Oscars 2023 | The Predictions Are In

The 95th Academy Awards are here at last and beckon the end of yet another staggeringly long awards season. After three turbulent years at the multiplex, dare we say it, this year feels like business as usual may well be back in action.

With a hearty eleven nods to its name, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a hot (dog) favourite to win everything, everywhere all at once – or, rather, over three hours – but has major competition from BAFTA favourites All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin.

Only time can tell as to who will actually come out on top but there’s always fun to be had in the pre-match guessing game…

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

There’s no doubting where the momentum stands with this one. Everything Everywhere All at Once has already bagged the PGA, DGA and SAG and looks all but nailed on to add the Oscar. Only the BAFTA-winning All Quiet on the Western Front presents a likely upset. Let’s not forget that Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel has previous, with Lewis Milestone’s inaugural adaptation winning the top gong way back at the 3rd Academy Awards. Can lightening strike twice?

Best Director

Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans

Todd Field – Tár

Ruben Östlund – Triangle of Sadness

Two for two? Wouldn’t bet against it. The Daniels surely have this in the bag. Who saw that coming off the back of Swiss Army Man?

Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler – Elvis

Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser – The Whale

Paul Mescal – Aftersun

Bill Nighy – Living

What a joy to see Nighy and Mescal on this prestigious list. Each would make for a worthy winner. Common parlance has it that Fraser’s dream comeback is the favourite for Best Actor. We reckon that Butler – who snagged the Golden Globe – might just steal it from beneath him.

Actress in a Leading Role

Ana de Armas – Blonde

Andrea Riseborough – To Leslie

Cate Blanchett – Tár

Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once

This year’s most controversial category is a two horse race. Until Yeoh took the SAG, Blanchett looked a dead cert. We’re still backing the latter as the likely winner but boy are we plugging for the former.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau – The Whale

Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Hm. There’s a lot of love out there for Bassett but whether doing ‘the thing’ will cut it for the Academy remains to be seen. Marvel have yet to win an Oscar and this is surely their best shot. Kerry Condon would be our pick but, really, we think it’ll be Curtis that walks away smiling.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin

Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway

Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans

Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once

There’s not a name on this list not worthy of an Oscar but it’s not without reason that commentators are calling Supporting Actor the night’s only dead cert. Ke Huy Quan is the people’s favourite and who are we to disagree.

Best Original Screenplay

The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh

Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

The Fabelmans – Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner

Tár – Todd Field

Triangle of Sadness – Ruben Östlund

There’s no more original screenplay on this list than the Daniels’ but we’re rooting for the minefield of meaning that was McDonagh’s Banshees for the win. The Academy don’t like to see a worthy contestant go away empty handed after all.