeatable, leaving people in tears by the end. Jessie Buckley was by far the star of this movie. Her role as Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife, is absolutely unreal. Her raw emotion throughout the movie really captures viewers’ hearts. Speaking of capturing the viewers’ hearts, Jacobi Jupe, who plays young Hamnet, completely shocked viewers with his performance in this film. Unfortunately, most don’t think “Hamnet” will take the award for Best Picture, but have high hopes for Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Although it might not be the most popular choice, it is still considered to be in the top three movies to be nominated this year.

Obviously, the Oscars are notorious for being controversial and unpredictable, so it is still possible that none of these films will be awarded Best Picture. So, if you have some free time over break, tune into The Oscars on Sunday at 6 p.m. to find out!