Here’s The 2026 Cannes Lineup

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The lineup for this year’s Cannes film festival was announced earlier today. There’s only one American film in the official competition. We’re all rooting for you, Ira Sachs!

Here’s the line-up:

Opening film:
LA VÉNUS ÉLECTRIQUE
Pierre SALVADORI
(Out of Competition)

Competition:

AMARGA NAVIDAD Pedro ALMODÓVAR
PARALLEL TALES Asghar FARHADI
A WOMAN’S LIFE Charline BOURGEOIS-TACQUET
LA BOLA NEGRA Javier CALVO & Javier AMBROSSI
COWARD Lukas DHONT
DAS GETRÄUMTE ABENTEUER Valeska GRISEBACH
ALL OF SUDDEN HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke
THE UNKNOWN Arthur HARARI
ANOTHER DAY Jeanne HERRY
SHEEP IN THE BOX KORE-EDA Hirokazu
HOPE NA Hong-jin
NAGI NOTES FUKADA Koji
GENTLE MONSTER Marie KREUTZER
NOTRE SALUT Emmanuel MARRE
FJORD Cristian MUNGIU
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY Léa MYSIUS
MOULIN László NEMES
FATHERLAND Pawel PAWLIKOWSKI
THE MAN I LOVE Ira SACHS
EL SER QUERIDO (THE BELOVED) Rodrigo SOROGOYEN
MINOTAUR Andrey ZVYAGINTSEV

Un Certain Regard

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA Jane SCHOENBRUN
Opening Film

ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG Abinash
BIKRAM SHAH 1st film

IRON BOY Louis CLICHY

BEN’IMANA Marie-Clémentine DUSABEJAMBO
1st film

CONGO BOY Rafiki FARIALA

CLUB KID Jordan FIRSTMAN
1st film

UĻA Viesturs KAIRIŠS

LA MÁS DULCE (STRAWBERRIES) Laïla MARRAKCHI

EL DESHIELO (THE MELTDOWN) Manuela MARTELLI

SIEMPRE SOY TU ANIMAL MATERNO (FOREVER YOUR MATERNAL ANIMAL) Valentina MAUREL

YESTERDAY THE EYE DIDN’T SLEEP Rakan MAYASI

I’LL BE GONE IN JUNE Katharina RIVILIS
1st film

WORDS OF LOVE Rudi ROSENBERG

EVERYTIME Sandra WOLLNER

ALL THE LOVERS IN THE NIGHT SODE Yukiko

Out of Competition

LA BATAILLE DE GAULLE : L’ÂGE DE FER Antonin BAUDRY

KARMA Guillaume CANET

DIAMOND Andy GARCIA

L’ABANDON Vincent GARENQ

L’OBJET DU DÉLIT Agnès JAOUI

HER PRIVATE HELL Nicolas WINDING REFN

Midnight Screenings
FULL PHIL Quentin DUPIEUX

SANGUINE Marion LE CORROLLER
1st film

ROMA ELASTICA Bertrand MANDICO

JIM QUEEN Marco NGUYEN & Nicolas ATHANÉ
1st film

GUN-CHE (COLONY) YEON Sang-ho
Cannes Première

LA TROISIÈME NUIT Daniel AUTEUIL

THE MATCH Juan CABRAL & Santiago FRANCO

KOKUROJO (THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER) KUROSAWA Kiyoshi

HEIMSUCHUNG (VISITATION) Volker SCHLÖNDORFF

PROPELLER ONE-WAY NIGHT COACH John TRAVOLTA

Special Screenings

REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION Pegah AHANGARANI
1st film

LES MATINS MERVEILLEUX Avril BESSON
1st film

L’AFFAIRE MARIE-CLAIRE Lauriane ESCAFFRE & Yvo MULLER

AVEDON Ron HOWARD

LES SURVIVANTS DU CHE Christophe Dimitri RÉVEILLE
1st film

JOHN LENNON : THE LAST INTERVIEW Steven SODERBERGH

CANTONA David TRYHORN & Ben NICHOLAS

A Quick Review Of The 98th Oscar Ceremony

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In a word: Boring.

It wasn’t quite as dull as the COVID Oscars. The 2021 ceremony set a standard for dullness that will probably never be matched. This year, the ceremony actually took place in a theater and it actually had a host who, for the most part, knew what he was doing. That’s not to say that Conan O’Brien was a particularly exciting host but at least the opening monologue went by quickly. When Jimmy Kimmel came out to present the Best Documentary Oscar, we were reminded of just what an improvement O’Brien was on previous hosts.

It’s funny when you think about it. We always bemoan stuff like Will Smith slapping Chris Rock or Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announcing that the wrong film had won Best Picture but the Oscar ceremony is pretty dull without any of that. Last night’s show ran relatively smoothly and only went over by a few minutes. It probably would have been livened up by a slap or two.

The acceptance speeches were okay. I prefer arrogant Paul Thomas Anderson to sincere Paul Thomas Anderson but at least he finally won the Oscars that he probably should have first won many years ago. Anderson is one of our best filmmakers so it’s unfortunate that he won for one of his least interesting films. But that’s the way it often goes with the Academy. Martin Scorsese didn’t win for Goodfellas or Raging Bull or even The Aviator. He won for The Departed.

What happened to all that Sinners momentum? Looking back, the majority of that momentum was a mirage of wishful thinking. A lot of people — myself included — wanted something unexpected to happen to liven up what had been a pretty boring Oscar season. In the end, Michael B. Jordan emerged as Best Actor, over the early favorites. The momentum was less for the film and more for the actor.

The In Memoriam segment was well-handled, though I would have liked to have seen Robert Duvall also get an individual segment. That said, I imagine that Duvall died after the segment had already been planned out. In the end, we all know what a great actor Robert Duvall was and that’s the important thing. Bud Cort, Joe Don Baker and Brigitte Bardot were left out of the In Memoriam montage. I can’t say why Cort and Baker were left out. Brigitte Bardot was undoubtedly left out because of her politics and shame on the Academy for that.

Sean Penn was not at the ceremony, so we were spared a Penn speech. Fortunately, for fans of wealthy celebrities bloviating about politics, Javier Bardem showed up wearing a big ugly button that looked like it was made by an 8 year-old.

There was a lot of talk about how AI will never replace real movies and it felt a bit desperate. I don’t want AI to replace real movies but, sad to say, I think we can all see where things are heading. Perhaps if the real movies were a little bit better, AI wouldn’t be such a threat.

I haven’t seen the ratings yet. Ten years ago, the Oscars dominated social media. This year, things felt much different.

Finally, my Oscar tweet received a review of their own last night.

*Sigh* Sorry, Liz.

Congratulations! You Have Survived Another Oscar Sunday!

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

That’s it! That’s a wrap! All that is left to do is to cue up all of our applause GIFs:

We hope everyone has enjoyed Oscar Sunday!

Now that the Oscars are over with, it’s time to start a new year of entertainment! Thank you everyone for reading us over the course of 2025 and the first three months of 2026!

Now, let’s make 2026 the best year ever as we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of America!

Love you!

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For March

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Now that the awards for the best of 2025 have been handed out, it’s time to think about what might be nominated next year!

Below are my first set of Oscar predictions for 2026! What am I basing these predictions on? Nothing but instinct, wild guesses, and hopeful thinking. Take them with a grain of salt. If nothing else, we’ll look back on these a year from now and we’ll laugh. Or, we’ll be amazed at my cognitive abilities.

Best Picture

Digger

Disclosure Day

Dune Part Three

I Play Rocky

The Invite

Mother Mary

The Odyssey

Queen At Sea

The Social Reckoning

Wild Horse Nine

Best Director

Lance Hammer for Queen At Sea

Martin McDonagh for Wild Horse Nine

Christopher Nolan for The Odyssey

Steven Spielberg for Disclosure Day

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part Three

Best Actor

Nicolas Cage in Madden

Timothee Chalamet in Dune Part Three

Tom Cruise in Digger

Anthony Ippolito in I Play Rocky

John Malkovivh in Wild Hose Nine

Best Actress

Juliette Binoche in Queen At Sea

Emily Blunt in Disclosure Day

Isabelle Huppert in The Blood Countess

Mikey Madison in The Social Reckoning

Anya Taylor-Joy in Joni Mitchell

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Courtenay in Queen At Sea

Willem DaFoe in Werewulf

Stephan James in I Play Rocky

Edward Norton in The Invite

Jeremy Strong in The Social Reckoning

Best Supporting Actress

Anna Calder-Marshall in Queen At Sea

Michaela Coel in Mother Mary

Penelope Cruz in The Invite

AnnaSophia Robb in I Play Rocky

Meryl Streep in Joni Mitchell

Here Are The Oscar Winners

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s what won at the Oscars!

Best Picture — One Battle After Another

Best Directing — Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Actor — Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

Best Actress — Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Best Supporting Actor — Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress — Amy Madigan, Weapons

Best Original Screenplay — Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay — One Battle After Another

Best Animated Feature — KPop Demon Hunters

Best Casting — One Battle After Another

Best Production Design — Frankenstein

Best Cinematography — Sinners

Best Costume Design — Frankenstein

Best Film Editing — One Battle After Another

Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Frankenstein

Best Sound — F1

Best Visual Effects — Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best Original Score — Sinners

Best Original Song — “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters

Best Documentary Feature — Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Best International Feature — Sentimental Value

Best Animated Short — The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Best Documentary Short — All The Empty Rooms

Best Live Action Short (TIE) — The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva

The Best Picture Race: 2020s

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

And now, we reach the 2020s. The Oscars are heading towards their 100th year and a lot has changed between then and now. Many of the films that are nominated today would have been unthinkable as nominees in the 50s or even the 90s. I’m glad to see that the Academy is now more willing to nominate genres like horror and science fiction.

That said, this is the streaming age and this is the age of AI and I do worry about the future of movies in general. The Oscars are no longer the big event that they once were but then again, the same can be said of movies in general. The times are changing. Who knows what we’ll be talking about when Oscar Sunday rolls around in 2030?

2020

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Won: Nomadland

Should Have Won: These were the COVID Oscars. With the world shut down for a virus, movie theaters closed and the Academy was forced to give even more consideration than usual to the streaming platforms. A lot of studios held back on releasing their big movies and the end result was the weakest Best Picture line-up in recent history. Nomadland won, largely because it reflected the current national anxiety. (Interestingly, it was directed by the daughter of the type of communist official who would probably of thrown the majority of the Nomadland cast into prison for re-education.) Of the nominees, I would have voted for either Promising Young Woman or The Father. My favorite film of the year was an unnominated French film called Girl With A Bracelet.

2021

Belfast

CODA

Don’t Look Up

Drive My Car

Dune

Won: CODA

Should Have Won: CODA. The Academy got it right. With the world still recovering from the (totally unnecessary) COVID lockdowns, the Best Picture lineup was still weaker than usual but there was something very satisfying about watching the sweet-natured CODA overtake the presumed front runner, Power of the Dog. Power of the Dog was well-made but heartless. CODA was obviously limited by its low budget but it was all heart and, after two years of totalitarian excess, that was what was truly needed.

2022

All Quiet on The Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All AT Once

The Fabelmans

Tar

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Won: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Won: Literally anything else. Seriously, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a mess of a movie and nowhere near as profound as it thinks it is. I personally would have voted for Top Gun: Maverick, a film that is unapologetic about being entertaining. After all of the COVID stupidity, Top Gun: Maverick was the film that world needed.

(That said, I could also make a case for voting for TAR, The Banshees of Inisherin, All Quiet On The Western Front, and even Elvis. After two rather weak Best Picture line-ups, the 2022 nominations were a return to form.)

2023

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Won: Oppenheimer

Should Have Won: I can’t complain about Oppenheimer winning. It’s a great film. That said, I probably would have voted for another great film, Past Lives. This was another strong line-up of best picture nominees.

2024

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Perez

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys

The Substance

Wicked

Won: Anora

Should Have Won: The unnominated Juror No. 2. That said, I probably would have voted for either Anora or Dune Part Two.

And there you have it! Soon, we’ll be adding another title to the list of best picture winners!

The Oscars of my youth and now!

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Bradley Crain

When I was a teenager in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, I didn’t know a single person who loved movies like I did, not even close. I’d watch the Oscars by myself every year. The next day I’d have no one to talk to about my enjoyment of the show and my favorite winners or biggest disappointments. My family and friends loved me, but movies just weren’t their thing. As such, I couldn’t really talk to anyone about how happy I was that Sean Connery had won an Oscar, or how upset I was that GOODFELLAS didn’t win an Oscar, or then how excited I was that my hero Clint Eastwood had dominated the awards with UNFORGIVEN! This was the day and time where there was no social media so I was truly alone in my obsession. Being alone didn’t matter though, because there was just something about the world of film that I was fascinated with from the moment our family got our first VCR. Seeing my favorite stars all together in the same building was just so fun. My favorite host of my youth was Billy Crystal. He was just amazing, and I even remember him riding a horse off the stage at the 1991 show, the year I graduated high school.

I guess after heading off to college and then starting a family a few years later, the Oscars became less and less important to me over the years after that. I still didn’t know anyone who loved movies like me, but now I had a career to focus on and little league baseball games to coach. As much as I still enjoyed the cinema, I guess it’s fair to say my priorities changed. And then I got involved in the world of cinema on social media in 2021. I met people like Eric Todd, who shares my love for the actor Charles Bronson. I met people like Lisa Marie Bowman, Jeff “Who is not Joseph Cotten,” Stewart Moncure, and others on Twitter who love to watch movies together and tweet about them. This is the first time in my life that I actually know a group of people who love movies like I do. These folks take cinema seriously and don’t make fun of me for doing the same. I found my movie people. So I started watching the Oscars again. Watching OPPENHEIMER win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, a couple of years back was especially enjoyable for me since one of my favorite actors of my youth, James Woods, served as an Executive Producer. I’m watching the Oscars again tonight. It’s just more fun knowing that there really are people out there who care about movies, and the people who make them, just as much as I do.

6 Actresses Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Scarlett Johansson

If Scarlett Johansson hadn’t spent several years appearing in Marvel films, she’d probably have an Oscar by now. She was nominated twice in 2019, for JoJo Rabbit and Marriage Story. I would argue that she also deserved nominations for Under The Skin and Lost in Translation as well. Indeed, considering that Jonathan Lynn revealed himself to be a pretentious blowhard when he was accepting his Oscar for The Zone of Interest, it seems even more likely than before that the power of Under the Skin was totally due to Johansson’s performance. This year, she’ll be appearing in Paper Tiger, James Gray’s latest movie about two brothers dealing with the Russian mafia. (Seriously, how many times has Gray made this movie?)

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten finally received her first nomination for The Power of the Dog and she probably would have won if that film hadn’t been such a remote and chilly viewing experience. Dunst is a Hollywood survivor, someone who has gone from appearing in cutesy film like Get Over It to becoming one of the best interpreters of depression out there. Between Melancholia and Power of the Dog, there’s really no excuse for her not to have an Oscar already.

Carey Mulligan

Mulligan should have won an Oscar for An Education. Along with An Education, she’s also been nominated for Promising Young Woman and Maestro. She deserved a nomination for Shame as well. Carey Mulligan is one of the most intelligent actresses of her generation and hopefully, she’ll get the award that she deserves soon.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Taylor-Joy has seemed like an eventual nominee ever since her role in The Witch. This year, she’ll be playing Joni Mitchell in Cameron Crowe’s currently untitled biopic and appearing in Dune: Part Three. It’ll be interesting to see if she follows the Timothee Chalamet route of getting nominated for playing an iconic singer.

Kate Hudson

A lot of people have been dismissive of Kate Hudson’s nomination for Song Sung Blue. Well, I’ve actually seen the film and I hope she wins tonight. She gave a great performance. And if she does lose to Jessie Buckley or Rose Byrne tonight, I hope she’ll get a third nomination soon.

Amy Adams

A few years ago, Amy Adams seemed certain to win an Oscar at some point in the very near future. Since 2005, she has received 6 Oscar nominations and her lack of a nomination for Arrival is often cited as one of Oscar’s more bizarre decisions. And yet, it’s been 8 years since Adams was last nominated, for Adam McKay’s irksome “satire,” Vice. Adams has continued to appear in major films. In fact, many of her recent roles have been the type that seem to have Oscar nomination written all over them. That may be a part of the problem. Adams’s main strength as an actress has always been her natural authenticity. With films like Hillbilly Elegy and Nightbitch, she almost seemed to be trying too hard to catch the attention of the Academy. Her upcoming film, At The Sea, features her as a recovering addict and, again, it seems like the type of role that would get her nomination but the film itself was greeted with derision when it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Oh well. I remain hope that my fellow redhead will finally get the Oscar that she deserves.

6 Actors Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ethan Hawke

I should begin by saying that there’s a good chance that Ethan Hawke will win an Oscar later tonight. He’s been nominated for Blue Moon. When this Oscar season began, he was definitely the front runner. As of late, the momentum seems to have shifted toward Michael B. Jordan or perhaps Timothee Chalamet but still, one should not totally discount Hawke’s chances. If Hawke does lose tonight, I have no doubt that he will be nominated in the future and eventually, he will win. It’ll be long overdue. As you can probably guess by the picture at the start of this post, I’m one of those people who thinks that he definitely should have won for Boyhood.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell finally received his first Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin but he lost the award to Brendan Fraser. Farrell is not an actor who has always gotten the respect that he deserves. Especially early in his career, he was often miscast. Much like Matthew McConaughey, he was often dismissed as just being a pretty boy until he met a director — in this case, Martin McDonagh — who truly understood how to best utilize Farrell’s screen presence. As In Bruges, Banshees and The Penguin showed, Farrell is essentially a character actor in a leading man’s body. My hope is that Farrell will win his first Oscar between now and 2036 and that he’ll give a memorable acceptance speech.

Brendan Gleeson

Speaking of The Banshees of Inisherin, how does Brandan Gleeson only have one Oscar nomination to his name? Now, to be clear, I don’t begrudge the fact that Gleeson lost to Ke Huy Quan. Quan had a wonderful personal story, gave the best performance in the overrated mess that was Everything Everywhere All At Once, and his acceptance speech was truly touching. That said, my sincere hope is that the Academy understands that Gleeson is long overdue an Oscar. Hopefully, that will be corrected soon.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell is one of those actors who I just can’t believe has never been nominated. In a few days, Kurt Russell will be turning 75. He’s been a popular actor for most of his life but he’s not getting any younger. So, get with it, Academy! I don’t care what his next film is. I don’t care how big the role is. Give Kurt Russell his Oscar!

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has had an interesting career. He went from being a teen idol to a character actor to a somewhat disreputable celebrity to finally reemerging with the Mission Impossible films as one of our last true movie stars. One need only watch Top Gun: Maverick to see the type of charisma that we’re going to miss once it’s gone. Later this year, Cruise will be starring in Digger.

Sylvester Stallone

Seriously, how many times does this man have to play Rocky and Rambo before the Academy finally gives him the award that everyone secretly wants him to win? Give Stallone his Oscar!

6 Directors Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

David Lynch died without ever having won a competitive Oscar. He was nominated three times, once for a movie that was also nominated for Best Picture. He was given an honorary award before he died. But he never won the Oscar for Best Director.

When it comes to the Oscars, we always talk about artists who are “overdue” and we often suggest that they’ll win with their next major release. But life and art are both unpredictable. Indeed, even when a past due director does win an Oscar, it’s often for a lesser film. George Cukor directed many charming films but he only won one Oscar and that was for the leaden My Fair Lady.

Here are my picks for six directors who I hope will win an Oscar in the next ten years. Some are overdue. Some are just underrated. All of them are deserving.

Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater had a great 2025. Blue Moon resulted in an Oscar nomination for Ethan Hawke. Nouvelle Vague swept the Cesars. He’s widely viewed as one America’s best and most independently-minded directors. And yet, he’s only once been nominated for Best Director, for Boyhood. That Linklater lost that Oscar to Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu is a true injustice. Linklater is one of those directors who vision may be too idiosyncratic for the Academy but I remain hopeful that he will get his Oscar. He’s currently directing Merrily We Roll Again, with filming set to wrap up in 2040. That’s a long wait but I look forward to reviewing it.

Joseph Kosinski

With Top Gun: Maverick and F1, Kosinski has emerged as one of the best directors of action around. Both Top Gun: Maverick and F1 were satisfying films that were not ashamed of being works of adrenaline-pumping excitement. Both were nominated for Best Picture but Kosinski has yet to receive a Best Director nomination. I hope that changes soon.

David Fincher

It’s amazing to realize that David Fincher still doesn’t have an Oscar. He’s one of the most influential directors around. Much as with David Lynch, a lot of aspiring filmmakers have tried to imitate Fincher but David Fincher really is the only one who can do what he does. 2026 will see the release of The Adventures of Cliff Booth and it will be interesting to see how Fincher continues the story started by Quentin Tarantino in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Quentin Tarantino

To be honest, I suspect that Quentin Tarantino is never going to win a Best Director Oscar. He’s talented, he’s beloved by a large number of film fans, and he also has a real talent for burning bridges and ticking people off. If you’re a director who happens to be a friend of Paul Dano’s, you’re probably never going to vote for Tarantino. That said, I have my doubts as to whether or not Tarantino really cares about the Oscars. His favorite films are the ones that don’t win Oscars. I personally would enjoy hearing his acceptance speech.

Andrea Arnold

I have been a fan of Andrea Arnold’s ever since I saw Fish Tank at the Dallas Angelika in 2010. This British director has only directed five feature films since 2006 but she’s still one of the best filmmakers out there, capturing life on society’s fringes with an empathy that never feels condescending.

Sofia Coppola

Sofia is a perennial on these lists and I’ll keep including her until she finally wins her Oscar. No one captures the beauty of ennui with quite the skill and visual flair of Sofia Coppola.