It’s almost here, folks. The 88th Academy Awards will take place this coming Sunday, February 28th, and as of 5pm PST yesterday, final ballots for voting members of the Academy have been submitted. After months of many, many ups and downs, the campaigning and positioning and cajoling has come to a close, but the night’s biggest category remains one of its most unpredictable.

While I’ll have an extensive rundown of each category later this week in the form of my final predictions, we wanted to first open the floor up to our readers to weigh in on the Best Picture race. The Academy is made up of a select group of industry veterans and filmmakers, but what does the average moviegoer think is the most deserving film of the top trophy? Today, you get a vote!

Is it the gorgeous survival tale The Revenant? The understated but impeccably crafted Spotlight? What about Adam McKay’s hilarious, searing The Big Short? Or the intense character drama Room? Or maybe it’s Steven Spielberg’s masterful Bridge of Spies, quite possibly the most underrated nominee of the year? Perhaps you’d vote with your heart, going for the deeply emotional Brooklyn? Or maybe it’s the thrills of a flashy and fun blockbuster in The Martian? Or, lastly, the insanity and bombast of Mad Max: Fury Road?


This really is one of the most agreeable Best Picture lineups in recent memory. While some films are clearly better than others, there’s not a ho-hum Theory of Everything or Philomena-esque nominee, or a baffling Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close here. Which makes choosing which movie should win all the more difficult.

So I open the floor to you, fine readers. Which Best Picture nominee is most deserving of Oscar’s top trophy? Sound off in the poll below.