Let's Talk The Oscar Short Lists

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Since I'll be traveling for the holidays, I don't think I'll have time to get to the movies (Though I'm hoping to talk my family into going to Marty Supreme at some point) So while I'm away from the big screen, I thought it might be fun to rave and rant a bit about the Oscar short list. 

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Autokar
Butterfly
Cardboard
Eiru
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Hurikán
I Died in Irpin
The Night Boots
Playing God
The Quinta’s Ghost
Retirement Plan
The Shyness of Trees
Snow Bear
The Three Sisters
While I go full Oscars death race with the shorts each year, I'm not even going to try to predict who advances because I don't even know where to start.

CASTING
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sirât
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
I've been so curious about how this category is going to go. I was hoping they'd go a little more outside of the box instead of repeating films that are going to get multiple nominees anyways, but I can't argue with some of the picks here. One Battle, Sinners, Hamnet and Sentimental Value were always going to get in with those amazing casts. I love seeing Weapons here, that's probably my favorite surprise. I'm sad a film like The Long Walk couldn't get in like it did at Critic's Choice. Kiss of the Spider Woman would've been a great choice too.
My guess to advance: Sinners, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Sirat

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ballad of a Small Player
Bugonia
Die My Love
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Nouvelle Vague
One Battle after Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sirât
Song Sung Blue
Sound of Falling
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good being here is...a choice. I haven't seen The Testament of Ann Lee yet, but from the trailers alone and all the reviews I've read, I'm shocked that's not here. Song Sung Blue is another I haven't seen, but it just feels like a weird choice.
My guess to advance: Train Dreams, Nouvelle Vague, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
The Alabama Solution
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Coexistence, My Ass!
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover-Up
Cutting through Rocks
Folktales
Holding Liat
Mr. Nobody against Putin
Mistress Dispeller
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Seeds
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Yanuni
I'm going to be searching some of these out because it seems like a really strong year for documentaries. But because I've only seen a few, I'm not sure I can predict what five make it. I just hope The Perfect Neighbor and The Alabama Solution get in. 

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
All the Empty Rooms
All the Walls Came Down
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Bad Hostage
Cashing Out
Chasing Time
Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’
Classroom 4
The Devil Is Busy
Heartbeat
Last Days on Lake Trinity
On Healing Land, Birds Perch
Perfectly a Strangeness
Rovina’s Choice
We Were the Scenery

INTERNATIONAL FILM
Argentina, “Belén”
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Germany, “Sound of Falling”
India, “Homebound”
Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
Japan, “Kokuho”
Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
Palestine, “Palestine 36”
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
Spain, “Sirât”
Switzerland, “Late Shift”
Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
There's a pretty strong chance that distributor Neon gets all five slots with this category. I've only been lucky enough to catch one of these so far, so my predictions are going off reviews and other precursors.
My Guess to advance: The Secret Agent, It Was Just An Accident, Sentimental Value, Sirat, No Other Choice

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ado
Amarela
Beyond Silence
The Boy with White Skin
Butcher’s Stain
Butterfly on a Wheel
Dad’s Not Home
Extremist
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Pantyhose
The Pearl Comb
Rock, Paper, Scissors
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
The Alto Knights
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Marty Supreme
Nuremberg
One Battle after Another
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Wicked: For Good
The Ugly Stepsister being here is my favorite thing but WHERE is 28 Years Later? Insane to leave that out. Also if Suicide Squad can WIN this category, then you can at least throw Weapons in here too.
My guess to advance: Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, Sinners, The Smashing Machine, Wicked: For Good

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Bugonia
Captain America: Brave New World
Diane Warren: Relentless
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
A House of Dynamite
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Nuremberg
One Battle after Another
Sinners
Sirât
Train Dreams
Tron: Ares
Truth and Treason
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good
Captain America Brave New World is the most shocking name on the entire shortlist, right? Again, huge miss for The Testament of Ann Lee.
My guess to advance: Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams, Sirat

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from “Tron: Ares”
“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Dream As One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Drive” from “F1”
“Dying To Live” from “Billy Idol Should Be Dead”
“The Girl In The Bubble” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
“Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest”
“I Lied To You” from “Sinners”
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from “Sinners”
“No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Our Love” from “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from “Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”
Pouring one more out for The Testament of Ann Lee because I've had "Hunger and Thirst" stuck in my head all week. Same with Zoo from Zootopia 2 and Soda Pop from KPop Demon Hunters. Both bops
My guess to advance: Diane Warren's obligatory nomination, Golden, I Lied To You, Train Dreams, Drive (Yes, I'm predicting - wishing? - for both Wicked songs to miss. I'm sorry, those are trash. 

SOUND
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle after Another
Sinners
Sirât
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Superman
Wicked: For Good
I am so offended that Warfare isn't here. Insane miss by the Sound branch. 
My guess to advance: Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Electric State
F1
Frankenstein
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Superman
Tron: Ares
Wicked: For Good
None of the Marvel offerings making it in is pretty insane. Superman over The Fantastic Four? Even Thunderbolts? No out of the box pick for Mickey 17? I'm pretty annoyed with this one too.
My guess to advance: Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, Sinners, Superman

Comments

  1. SJHoneywellDecember 26, 2025 at 10:22 AM

    I genuinely don't understand the thinking in a lot of cases. While I do pay attention to the Oscars, I do so mostly out of my own frustration for just how much it is political nonsense.

    ReplyDelete

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