88th Oscars Predictions

By Movie Geeks | February 21, 2016

Today signals the one week mark as we head into the home stretch to Hollywood’s biggest night, the 88th Academy Awards. For the die-hard awards season watcher, this year’s Oscar race has been both a dream and an absolute hair-pulling nightmare.

The race for Best Picture has never been more exciting with no clear front runner. For the first time in years, it’s anyone’s game and a nail biter down to when the final award is announced.

The precursor guild awards, along with last week’s British Academy Film Awards (the BAFTAs), did little to help the quandary with the predictions. THE BIG SHORT received a huge boost when it won the Producers Guild award, while filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu took home the Directors Guild award for helming THE REVENANT.

THE REVENANT received 12 nominations and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD has 10 leaving the Oscar pundits with varying predictions. Since the three front-runners were all nominated for editing, that predictor doesn’t apply this year. Can THE REVENANT win Best Picture without a screenplay nom? Will the nominees have to be nominated for Best Picture to win the Oscar for VFX? And could SPOTLIGHT or THE BIG SHORT come in and steal the whole scene? Check out the pundits predictions over at GoldDerby.com.

Full list of the nominees are here. Download an official printable ballot here.

With your ballot in hand, pull up a chair and pencil. Here’s our picks for the 88th Oscars.

BEST PICTURE

Will Win: THE REVENANT

Should Win: THE BIG SHORT

Overlooked: CREED, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

It’s a tough call – While the PGA is the best indicator because of the large overlap with the Academy, and they just gave their award to THE BIG SHORT, then this should be the winner. But the pundits seems to be going with THE REVENANT.

BEST DIRECTOR

Will Win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Should Win: George Miller

Overlooked: Ridley Scott

 

BEST ACTOR

Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio

Should Win: Matt Damon

Overlooked:  Michael B. Jordan

 

BEST ACTRESS

Will Win: Brie Larson

Should Win: Charlotte Rampling

Overlooked:  Maggie Smith

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will Win: Sylvester Stallone

Should Win: Sylvester Stallone

Overlooked: Paul Dano, Idris Elba.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Will Win: Alicia Vikander

Should Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh

Overlooked: Charlize Theron

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will Win: THE BIG SHORT

Should Win: CAROL

Overlooked: STEVE JOBS

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will Win: SPOTLIGHT

Should Win: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Overlooked: TRAINWRECK and THE HATEFUL EIGHT

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Will Win: AMY

Should Win: CARTEL LAND

Overlooked: HE CALLED ME MALALA

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Will Win:  Ennio Morricone THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Should Win: Thomas Newman BRIDGE OF SPIES

Overlooked: Tom Holkenborg MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Will Win: “Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga

Should Win: “Simple Song #3” from “Youth” Music and Lyric by David Lang

Overlooked: “Everyday Feels Like Summer” from SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Will Win: INSIDE OUT

Should Win: SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE

Overlooked: THE PEANUTS MOVIE

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Will Win: WORLD OF TOMORROW

Should Win: SANJAYS SUPER TEAM

 

BEST EDITING

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Margaret Sixel

Should Win:  THE BIG SHORT Hank Corwin

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Will Win: Emmanuel Lubezki THE REVENANT

Should Win:  Ed Lachman CAROL

Overlooked: Maryse Alberti CREED

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Will And Should Win: SON OF SAUL Hungary

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Should Win:  EX MACHINA

Overlooked: THE WALK

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Will Win: BODY TEAM 12

Should Win: CHAU BEYOND THE LINES

 

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP DESIGN

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Should Win:  THE REVENANT

Overlooked: MR. HOLMES

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Will Win: CAROL

Should Win:  MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Should Win:  THE REVENANT

Overlooked: THE MARTIAN

 

BEST SOUND EDITING

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Should Win:  THE REVENANT

 

BEST SOUND MIXING

Will Win: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Should Win:  STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Will Win: AVE MARIA

Should Win:  SHOK

 

For a complete list of nominees and additional information, visit the official Academy Awards website, visit oscar.go.com.

Be sure to fill out your ballot for the Official Oscars Challenge.

Watch the 88th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, Feb. 28, with host Chris Rock on ABC  at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Contributed by Michelle McCue, Melissa Thompson and Gary Salem