In years prior, the Academy Awards marked the end of a year in cinema. As the pandemic is still in full swing while vaccines are distributed, this year’s Academy Awards feels kind of like a fever dream. It’s now halfway through April, and we are just now wrapping up awards season. With this year’s nominees, we venture into films containing themes that deal a lot more with grappling loss (as opposed to last years where there was plenty of variety). Uncanny? Maybe. Still good? Yeah, definitely.
It’s awards season and we here at Full Circle Cinema have a bevy of differing opinions regarding who or what deserves to win big at this year’s ceremonies. With Full Circle Forecast, we break down the nominees for the biggest categories and give personal predictions for who we think will be taking the coveted statuettes home at the grandest stages of them all. 2021’s biggest cinematic celebration is The 93rd Academy Awards, often affectionately referred to as The Oscars, which celebrates the best in film from 2020. Despite some pretty big oversights and snubs this year, here are our picks in the biggest categories of the evening.
Best Picture
- The Father
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- Mank
- Minari
- Nomadland
- Promising Young Woman
- Sound of Metal
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Prediction: Nomadland
Considering the momentum that Nomadland has had across multiple award shows I couldn’t see why it would stop. I don’t personally love this movie as much as most people do. With that said, it contains a lot of merit that is worthy of your attention. A movie this raw is pretty rare with more modern movies. There is something extremely clean and concise about this that none of the other nominees has. The movie itself is beautiful to look at, and Chloé Zhao’s direction is excellent.
The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, Promising Young Woman, and Sound of Metal are all excellent movies and I think are all capable of winning. On the other hand, if Mank or The Trial of the Chicago 7 wins we will never hear the end of it. Both Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are worthy of their own artistic achievement and integrity. But placing them in the same playing field as these other movies is like putting mustard in ice cream.
Best Director
- Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
- David Fincher – Mank
- Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
- Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
- Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Prediction: Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Chloé Zhao is clearly a master at what she does. Although we were fortunate to have a year full of well-directed movies, the work Zhao did was a cut above. With that in mind, these other movies that the Academy nominated are all excellent. Each director was able to artistically create and execute their vision. Even though I firmly believe Zhao will win, any disappointment to my pick will not be upsetting.
Best International Film
- Another Round – Denmark
- Better Days – Hong Kong
- Collective – Romania
- The Man Who Sold His Skin – Tunisia
- Quo Vadis, Aida? – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prediction: Another Round – Denmark
The international film category is a touchy area for me. The Academy Awards only celebrates one country’s film output, the United States. Not saying it’s wrong for them to do that (the Academy Awards was created in the United States and has always taken place in it). When you consider the other 196 countries in the world that may be creating and releasing excellent movies, narrowing it to only five nominees seems a little arbitrary. These movies are all excellent and are well deserving of your attention and time. My rationale for choosing Another Round was only because it’s the only international film with a second nomination. Please go watch these movies and make your own judgment!
Best Actor
- Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal
- Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Anthony Hopkins in The Father
- Gary Oldman in Mank
- Steven Yeun in Minari
Look, save the booing and hear me out on this.
Prediction: Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal
I think the most unique and genius performance we got this year was 100% from Riz Ahmed. Before you start typing away and calling me I’m a scumbag (or do it, I don’t care lol) for not choosing Chadwick I would like to say this. Chadwick gave the best performance of his career in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and is deserving of every bit of praise and love. Although he is no longer with us, Chadwick’s career has left a mark on our culture as a whole. The way Sound of Metal wrapped you into its narrative is directly from its sound design (we’ll cover that later) and Riz. Although I think Hopkins and Yeun did excellent in their respective roles, I firmly believe Riz Ahmed will get it. Sorry, Gary Oldman, I can’t wait to see what you do next!
Best Actress
- Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Andra Day in The United States vs Billie Holiday
- Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman
- Frances McDormand in Nomadland
- Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
Prediction: Frances McDormand in Nomadland
Personally, I’m stuck on this one, I think they all did a great job. 2020 was a GREAT year for leading women in film and choosing one is extremely difficult. My only reason for choosing McDormand is that Nomadland has been sweeping other award shows. I can’t really find any other justifications. At no point did I think one woman outdid the other and we really were fortunate to have legendary performance upon legendary performance this past year.
Best Supporting Actor
- Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
- Leslie Odom Jr in One Night in Miami
- Paul Raci in Sound of Metal
- Lakeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah
Prediction: Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
Every time I think of Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya is a major stand-out for me. Like, this scene pictured above is like looking into the Ark from Indiana Jones. With that in mind, why was Lakeith Stanfield nominated in this category? Who was the leading role in Judas and the Black Messiah? Was it Martin Sheen?
Best Supporting Actress
- Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
- Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy
- Olivia Colman in The Father
- Amanda Seyfried in Mank
- Yuh-Jung Youn in Minari
Prediction: Yuh-Jung Youn in Minari
I think the only other person I can see really give Yuh-Jung Youn any competition is Olivia Colman. While Olivia Colman gave a clean performance, I believe Yuh-Jung Youn really killed it with Minari. Like how could you NOT love the grandma??
Best Animated Feature Film
- Onward
- Over the Moon
- A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
- Soul
- Wolfwalkers
Prediction: Soul
Somehow, someway Pixar continues to release freshly brilliant movies. Soul explores ideas pertaining to metaphysical existence with… jazz. The only movie that I think would upset this prediction would be Wolkwalkers. Both movies are equally beautiful in their own right. With Wolfwalkers you get a story that feels sincere and has performances that tug at the heartstrings. You get the same thing with Soul, but with jazz. It’s like choosing between a New York strip with salt and pepper or one with all of that, some onion powder and some smoked paprika. C’mon, you know which one you’d pick.
Best Documentary Feature Film
- Collective
- Crip Camp
- The Mole Agent
- My Octopus Teacher
- Time
Prediction: Time
Following suit with Best Actress, the documentary features we got this year were excellent. Time captured something that wasn’t as grand in scale as Collective or Crip Camp yet somehow left an impact just as big. I’ll be honest with you, any of these* documentary features are capable of winning.
*My Octopus Teacher was cute, but it does not hold a torch near these other features.
Best Live Action Short
- Feeling Through
- The Letter Room
- The Present
- Two Distant Strangers
- White Eye
Prediction: Feeling Through
I would like to preface that White Eye was not available for me to watch in the process of making this list. If that ends up winning, congratulations to White Eye! As for the other choices, I think Feeling Through captures a sense of humanity that none of these other shorts captured. The Present and The Letter Room were both good, but I personally feel that Feeling Through just has that more of an edge.
I won’t dive into the exploitative drivel that was Two Distant Strangers. I cannot recommend that you watch Two Distant Strangers at any capacity. Although there was good intent in the creation of Two Distant Strangers, the point is too on the nose and too graphic to convey what it’s trying to say.
Best Animated Short
- Burrow
- Genius Loci
- If Anything Happens I Love You
- Opera
- Yes-People
Prediction: If Anything Happens I Love You
I would like to preface that both Opera and Genius Loci were not available for me to watch in the process of making this list. If either of them ends up winning, congratulations! I don’t really have a lot of opinions for this category. Burrow and Yes-People are both well-animated shorts that accomplish what it needs to. I believe the subject material in If Anything Happens I Love You hits close to home. That alone is why I think it will win in this category. Kind of sad that is still a relevant topic, but that’s a different discussion for a different post.
Best Documentary Short
- Colette
- A Concerto is a Conversation
- Do Not Split
- Hunger Ward
- A Love Song for Latasha
Prediction: Hunger Ward
This category was pretty stacked. Each short covered completely different topics, and the variety within was a welcome surprise. With that said, the only short that I think holds a flame to this is Do Not Split. The only reason why I didn’t choose that over this is that the situation in Hong Kong is still so raw. That short being nominated has already brought on repercussions for the Oscars. China won’t be showing the Oscars and is encouraging their citizens not to seek out updates on the show. Additionally, I don’t believe the Oscars would want to lose out on money from China.
Hunger Ward covers a hospital ward in Yemen designed to assist hunger-stricken children. The short is brutal and does not shy away from the horrors that Yemen is experiencing. It’s forty minutes and will leave you emotionally devastated. The other documentary shorts are great and are worth your time.
Best Original Screenplay
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- Minari
- Promising Young Woman
- Sound of Metal
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
Please, just read my rationale.
Prediction: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Ok, the two things I admire about this movie are a) Sacha Baron Cohen and b) its writing. Aaron Sorkin may not be a great director, but he is SPOT ON with his writing. Granted, the ending to this is kind of… uh… cringe… but everything else was really strong. I love every other movie in this category, so whoever wins I’m won’t upset!
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
- The Father
- Nomadland
- One Night in Miami
- The White Tiger
Prediction: The Father
This movie to me is like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It is excellent in almost every way, but I’m not sure if it will get much love at the Oscars. I reviewed this last month and said “A film that covers as much as The Father does, while telling an enthralling story shouldn’t work as it does”. Although the other nominees are all great in their own right, I think this movie will take it. A point to note, The White Tiger is only nominated in this category. I had seen it in preparation for this piece and I was surprised by how unique it is. The other movies in this category have received a lot of love and you should go watch them. The White Tiger, though, is something you don’t want to miss.
Best Original Score
- Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard
- Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
- Minari – Emile Mosseri
- News of the World – James Newton Howard
- Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste
Prediction: Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste
This is a tough category for me. I sincerely love Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste, and Terence Blanchard’s work. Da 5 Bloods is one of the most confusing snubs for this award season. I really want Blanchard to get more love and more attention to be brought to Da 5 Bloods. But you want to know what Soul has that the others don’t have? Jazz.
Best Original Song
- “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah – Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
- “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
- “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
- “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se) – Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
- “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami – Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom Jr and Sam Ashworth
Prediction: “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah – Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
The other four songs by themselves are pretty competitive. Add this to the mix? The fight is over. Mike Tyson just walked into the ring. This song, in the context of the movie, or just by itself jams. H.E.R. is a talented artist, and she needs more songs in movies. Separate note, “Husavik” is a good song, but that over “Ja Ja Ding Dong”?? Going to need a recount on that one Mr. John Oscars.
Best Cinematography
- Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt
- Mank – Erik Messerschmidt
- News of the World – Dariusz Wolski
- Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael
Prediction: Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
Nomadland is a feast for the eyes. Like a feast with foie gras, caviar, some real expensive champagne. This is the real deal. The other nominees also look great, but this movie just takes advantage of lighting and its environment so well. I guess the only other movies that I think could take it is Mank but I’m just going to say Nomadland.
Best Costume Design
- Emma – Alexandra Byrne
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
- Mank – Trish Summerville
- Mulan – Bina Daigeler
- Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini
Prediction: Emma – Alexandra Byrne
The Oscars did this movie SO dirty. I am not a huge fan of Emma, but it looks astounding in every way. The way it looks should be studied for years and years and years… If this had been nominated for Best Cinematography I would say this should win hands down. Like look at that photo, it has so much color, and is so clean, and it’s so beautiful. I’m kind of upset over how this was treated during this award season. If this wins Best Costume Design I’ll suck it up and be happy it got something.
Best Film Editing
- The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
- Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
- Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval
- Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten
Prediction: The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
If you’ve seen this, you know how masterful the editing this movie has. The other movies have excellent editing and their nominations are worthy. The Father, though? Oh man, this movie is insane with what it does with editing. That’s all I’ll say, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch it.
Best Sound
- Greyhound
- Mank
- News of the World
- Soul
- Sound of Metal
Prediction: Sound of Metal
The way sound is used in Sound of Metal is genius. In its own way, it operates as its own character and has its own presence just as much as Riz Ahmed or Olivia Cooke. This nominee is no contest, there’s no way this won’t win. The other nominees are worthy of achievement in sound mixing, but this one is just that much better.
Best Visual Effects
- Love and Monsters
- The Midnight Sky
- Mulan
- The One and Only Ivan
- Tenet
Prediction: Tenet
The writers at Full Circle Cinema love Tenet. Although we may not completely agree with some comments made by Christopher Nolan, the movie is a ride and we all had a good time. I mean, the dude himself, Mark Scovzen, wrote an excellent piece on John David Washington back in February. The effects in the other movies are all really good, but Tenet? The crashed a 747, like c’mon. On a separate note, Love and Monsters is a fun time and deserves every ounce of love it can get.
Best Production Design
- The Father
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Mank
- News of the World
- Tenet
Prediction: The Father
The production design in these other nominees are great. What The Father accomplishes through production design on the other hand is insane. In a way, the production design operates as its own character in The Father. Without the strength of the production design the movie wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as it is. It is no contest, like this movie went insane with its production design.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
- Emma
- Hillbilly Elegy
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Mank
- Pinocchio
Prediction: Emma
DO I NEED TO BRING THE PICTURE BACK?? LIKE COME ON. This movie just looks amazing. I do think that these other nominees (especially Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) are worthy of praise. Put Emma in the fold though? It’s over.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with these choices? Be sure to let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments below! – Jacob Mauceri
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