This weekend is the 98th Oscars! We covered film festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival and many more. Thank you to everyone one the team that contributed this past year. Click on the titles to read and listen the full reviews for each film! Blue Moon was reviewed twice, once during VIFF and another when it came to theaters, both reviews are included below.
Blue Moon – 2 Nominations
Very little happens in the movie, but the long, meandering conversations are so entertaining, it is hard not to be swept up in the story. Linklater employs mostly static shots, but occasionally wows us with some superb framing, a feat that can easily go unnoticed. The other aspect that makes the film so enjoyable is the ensemble like cast.
– Dakota Arsenault
Blue Moon
As a character study, Blue Moon is heartbreaking. Hawke’s Hart is abrasive but charming, as exciting to listen to even as he tears down those around him. The more he speaks, the clearer it becomes that his snarky attitude is largely an act. He’ll brag for several minutes about himself but becomes truly passionate when he finally manages to talk about the people he knows. He’s immensely proud of Rodgers, and for all the shade he wants to throw at Hammerstein, most of what he actually says is neutral or positive.
– Jeff Bulmer
Sirât – 2 Nominations
The cinematography of the gorgeous desert landscapes and the sound design, whether it’s the pulsing EDM music or wind howling across the sand, is something that is best experienced in a theater, as the film itself is an experience. The performances are solid and you get the genuine feeling of a group that cares for one another.
– Brodie Cotnam
The Voice of Hind Rajab – 1 Nomination
At a technical level, Voice is immaculate. Director Kaouther Ben Hania – whose previous film Four Daughters masterfully blended re-enactment and documentary to tell the story of a Tunisian family – seamlessly incorporates the real conversation between Rajab and volunteers. On a few occasions, the real volunteers are heard, before their audio is faded out to let the actors take over.
– Jeff Bulmer
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – 1 Nomination
Young audiences will see themselves in Little Amélie. When Amélie learns of her grandmother’s death, or asks her family’s maid about the war, young watchers might remember the first time they posed a difficult question. When Amélie goes swimming at the beach and her excitement at playing with a shell turns to fear after losing track of her family, kids might recall a time they got separated from their parents.
– Jeff Bulmer
The Smashing Machine – 1 Nomination
The hair, makeup and prosthetic work on Johnson is fantastic, and as Kerr changes looks, he blends right in sometimes even making one of the biggest movie stars in the world unrecognizable. Emily Blunt looks fantastic with her fake nails, cat suits and voluminous hair, embodying the prototypical fighter’s girlfriend.
– Dakota Arsenault
Cutting Through Rocks – 1 Nomination
Sara’s story on its own merits would be inspiring enough, but it is through this technical mastery that our married co-directors are able to really amplify her mission so that the slow steady work of making real change can hopefully happen a little bit faster. I would not be surprised if a year from now we talk about this film as an Oscar nominee and even potentially winner.
– Paulo Bautista
Song Sung Blue – 1 Nomination
The film is stolen by Kate Hudson, now an Oscar nominee for Best Actress, as she charms in the early part of the film but grounds the film with hard hitting reality in the second half. We get to see Claire struggle with depression, the mood swings that medication brings on and the zombie-like nature it makes her out to be. Watching Hudson in these scenes is nothing short of heartbreaking.
– Dakota Arsenault
Kokuho – 1 Nomination
The highlights are the leads. Yoshizawa and Yokohama turn in star-making performances as Kikuo and Shunsuke. On-stage and off, the two have brilliant chemistry, their relationship forming the cornerstone of the film. As performers, they are completely in sync, sharing successes and mistakes as each lifts the other’s performance. Offstage, they complement each other just as well, Kikuo’s slavish devotion to his craft keeping Shunsuke in line, while Shunsuke’s embrace of a celebrity lifestyle stops Kikuo from becoming a hermit.
– Jeff Bulmer
Leiden International Film Festival Round Up: Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Arco
Norway’s 2026 Oscar submission, and likely Best Picture nominee, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (3.5/5) quickly wins over cinephiles with a story about the driving need to create films, tell stories, and what that can cost – captured with stunning camerawork and grounded production design.
– Elysia Brenner
Oscar Podcasts
Every year I break down the odds that all the Best Picture nominees have to win each of their awards along with reactions, predictions and a draft. Here is all the coverage leading up to the Oscars.
305: Best Stunt Oscars – Dakota and guest Todd Pengelley name who we think should have been the nominees and winners for the past five years of the newly created Best Stunts award.
321: 2026 Oscar Nomination Reactions – Dakota and Jeff talk about the just announced 98th Academy Award nominations.
323: Sinner’s Hamnet of F1 – Dakota and guest Paulo Bautista break down the odds that Sinners, Hamnet and F1 have to win their respective nominations.
324: One Sentimental Bugonia After Another – Dakota and guest Elysia Brenner break down the odds that One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value and Bugonia have to win their respective nominations.
325: Marty Frankenstein The Train Agent – Dakota and Jeff break down the odds that Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent and Train Dreams have to win their respective nominations.
326: 2026 Oscar Draft – Dakota and guests Thomas Stoneham-Judge, Darren Zakus and Todd Pengelly draft Oscar nominated films to see who can get the most wins on Oscar night.
328: 2026 Oscar Predictions – Dakota and guest Thomas Stoneham-Judge predict who they think will win each Oscar category.
