Now it’s time for the big three: a look at the nominees for Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars. Be sure to check out our takes on the other categories:
Best Hair and Make-up/Visual Effects/Sound
Best Costume Design/Production Design
Best Cinematography/Editing/Director
Best Adapted and Original Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor and Actress
Best Documentary, Animated, and International Features
Best Documentary, Animated, and Live Action Shorts
Have a great year, and see you all again for the 2026 awards!
Best Actress
Nominees
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon – Emilia Perez
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
How did The Academy forget about… ?
There could be a case made for a lot of performances last year – Amy Adams in Nightbitch, Angeline Jolie in Maria, Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl, Saoirse Ronan for The Outrun, Nicole Kidman in Babygirl – but the most crushing oversight here is Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths. A performance that demands a lot of an actor, Baptiste’s work is an all timer of a turn, and being left off here is a jaw dropping omissions. Then again, that would require leaving one of these nominees off the list. And that’s a tough call.
Who will win and who should win?
If we were talking about this three months ago, Gascon would’ve been a lock, but now, in light of past opinions shared on social media, her good will has plummeted. She went from first to last in terms of who I think could win here. It’s great to see Torres getting noticed for her turn as a wife trying desperately to uncover the whereabouts of her political prisoner husband in I’m Still Here, but I’m not sure it’s enough to rise above. Erivo is great in Wicked, but let’s revisit her nomination next year, when I have a feeling she will go back to back with noms in this category, but voters could be more likely to award this performance once the entire story has wrapped.
It’s really down to Demi Moore and Mikey Madison, and while I think the former will win thanks to her standing as a Hollywood legend that deserves a win, I hope the latter wins for an equally daring, soul bearing performance in Anora. Either way, I am rooting for them both.
Best Actor
Nominees
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
How did The Academy forget about… ?
Once again, the Best Actress race has more worth talking about than the Best Actor category. With the exception of Daniel Craig’s work in Queer and Hugh Grant’s gleefully devilish turn in Heretic, there aren’t any true slights here. At least when it comes to talking about mainstream cinema, anyway.
Who will win and who should win?
Colman Domingo straight up deserves this the most. His performance as an incarcerated person working as a playwright and performer behind bars is a revelation, and his body of work only goes stronger by the day. Sadly, he probably has the smallest chance of winning
Stan’s turn as Donald Trump is good, but not the best of the year. It’s not even the best he was last year. That distinction goes to his turn in the much more complicated and well rounded A Different Man. Fiennes is the heart and soul of Conclave, but he’s really overshadowed by the frontrunners here: Brody and Chalamet.
While I like Chalamet’s sheer commitments and dedication to playing Bob Dylan a little bit more, I expect Academy voters to get behind The Brutalist here and give Brody his second statue.
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Who will win and who should win?
I have less to say about this category than you think I might. The Academy went with a full ten nominees this year in the category, and all of them are good films. They could’ve nominated a hundred and people would still be able to make arguments that something was forgotten about.
I love Nickel Boys, The Substance, and, yes, even Wicked, but I don’t think they will win. They were all some of my absolute favourite films of last year.
Conclave is exceptional, as is Dune: Part Two and The Brutalist.
But I think my choice for best film of the year will align with The Academy this year. I think Anora is going to take it.
Where to watch the nominees:
Anora is available to buy or rent on digital platforms. It is also still playing in select theatres. It starts streaming on Prime Video in Canada on March 18.
The Apprentice is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms.
The Brutalist is now playing in select theatres. It is also available to buy on digital platforms. It will be available to buy on Blu-Ray and DVD and to rent digitally starting March 18.
A Complete Unknown is now playing in select theatres. It is also available to buy or rent digitally.
Conclave is now playing in select theatres. It is also available to buy or rent digitally or on 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD.
Dune: Part Two is now streaming in Canada on Crave. It is also available to buy or rent digitally or on 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD.
Emilia Perez is now streaming on Netflix.
I’m Still Here is now playing in select theatres.
Nickel Boys is now playing in select theatres. It is also streaming on Prime Video.
Sing Sing is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms.
The Substance is now streaming on MUBI. It is also available to buy or rent digitally.
Wicked is now playing in select theatres. It is also available to buy or rent on 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD. It will be streaming on Prime Video in Canada starting March 21.
