Before the Oscars: watch it or skip it

With awards season upon us, it’s that familiar time of year when one might realize they have seen little to no buzzworthy films this past year. Perhaps you were too busy shoveling your driveway this February to catch “K-Pop Demon Hunter.” Or maybe, after realizing there are 469 known feature films featuring Frankenstein’s monster, you thought it untoward to see the latest iteration of “Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro before viewing the previous 468 installments.

Whatever the case may be, if you need some last-minute conversational guidance for your upcoming Oscar party, I am here to get you up to speed on some of the 2026 Academy Award nominees that are worth seeing — and worth skipping.

“One Battle After Another” — SEE IT

Arguably the best movie of the year and a film that reflects our contemporary American moment better than anything else. Watching “One Battle After Another” is like looking in a mirror — witnessing an oppressive white nationalist government (represented by a grotesque Sean Penn) attempting to thwart a coalition of resolute freedom fighters (led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall and Benicio del Toro). It’s a 3½-hour revolutionary roller coaster with unexpected laugh-out-loud humor, capped off with one of the greatest chase scenes ever put on film. A must-see.

“F1”— SKIP IT

A 2½-hour formulaic car commercial with next to no redeeming qualities. I’d skip it faster than Brad Pitt driving a McLaren at 200 mph.

“Bugonia” — SEE IT (BUT EXPECT NIGHTMARES)

Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are hauntingly terrific in this twisted kidnapping escapade. Plemons plays a gaunt conspiracy theorist who thinks our capitalist overlord (Stone) is an alien intent on destroying mankind and taking over the world. A brilliant take on the complexity of conspiracies, the film keeps you guessing until the very end about what’s true and what’s not.

“Hamnet” — SEE IT (BRING TISSUES)

A Shakespearean tale of love and loss. To call it a tearjerker would be an understatement. A powerful and instant classic.

“Sinners”— SEE IT (IF YOU LIKE HORROR FILMS)

The one film of the year where the buzz surrounding the project might outweigh its artistic ambitions. Racist white vampires terrorizing Black juke joint patrons in the Jim Crow South is as scary a horror premise as there is, and there’s loads of powerful symbolism at play. But at the end of the day, it felt like just another gory, gruesome horror movie. Loved the Buddy Guy cameo, though.

“Marty Supreme” — SEE IT

Whether you like Timothée Chalamet or not, his performance as the Trump-esque Marty Mauser — a professional pingpong player and hustler who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals — is an astute take on the affliction of American exceptionalism. With an anxiety-inducing pace and cadence we’ve come to expect from director Josh Safdie, the film is full of truly bizarre and memorable moments and characters.

“The Alabama Solution”— SEE IT

Pine Plains resident Andrew Jarecki takes viewers inside the Alabama state prison system in a documentary constructed almost entirely from cellphone footage covertly shot by prisoners. The conditions inside are utterly deplorable and completely shocking — resembling modern slavery more than rehabilitation. One struggles to make sense of the inhumanity and to come to terms with the fact that this is happening in America in 2026.

The 98th Oscars will take place Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be hosted by Conan O’Brien and broadcast on ABC, with streaming available on Hulu.