WHAT WENT WRONG

Oscars 2026: Sinners & One Battle After Another

January 30, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The hosts frame the discussion of *Sinners* and *One Battle After Another* within the context of Warner Brothers having a surprisingly strong 2025 slate despite the studio facing an imminent, potentially hostile takeover by Netflix or Paramount. 
  • The hosts find *Sinners* to be a technically brilliant, thematically rich horror film that excels in performance (especially Michael B. Jordan) and detail, though Chris finds its screenplay structure somewhat disjointed. 
  • Both hosts agree that *One Battle After Another* is a well-made film with incredible sequences, but ultimately feels structurally fragmented and less cohesive than PTA's best work, leading them to believe it might win Best Picture as a 'corrective Oscar' for the director. 
  • Lizzie believes *One Battle After Another* was a great theatrical experience that did not hold up as well on rewatch, and though she thinks *Sinners* is the superior art piece, she predicts *One Battle After Another* will win Best Picture. 
  • The hosts agree that neither *Sinners* nor *One Battle After Another* is a clear standout for Best Picture this year, though *Sinners* is closer to the top tier for Lizzie. 
  • The hosts dedicated significant time to praising the below-the-line creative achievements for both *Sinners* (cinematography, music by Ludwig Gorinson, production design, costumes by Ruth Carter) and *One Battle After Another* (music by Jonny Greenwood, editing, costumes by Colleen Atwood). 

Segments

Warner Bros. Studio Landscape
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(00:04:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Warner Brothers dominated the 2025 domestic box office with seven of the top ten films, including Sinners at number seven, despite a history of costly flops preceding this year.
  • Summary: The 2025 domestic box office was led by Disney globally, but Warner Brothers secured seven of the top ten spots domestically, including Sinners at number seven. This success follows several years of underperformance for the studio, marked by flops like Black Adam and multiple underperforming DC films. The studio’s current success occurs while it is in the process of being acquired, potentially by Netflix, following significant debt accrued from the Discovery merger.
Ryan Kugler’s Contract Precedent
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(00:12:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Kugler secured an extremely rare contractual stipulation for Sinners, gaining copyright ownership of the film after 25 years, which protects the IP from potential future leveraging by tech interests.
  • Summary: Ryan Kugler’s deal for Sinners included a great payday and back-end participation, but most notably, the copyright to the film after 25 years, a highly unusual term that caused internal consternation. This protection is seen as a defense against potential future corporate maneuvers, such as a leveraged buyout by Paramount/Skydance, which might otherwise use the IP for low-cost AI content generation.
Analysis of Sinners’ Strengths
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(00:19:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Sinners is praised for its layered exploration of Jim Crow-era racism through the horror genre, its pitch-perfect technical execution, and Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance.
  • Summary: Sinners is described as an amazing, fun crowd-pleaser that operates on infinite levels, blending horror with complex socio-economic dynamics of the Mississippi Delta community. Michael B. Jordan’s performance playing twin brothers is highlighted as phenomenal, making him a deserving, though perhaps overlooked, Oscar contender. The film’s attention to detail in period setting and subtle sound design elevates it beyond typical genre fare.
Critique of Sinners’ Structure
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(00:24:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite its technical mastery and thematic depth, Chris views Sinners as being hampered by a screenplay that feels like a collection of great sequences in search of a singular narrative thrust, suggesting it might have worked better as a miniseries.
  • Summary: Chris argues that Sinners is not greater than the sum of its parts, feeling disjointed and mechanical in its back half, despite strong sequences like the KKK shootout and musical numbers. The film’s intellectual themes regarding assimilation versus cultural preservation are strong, but the structure failed to provide a singular protagonist or narrative focus for the viewer.
Case for One Battle After Another
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(00:45:54)
  • Key Takeaway: One Battle After Another is considered the most obviously timely film of the nominees due to its exploration of contemporary issues like ICE and white supremacy, and it is viewed as a potential ‘corrective Oscar’ for Paul Thomas Anderson.
  • Summary: The film’s success in depicting the cognitive dissonance required to support extremist ideologies makes it highly prescient regarding current events in the US. Furthermore, the Academy often rewards directors like PTA with ‘corrective Oscars’ after previous snubs, such as for Phantom Thread and There Will Be Blood. However, the film’s ensemble structure leaves key characters, like Leonardo DiCaprio’s, feeling ultimately useless to the plot’s forward momentum.
Shout-outs to Unnominated WB Films
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(00:54:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts gave special praise to the unnominated Warner Brothers film Weapons for its innovative, elliptical screenplay structure used effectively to explore the disorienting nature of addiction.
  • Summary: Beyond the nominees, Final Destination Bloodlines was noted as a surprisingly fun theatrical experience that reinvigorated the franchise. Weapons was highlighted as the most interesting film from a screenwriting perspective of the year, using its structure to mirror the disorientation of addiction, similar to how Memento used editing to explore memory.
Final Thoughts on Nominees
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(00:56:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Lizzie views One Battle After Another as a great theatrical experience that diminishes upon home rewatch, contrasting with her higher regard for Sinners as an art piece.
  • Summary: Lizzie stated that One Battle After Another was enjoyable in theaters but did not hold up as well during a home rewatch. She believes it deserves its nomination but does not consider it the best picture of the year, though she predicts it will win. If forced to choose between the two, she would select Sinners based on its success as an overall art piece.
Best Picture Winner Prediction
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(00:57:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts do not see a clear standout for Best Picture this year, but Lizzie feels One Battle After Another is what will ultimately win despite her preference for Sinners.
  • Summary: Lizzie expressed that Sinners is in her top tier of films she would be happy to see win, but she does not believe there is a clear Best Picture winner this year. She anticipates One Battle After Another will win due to momentum, even though she ranks it outside her personal top tier.
Shout-outs to Creative Teams
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(00:59:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Specific technical achievements for Sinners included cinematography by Autumn Durald Arcapa and music composition by Ludwig Gorinson, while One Battle After Another was lauded for Jonny Greenwood’s music and editing by Andy Jugensen.
  • Summary: For Sinners, special recognition was given to Autumn Durald Arcapa’s cinematography and Ludwig Gorinson’s music, particularly noting its use of diegetic and non-diegetic elements. One Battle After Another received praise for Jonny Greenwood’s music, Michael Bauman’s cinematography, and exceptional editing by Andy Jugensen.
Upcoming Subscriber Content
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(01:01:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Future Oscar coverage, including analyses of Hamnet and Begonia, will transition exclusively to paid subscribers via Apple/Spotify or Patreon starting in two weeks.
  • Summary: The hosts announced that all subsequent episodes covering the remaining Best Picture nominees will be for subscribers only. Listeners can subscribe via Apple or Spotify or join the Patreon for $5 monthly to access all bonus content, including a special review of Emerald Finnel’s Wuthering Heights.