Your 2026 Oscars Pre-Reads
What we have that you can read and listen to before tonight's ceremony
The 98th Academy Awards are in just a handful of hours, and like always we’ve got a whole host of thoughts and golden hot takes to help get you ready for the year’s biggest night in film.
Start with our list of the best films of 2025, which include a bunch of the films nominated this year:
Then go deeper than a paragraph or two with our discussion and pick for the very best film of the year. Spoiler alert: we’re right in line with what the predicition markets have.
And since the two favorites were both distributed by a studio that may not even exist by the time next year’s Oscars roll around, you could also read our article or listen to our podcast episode about all the drama with Warner Brothers.
Finally, I’ll be posting the hottest of takes as Notes as the ceremony unfolds, but in the meantime, here’s my ranking of the Best Picture nominees, Nos. 1-10. If I finish The Secret Agent before the ceremony I’ll be sure to update the order.
Ranking the Best Picture Nominees
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Bugonia
Hamnet
Train Dreams
F1
Frankenstein
(Still working on finishing The Secret Agent as you read this post.)
Enjoy the show, everyone. If nothing else, we’ve at least got Conan again.