2026 Oscars’ Best Picture Nominees, Ranked From Worst To Best

The awards show is almost here, and the Best Picture nominees include many of last year’s biggest successes. From exciting action movies like F1 to heartfelt dramas such as Sentimental Value, there’s a film for everyone to root for when the winner is announced.

With ten films nominated for Best Picture, some naturally have a better chance of winning than others. However, each movie on the list is strong and offers something unique, even if it stands out from the other contenders.

Bugonia Was 2025’s Perfect Remake

Yorgos Lanthimos directed Bugonia, a 2025 film written by Will Tracy and inspired by the 2003 movie Save the Green Planet! It generated significant buzz before its release, and generally lived up to the hype. The film features a strong cast including Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Aidan Delbis, alongside Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone.

Bugonia centers on the kidnapping of Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, orchestrated by Teddy Gatz, a seemingly unstable beekeeper with a fascination for conspiracy theories. The film is filled with suspense, though it may not have the same emotional impact as other contenders for Best Picture.

F1 Left the Competition in the Rear-View Last Summer

The sports drama F1, released in 2025, quickly became a massive success. The film, about a former racer returning after 30 years to help his teammate’s struggling team, APXGP, earned over $633 million worldwide on a budget of under $300 million. It also received critical acclaim, appearing on many “best of” lists for the year.

Having already won ten major awards, the film F1 now has a chance to impress at the Academy Awards – if voters can see beyond its fast-paced action. Like many sports dramas, it successfully balances excitement with a strong central idea, making it a legitimate contender for Best Picture.

Frankenstein Became Guillermo del Toro’s Latest Greatest Creation

Among the popular films hoping for a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Oscars, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is perhaps the most unexpected contender. Despite the director’s own statements, many factors suggest Academy voters might not feel the same way.

The new film stars Oscar Isaac as Baron Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth as Lady Elizabeth Harlander, and Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Despite a talented cast, some critics weren’t impressed with the film’s significant departures from the original story – a common issue for adaptations hoping to win major awards.

Marty Supreme Gave Timothée Chalamet Another Shot at the Oscars

Unlike the high-octane world of Formula 1, the year’s other big sports film, Marty Supreme, offers a completely different experience – and that’s precisely what made it successful. Directed by Josh Safdie and co-written with Ronald Bronstein, the film is based on the true story of Marty Reisman and features what many are calling Timothée Chalamet’s strongest performance to date.

Even though some viewers might question the film’s ambiguous morality, it tells a surprisingly captivating story. This is a major reason why it’s being considered for the Best Picture award.

Sentimental Value Examines Filmmaking in Heartfelt Fashion

Joachim Trier’s film, Sentimental Value (originally titled Affeksjonsverdi), didn’t get a lot of attention from general audiences, but it was still a financial success, earning over $22 million with a budget of under $8 million. Winning the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival during its debut significantly boosted its chances of being recognized by the Academy Awards.

It’s not surprising that Sentimental Value received a Best Picture nomination, especially considering it’s already been nominated for over 200 awards and won 75. Even if it doesn’t win Best Picture, Sentimental Value is still in the running for seven other Oscars.

Hamnet Broke Audiences’ Hearts Before Mending Them All the Same

Before it came out, Hamnet was the movie many people were most worried about seeing in 2025. However, fans of Maggie O’Farrell’s original novel – on which the film is based – immediately knew it would be a success, even though they anticipated it would be a deeply emotional experience throughout its two-hour runtime.

Starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakespeare, Hamnet tells the story of how the famous couple met, fell in love, and started a family despite facing difficult challenges. The film deeply explores the heartbreaking loss of their son, Hamnet, and while it initially feels incredibly sad, it ultimately leaves you with a sense of hope.

Train Dreams is Period Drama Perfection

Clint Bentley’s film, Train Dreams, based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novel, is a beautifully crafted historical drama. The story begins in the late 1800s and follows a young orphan who finds his way to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and lives a difficult but compelling life.

Though it premiered at Sundance in January, Train Dreams didn’t reach Netflix viewers until November. Many missed it initially, but critics quickly recognized its quality, and it gained attention as a potential award winner and a film that resonated with audiences.

One Battle After Another Serves Up Biting Black Comedy Alongside Explosive Family Drama

Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, this darkly funny and thrilling story is a truly impressive watch. It delves into the complicated and sometimes damaging connections between people, stemming from past wrongdoings that affect families for years, ultimately building to a powerful and memorable climax.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Reina Hall, and Teyana Taylor have all received praise for their acting, and the film is being considered one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best works. It’s still uncertain if One Battle After Another will win Best Picture at the Oscars, but many believe it’s a strong contender.

The Secret Agent is 2025’s Biggest Sleeper Hit

The Secret Agent (originally O Agente Secreto in Portuguese) is one of only two foreign films nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, and deservedly so. While both it and Sentimental Value also earned nominations for Best International Feature Film, each film is exceptional enough to warrant even greater recognition – though for very different reasons.

In The Secret Agent, Wagner Moura plays Armando Solimões, a former researcher who becomes a political activist using the alias Marcelo Alves. He quickly becomes central to a resistance movement, leading to the gripping and intricate plot that initially impressed critics.

Sinners Defied All Expectations to Stand as a Modern Horror Masterpiece

Honestly, I think Sinners is the frontrunner for Best Picture, which is wild considering how unexpected its success was! Even before it came out, everyone was talking about it, and then it just blew up at the box office. It quickly became obvious this movie was going to be huge – it was never going to be anything but a success.

Despite being a huge success – earning $370 million on a $90 million budget and receiving almost perfect reviews – the film Sinners hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves. It could win Oscars in every category it’s nominated for, but its genre and some potentially sensitive themes are likely holding it back from widespread acclaim.

You can watch the 98th Academy Awards on ABC on March 15th, or stream it live on Hulu.

2026-03-15 04:41