Academy Awards 2025 predictions: What makes a great film?
Find out on Sunday, at 7 p.m., on ABC.
Our film critic predicts winners.
By Nik Hogan
Knightly News CPC Film Series Correspondent
nikolai.hadleyhogan@mymail.centralpenn.edu
Another year of film has come and gone, and with that, the Academy Awards loom right around the corner.
The last year brought plenty of new films to discuss and praise.
With so many movies being delayed in 2023 due to the writers’ strike, plenty of the films that were intended for a 2023 release were delayed and ended up coming out in 2024.
Let’s highlight a few of the categories, and see which films I believe will take home awards from said categories.
Last year, I predicted several of the main categories. This year, I will revisit some of the categories I made predictions for last year but also some new ones.
Cinematography
The nominees are “The Brutalist,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Perez,” “Maria” and “Nosferatu.” I feel “Nosferatu” is a lock-in for the award. Normally, I tend to dismiss remakes of films, but because it’s been over a century since the original film’s release, “Nosferatu” was able to update the story for a new generation, and the cinematography is what made it so immersive. The film has a menacing atmosphere that sticks with you even during safe moments of the story, and it would not have the same effect if not for Jarin Blashcke’s work on the film.
Best Costume Design
This category is another close race this year. The nominees are Arianne Phillips for “A Complete Unknown,” Lisy Christl for “Conclave,” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman for “Gladiator II,” Linda Muir for“Nosferatu” and Paul Tazewell for “Wicked.” For me, it was a toss-up between “Gladiator II” and “Wicked,” but I think “Wicked” wins in the end. “Gladiator II” had wonderful period-piece costumes, but being a sequel means we saw that type of costume work in the first movie. I think what makes “Wicked” special is that it adapts the original Broadway style flawlessly onto screen without making any sacrifices to the original story’s vision, and the quirky-yet-appealing costume design of Oz makes it an immersive world of color and glam to which the costumes contribute.
Best Original Screenplay
I feel that the only right choice is Coralie Fargeat’s script for “The Substance.” The film’s trippy and horrific body horror is only as effective as it is because of the outstanding script the actors were given for the film. I feel that horror is often snubbed at the Oscars, so seeing it receive nominations is refreshing. I feel a script is the most important step when creating a movie, as it is the entire world of the film centralized in a single story.
Best Animated Feature Film
This category is always interesting. Plenty of people feel that animation is a kids-only medium but last year’s winner, “The Boy and the Heron,” from Studio Ghibli, showed that the art of animation is a medium, not a genre. This year, the nominees are “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,”“Memoir of a Snail,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” and “The Wild Robot.” I think the award is going to go to “Inside Out 2,” as it was a smash hit at the box office during the 2024 blockbuster season. As for the film I would want to take the award? Definitely “The Wild Robot.” The Dreamworks film is one of the most underrated of 2024, and it had a strong heartfelt message about nature and taking care of the Earth, without it feeling preachy or insisting upon its themes.
And for the big one, Best Picture, the nominees are “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Perez,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance” and “Wicked.” I think most will agree that “Wicked” deserves the award. The film was in development for nearly 20 years but was able to deliver a long but immersive experience that millions of people, including people who are not fans of musicals, absolutely adored. With the second part of the film releasing during this year’s Christmas season, “Wicked” is surely set to take over the next Oscars season as well.
The Oscars is an event that cinephiles like me and pop-culture fans eagerly watch each year. There’s always something interesting about every event, like the infamous Chris Rock slap, and last year’s John Cena best-costume-design stunt.
Overall, only time will tell if my predictions for these Oscar nominees are correct, but I’ll be sure to update you with the verdicts.
Hogan is also secretary of The Knightly News Media Club @ Central Penn College.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
