The Burning Questions of the 2018 Oscars

The 2018 Oscar nominees are as polarizing as they are eclectic. After a year of seismic upheaval in Hollywood, this year’s field is littered with auteurs and outsiders. With less than a week to go before the most important night in Hollywood, burning questions abound. Will Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri overcome mounting backlash to its moral tone? Can and should the controversial Shape of Water—called beautiful by some and bizarre by others—take home Best Picture? And which of this year’s best performances went overlooked? Join Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, K. Austin Collins, Chris Ryan, and New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris as they discuss the most compelling story lines of the 90th Academy Awards. New videos coming every day this week.

How Will We Feel When Get Out and Lady Bird Are Shut Out?

Collins, Fennessey, Dobbins, and Morris discuss what it will mean if neither Get Out nor Lady Bird win an Oscar on Sunday.

Will the Fish-Sex Movie (a.k.a. The Shape of Water) Win?

Fennessey, Dobbins, Ryan, and Morris outline how The Shape of Water can win Best Picture and debate whether it should.

Will Black Panther Get a Best Picture Nomination Next Year?

Dobbins, Ryan, Fennessey, and Morris discuss what a Black Panther Oscar campaign would look like and whether the film will land a nomination next year.

Is Three Billboards Just Crash 2.0?

Collins, Fennessey, Dobbins, and Morris break down the similarities and differences between Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and 2005’s Crash.

How the Voting Process Helps The Shape of Water

Fennessey breaks down the Best Picture voting process and explains how the ranked-ballot system benefits The Shape of Water.

What Was the Best Scene of the Year?

Ryan, Collins, Dobbins, and Morris share their favorite scenes of the year from Phantom Thread, Lady Bird, Molly’s Game, and Get Out.

Is This It for Meryl, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Denzel?

Fennessey, Dobbins, Collins, and Morris discuss if all-time greats Meryl Streep, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Denzel Washington have reached the end of their Academy Award reigns.

Will Tom Hanks Ever Be Nominated Again?

Fennessey, Dobbins, Collins, and Morris discuss their disappointment over the snub for Tom Hanks’s performance in The Post and debate whether he will ever secure another Oscars nomination.

Who Is Meryl Streep Rooting For?

Ryan, Collins, Dobbins, and Morris don’t care to have any more Best Actress conversations, so they just answer the most important question remaining: Who does Meryl Streep want to have win?

What Is Your Favorite Performance That Wasn’t Nominated?

Ryan, Dobbins, Collins, and Morris discuss their favorite performances this year that didn’t receive an Oscar nomination.