Awards Season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love movies of all types and each year I try to watch every single film nominated for an Oscar in every single category. I don’t always get there, but I usually get pretty close.
Follow along on my journey as I watch all the 2018 Academy Awards Nominees. I share my thoughts about which films you must see and which films you should skip. Let me know what you think about each of the nominees. Do you agree or disagree with my favorites and predicted winners?
All the #Oscars90 @TheAcademy Award Nominees: Must-sees, must-skips favorites and predictions! #Oscars #OscarNoms #Oscars2018 Click To Tweet
For each film, I write a short review on Twitter. Click the movie title to read my short review – and reply to let me know what you think.
Here is my “official” 2018 Oscars ballow with my predictions and my personal picks
All my Oscars predictions and personal favorites.
Posted by Travis Pflanz on Sunday, March 4, 2018
And my 2018 Oscars Favorites (and winners) are…
Best Picture
- Call Me By Your Name (Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges and Marco Morabito)
- Darkest Hour (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski)
- Dunkirk (Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan)
- Get Out (Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele)
- Lady Bird (Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O’Neill)
- Phantom Thread (JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupi)
- The Post (Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger)
- The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale)
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh)
This isn't a popular take, but #GetOut isn't a Best Picture #OscarNoms worthy film. I liked the film a lot. The themes are relevant and much needed. However, there are too many holes in the plot and the film was very hokey at times in script and in acting. pic.twitter.com/djF4BA2hGU
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 1, 2018
My Favorite
I love so many of these movies, so this was a really tough choice for my, but I am going with Call Me By Your Name as my personal favorite. Call Me By Your Name is a simple, yet very complex, beautiful story. Very Hemmingway-esque story.
THE WINNER
The Shape of Water
Call Me By Your Name is very Hemingwayesque, telling a complex story in such a simple way… except in #CallMeByYourName war and wine is replaced with swimming and napping. Worthy of all the #OscarNoms! #Oscars90 pic.twitter.com/dr9CaGFYpm
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) January 25, 2018
Actor
in a Leading Role
- Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name)
- Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)
- Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
- Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
- Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)
My Favorite
This is a tough category. Darkest Hour was basically a two hour monologue, and Gary Oldman was amazing.
THE WINNER
Gary Oldman
Actress
in a Leading Role
- Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
- Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
- Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
- Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
- Meryl Streep (The Post)
My Favorites
Margot Robbie is my favorite in this category over Frances McDormand because this is a new type of role for Robbie, while McDormand has played many similar roles.
THE WINNER
Frances McDormand
What a hilariously sad story. #ITonya completely drew me and made feel guilty for laughing at such terrible circumstances. Well done! @MargotRobbie, @AllisonBJanney and the unique story-telling made @ITonyaMovie one of my favorite 2017 films. #Oscars90 pic.twitter.com/mqVOKqs85S
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
Wow! That's all I can say about the huge effort and huge success re-shooting the part of J. Paul Getty with Christopher Plummer in #AlltheMoneyintheWorld with such little time to hit release. Plummer's performance was definitely the standout of the film. #oscars90 pic.twitter.com/YSF7uOKXes
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
Actor
in a Supporting Role
- Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
- Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)
- Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)
- Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
My Favorite
I am super-impressed with everything surrounding Christopher Plummer’s performance in All the Money in the World. Plummer was the movie’s standout performance, and all his scenes were shot in less than two weeks. Very impressive.
THE WINNER
Sam Rockwell
Actress
in a Supporting Role
- Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) – not yet watched
- Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
- Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)
- Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
- Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)
My Favorite
I love Allison Janney in I, Tonya. She really brings the viewer into the movie and makes them feel guilty for participating in being such a terrible mother.
THE WINNER
Allison Janney
I enjoyed #LadyBird, but it felt like almost every other teenage girl coming-of-age story to me – and the end felt rushed. Laurie Metcalf "stole the show" and is definitely worthy of her 2018 Supporting Actress #oscars nomination. pic.twitter.com/APHdlqlyPf
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
I loved the tension in #Dunkirk, starting with the the first scene of the film and lasting throughout. I also really appreciate the realistic (I assume) and dramatic action – not over-the-top and sensationalized. Worthy of all the #oscarnoms! pic.twitter.com/lzYi9OUIhx
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
Directing
- Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
- Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
- Jordan Peele (Get Out)
- Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
- Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread)
My Favorites
Truth time – I don’t really know how to judge “Best Director.” How do we, as filmgoers, really know who did a good job directing and how much was everyone else involved with the film. I tend to lump this with how much I overall enjoyed a film. I’m going with Christopher Nolan for Directing. I love Dunkirk, on the edge of my seat the whole time. With the many storylines and timelines in the film, Nolan gets my personal pick.
THE WINNER
Guillermo del Toro
Animated Feature Film
- The Boss Baby (Tom McGrath, Ramsey Naito)
- The Breadwinner (Nora Twomey) – not yet watched
- Coco (Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina)
- Ferdinand (Carlos Saldanha)
- Loving Vincent (Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman)
My Favorites
Coco and Loving Vincent were two of my favorite films in 2017 – not just in the animated category. Overall, I’m going with Coco as my favorite Animated Feature.
THE WINNER
Coco
#LovingVincent is amazingly beautiful! 65,000 frames painted with oil paints. This hand-painted style immediately drew me in and made me fall in love with this film. One of my 2017 favorite films! #Oscars2018 pic.twitter.com/BY0eKhRKYp
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 4, 2018
Kudos to @kobebryant for going out – getting some of the best in the business on board – and making #DearBasketball. Yes, this Animated Short Film is backed by a lot of money, but the passion is obvious and the film is well worth the #OscarNoms. @GlenKeanePrd pic.twitter.com/bYF0UUpDMx
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
Short Film
Animated
- “Dear Basketball” (Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant)
- “Garden Party” (Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon)
- “Lou” (Dave Mullins, Dana Murray)
- “Negative Space” (Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata)
- “Revolting Rhymes” (Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer)
My Favorite
I absolutely love Garden Party! You gotta see this insanity.
THE WINNER
Dear Basketball
Writing
Adapted Screenplay
- Call Me By Your Name (Screenplay by James Ivory)
- The Disaster Artist (Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber)
- Logan (Screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold)
- Molly’s Game (Written for the screen by Aaron Sorkin)
- Mudbound (Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees) – did not watch prior to Oscars
My Favorites
Call Me By Your Name and Molly’s Game are very close as my favorites. I love Aaron Sorkin’s tight quick-paced style and I also love the simplicity mixed with complexity in James Ivory’s Call Me By Your Name. I’m picking Call Me By Your Name as my favorite
THE WINNER
James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
I absolutely love #Logan! I was shocked by the Adapted Screenplay #Oscars2018 nomination, but very well-deserved. I wish more Marvel movies were like Logan… The action wasn't way over-the-top and not a single metropolis was destroyed. pic.twitter.com/IcPecw0CTk
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
13 #oscarnoms! What's not to love about a fantastical story of a mute woman who falls in love with a fish-man? The film is all-around amazing and deserves a 2nd watch right away. #Oscars90 pic.twitter.com/z5bPMVWB8c
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
Cinematography
- Blade Runner 2049 (Roger Deakins)
- Darkest Hour (Bruno Delbonnel)
- Dunkirk (Hoyte van Hoytema)
- Mubdound (Rachel Morrison) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- The Shape of Water (Dan Laustsen)
My Favorite
Dunkirk felt simple and realistic. I love the beginning to end tension and many long shots. That said, I am picking Blade Runner 2049 as my favorite. Again, I love the long shots and the emotion captured onscreen.
THE WINNER
Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Documentary
Feature
- Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, Kartemquin Educational Films and WGBH/FRONTLINE)
- Faces Places (Visages villages – Agnes Varda)
- Icarus (Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan)
- Last Men in Aleppo (De sidste mænd i Aleppo – Firas Fayyad, Steen Johannessen) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- Strong Island (Yance Ford)
My Favorite
The magnitude of Icarus is enormous. Even if you’re not a sports fan at all, you’ll get drawn in and be on the edge of your seat
THE WINNER
Icarus
Don't think you'd ever root for "The Bank" in a movie? Think again. @AbacusMovie is both disheartening and inspirational at the same time! A very worthy Doc #oscarnoms contender. @frontlinepbs @Kartemquin pic.twitter.com/NpHil0ixyC
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 4, 2018
Through the careers of 3 amazing West Virginia women, #HeroineNetflix does a great job of highlighting the heroes fighting America's opioid epidemic in one of the most densely affected areas of the country. #OscarNoms #MovieReview #TPReview pic.twitter.com/VOkOn8rai5
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 17, 2018
Documentary
Short Subject
- Edith+Eddie (Laura Checkoway)
- Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (Frank Stiefel)
- Heroin(e) (Patrick Coker, Isaiah Mackson)
- Knife Skills (Thomas Lennon)
- Traffic Stop (Kate Davis, David Heilbroner)
My Favorite
What a powerful group of short documentary films. Herion(e) and Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 are my early leaders. Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 is such a touching story – it gets my pick.
THE WINNER
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Short Film
Live Action
- Dekalb Elementary (Reed Van Dyk)
- The Eleven O’Clock (Derin Seale and Josh Lawson)
- My Nephew Emmett (Kevin Wilson, Jr.)
- The Silent Child (Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton)
- Watu Wote/All of Us (Katja Benrath)
My Favorite
My Nephew Emmett is such a powerful story and is probably the most well-polished of all the live action short film nominees.
THE WINNER
The Silent Child
I really love that short films can jump right in and give the message quickly. @SilentChildFilm does a great job bringing an important issue to the forefront through the emotions of a child ignored by her family. #TheSilentChildOscars90 @RachelShenton #Oscars2018 pic.twitter.com/IF7RlYp6Do
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 15, 2018
Congrats to our Foreign Language Film nominees! #Oscars #OscarNoms pic.twitter.com/CtcVCNZXZe
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 23, 2018
Foreign Language Film
- A Fantastic Woman (Una mujer fantástica – Chile; Directed by Sebastián Lelio) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- The Insult (L’insulte – Lebanon; Directed by Ziad Doueiri) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- Loveless (Nelyubov – Russia; Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev)
- On Body and Soul (A Teströl és Lélekröl – Hungary; Directed by ldikó Enyedi) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- The Square (Sweden; Directed by Ruben Östlund) – did not watch prior to Oscars
My Favorite
I only saw Loveless before the Oscars ceremony
THE WINNER
A Fantastic Woman
Film Editing
- Baby Driver (Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss)
- Dunkirk (Lee Smith)
- I, Tonya (Tatiana S. Riegel)
- The Shape of Water (Sidney Wolinsky)
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (Jon Gregory)
My Favorites
Dunkirk is tight and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The multiple stories and timelines put Dunkirk over the top for me.
THE WINNER
Lee Smith, Dunkirk
What happens when you remove all the super heroes and over-the-top CGI from an action film? You get the best US filmed action movie in the last decade! #BabyDriver is highly recommended. ???????????? 3 well-deserved technical #OscarNoms for #BabyDriverMovie pic.twitter.com/2CAxrIfQAI
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
I definitely understand why many #starwars fans hated #TheLastJedi. I lost count of the number of deus ex machina used in the film. I was entertained, but not amazed. As with every new @starwars episode, the highlight was going back & watching ALL in order – even the "bad" ones! pic.twitter.com/r8774XAkJt
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
Sound Editing
- Baby Driver (Julian Slater)
- Blade Runner 2049 (Theo Green, Mark A. Mangini)
- Dunkirk (Michael W. Mitchell, Randy Torres)
- The Shape of Water (Nathan Robitaille)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Matthew Wood)
My Favorites
Dunkirk does not have a lot of dialogue and the all the other sound in the film play a huge big role in creating the beginning-to-end tension of this war film.
THE WINNER
Michael W. Mitchell, Randy Torr, Dunkirk
Sound Mixing
- Baby Driver (Tim Cavagin, Julian Slater)
- Blade Runner 2049 (Ron Barlett, Mac Ruth)
- Dunkirk (Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten)
- The Shape of Water (Christian T. Cooke, Filip Hosek, Brad Zoern)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson)
My Favorite
Again, I have to go with Dunkirk. What is the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing?
THE WINNER
Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten, Dunkirk
I loved the tension in #Dunkirk, starting with the the first scene of the film and lasting throughout. I also really appreciate the realistic (I assume) and dramatic action – not over-the-top and sensationalized. Worthy of all the #oscarnoms! pic.twitter.com/lzYi9OUIhx
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
I was SO blown away by the #AcademyAwards nominated makeup/prosthetics in #DarkestHour. The best I've ever seen – or not actually seen, I guess. I know, it's a movie about a serious subject & Gary Oldman was great, but I honestly watched wondering if he'd gotten fat for the role pic.twitter.com/6oCn1K24jj
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
Production Design
- Beauty and the Beast (Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer)
- Blade Runner 2049 (Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola)
- Darkest Hour (Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer)
- Dunkirk (Nathan Crowley)
- The Shape of Water (Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau)
My Favorite
I’m going with The Shape of Water as my favorite production design. Many of the sets really had their own personality.
THE WINNER
Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau, The Shape of Water
Music
Original Score
- Dunkirk (Hans Zimmer)
- Phantom Thread (Jonny Greenwood)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (John Williams)
- The Shape of Water (Alexandre Desplat)
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (Carter Burwell)
My Favorites
Dunkirk has my vote here. The all-around audio in Dunkirk is SO memorable. The film’s limited dialogue has a lot to do with this.
THE WINNER
Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water
Just the right amount of insane! #PhantomThread is definitely a movie deserving of a second viewing immediately. I'm excited to discover everything I missed the first time. @JnnyG's #OscarNoms Original Score is worthy of a Supporting Actor nomination, itself. #OSCARS90 pic.twitter.com/G7De7XbGO3
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 2, 2018
Easily of my favorite films of 2017. The story of #PixarCoco is touching and educational, with a catchy "theme song." Not to mention, who doesn't love a Xoloitzcuintli?! #oscars2018 @Lyrikris10 pic.twitter.com/AF8kUHdyJA
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
Music
Original Song
- “Mighty River” from Mudbound (Music and Lyric by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson) – ot yet watchedn
- “Mystery Of Love” from Call Me by Your Name (Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens)
- “Remember Me” from Coco (Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
- “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall (Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren)
- “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman (Music and Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul)
My Favorite
I pick my favorite in the “Best Original Song” category by how well the song embodies the essence of the film. No song embodies that principle as well as “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall.
THE WINNER
Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, “Remember Me” from Coco
Makeup and Hairstyling
- Darkest Hour (Ivana Primorac, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinkowski, Lucy Sibbick)
- Victoria & Abdul (Daniel Phillips, Lou Sheppard)
- Wonder (J.D. Bowers, Megan Harkness, Ailsa Macmillan, Robert A. Pandini)
My Favorite
My biggest Oscars question every year – Why are there only three Makeup and Hairstyling nominees? Doesn’t every single film have makeup and hairstyling? – The makeup and prosthetics in Darkest Hour are the best I’ve ever seen. I found myself honestly wondering if Gary Oldman actually got fat for the role.
THE WINNER
Ivana Primorac, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinkowski, Lucy Sibbick, Darkest Hour
#WonderTheMovie was pretty entertaining, and a great fit for "family movie night" if you're into that sort of thing. In places, oddly noticeable where scenes were removed to get down to a PG rating. #oscarnoms #makeup! pic.twitter.com/r9VKYLSHN6
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
#VictoriaAndAbdul is such and interesting and shocking story brought to light through Abdul's journals years after his death. The costumes are fantastic – well worthy of the #oscarnoms! pic.twitter.com/3foq5RLiBh
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 3, 2018
Costume Design
- Darkest Hour (Jacqueline Durran)
- Beauty and the Beast (Jacqueline Durran)
- Phantom Thread (Mark Bridges)
- The Shape of Water (Luis Sequiera)
- Victoria and Abdul (Consolata Boyle)
My Favorites
This is a toss-up between Phantom Thread, all about dressmaking, and Victoria and Abdul. I can’t even remember how many amazing dresses Queen Victoria wore in the film. I’m going with Victoria and Abdul.
THE WINNER
Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Visual Effects
- Blade Runner 2049 (Richard Clegg, Paul Lambert, Victor Muller, John Nelson)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick)
- Kong Skull Island (Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus) – did not watch prior to Oscars
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Richard Bain, Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland)
- War for the Planet of the Apes (Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joe Letteri, Joel Whist)
My Favorite
Blade Runner 2049 gets my personal pick. The world created for this film is breathtaking, and the CGI isn’t noticeable at all.
THE WINNER
Richard Clegg, Paul Lambert, Victor Muller, John Nelson, Blade Runner 2049
#GotGVol2 is okay, I guess. More than a little bit over-the-top and ridiculous with the story line. Maybe I'm getting old, but I feel like all the "comic book" movies are more like cartoons nowadays. Congrats on the Visual Effects #oscars 90 nomination, I guess… pic.twitter.com/yCGPtIjjSI
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 4, 2018
Just like every other rom-com – except the story is deeper, the characters are more likable and much more witty. ????@TheBigSickMovie is one of my favorite films of 2017 and much deserving of the Original Screenplay #Oscars nomination. pic.twitter.com/0oNjCHMk1n
— Travis Pflanz (@TravisPflanz) February 6, 2018
Writing
Original Screenplay
- The Big Sick (Written by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani)
- Get Out (Written by Jordan Peele)
- Lady Bird (Written by Greta Gerwig)
- The Shape of Water (Luis Sequiera)
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Written by Martin McDonagh)
My Favorites
My three favorites stories are The Big Sick, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri edges out the other two as my personal pick.
THE WINNER
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Key
- did not watch prior to Oscars – Pretty self-explanatory. I did not watch this film before the 2018 Academy Awards ceremony
- linked film title – Follow the link to read my short review on Twitter
Which 2018 Oscars nominees are your favorites and/or predictions to win?
Share all your thoughts in the comments below or as a reply to any of my movie review tweets.
