It’s the most anticipated, exciting and dreadful time of the year for film lovers. The Academy Awards has long been the granddaddy of all awards shows, and even if viewership is continually dwindling, millions still tune in each year to see which films Hollywood will honor as the greatest of the year. 2021 was an excellent year for film, and this slate of nominations is expectedly chaotic as a result. Here are all of my reactions, picks and predictions to the 2022 Academy Awards!

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”

Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Judi Dench, “Belfast”

Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”

It’s great to see Jessie Buckley finally getting recognition after Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” was completely ignored last year, and Ariana DeBose was an electric presence in “West Side Story.” But there’s really no other competition here: Kirsten Dunst is the obvious pick, and deservedly so. (I will say, though, that I wish Rebecca Ferguson was getting more recognition for “Dune;” I’m not surprised that it’s not sweeping the acting categories, but if anyone were to get nominated for that movie, it should be her.)

PICK: Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

PREDICTION: Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Costume Design

“Cruella”

“Cyrano”

“Dune”

“Nightmare Alley”

“West Side Story”

This category is honestly a toss-up. “West Side Story”’s costumes are elegantly simple and “Nightmare Alley”’s costumes help enhance its noir mood, but there’s just nothing from this year quite like the worn stillsuits and royal garb of “Dune.” That being said, the most obvious pick for the Academy to make here would be “Cruella,” as we all know that period pieces or films based around making clothes tend to do well in this category, but I’m going to hope that “Dune” can squeak it out.

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “Dune”

Best Sound

“Belfast”

“Dune”

“No Time to Die”

“The Power of the Dog”

“West Side Story”

I could waste my time waxing about the merit of each film in the technical categories, but again, it’d be a waste of time. Not a single film in any of the nominations comes close to “Dune” on an overall technical level, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t win at the very least two Oscars.

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “Dune”

Best Score

“Don’t Look Up”

“Dune”

“Encanto”

“Parallel Mothers”

“The Power of the Dog”

None of these nominations are too surprising, but, like most of the categories, this is really a toss-up. There are tons of big names here—Hans Zimmer, Jonny Greenwood (whose score for “Spencer” I honestly prefer over “The Power of the Dog,” but oh well) and Nicholas Britell—and I feel like they all have a pretty equal shot at winning. In terms of which score was the best at enhancing the experience of the film, I’d say that “Dune” is the winner, but I think that “The Power of the Dog” is a film that’s more in line with what the Academy usually goes for.

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “The Power of the Dog”

Best Adapted Screenplay

“CODA”

“Drive My Car”

“Dune”

“The Lost Daughter”

“The Power of the Dog”

I’ll admit, I got extremely excited when I saw “Drive My Car” had been nominated for its screenplay, and I was honestly shocked to see that “Dune” had also snuck its way in, but the chances of this award not going to Jane Campion are slim to none.

PICK: “Drive My Car”

PREDICTION: “The Power of the Dog”

Best Original Screenplay

“Belfast”

“Don’t Look Up”

“King Richard”

“Licorice Pizza”

“The Worst Person in the World”

Probably the most upsetting announcement of the whole morning, those last two films are the only great screenplays in the whole category, and the worst part is that they have little to no chance of winning. This is really just a coin toss between “Belfast,” which had a boring screenplay, and “Don’t Look Up,” which is the most enjoyable trainwreck I’d seen all year. If I had to guess, I can see the Academy patting themselves on the back and giving it to “Don’t Look Up.”

PICK: “Licorice Pizza”

PREDICTION: “Don’t Look Up”

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Ciaran Hinds, “Belfast”

Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog”

J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”

Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

There’s only one real standout here, and I feel like if the 15+ awards he’s picked up throughout awards season is any indicator, Kodi Smit-McPhee likely has this in the bag. Ciaran Hinds seems like a basic performance that the Oscars would like, though, but I’ll cross my fingers and hope for the best.

PICK: Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

PREDICTION: Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Film Editing

“Don’t Look Up”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“The Power of the Dog”

“Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Right off the bat, “Don’t Look Up” being here is beyond hilarious, and after “Bohemian Rhapsody”’s baffling win in 2019, I hate to say that anything is possible here. Let’s just hope that “Dune” can snag another technical award.

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “Dune”

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

“Coming 2 America”

“Cruella”

“Dune”

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

“House of Gucci”

Well, at least “House of Gucci” got something. I’ve said this however many times now, but “Dune” is just such an extraordinary technical achievement, and its makeup and hair work is definitely the most unique and interesting of any of the films nominated here. I feel like I should stop saying “Dune” is my prediction for everything, though, so I’ll say that “Cruella” is the next best bet for this category, because, uh, why not?

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “Cruella”

Best Animated Feature Film

“Encanto”

“Flee”

“Luca”

“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”

“Raya and the Last Dragon”

Probably the least surprising announcement of the entire day, but a good slate nonetheless. If we’re talking which film deserves the award the most, I’d say that that’s between “Mitchells,” Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s excellent follow-up to their previous Best Animated Feature winner “Into the Spider-Verse” and “Flee,” a unique international docudrama, but there’s no point in wasting my breath about it. This category has long been the Disney/Pixar category, but I’m honestly perfectly fine with the award going to “Encanto,” as it’s easily my favorite Disney film in a long, long time.

PICK: “Encanto”

PREDICTION: “Encanto”

Best Original Song

“Be Alive” (“King Richard”)

“Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”)

“Down to Joy” (“Belfast”)

“No Time to Die” (“No Time to Die”)

“Somehow You Do” (“Four Good Days”)

I don’t know any of these songs outside of “Dos Oruguitas,” and it’s not like that exactly matters since it has virtually no competition. I’m happy to see that that song was nominated over “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which is quickly becoming a rather annoying song to listen to—one can only handle so much constant exposure to a Lin-Manuel Miranda song. I guess the only other thing that I have to say about this category is that while I know it had absolutely no chance of getting in, Leos Carax’s “Annette” was totally robbed; just look up and watch the opening sequence to that film and tell me that “So May We Start” doesn’t deserve at least a nomination.

PICK: “Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”)

PREDICTION: “Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”)

Best Visual Effects

“Dune”

“Free Guy”

“No Time to Die”

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

“Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Just cut and paste what I’ve said multiple times already; there’s no way this isn’t going to “Dune.” (“Free Guy” being here, though, is beyond infuriating; it officially has more Oscar nominations than “The French Dispatch,” which makes me want to punch everyone who made “Free Guy” and everyone who got it nominated for an Academy Award.)

PICK: “Dune:

PREDICTION: “Dune”

Best Cinematography

“Dune”

“Nightmare Alley”

“The Power of the Dog”

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

“West Side Story”

An incredibly strong lineup, to say the least. I’ve seen “Dune” twice in IMAX, which might make me a little biased, because seeing those literally breathtaking images in a fittingly massive presentation is an unbelievable experience. “West Side Story” sneaking its way into this category makes me so happy, because while it never may be a showstopper, there are so many compositions and movements in that film that complement Spielberg’s filmmaking perfectly, especially the shot of Ansel Elgort’s Tony in a puddle. (Believe me, it’s way cooler than it sounds) As we’ve seen in many different categories, though, this is really just between “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog,” and I feel like both have an equal chance.

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “The Power of the Dog”

Best Production Design

“Dune”

“Nightmare Alley”

“The Power of the Dog”

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

“West Side Story”

In all honesty, this is one of the closest races of any of these categories. (And probably the biggest snub for “The French Dispatch;” nearly every scene in that movie is a new set, but sure, don’t include it.) If there were any category for “The Tragedy of Macbeth” to get nominated for, it was this one, but—and I hate to do this for the umpteenth time—I just can’t not choose the massive, immersive brutalist designs of “Dune.” 

PICK: “Dune”

PREDICTION: “Dune”

Best International Feature Film

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom,” Bhutan

“Flee,” Denmark

“The Hand of God,” Italy

“Drive My Car,” Japan

“The Worst Person in the World,” Norway

Save for the absence of Julia Ducornau’s shocking and tender trailblazer “Titane” this year—which admittedly isn’t the Academy’s fault; France just messed up by not making it their submission for this category—this is a great turnout. (Although I have no clue what “Lunana” is, sorry; I’m sure it’s alright.) But seeing as how “Drive My Car” is the only film to also receive a nomination for Best Picture, it’s rather obvious that it’s the Academy’s favorite of this category as well, and rightfully so.

PICK: “Drive My Car,” Japan

PREDICTION: “Drive My Car,” Japan

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”

Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Will Smith, “King Richard”

Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

It’s unfortunate that international films never have any chance in the acting categories, as Hidetoshi Nishijima gave one of the most astounding performances I’ve ever seen in “Drive My Car.” Other than that, this is an alright selection. I’m very surprised to see so many people predict that Will Smith will win because I just haven’t heard much of anything about “King Richard”; that and Denzel Washington gave a far more terrific performance in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” But this is one of the only categories that I feel “The Power of the Dog” truly, fully deserves, as Benedict Cumberbatch is just insane in that movie. The absence of Cooper Hoffman’s debut in “Licorice Pizza” is criminal.

PICK: Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

PREDICTION: Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”

Penélope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”

Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”

Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”

Again, international films deserve more recognition in the acting categories; Renate Reinsve in “The Worst Person in the World” was just incredible. Although, I guess that that’s a useless thing to say here, as Penélope Cruz making the cut is shocking, even if she has no chance of winning. None of these performances measure anywhere close to Kristen Stewart’s transformative take on Princess Diana in “Spencer,” but this being the only category that the film was nominated in is not a good sign. (In my heart, her being nominated is better than any win.) Knowing that Renée Zellweger won for “Judy” back in 2020, I can see them giving it to Jessica Chastain; I don’t know what it is about “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” but it also being a movie about a prominent cultural figure that I think exactly seven people saw puts it in line with “Judy.” Also, as if Cooper Hoffman getting robbed wasn’t enough, Alana Haim’s electric debut performance in “Licorice Pizza” not being nominated is by far the largest individual snub of the entire day, and it’s great to know that Lady Gaga sacrificing her mental well being for “House of Gucci” was totally worth it.

PICK: Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”

PREDICTION: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Best Director

Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast”

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car”

Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza”

Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story”

Get rid of Branagh and this would be the greatest category by a mile. All four of these directors did incredible work this year, and choosing just one that I love the most is impossible. I’d be overjoyed if Hamaguchi was given recognition at such a major event, and seeing Spielberg still being honored this late into his career is amazing. But if I’m going with my gut, here, I feel like Paul Thomas Anderson is long overdue for an Oscar, and if there were any film for him to finally win it for, his magical, laidback joyride “Licorice Pizza” would be perfectly fitting. But just based on the overall turnout of the morning, “The Power of the Dog” has swept too many categories for Campion to not deserve a major award like this.

PICK: Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza”

PREDICTION: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Picture

“Belfast”

“CODA”

“Don’t Look Up”

“Drive My Car”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“Licorice Pizza”

“Nightmare Alley”

“The Power of the Dog”

“West Side Story”

If I’m basing this on my personal opinion that means absolutely nothing here, the best picture of this bunch is undoubtedly “Drive My Car,” but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine “The Power of the Dog” not winning. Any film with 12 nominations is probably the easiest pick. Of course, it’d be equally frustrating and hilarious if “Don’t Look Up” won, and I could dream about “Licorice Pizza” or “West Side Story” taking it home, but again, “The Power of the Dog” is the safest bet here. Let’s just hope that “Belfast” doesn’t win; even if it was a good movie, it’s still cheap Oscar bait.

PICK: “Drive My Car”

PREDICTION: “The Power of the Dog”

And those are my reactions, picks and predictions! If I’m lucky, maybe half of these will be correct, but we’ll have to wait and see. Good luck to all of the nominees, and I’ll see you on March 27, 2022 where the winners of the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on ABC!