The nominees for the 98th Oscars have been announced. The list is topped by "Sinners", "One Battle After Another" and "Frankenstein" — and those titles set the tone for this year’s film season. This is not just a tally of ballots: behind the nominations are shifts in the Academy’s tastes, market trends, and a chance for genre cinema to move out of the margins.
"The horror film 'Sinners' received a record 16 nominations, including the top categories"
— Reuters / UNN
Why the 'Sinners' record matters
The film, which combined social drama and supernatural elements, received 16 nominations — a historic high for the horror genre. It’s a signal: the Academy is ready to recognize not only classic art dramas but also projects that operate at the boundaries of genres and attract wide audiences. For the industry, this means greater attention to risky projects and potentially more funding for similar ideas.
Who else is leading
Paul Thomas Anderson’s "One Battle After Another" racked up 12 nominations, making a strong showing in technical categories — editing, cinematography. Leonardo DiCaprio is again among the acting favorites, which adds media weight to the film.
Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of "Frankenstein" drew the Academy’s attention for its visual style: nominations in production design, makeup and costumes, while Jacob Elordi stands out in a supporting role. This is an example of how traditional themes can receive new technological and aesthetic readings.
What this means for audiences and the industry
First, nominations turn films into cultural markers of the season: audience interest, theatrical runs, streaming rights — all of these shift noticeably after the nominees are announced. Second, for those working with content, this is another argument in favor of genre experimentation — when critical and academic recognition goes hand in hand with mass attention, the commercial appeal of such projects increases.
For Ukraine and the Ukrainian film community this trend has practical significance: international institutional attention to genre and visually ambitious cinema creates additional opportunities for co-productions, festival visibility and investment in bold projects. When the Academy recognizes nonstandard forms, space opens up for auteur cinema with regional color.
"The nominations show: if a genre film has a strong idea and high-quality execution, it can contend not only for technical awards but also for the main prizes"
— Film professionals and film industry analysts
Summary
Oscar 2026 looks like a year in which the Academy is rethinking the boundaries of "serious" cinema. The 'Sinners' record is not just a statistic but a potential turning point in attitudes toward genres. Next up are the Academy and the audience: whether the nominations will turn into awards and sustained attention will be decided by the season’s finale, but already today this gives grounds for cautious optimism and a reassessment of production and promotion strategies.
