Hey, everyone, here we are again!  As the anticipation grows for the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday, I thought it would be cool to share my predictions for the winners.  I know I’m super late on this, but I thought it would be better to do this now than later.  As of now, it looks like a battle between The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as the two films have been gathering awards like squirrels before Winter.  However, you never know since a little film might just *get out* (wink wink) in front.

The Oscars will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel (again) this year, and you can catch it on Sunday, March 4 on ABC at 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST.

For the predictions, we’re going to start with the smaller awards and work our way up to Best Picture.  I’m writing them in the order of last year’s Oscars.

Quick disclaimer, however, I haven’t seen any of the Documentary Features, Documentary Shorts, Live-Action Shorts, or Animated Shorts (although Kobe Bryant is nominated!?!?) so I won’t be predicting those.  If that’s what you came here for, I’m sorry 😦

For every category, we have a will win and should win.  Here are my predictions along with all the nominees for this year:

Actor in a Supporting Role

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Will Win/Should Win: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

THOUGHTS: This is a clear win for Sam Rockwell.  He won all the major awards including the Golden Globes and SAG awards.  There’s a chance Willem Dafoe could pull through and if he does, I’m completely fine with that.  I will, however, add that Michael Stuhlbarg was robbed of a nomination for Call Me By Your Name, and I would have liked to see Patrick Stewart in here for Logan.  While Harrelson was fantastic, he did a variation the same Woody Harrelson thing we see a lot.  His role was just really good casting.  I also feel that while Plummer was fantastic in his buzzy role as J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World after You-Know-Who was fired, he was nominated because of all the attention he received.  I think Stuhlbarg played a very deep character with a really subtle display of emotion that elevated the entire movie.  Stewart added a vulnerability in his eyes that told a story of its own: one of a broken man who had lost everything, but still has a glimmer of hope for Logan (who he sees as a son).

Makeup and Hairstyling

Will Win/Should Win: Darkest Hour

Victoria and Abdul

Wonder

THOUGHTS: Darkest Hour had some of the most natural prosthetics I’ve seen in a movie.  Gary Oldman looks completely transformed due to this team’s amazing work, and the award is well deserved.  However, no Star Wars?  I thought the makeup team for The Last Jedi did an incredible, Oscar-worthy job.

Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Will Win/Should Win: Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria and Abdul

THOUGHTS: Again, no Star Wars?  Aside from that, unsurprisingly, Phantom Thread is going have this in a bag.  How could the best picture nominee about an eccentric dressmaker not win this?  Most of Phantom Thread’s charm stemmed from the costumes themselves, which are ultimately character studies themselves as director Paul Thomas Anderson makes very clear.  This is truly costume design at its finest.  However, I would like to note that The Shape of Water could by some miracle cause an upset in this category.  The costume team created a masterpiece with this film as Doug Jones’s Amphibian Man is pretty much a practical effect aside from a few CG touches.  The best part of his costume is that it allows Jones to be more than a monster, he’s an actual character with feelings that are expressed through the costume so hats off to the designers.

Sound Editing

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Will Win/Should Win: Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

THOUGHTS: Baby Driver could have a slight chance here, but Christopher Nolan’s technical masterpiece has a pretty sturdy lock on this award.  Dunkirk was incredibly put together sound wise as each sound was intricately placed like a puzzle piece that added to the film’s grandeur.

Sound Mixing

Should Win: Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Will Win: Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Actress in a Supporting Role

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Will Win/Should Win: Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Leslie Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

THOUGHTS: Allison Janney’s performance in I, Tonya is cruel and just really unsettling.  You want to believe that there’s a sliver of goodness in her, and you see that through her passion for skating, but she’s way too harsh and never let Tonya enjoy her life.  It’s a great multifaceted performance that definitely deserves this award.  However, Laurie Metcalf also gave a phenomenal performance in Lady Bird, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up winning.

Foreign Language Film

A Fantastic Woman

Will Win/Should Win: The Insult

Loveless

On Body and Soul

The Square

Animated Feature Film

The Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

Will Win/Should Win: Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

THOUGHTS: If Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa in Japanese) was nominated in this category, I think some critics would be talking about a very different story.  However, Coco is the clear favorite here.

Production Design

Beauty and the Beast

Will Win/Should Win: Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

THOUGHTS: In my opinion, the set design used for Blade Runner 2049 were unparalleled in modern film.  Visually, every aspect of this film is phenomenal, but it’s the practical effects that bring the futuristic 2049 to life.

Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Will Win/Should Win: War for the Planet of the Apes

THOUGHTS: The apes in War for the Planet of the Apes just look real at this point.  There’s wasn’t a single shot in this film that made me believe an actor was actually playing the part.  It was tough competition for the VFX category with visually stunning films like Blade Runner 2049 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I think War for the Planet of the Apes edges out the other two for innovation alone.

Film Editing

Baby Driver

Will Win/Should Win: Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

THOUGHTS: I’m really surprised Blade Runner 2049 isn’t included in here.

Cinematography

Will Win/Should Win: Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

Bruno Delbonnel, Darkest Hour

Hoyte Van Hoytema, Dunkirk

Rachel Morrison, Mudbound

Dan Lausten, The Shape of Water

THOUGHTS: With 13 nominations and 0 wins, it’s about time Roger Deakins wins this award.  Deakins impeccably shot Blade Runner 2049, and this is easily his best work yet.  If he doesn’t win this time, I don’t know how he can top this going forward.

Original Score

Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk

Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread

Will Win/Should Win: Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Original Song

Mighty River, Mudbound

Mystery of Love, Call Me By Your Name

Will Win/Should Win: Remember Me, Coco

Stand Up For Something, Marshall

This is Me, The Greatest Showman

Original Screenplay

Should Win: The Big Sick

Will Win: Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Should Win: Logan

Molly’s Game

Mubound

Directing

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Will Win/Should Win: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

THOUGHTS: A couple months ago, I think most people would have said that this was Christopher Nolan’s award to lose, but The Shape of Water is the clear favorite here.  Guillermo del Toro has won everything from a Golden Globe to a DGA, and it’s well deserved.  Del Toro directed the hell out of The Shape of Water and added flavor to every shot.  It’s clear that this was an absolute passion project for him.  While Peele and Gerwig are great additions to round out the nominees, I think many Academy voters will see their movies as first steps and believe that they will have plenty more chances in the future.

Actor in a Leading Role

Timothy Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

THOUGHTS: This category isn’t so much about who’s nominated as opposed to who’s not.  It’s a pretty glaring omission that James Franco wasn’t nominated for his role as Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist after having won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award.  This was probably due to the recent alleged scandal so it’s probably a good call by the Academy to not recognize men who abuse their power in the face of the Me Too movement.

Actress in a Leading Role

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Will Win/Should Win: Francis McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

THOUGHTS: Francis McDormand all the way.  I really don’t see anyone else winning as McDormand has won everything so far.

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

Will Win/Should Win: The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

THOUGHTS: I think The Shape of Water will edge out Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri because Three Billboards didn’t get a directing nomination, something that has been directly tied with the Best Picture winner.  The only thing holding Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy film back is the fish sex.  I don’t know if some Academy members will be taken back by the romance between a human and a monster.  It’s one of my favorite films of the year, but I don’t know if it resonated with everyone.  In the case that The Shape of Water and Three Billboards cancel each other out, I think Lady Bird will take the top spot.  While Three Billboards will pick up major acting awards, I think The Shape of Water will take this one home.

So what do you think about these predictions?  Do you think I’m right or wrong?  Feel free to let me know in the comments sections down below!  Thanks 🙂

Twitter: @MohitPuvvala

Instagram: @MohitPuvvala