Who will win Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars?

The 98th Academy Awards are almost here, and the red carpet has been rolled out. On Sunday (March 15) , in India, early Monday (March 16), the ceremony will be held in Los Angeles, and some of the biggest stars of the cinema world will come under one roof to honour the best we have in cinema in the year 2025.

The Sunday ceremony will not only give the world a new batch of Oscar winners, but this year's ceremony is also going to be an interesting battle, as two of the most acclaimed movies, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, are going to face off in 11 major categories. One of the most interesting to watch will be the Best Picture category.

Best Picture Battle

With all the predictions and wishes too, Sinners and One Battle After Another are the two films that are racing ahead in the Best Picture category, which also has other nominees, Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Train Dreams, Bugonia, F1, and Frankenstein. But the Academy being the Academy, it can happen that we might see the most unexpected winner in the category. (Hamnet could be the one)

But until that moment arrives, let’s stick to One Battle After Another and Sinners, the two great films that have not only entertained but also made the best commentary on the matters they addressed.

Sinners Vs One Battle After Another

If we look at the Academy's past, it's Anderson's world of One Battle After Another, which has gained all the attention for its sharp commentary on political extremism that is likely the kind of cinema that has impressed the Academy voters in the past, and is likely to do so now also. But the magnificent world of Sinners does not lack at all. To bring his vision to life, Coogler, with Michael B. Jordan and his whole team, has made things in the vampirish drama fit for critics and audiences. It hooked audiences with its entertaining factor, but impressed critics with its poignant story about identity, talking about community, race, and other themes that the Academy should not overlook or play its snubbing game after letting the movie make history with the number of nominations that it scored.

Why Sinners Deserves The Win

Ryan Coogler has crafted the world of Sinners in a way that it ticks the boxes of mass appeal and critics’ appreciation with its story and commentary, capturing the cultural conversation with the stylish and haunting tale of a vampire plot that is far more than big-teeth, human-eating creatures. With the story of Smoke and Stack, the twin brothers played by Jordan, the movie impresses with its astonishing story, fabulous writing, great performances, best music, characters, costumes and dialogues along with the social commentary on Black slavery and struggle.

Coogler made the world of Sinners with the same mindset with which he has made his past films, and yet again he has delivered work that is worthy of every attention and honour. It grips the audience and blends spectacle with substance and material, giving a film which is striking and emotionally powerful.

One Battle After Another Is A Family Drama That Shouts Win-Win-Win

Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a story against American fascism with an emotional angle of an addict father, who has no clue of him, but is madly looking for his daughter, who is in danger because of her parents' past work. Anderson’s craftsmanship has made this movie with every frame and shot so perfect that in a way that it looks like a sure-shot winner of the night. Adding more power is that the movie is a reminder of what power cinema has, which the Academy loves. It tells a compelling story, connects deeply with audiences, and sparks conversations beyond the theatre and borders.

Two Best Films Of The Year

Anderson and Coogler have done brilliant work with their two extraordinary and totally different films. Sinners wins for its astonishing beauty, and One Battle After Another wins for its revolutionary storytelling in the time of today’s USA. (Agencies)

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