The final piece of the 2021 movie year is here! I always love to do my pretend Oscar ballot cause it shows you that I have taste. I am kind of sad to let the last movie year go because it featured some truly striking movies and a lot of people working at the height of their considerable powers.

For the first time in a while, there was no big nomination getter. A Hero and Dune lead the way with 8 and 7 nominations respectively. Contrast this with last year which saw The Invisible Man grab 10 nominations and the year before where Shadow got 12!

The acting races were TIGHT, especially Supporting Actress. The women were really giving us great work this year and I agonized over having to leave off certain people.

In total, 38 movies received nominations. What would you nominate if given an Oscar ballot?

Best Picture
Benedetta
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Dramarama
A Hero
Judas and the Black Messiah
King Richard
Parallel Mothers
Passing
The Power of the Dog
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Best Director
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Asghar Farhadi, A Hero
Rebecca Hall, Passing
Paul Verhoeven, Benedetta
Jonathan Wysocki, Dramarama

Best Actor
Justin Chon, Blue Bayou
Amir Jadidi, A Hero
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car
Nick Pugilese, Dramarama

Best Actress
Alicia Vikander, Blue Bayou
Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Virginie Efira, Benedetta
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Tessa Thompson, Passing

Best Supporting Actor
Ben Affleck, The Last Duel
Colman Domingo, Zola
Mike Faist, West Side Story
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Mohsen Tanabandeh, A Hero

Best Supporting Actress
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Sahar Goldoost, A Hero
Ruth Negga, Passing
Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Parallel Mothers
Medina Senghore, Those Who Wish Me Dead

Original Screenplay
Dramarama
A Hero
Judas and the Black Messiah
King Richard
Operation Hyacinth

Adapted Screenplay
Benedetta
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Drive My Car
Passing
The Power of the Dog

Film Editing
Dramarama
A Hero
Judas and the Black Messiah
The Power of the Dog
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Cinematography
Dune
The Green Knight
Parallel Mothers
Passing
The Tragedy of MacBeth

Production Design
Dune
The Humans
Licorice Pizza
Red Rocket
Space Sweepers

Costume Design
Cruella
Dramarama
Dune
The Green Knight
The Suicide Squad

Makeup and Hair
Blood Red Sky
Dune
The Green Knight
Malignant
Titane

Visual Effects
Dune
The Green Knight
Space Sweepers
The Suicide Squad
The Tragedy of MacBeth

Sound Mixing
The Green Knight
The Last Duel
Space Sweepers
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
The Tragedy of MacBeth

Sound Editing
Dune
The Harder They Fall
The Humans
The Last Duel
Old Henry

Original Score
Dune
The Green Knight
Nightmare Alley
Old Henry
The Power of the Dog

Original Song
Dos Oruguitas – Encanto
We Don’t Talk About Bruno – Encanto
Blackskin Mile – The Harder They Fall
Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah
We Win – Space Jam: A New Legacy

Animated Feature
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Encanto
Justice Society: World War II
Vivo
Wish Dragon

Foreign Language Film
A Hero
Benedetta
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Operation Hyacinth
Parallel Mothers

Documentary Feature
Citizen Ashe
Flee
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Nominations/Wins

A Hero – 8 / 4 (Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film)
Dune – 7 / 4 (Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Visual Effects)
The Power of the Dog – 7 / 2 (Adapted Screenplay, Original Score)
The Green Knight – 6 / 1 (Makeup and Hairstyling)
Dramarama – 6 / 0
Passing – 6 / 0
Parallel Mothers – 5 / 0
Benedetta – 5 / 0
Judas and the Black Messiah – 5 / 0
Summer of Soul – 4 / 2 (Editing, Documentary)
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train – 4 / 1 (Animated Feature)
The Humans – 3 / 2 (Actress, Sound Editing)
King Richard – 3 /1 (Supporting Actress)
The Last Duel – 3 / 1 (Sound Mixing)
Drive My Car – 3 / 0
Encanto – 3 / 0
Space Sweepers – 3 / 0
The Tragedy of MacBeth – 3 / 0
Blue Bayou – 2 /1 (Actor)
The Harder They Fall – 2 / 0
Old Henry – 2 / 0
Operation Hyacinth – 2 / 0
The Suicide Squad – 2 / 0
Space Jam: A New Legacy – 1/1 (Original Song)
West Side Story – 1 / 1 (Supporting Actor)
Blood Red Sky – 1 / 0
Citizen Ashe – 1 / 0
Cruella – 1 / 0
Flee – 1 / 0
Justice Society: World War II – 1 / 0
Licorice Pizza – 1 / 0
Malignant – 1 / 0
Red Rocket – 1 / 0
Those Who Wish Me Dead – 1 / 0
Titane – 1 / 0
Vivo – 1 / 0
Wish Dragon – 1 / 0
Zola – 1 / 0