The 2024 Academy Award nominations have been controversial in certain spaces online. With feature films like “Barbie”  and “Oppenheimer” seeming to be at the center of debate for the online audiences of X and TikTok. The controversial “Barbie” snub of Margot Robbie (“The Suicide Squad”) as Best Actress and its director Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) as Best Director seems to be at the center of this conversation. While there is still over a month until the winners are announced, many have their opinion on who will win in each category. Here are the choices:

Best Actor: Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer” 

There is no doubt that “Oppenheimer” was one of the most popular movies of the year. Cillian Murphy  (“Kensuke’s Kingdom”) has cemented a spot for himself with this performance.  Murphy masterfully portrayed the depressing story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb and the fear for what he has made. While some movie watchers may hesitate at the idea of a three hour movie, many still tuned in to watch. The internet had no shortage of jokes about “Barbenheimer” which may have led both films to be arguably the most popular of the whole year due to having the same release date. 

Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro in “Killers of the Flower Moon” 

While this movie may not have seen the same success as “Oppenheimer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an incredibly well done film. While Robert De Niro’s (“The Irishman”) character William King Hale may be severely unlikeable, that is the point. De Niro handled his role well and was able to execute the portrayal of a true antagonist.

Best Actress: Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Lily Gladstone (“Reservation Dogs”) deserves the award for similar reasons as De Niro. Gladstone’s role as Mollie Kyle, a survivor of the Osage murders, shows the perseverance and pride of the Osage people. Gladstone has made history for being the first Native American woman to be nominated for a leading role in the entire history of the Oscars, something that has been long overdue. 

Best Supporting Actress: America Ferrera in “Barbie”

This may stray as a personal opinion, but America Ferrera (“Dumb Money”) has always been an underdog in Hollywood. With iconic roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Ugly Betty” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” recognition for her work has been long overdue. Her role as Gloria in “Barbie” warmed the hearts of women everywhere and connected them to their inner child. Her role showed the world that even when we grow up, there is a part of ourselves that will always feel connected to the inner child. 

Best Animated Feature: “Elemental” 

This category has some of the strongest competition ahead, with other movies such as “The Boy and the Heron” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” also in the running. While the concept of those with different elemental abilities is not new in media, “Elemental” has a unique quality to it that viewers cannot deny. The story warms the viewers hearts with a tale of overcoming stereotypes and boundaries set by society. The film heavily reflects real world issues and how our two main characters overcome the odds to be with one another while bearing the weight of society. 

Best Cinematography: “Poor Things”

While “Poor Things” has not had the same box office success that “Oppenheimer” has, its unique artsy traits makes it a strong contender for this category. This film serves as a unique showing of the original book by Alasdair Gray, originally published in 1992. This movie is bizarre, strange, and gorgeous in its unique storytelling style. This steam-punk film had viewers laughing and enjoying Emma Stone’s (“A Real Pain”) strange but alluring performance. 

Best Costume Design: “Barbie”

There is no denying that the costumes in Barbie weren’t brilliantly done. Jacqueline Durran elevated the film’s story with her unique costume design that showed the Barbies and Kens in all their elements. The attention to detail, from Original Barbie (Robbie) and her story of becoming human and call back to old dolls such as pregnancy Midge (Emerald Fennell, “Vita & Virginia”). Weird Barbie’s (Kate McKinnon, “The Bubble”) detail was one of the most brilliant, and really brought to life the look of a doll that has been tussled around but loved. Jacqueline Durran truly deserves to be recognized for her work in this category.

Best Original Song: “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” by Billie Eilish

This hit song from “Barbie” touched the hearts of women everywhere, especially when also watching its correlating part in the film where the song plays during the scene where Barbie meets her creator, Ruth Handler, and is able to understand what she wants in her life. This song peaked at no.14 on the Billboard Hot 100, has been nominated for five Grammys, and won the award for best song at the Golden Globe Awards for a reason. This song is melancholic, yet the listeners can grasp that spark of hope in the lyrics. 

Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”

While some viewers may feel that “Oppenheimer” may be too obvious of a choice, or overrated at this point for the category, there is no denying that there is a reason this film had so much commercial success. All of the elements in this movie make it feel like this would be the academy’s first choice. This movie perfectly captures the loss of hope and fear of what has been inevitably created, with Cillian Murphy perfectly showing this emotion. The ending of this movie sends chills down the spine of the viewer. Especially now, with the threat of nuclear war-fare having been so front and center whenever an international conflict occurs. The work of the actors, and the film’s director Christopher Nolan (“Tenet”) truly have made the film unique, yet deserving of this award.

Image from Universal Pictures via universalpictures.com