Ranking the 2026 Best Picture Nominees from Worst to Best

With today being the 2026 Oscars, I wanted to share my thought and ranking on the 10 Best picture nominees. This year feels like a more traditional Oscar year with 80% of the films being ones that hardly any one has seen. Aside from F1 and Sinners, I'm not sure the others are very popular. I managed to see 7/10 films before the nominees were announced which was pretty good but still managed to see all ten in time for the Oscars. As with previous years, after my ranking, I have my predictions for all of the awards this year. With all that said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 2026 Best Picture nominees.

10. The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent is the final Best Picture nominee that I saw and I also the one that I liked the least. There are quite a few elements that I thought worked. I thought Wagner Moura gave a very good performance. I saw him in 2024's Civil War and thought it was interesting to see him play such a different way. I also liked seeing the day to day aspects of this man who is in the Brazilian equivalent of the witness protection program. The hoops he has to go through to talk to his family and the hardship of being separated from his son are both very interesting ideas that bring depth to the story. However, this was a movie that I thought was really boring. This will be a common trend for the next couple of movies. It is a very slow burn and combined with a runtime of over 2.5 hours, it just doesn't have enough to keep it interesting. There were a few interesting sequences but it was a bit of a haul to get there. I also thought the movie ended a bit abruptly. It didn't give a proper ending to all of the characters we had been following for the last 2.5 hours. It's just kind of "oh they died" and then the movie moves. Overall, there were several aspects that I did like about this movie but the length and abrupt ending hurt things for me.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

9. Train Dreams

Train Dreams is a movie that I appreciate more than I like. Train Dreams is basically cinematography the movie. There are so many great sweeping shots that look like something you'd see in a professional photo album. The movie does a great job of showing Joel Edgerton's character going through life and seeing the world evolve around him. He has to cope with things like changing technology, but he continues to live his same simple life. I thought the whole relationship and story with his family was very well done, which leads to a big emotional gut punch halfway through. I thought the best part of the movie was the time in the forest where we get to see all of these little stories with various loggers. This is a movie that does everything right in terms of storytelling, action, and cinematography. What makes this film so low is that I just found it incredibly boring. A very slow-moving story about a logger and his family living their lives isn't very interesting to me. It is super artsy, but that just isn't my kind of movie. In the end, this was a very good-looking film, but just not one that interests me.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

8. Hamnet

Hamnet is another movie that I can appreciate the art more than I actually like the movie. The filmmaking was very well done. The cinematography is great, and the sets and costumes all look good. Jessie Buckley gives a fantastic performance, showing such deep emotions that you start to feel how she is feeling. She does a great job at expressing the utter sorrow and loss her character feels when her son dies, which just shapes the tone of the entire movie. I also thought the ending of the movie was great and heartfelt, where we see the play that Will works on and how he handles his grief differently from his wife, and her realization of how his play represents her son. The movie also checks all the right boxes of a top-tier film. My problem with the movie is that it is just a big bummer. Movies where a kid dies are never fun to watch, and this movie is all about two parents mourning the loss of their child. It's just tough to get through and a type of movie that I simply do not enjoy. I was dreading going to see it, but knew that I had to watch all of the Oscar films. Overall, this is a very well-made movie that does everything right but is just too dang depressing for me to want to watch.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. Sentimental Value

Sentimental Value is yet another movie that I appreciate the art, but it is really just not my thing. This movie is probably the best-acted movie out of all of the nominees. Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard, Inga Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning all give fantastic performances deserving of an acting Oscar. They all convey such depth and emotion as their characters have to worth through their various relationships. At the surface, this movie is about a director trying to get his movie made, but at its core, the movie is about the strained relationship between father and daughter, and the movie does a great job of balancing the two aspects of the film. You can see the demons and hardship that Nora has to work through, and how it affects the relationship with her father. I also thought that the ending of the film was very good. I like how it ties into a discussion from earlier in the film, but then subverts expectations with it. Overall, I did like this film more than Hamnet and Train Dreams; my issues with it are the same. I can appreciate how artsy and deep it is, but these movies are just simply not my thing.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

6. Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme was a very interesting ride of a film, somehow making the story about a ping pong athlete compelling. Timothee Chalamet is great in this film as Marty Mauser. He plays a man who is simultaneously so arrogant and driven to achieve his goals, no matter the cost, while also being someone you want to root for. This movie features an impressive support cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow and first-time actors Tyler the Creator, and Kevin O'Leary (Mr. Wonderful). This movie has so much going on, but in a good way. There are ping pong games, a love affair, involvement with the mob, international rivalries, and hustling, all crammed into a movie about ping pong. You just never know what's going happen as things go off the rails throughout the film. The thing that keeps it out of the top 5 is that I found Marty to be a bit too irritating and selfish at times, which made him a little off-putting to me. In the end, this was a very interesting story with strong performances, but it just has a little too irritating a lead at times.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

5. Bugonia

Bugonia is the newest film from Yorgos Lanthimos, the director of The Favourite and Poor Things. Bugonia follows conspiracy theorists Teddy and Don as they kidnap the CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien who intends to destroy the planet. I thought this movie was a pretty effective cat-and-mouse thriller. The way the movie shows Michelle and Teddy attempting to reason with each other is very interesting, as Michelle quickly learns that she can't use her usual business training to persuade Teddy. The movie delivers some very tense moments from simple things, such as a spaghetti dinner, and effectively builds to an intense mental showdown at the end of the film. The movie also has some solid twists in it that deliver some great payoffs. I thought both Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone gave great performances as they entangle in this cat-and-mouse game with each other. While it is very effective with what it is going for, it isn't a movie that I am going to find myself rewatching or really talking about. I don't have anything wrong with it, but it just doesn't resonate with me like films higher up do. Overall, this is a great thriller with some interesting ideas.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

4. Frankenstein

Frankenstein is the newest film from Guillermo Del Toro. This film looks visually great with mostly practical sets. It is nice to see a movie that has large-scale sets like this. I liked the overall Gothic aesthetic of the movie, and it perfectly matched the time period in which it was set. Both Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi were great in the film. Oscar Isaac did a great job of pulling off this arrogance and pride that you need from Doctor Frankenstein, as well as his transition into more of a villain. Jacob Elordi was created as the creature and was able to do so much physically with very limited dialogue. His performance does a great job at humanising The Creature and portraying him as the real victim of the story. What keeps this movie out of the top spot is that it was a bit too long. The original book is not long at all, and I think a 2.5-hour movie was a bit much. I think it could have trimmed a bit in the first half of the story.

Overall, this is a great, visually stunning movie with great performances, but it was just a bit too long to be the best on the list.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is the newest movie from Paul Thomas Anderson. This was a very well made movie and shows how talented a director Paul Thomas Anderson is. The movie does a great job of handling the tension of the story. After the plot kicks in, the movie is nonstop tension and intrigue until the credits roll. There are several aspects of how the movie was shot, such as the rolling hills of the car chase, that just add to the overall excitement and keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The movie also features great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn. DiCaprio is great as this bum drug addict who is also trying to be a caring father. The chaos that he exudes helps bring a bit of humor to the story. Sean Penn is great as this sinister general who is willing to do anything to achieve his goals. He brings an intensity that is often seen from great villains. I like how the movie manages to sprinkle quite a bit of humor into the mix. It isn't a full comedy, but it does have some comedic elements that lighten things at the right time. The only thing keeping this from number one is the length. It comes in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, but it probably could have shaved off about 20 minutes in the middle. Overall, this is a great movie that balances action, tension, and humor.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. Sinners

Sinners is the newest film from Ryan Coogler and the best one he has put out. Sinners is a very effective genre blender bringing in aspects of horror, historical drama, music, and romance. I liked the historical setting of the film. It does a great job of making the audience feel like they are in the 1930s South. I also thought the horror elements were very well done. They don't get all goofy with the kills but there is still enough in there for horror fans to enjoy. The characters are also very well written so that you care when they die instead of in more traditional horror movies where the characters are one-dimensional and are just there to be killed. I liked the heavy music elements of the film. It isn't a musical or anything but the movie does have aspects of it that are a love letter to the legacy of blues music and its relationship to African American culture. Overall, this is a great horror movie that made for a huge hit this year.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

1. F1

F1 is one of the most enjoyable movies I've watched this year. F1 is just a classic original summer blockbuster. I appreciate that this is an original story, as we just don't get many of those these days. The movie is full of excitement and practical effects. The camera work puts you right in the middle of the action as you feel like you are sitting in the car with the drivers. Every race is just so exciting, but also each feels a little bit different, as every race that goes on has a different outcome than the previous one. This movie reminds me a lot of Ford Vs Ferrari and Gran Turismo, but without the flaws of those films. I also like how the movie plays things safe, but also doesn't totally stick with the typical racing formula. Every time, you think the movie is going to go a certain direction, it takes things in a slightly different direction. I thought Brad Pitt was at the top of this game in this movie. He brings his normal effortless charm that makes everyone not help but like him. Overall, this movie was such a blast as it brings back the classic blockbuster feel.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A-

2026 Oscar Predictions

Best Picture: One Battle After Another

Best Actor: Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme)

Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)

Best Supporting Actor: Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value)

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan (Weapons)

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) Best Original Screenplay: Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another

Best Casting: One Battle After Another

Best Cinematography: Train Dreams

Best Sound: Sinners

Best Film Editing: One Battle After Another

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frankenstein

Best Costume Design: Hamnet

Best Production Design: Frankenstein

Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best Original Score: Sinners

Best Original Song: Golden (KPop Demon Hunters)

Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters

Best International Feature: Sentimental Value

Best Documentary Feature: The Perfect Neighbor

Best Live Action Short: The Singers

Best Animated Short: Butterfly

Best Documentary Short: The Devil is Busy