On March 10, 2024, the 96th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time. It was quite a successful night for some in Hollywood, consisting of many films acquiring more than one award and well-deserved stars receiving recognition. There were also many jaw-dropping moments and unexpected surprises. 

Best Picture 

Winner: “Oppenheimer” by Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Charles Roven

Nominees:

“The Holdovers” by Mark Johnson

“American Fiction” by Cord Jefferson

“The Zone of Interest” by James Wilson 

“Barbie” by Greta Gerwig

“Poor Things” by Yorgos Lanthimos

“Past Lives” by Celine Song

“Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet

“Maestro” by Bradley Cooper 

“Killers of the Flower Moon” by Martin Scorsese 

“Oppenheimer” won Best Picture, beating out 9 other nominees, including “Barbie.” It was honestly a surprise that “Barbie” didn’t win, considering all the hype and praise the movie got. Both “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” came out on July 21, 2023 and were box office competitors. Many people were also comparing the two to see which one was the better film. I was expecting either one of them to win, but it was shocking to see “Barbie” not win any of its nominations. However, Christopher Nolan did not disappoint, he did a fantastic job directing “Oppenheimer.” The movie’s visuals were outstanding and so realistic. Most of his past historic and sci-fi movies he directed came out phenomenal. The thought and dedication that was put into this movie is clear. It was a well-deserved win. 

Best Actor 

Winner: Cillian Murphy for “Oppenheimer”

Nominees:

Paul Giamatti for “The Holdovers”

Bradley Cooper  for “Maestro”

Colman Domingo for “Rustin”

Jeffrey Wright for “American Fiction”

One of the biggest awards of the night was Best Actor. Cillian Murphy won this category through his phenomenal work in “Oppenheimer.” Many people were rooting for him, including me. Based on the four other nominees, I thought he deserved it the most due to him doing a fantastic job in “Oppenheimer”. He excellently portrayed a bold scientist who initiated a controversial assignment. He brought so much depth and emotion to the Oppenheimer character, rightfully portraying his life as he was developing and designing his top-secret project. Providing us an unforgettable performance. 

Best Supporting Actor 

Winner: Robert Downey Jr. for “Oppenheimer”

Nominees: 

Mark Ruffalo for “Poor Things”

Robert De Niro for “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Sterling K. Brown for “American Fiction” 

Ryan Gosling for “Barbie”

Another big award of the night was Best Supporting Actor, which was won by Robert Downey Jr. for his role in “Oppenheimer.” When they announced his name, I was literally jumping up and down. He never fails to give an amazing and praiseworthy performance. He excellently portrayed his role Lewis Strauss, bringing so much emotion and depth into the character. Robert Downey Jr. always does a phenomenal job. I’m a big fan of some of  his past roles, especially his character in the Marvel films. His role in “Oppenheimer” was probably his best performance in years. You can tell he gives it his all. 

Best Actress

Winner: Emma Stone for “Poor Things”

Nominees: 

Lily Gladstone for “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Annette Bening for “Nyad”

Carey Mulligan for “Maestro”

Sandra Hüller for “Anatomy of a Fall”

Emma Stone shockingly won Best Actress for her role in “Poor Things.” This was one of the most controversial portions of the night, I feel like many people weren’t expecting this. I don’t think Stone was expecting this either because she kept saying she was “very shocked.” A fan favorite for this award was Lily Gladstone in the film “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Due to her having a stronger performance in her film and portraying her character in a more striking matter. Many can agree that Lily Gladstone’s role as Mollie Burkhart was her best work yet. Nevertheless, both of them are phenomenal actresses and deserve recognition for their work.

Best Animated Feature 

Winner: “The Boy and the Heron” by Hayao Miyazaki

Nominees:

“Nimona” by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno

“Robot Dreams” by Pablo Berger

“Elemental” by Peter Sohn

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” by Amy Pascal, Chris Miller and Phil Lord

The film that won Best Animated Feature was “The Boy and the Heron.” I have some mixed thoughts about this category. Although “The Boy and the Heron” had cool animations, it didn’t stand out to me when compared to the other nominees. I think “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” should have won. The film had better visual effects and the artistic style was outstanding. Because the film’s ending was not up to expectations, I can see why it didn’t win this category, but it still deserves some recognition. 

Although this night brought many mixed opinions and thoughts, it was still a quite successful night for some films like “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” with “Oppenheimer” winning seven out of thirteen nominations and “Poor Things” winning four of its nominations. I’m still surprised that some films didn’t win any awards at all, like “Barbie” and “Maestro.” Regardless, the annual Academy Awards never fails to disappoint and is a night that many can look forward to.