One of my favorite days on the calendar is right around the corner, and I’m not talking about Pi Day! The 98th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 15, but for the first time in a long time, I won’t be locked in to the action.
Letterboxd Out
As a personal challenge and just a fun pastime, I’ve chosen to watch every Best Picture nominee before the telecast airs for the last several years. Keeping a close eye on the so-called greatest films each award season has given me a new appreciation for cinema. Or, at least, a different perspective.
Some of these movies truly are the best I’ve ever seen, while some are without a doubt the worst. Sound of Metal from 2020 has stuck with me over the years with its intense and sobering look at a drummer grappling with unexpectedly losing his hearing. Of course, 2017’s The Shape of Water is remembered for the “fish sex” of it all, but what happens outside of that scene is often beautiful and captivating, like a gritty modern fairy tale. On the other side of the spectrum, The Power of the Dog, released in 2021, is the only film I’ve ever felt compelled to rate a 0 out of 10. Years later, I couldn’t tell you what dogs had to do with that movie at all, but I can tell you I was so bored I almost turned off the TV.
The Oscars sure are funny that way; high art can really click with someone or completely fall flat, but until you witness it, you may never know where it’ll land. As arbitrary as it may seem, I love knowing that at least in theory I’m consuming what is considered by many to be the absolute best of the medium when I put on these selections every year.
Unfortunately, though, all streaks must come to an end. And for me, my time with the Oscars has come to a close… at least for now.
Oscar? I Hardly Know Her!
I’m not making a grand statement here. There’s no controversy or big mystery. The reality is, I simply don’t have time anymore. And no, that’s not a comment on the length of movies these days (though 90 minutes is more than enough)! I’m a father of two now and kids are, well, time-consuming! They also notoriously aren’t the biggest fans of two-plus-hour dramas about the death of William Shakespeare’s son.
I know, I know. “New Dad Complains That His Children Prevent Him From Enjoying His Silly Hobbies” isn’t exactly a brave hill to die on. I’m simply experiencing what every parent goes through at some point in their lives. Movie nights are replaced with bath time and story time. Staying up late to catch up on your favorite show turns into falling asleep on the couch as the opening credits roll. I’m in a new season of life and believe me: I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat bittersweet to know how much things are changing.
Everyone here at The Punished Backlog loves not just experiencing and witnessing art, but talking about it too. That’s why we have lists on lists of top picks in games, movies, start screens, you name it. But often the reason why some piece of media resonates with us is because it happened as we were growing up or reminds us of something we loved as kids. I find that much of what I still connect to is meaningful to me because it’s informed by the times I watched Monty Python with my dad or beat my brother (older, no big deal) at NFL Blitz.
That type of humor and those arcade-style experiences are still the types of movies and games I gravitate toward, and the great memories always come back as I enjoy the latest versions. I can’t say for sure that everyone who writes about digital media is a sucker for nostalgia or a kid at heart, but I know I sure am, which makes growing up pretty tough! Seeing myself age and grow and change in real time can lead to a bit of an out-of-body feeling, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to take on a whole new identity as someone’s dad, especially two someones!
So while I may not be able to tell you how great Michael B. Jordan was in Sinners, I can gladly share that my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was phenomenal in The Pool during her swim lessons this past week! And I may not have witnessed Brad Pitt roll down the track in F1, but my four-month-old son sure is rolling all over the place! It might be a close call, but I’m fairly confident in saying I’ll cherish these moments ever so slightly more than Timotheé Chalamet’s performance in Marty Supreme. This one goes out to the parents who “did not watch the game last night” or are “definitely not caught up on The Pitt.” I can’t wait to share my hobbies and interests with my kiddos when the time is right, but at this moment we’re in a new chapter of our lives, and I think it’s safe to say we’re living in the good ol’ days as we speak.
A Dad-Friendly Approach to the 2026 Oscars
With all that said, I couldn’t write an “Oscars” article without at least some mention of this year’s nominees. I’ve only seen one out of these 10 movies this year (you’ll never guess which one), so instead of ranking them based on their actual merits on screen, I’m going to list them purely based off vibes.
This is my comprehensive, totally correct, unimpeachable, and surely very helpful look at which of our 2026 Best Picture nominees had the most impact on my life via cultural osmosis, i.e., social media presence.
10. Train Dreams
Every year, there’s one nominee that sneaks in that I’ve never even heard of or had any clue existed, so congratulations to Train Dreams on claiming the title for 2026. I believe this is the alternate name for the film adaptation of The Little Engine that Could, but I might be wrong. Jokes aside, I don’t think Train Dreams was high on the average moviegoer’s rankings for 2026. At least it’s on Netflix, so you don’t need to break the bank to experience what’s sure to be an instant classic!
9. The Secret Agent
Another category that always seems to elicit one nomination per year is your intense historical drama. Set in 1970s Brazil during its military dictatorship, this film follows a professor caught in the middle of the terrifying turmoil within the country. The Secret Agent was a darling at the Cannes film festival, but it doesn’t seem to have made a major impact culturally in the U.S. I don’t think I know anyone who has seen it, but I enjoy learning about the past through film and plan to check this out eventually.
8. Sentimental Value
Just barely crossing the “oh I think I’ve heard of that one” threshold, Sentimental Value is a family drama about two sisters reuniting with their estranged movie director father. I appreciate simpler setups and tight, family-driven stories done well, but I imagine there will be a lot of tears involved with this one. It seems to be well received, but not exactly a box office smash, otherwise known as an Oscar movie.
7. Frankenstein
I think the interest and hype for Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster got overshadowed pretty quickly by all the Wuthering Heights content about that weird skin wall, but Oscar Issac, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz should be a recipe for success. With this being on Netflix, access is easy, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see this get some love in the technical categories given its impressive production design, makeup, and costumes.
6. F1
Brad Pitt drives cars real fast! What’s not to love?! I know Formula 1 (the sport) is having a moment and everyone and their brother seems to be invested these days, but it has escaped me so far. I’m sure this movie was a good time at the theater and a classic “watch it on the biggest screen possible” kind of experience, but is it really Oscar bait? Or should we actually have been honoring movies for their spectacle this whole time? I don’t know, but I also probably won’t bother to find out.
5. Bugonia
Emma Stone is back with director Yorgos Lanthimos in a black comedy about two crazed conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO because they believe her to be an extraterrestrial being. I’m a fan of Lanthimos’ work, particularly Best Picture nominees The Favourite and Poor Things, and his over-the-top style is becoming more and more well-known with each successful film. Not to mention Emma Stone’s shaved head inspired plenty of memes, which rightfully or wrongfully made me think this movie must be decent.
4. Hamnet
Despite having absolutely zero interest in watching this seemingly incredibly depressing film, I’ve somehow managed to see plenty of reviews, clips, and information about it online. I know very little about Shakespeare’s son’s life and don’t really care to learn more (sorry), but apparently Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of Agnes Hathaway is so good it probably will result in the Best Actress win and might singlehandedly make this one worth seeing.
3. Marty Supreme
Hey, I’ve seen this one! I had to give my guy Timmy some love. This movie about a fictionalized version of a 1950s ping pong player in New York is audacious, bizarre, and an absolute blast to watch from start to finish. The chaotic energy that the Safdie brothers are known for translates beautifully in Josh’s solo effort and is reminiscent of one of my favorite flicks of the last several years, Uncut Gems.
Besides Chalamet, Tyler, The Creator and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary make their film debuts, and magician Penn Jillette makes an almost unrecognizable cameo among other great Easter Egg appearances. The promotion for this movie was all over the place, and even if it isn’t your cup of tea, it was certainly one of the biggest releases of 2025.
2. One Battle After Another
I’m not the biggest Paul Thomas Anderson fan, but when he and Leo DiCaprio get together, people are bound to pay attention. The plot of One Battle sounds pretty much exactly like a remix of Taken, but according to everyone I talked to, this was THE movie of the year. I expect it to win many awards at this year’s Oscars and I’d bet it goes home with the Best Picture trophy.
1. Sinners
While One Battle After Another may be the prohibitive favorite for the night’s highest honor, Sinners had the distinction of being the nominee with the highest U.S. box office total by a pretty decent margin. But, as anyone who has watched the Oscars before knows, they do not care how many people see a movie, unlike the Golden Globes which invented a whole new category for “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.” Sinners ended up with that prize, which may not bode well for its chances at the Academy Awards, but for my money it clearly had the largest impact when factoring in viewers, quality, and overall reach. It’ll be the first film I watch when I finally have the time, and I recommend you check it out as well (based solely on vibes)!
Whether you check out the Oscars this year, decide to have babies, or do whatever else it is you crazy kids do these days, I hope you enjoy it. Things change, time passes, and appreciating what we have while we have it can be hard to do. Until next time, thanks for reading!
Zack has been hooked on games ever since his older brother taught him where to find the secret warp whistles in Mario Bros. 3. He has never felt more joy than when Yoshi congratulated him on getting 120 stars in Mario 64 or more sadness than when he played Kingdom Hearts 3 after waiting 14 years for it. Zack mails a letter to Nintendo every day asking them to bring back Chibi Robo and will gladly tell you all about why it’s one of the greatest games of all time. He was hoping that writing for the site would help him get through his backlog, but it actually just made it worse now that he’s hearing about so many more great hidden gems. Oops…
