Best Picture Breakdown

Getting to know the films in the race for the academy award

Michael Pacheco and Chijioke Onyeagucha

March 12, 2026

As all eyes look towards the highest award in filmmaking, the Experience staff reviewed each potential winner to see if they are up to snuff.

Getting to know the films

Michael Pacheco and Chijioke Onyeagucha

Bugonia

Director Yorgos Lanthimos uses controlled absurdity and precise framing in“Bugonia” a dark comedy with emotional undercurrents in ways that feel both strange and deeply human. Lanthimos directs with confidence, crafting a world that feels peculiar yet grounded, allowing the story’s eccentricities to unfold naturally.

Emma Stone delivers one of the strongest performances of her career. She moves effortlessly between vulnerability and steely resolve, giving her character layers that continue to reveal themselves scene after scene. Her performance anchors the film emotionally.

Jesse Plemons brings a steady intensity, while Aidan Delbis engages and impresses in a breakout turn that adds dimension to the ensemble. The chemistry elevates an already lovely, thoughtfully constructed plot.

“Bugonia” is bold, distinctive and quietly affecting, a film that lingers well beyond its final frame.

Marty Supreme

In “Marty Supreme,” Timothée Chalamet delivers a magnetic performance as Marty Mauser, a fast-talking hustler whose confidence outweighs his competence. The film is anxiety riddled, keeping audiences on edge as Marty scrambles through one self-made crisis after another. At times, he feels painfully out of his depth, yet Chalamet sells the illusion so convincingly that you believe the trickster will slip through disaster just one more time.

There are shades of “Uncut Gems” in the pacing and tension, echoing the Safdie brothers’ signature style. The direction is concentrated and unrelenting, while the cinematography favors subtle lighting that makes every room feel claustrophobic and morally gray. The film is brutal and polite in its unraveling, rarely exploding when it could.

One pitfall is that chaos overwhelms character development. Still, “Marty Supreme” excites with a performance that refuses to look away from the edge.

The “F1” movie was a surprisingly enjoyable, the story follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a veteran racer who stepped away from Formula 1 after a brutal accident he suffered, returning to the scene after a friend pleads with him to race once more.

Director Joseph Kosinski does a great job making the setting feel intense and lived in. The action was a great aspect of the film, not just from Pitt as the lead. Damson Idris as Joshua Pierce is truly enjoyable to watch as Pitt’s rival and teammate.

Seeing Hayes and Pierce grow from bickering rivals to teammates that can work in harmony is really enjoyable to watch throughout the movie. While “F1” did keep the audience at the edge of their seats at all times. The end of the film was rather cliché, there were several ways they could have changed the ending to elevate the overall story. But if you can look past that, “F1” is still a fantastic racing movie with a ton of action that anyone can enjoy.

Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a beautifully tragic retelling of the classic story originally by Mary Shelley. A monster attempts to play God by reanimating a corpse, bringing to life a creature that was more human than his creator.

The story urges viewers to listen to both sides of the tale of a son and his father. Oscar Isaac manages to bring out the egotistical madness of Victor Frankenstein, giving the viewers a taste of the turmoil he suffers. While the focus on him for half the film, the real heart of the story lies with his creation.

Watching the creature deal with mistreatment is hard to watch, but it is touching to see him connect with others. There was care put into the visuals, specifically the makeup and prosthetics that turned actor Jacob Elordi into the creature. The connection between the creature and Lady Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth) shows how misunderstood he was. It is a bittersweet movie, but I recommend that anyone watch this iteration of “Frankenstein.”

One Battle After Another

Action and anxiety from start to finish, “One Battle After Another” is a relentless ride that leaves little space for rest. There is no real rest and no noticeable drag. The film moves with purpose, stacking tension until it becomes almost unbearable in the best way. It is as unpredictable as mainstream cinema gets, constantly swerving away from easy resolutions.

Paul Thomas Anderson balances chaos with sharp, unexpected humor, blending action set pieces with moments of absurdity. Comedy never undercuts the stakes, and the stakes never overwhelm the humanity in the film.

Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a gripping performance, equal parts frantic and calculated, while Sean Penn adds grit and gravitas. Chase Infiniti emerges as a standout performance, holding her own in high-pressure scenes.

The result is a truly unforgettable film that feels urgent, dangerous and alive from the first frame to the last.

Hamnet

Viewers only get bits and pieces of his life but the moments we are given are truly a beautiful experience. The dynamic between Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakesphere feels extremely organic, like a real couple.

They grow older and their dynamic changes throughout “Hamnet.” The movie itself is heavily dramatized, for the most part it feels natural, but some viewers may find themselves puzzled by some of the creative liberties that the story has taken.

Regardless of how people may feel about these aspects, the film has an excellent representation of grief and what it can do to a family.

It is clear that director Chloé Zhao did an amazing job bringing the novel to the big screen.

I highly recommend that anyone who wants to see a film of a family overcoming grief and tragedy check out “Hamnet.”

Sinners

A bold and era defining film “Sinners” is a large step forward for director Ryan Coogler. Blending horror, historical drama and thriller elements, the film moves with urgency while never losing sight of its emotional core. Coogler’s greatest strength has always been world-building, and here he constructs a setting so detailed and immersive that every street corner and shadow feels lived in.

Michael B. Jordan delivers one of the strongest performances of his career in a demanding dual role as twin brothers whose contrasting personalities create both conflict and depth. The supporting cast is equally impressive, bringing weight and chemistry to every scene, elevating the ensemble as a whole.

The cinematography is rich and expressive, illuminating characters in ways that heighten both intimacy and dread. Paired with a stunning soundtrack, “Sinners” feels immersive, thrilling and unforgettable.

Train Dreams

Wow. “Train Dreams” was an utterly depressing film. Viewers who are expecting the journey of a man giving his all to provide for his family, should be prepared to throw that assumption out the window and grapple with the emotions that this movie will throw at you.

The acting was phenomenal. Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier is so raw and passionate, it genuinely seems like a man actually going through the experiences of “Train Dreams.” There is a scene in particular between Edgerton and Nathaniel Arcand (Ignatius Jack), that just embodied pure sorrow, it’s hard to watch without choking up.

I am not familiar with director Clint Bentley’s other work, but from the first few moments of “Train Dreams” many potential viewers may find themselves being drawn into the life of Grainier. The film is a great piece of art from the acting to the setting that changes throughout the film, but I recommend that viewers prepare to witness a gut wrenching tale of a man who just wanted to provide for his family. “Train Dreams” may have some wishing they watched something more lighthearted.

Sentimental Value

Tender and introspective “Sentimental Value,” directed by Joachim Trier, is a drama that leans heavily on memory, regret and the quiet weight of family history. Trier, known for emotionally layered storytelling, brings a restrained but purposeful hand to the film. His direction favors stillness over spectacle, allowing scenes to linger just long enough to feel intimate without becoming indulgent.

The film is anchored by Renate Reinsve, who delivers a deeply vulnerable leading performance. Reinsve captures the subtle contradictions of her character, balancing guarded detachment with flashes of raw emotion. Her performance feels lived-in rather than performed, elevating the already sharp writing. She makes even the smallest exchanges feel consequential.

“Sentimental Value” thrives on nuance, offering an emotionally sincere experience that resonates long after it ends.

The Secret Agent

From the first scene in “The Secret Agent” viewers are met with a story of corruption and dictatorship. The film follows Armando/Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a man preparing to escape the country of Brazil with his son while being hunted. This historical political thriller is a slow burn, relying on character driven moments, while this underlying tension eats away at viewers.

“The Secret Agent” takes place in Recife, Brazil in the 1970s during the peak of dictatorship in the country. While I am not familiar with the political landscape of Brazil, the film does a great job showing the authoritative threat Armando and the rest of the people in Brazil. The acting in “The Secret Agent” felt very human.

While the film is in Portuguese, the actors do a phenomenal job conveying their emotions through body language in spite of the language barrier viewers are met with an enriching piece of historical fiction that will leave many to empathize with the real life issues that plagued Brazil decades ago. I recommend potential viewers give this film a chance.