My Best Picture Academy Award nominees Ranking 2026

 

This is now year two of ranking the 10 Best Picture nominees on this blog and what a year it has been for cinema. There's some really classics and heavy hitters this year and below lays my ranking of the 10 pieces of film that I feel like impacted me the most. I really hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed watching these movies and hope to continue this tradition that I started on here last year well into the future. 

1) Sinners - Never in doubt! Not only was Sinners the most original movie of 2025 but it was the most enjoyable experience I had in a theater. From it's lead or leads of Michael B Jodan as twins to the various supporing characters that all led so much to the story Ryan Coogler created an instant classic that really showcased Vampires in their most sinister form in quite some time on the big screen. And that among many others things is why Sinners ranks number 1 for me and while I don't think it will win Best Picture unfortunately it would be a well deserved winner if it did defy the odds and take home the biggest prize.

2) Marty Supreme - Timothy Chamalet. Need I say more really? not only is this HIS movie but Marty Supreme is easily one of the most bombastic, intense and hilarious movies I've seen so far in 2026. It's technically last years movie but it only came out here in January and it was the first movie I did see this year so I really did feel connected to this a lot of ways. A story of a lowly shoe salesman becoming a ping pong master only to come up short and perhaps start a family much to his own dismay at first sounds silly but it works here and it worked really well. A sure fire winner for Timothy Chamalet as Best Actor.

3) Hamnet - Upon seeing Hamnet I wasn’t really expecting all that much as I’ve never been a William Shakespeare fan so to speak. But after seeing the movie I just sat in the theatre attempting to let all of what just unfolded before my eyes in. Not only is Hamnet tragic but it is equally so beautiful. Jessie Buckley is remarkable in a role that’ll surely see her do a clean sweep across awards season. Hamnet is a masterclass is filmmaking and acting simply put. 

4) Sentimental Value - Family. It’s a topic everyone knows about and while some families get along swimmingly others not so much which is where Sentimental Value comes in. A broken family shattered by decisions and choices it is a hauntingly beautiful movie featuring stellar performances from every cast member leading to a once in a generation movie that stirred me so much emotionally. Sublime stuff.

5) One Battle After Another - I was on a bit of a Paul Thomas Anderson binge this year. I saw Punch Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood for the first time and loved both. So when his latest movie came around not only did it absolutely floor me but it just cemented PTA as one of the very best Directors working today. With an incredible cast all on top form One Battle After Another was the magnum opus of Paul Thomas Anderson and I don’t think a higher accolade can exist really. 

6) Frankenstein - Guilermo Del Toro has always been one of my favourite film makers and storytellers. His ability to weave story with visuals is second to none and this movie further cements that fact. The costume design is also stellar capturing such an old time period perfectly. Performance wise Jacob Elordi as the titular monster isn’t just something of brute force as underneath lies a tragic almost at times humane character in a performance that is both touching and tragic. Brilliance from Del Toro once again..bravo! 

7) F1 The Movie - Now here is a movie I did not expect to be nominated for best picture. That’s not to say it’s bad far from it as F1 is pure adrenaline fuelled racing action from beginning to end in what was my favourite movie of the summer in 2025.

8) The Secret Agent - A Brazlian movie about a man attempting to escape his past by moving to a new city. The Secret Agent was a fascinating watch from beginning to end one full of chaos, spying and top tier performances from all involved. Not my favorite foreign film given Sentimental Value but this was a really engaging and thought provoking movie of it's own.

9) Train Dreams - Watching Train Dreams is like reading a book. It’s visual storytelling and narration really hammer home the point, motivation and ordeals the protagonist goes through and boy does Joel Edgerton go through a lot in this movie. From fires and the physicality of cutting down trees to building a train track it’s all visually stunning and by the time it ends just emotionally devastating. Train Dreams just needed a little bit better pacing to be something truly special hence its position on this list. 

10) Bugonia - After the success of Poor Things I was expecting something similar here with Bugonia. Same Director teaming up again with Emma Stone surely it’ll be another great movie?? Well Bugonia certainly was fascinating and at points really unnerving overall it just didn’t work for me at all. Great performances aside its ending is absurd and comes totally out of left field leaving nothing to the imagination. An original movie no doubt but one that just didn’t click with me unfortunately.

And there you have it. 10 Best Picture nominees ranked accordingly to my taste and preference. Much like last year I really enjoyed doing this as my love for all things cinema continues to grow more and more year by year. I thank all who continue to read through this blog and my ramblings it really does mean a ton. I've also made a letterboxd account where I'll be doing mini reviews too so be sure to check that out I'll link it in the blog. May the very best winner win as the Academy Awards takes place on March 15th. 

- D.C.