The Oscars: Our Predictions

We will be doing live coverage of the Oscars tonight, and it bodes to be an interesting affair with all the controversy about diversity, questions over whether The Revenant is really all that worthy of the praise, and so many other factors. Here is our staff’s guesses as to what will take home the gold. At the end of the night we’ll see who has the most pinpoint precision!

BEST PICTURE

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Travis Newton: Mad Max: Fury Road
Troy Anderson: The Big Short
Brandon Marcus: The Revenant
Brian Linder: Room
Nick Nunziata: The Revenant
Andrew Hawkins: Mad Max: Fury Road
Drew Dietsch: The Revenant is doomed to win and that’s a real shame. It’s not an awful movie, but if it weren’t for the mythology that’s been built up around it due to Leo’s increasingly intense Oscar bids, I don’t think it would be as memorable. In a year that gave us strong adult dramas likeRoom and Spotlight, the trying-too-hard suffering of The Revenant feels empty. And if it’s spectacle that you’re looking for, Mad Max: Fury Road more than covers that arena. so, if I was betting, it’s The Revenant. In a fair and just universe, it’s Mad Max.

Actual winner: Spotlight.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Travis Newton: Matt Damon
Troy Anderson: Leonardo DiCaprio
Brandon Marcus: Leonardo DiCaprio
Brian Linder: Leonardo DiCaprio
Nick Nunziata: Leonardo DiCaprio
Andrew Hawkins: Bryan Cranston
Drew Dietsch: Leonardo DiCaprio. This is Leo’s statue to lose.

Actual winner: Leonardo DiCaprio

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Travis Newton: Brie Larson
Troy Anderson: Brie Larson
Brandon Marcus: Brie Larson
Brian Linder: Brie Larson
Nick Nunziata: Brie Larson
Andrew Hawkins: Cate Blanchett
Drew Dietsch: Brie Larson

Actual winner: Brie Larson.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Travis Newton: Mark Rylance
Troy Anderson: Sylvester Stallone
Brandon Marcus: Sylvester Stallone
Brian Linder: Sylvester Stallone
Nick Nunziata: Sylvester Stallone
Andrew Hawkins: Tom Hardy
Drew Dietsch: Sylvester Stallone. If Sly doesn’t win, I’ll be shocked. He received a standing ovation with his win at the Golden Globes, it’s a backhanded Lifetime award, and it’s a chance for Sly to give some props to Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan.

Actual winner: Mark Rylance.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Travis Newton: Jennifer Jason Leigh
Troy Anderson: Rooney Mara
Brandon Marcus: Alicia Vikander
Brian Linder: Rooney Mara
Nick Nunziata: Rooney Mara
Andrew Hawkins: Jennifer Jason Leigh
Drew Dietsch: Jennifer Jason Leigh. Man, I hope Leigh gets it. She was one of the best villains of 2015.

Actual winner: Alicia Vikander.

DIRECTING

Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Travis Newton: George Miller
Troy Anderson: George Miller
Brandon Marcus: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Brian Linder: George Miller
Nick Nunziata: George Miller.
Andrew Hawkins: George Miller.
Drew Dietsch: George Miller. George Miller or we riot.

Actual winner: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short
Nick Hornby, Brooklyn
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Drew Goddard, The Martian
Emma Donoghue, Room

Travis Newton: Emma Donoghue
Troy Anderson: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brandon Marcus: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brian Linder: Phyllis Nagy
Nick Nunziata: Drew Goddard
Andrew Hawkins: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Drew Dietsch: Drew Goddard

Actual winner: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Matt Charman, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, Inside Out
Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; story by S. LeighSavidge, Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff, Straight Outta Compton

Travis Newton: Alex Garland
Troy Anderson: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Brandon Marcus: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Brian Linder: Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; story by S. LeighSavidge, Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff
Nick Nunziata: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Andrew Hawkins: Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Drew Dietsch: Alex Garland. Ex Machina is one of the best films in recent memory, and Alex Garland deserves as much praise as he can get for it.

Actual winner: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy.

 

And the Fandom winner is: Brandon Marcus.

Stay tuned to our live coverage tonight for the results and opinion!