The record-breaking 2026 Academy Awards are one of the most anticipated award ceremonies of the year. Movies like Sinners, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, and Hamnet are exceeding expectations. But the Academy has a history of snubbing some of the best movies of the year, so what are the people’s choices? Students from Urbana give their opinions….
Sinners
‘Sinners,’ a bloody, intriguing, gothic horror movie about vampires, took audiences by storm, earning a whopping 16 nominations, the most in Oscar history. Starring Michael B. Jordan, not only did Sinners receive a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Urbana students also took a determined liking to the movie.
When asked who deserved the Oscar for “Best Actor in a Leading Role,” 65.2% of students selected Michael B. Jordan for his roles “Smoke” and “Stack.” Then, 65.2% of students also voted Sinners for “Best Director.” But, if Sinners manages to win best director, then Ryan Coogler will be the first African American director in history to win this award. Finally, Delroy Lindo won 43.5% of students over for “Best Supporting Actor,” Wunmi Mosaku was voted “Best Supporting Actress” with 30.4% of students voting for the actress, and 43.5% of students voted Sinners as “Best Picture” amongst the competitors.
When asked about Sinners, Alex Barlowe noted it to be “very visually interesting”—backing up its nomination for Cinematography (an award for artistically capturing films—and has lots to do with lighting, camera movement, framing, etc.). Then, Harshita Sharma mentioned, “I enjoyed the themes of music and incorporation of vampires. The plot was entertaining,” which was a common opinion amongst students.
Fun Fact: Michael B. Jordan played twins in the movie and even directed the scenes he acted in himself.
Frankenstein
Another one of the highest-grossing movies of 2025 was Guillermo del Toro’s horror sci-fi, ‘Frankenstein,’ starring Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Oscar Isaac. Del Toro, previously famous for movies such as ‘Book of Life,’ ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,’ ‘Rise of the Guardians,’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy, earned 9 nominations for his latest film based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel, Frankenstein, otherwise known as The Modern Prometheus. This film received an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Urbana students rated it second only to the film ‘Sinners’ in most categories.
When asked who deserved the Oscar for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role,” 39.1% of students voted for Jacob Elordi for his role as Frankenstein’s creation (“the Monster”) in comparison to Delroy Lindo’s 43.5% for his supporting role in “Sinners” as Delta Slim. In the “Best Picture Category,” “Frankenstein” got 8.7% of votes for 2025’s “Best Picture” award.
This film explores the question “Who is the monster, and who is the man?” and its creativity and artistic style captured the attention of many of Urbana’s students. When asked about their choice for best picture, Felicia remarked that “Frankenstein was so well made and put together, and it was just a cinematic masterpiece to watch.”
Fun Fact: Jacob Elordi sat in the hair and makeup chair for 10-11 hours daily to turn into Frankenstein’s monster.
F1:The Movie
‘F1: The Movie’ is a sport/action film starring Brad Pitt as the charismatic racing star Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris as the talented rookie Joshua Pierce, racing on the fast track for the chance to be champions. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this eccentric, modern, and fast-paced film based on the sport that has often been referred to as the “pinnacle of motorsports” won 4 nominations for the 98th Academy Awards. This film also earned an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and in the eyes of Urbana students, it is second best in the “Best Picture” category for 2025. 30.4% of students voted for it to win, 13.1% behind ‘Sinners.’
According to the number of votes from students, this film has the chance to place on the podium at the 98th Oscars. Students remarked that the film was visually appealing and noted that its soundtrack, with its amazing lineup of artists, was one of the standout features for them.
Fun Fact: This film features the actual drivers from the 2023-2024 season, and a lot of the filming happened at actual races like Silverstone, Monza, and Las Vegas.
Overall, according to the opinions of Urbana’s High School students, the movie ‘Sinners’ is fated to win big at the Oscars this year, after earning most of the students’ votes. Runners-up were ‘F1: The Movie’ and ‘Frankenstein,’ respectively. So we encourage students who have not yet watched these films to check them out, because the thrill of the awards is unlike any other. Tune into the record-breaking 98th Oscars on Sunday, March 15th, at 7:00 pm to see what films win big.
