The 2026 Oscar Nominations and What Should Have Been Picked

Wes Anderson (“The Phoenician Scheme”)

Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”)

Kleber Mendonça Filho (“The Secret Agent”)

Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”)

The best movie of the year is, by definition, the one that’s directed the best. Last year, I argued for separating the honors of best picture and best director to celebrate more films and filmmakers. This idea finds some support in the standard practice of crediting directors and screenwriters separately. However, this year, many of my favorite films are the work of hyphenates—directors who also wrote, or co-wrote, the scripts—making it challenging to isolate the art of directing.

Ryan Coogler, as the creator of “Sinners,” is arguably the year’s best director. “The Mastermind,” though, represents a different approach. It’s intimately scaled, even during action sequences, relies little on digital effects, and favors long takes in confined spaces. Throughout, director Kelly Reichardt transforms scenes often filmed neutrally—simply recording scripted action—into finely calibrated and complex interactions, even when featuring a single character on a ladder or handling a box of paintings. She embodies the idea of directing as a transformative art.