10 Movies, One Award: Who'll Win Best Picture at the 2026 Academy Awards?

By Camryn Tyrrell

The 98th Annual Academy Awards will grace our screens on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California at the Dolby Theatre. The category of Best Picture is one of the most anticipated awards every year. Movies in this year’s category include “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners,” and “Train Dreams.”

“Bugonia,”, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, follows two conspiracy theorists, played by Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, as they kidnap the CEO of a major company, played by Emma Stone, believing she’s an alien who wants to destroy Earth.

Next is “F1,” directed by Joseph Kosinski. This story follows F1 racer Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt, as he returns to racing after an almost career-ending accident 30 years ago. He is supported by Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem, who play Joshua Pearce, Kate McKenna, and Rubén Cervantes, respectively.

“Frankenstein,” adapted by the director Guillermo del Toro, is next on this list. The adaptation from Mary Shelley’s 1818 book tells the story of young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who created a creature from different body parts. Here we see Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as The Creature, and Mia Goth as Lady Elizabeth Harlander.

Chloé Zhao directed “Hamnet,”a historical tragedy which explores the life of William Shakespeare, played by Pedro Pascal, and his wife Agnes, played by Jessie Buckley, as they deal with the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, played by Noah Jupe, who was lost due to the bubonic plague in 1596.

Next is “Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie, which is one of the more popular movies on this list. Timothy Chalamet plays the upcoming ping pong star Marty Mauser, who hustles his way from his dead-end job to high-stakes ping pong tournaments around New York City.

“One Battle After Another” is a drama/action thriller movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It follows the story of Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his lover Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), who are revolutionaries. They then have a daughter together named Willa (Chase Infiniti), and shortly after her birth, Perfidia leaves Bob to raise Willa on his own. When his evil nemesis resurfaces and his daughter goes missing, Bob scrambles to rescue his daughter, as they both deal with the consequences of their past.

Kleber Mendonça Filho directed “The Secret Agent,” a thriller/crime movie about Marcelo, played by Wagner Moura, who is a technology teacher who moves from São Paulo to Recife during Carnival to escape his past and start a new life. Here, he finds a city full of chaos and senses his neighbors spying on him.

“Sentimental Value” was directed by Joachim Trier. This movie follows two sisters, Nora and Agnes, played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, as they reunite with their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), who is a director. Gustav offers Nora a role in what he believes will be his comeback film. However, Nora turns it down, leading him to give the part to a young Hollywood star, pushing the starlet into his family’s complex dynamic.

Next is “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler. This movie follows the story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, as they try to leave their troubled lives behind. They return to their Mississippi hometown to start over, but they then discover an even greater evil is waiting for them back at home.

Finally, on the Best Picture list is “Train Dreams,” directed by Adolpho Veloso. This story follows Robert Grainier, played by Joel Edgerton, as he lives his life in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, working on the land, to help create a new world at the turn of the 20th century.

From this list, Business Insider predicts “One Battle After Another” to have a 67% chance of taking home the Oscar this year, and at this ceremony alone, they have been nominated 13 times. However, I personally hope that “Sinners” (which is nominated 16 times) wins. After Timothy Chalamet won Best Actor at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards and completely snubbed Michael B. Jordan, I feel that it’s only right for “Sinners” to win Best Picture, because it simply is the best.

“Sinners” is one of those movies that will generationally impact the film industry. With an original screenplay by Ryan Coogler, it is truly that original. We haven’t seen a truly original story grace our screens in some time —especially one that centers black people and our stories. “Sinners” is an exceptional movie, in every aspect. Cinematography, editing, acting, costumes, and of course, the amazing soundtrack. If any other movie wins Best Picture, it would truly be a disservice.

However, that is just my opinion. Who do you think will win Best Picture? Tune into the Academy Awards on March 15, and let’s see who takes home that Oscar!