Every year the Academy Awards recognize many different films, actors and directors for their work during the previous year. This year the categories were well-rounded and filled with many talented nominees. The award show will take place in March, where viewers will see who comes out on top in each of these categories.

The most coveted award at the Oscars is “Best Picture.” The standout nominees are “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” My personal favorite out of the nominees is easily “Top Gun: Maverick.” It was really interesting to see how they were able to revamp a movie franchise that was previously dormant for multiple decades and turn it into a well rounded movie that more than lives up to the modern standards of Hollywood. However, I was disappointed that “Bullet Train,” a film that came out in August of 2022 directed by David Letch and starring Brad Pitt, did not receive a mention. The movie did a great job of blending genres such as action and comedy, while also providing top notch cinematography and acting. If it were up to me, the award would go to this film, so I was sad to see that it wasn’t even nominated. 

Two more highly sought after awards that will be presented at this year’s Oscars will be “Best Actor” and “Best Actress.” Upon seeing the nominations for these categories, I was honestly underwhelmed as I was only familiar with the performances of Brendan Fraser in “The Whale” and Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” By default, these would be my personal favorites to win. That being said, I feel like both performers are deserving of these awards and acted phenomenally in their respective films.

Another award I am excited to see is the Best Animated Feature. I predict that “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” will win this award, and it is completely deserving. In fact, it was surprisingly one of my favorite films I saw this year due to the visually appealing animation style and somewhat profound message found in the plot and character writing. Additionally, Disney Pixar’s “Turning Red” is also a notable film nominated for this award that could also win; however, I feel that “Puss in Boots” is more deserving.

All in all, the 2023 Oscars should be very entertaining, and for many of the awards, there are no undeserving acts. This show will be a great way to look back at the amazing year in film that was 2022.

Contact Jamison Joyce at [email protected]