Academy Awards: Clear Odds Favourites in Major Four Categories

The Oscars are not for another month yet, but the odds have been published for the prestigious award, meaning we can thus look at the favourites in the main categories.

Oscars - Best Picture Odds

The biggest prize of the ceremony is, without a doubt, the 'Best Picture' award. Since 1929, films have vyed for the honour of being the best film of the year, and with the award being last on the show typically, there is a lot of buildup for it. Last year, the award was won by Oppenheimer.

Here though, we're putting it first in our running order.

The odds have been released and there is a clear favourite currently: The Brutalist. Cineworld describes the film as 'Oscar-buzzed' which shows the level of picture we are discussing here, and the top film review sites see the film rated at around 90%, if not higher.

Set after the war, the film follows a European immigrant who travels to America in search of bettering his life. Eventually, he settles and his talents are recognised by an industrialist.

There is a short distance to the second favourite for the awards, and this is to 3/1 for Emilia Perez. Compared to the favourite, Emilia Perez's ratings are quite all over the place with some raving about the film whilst other struggling to see the hype.

The film follows four women in Mexico 'pursuing their own happiness', as stated by IMDb. A 'daring and distinct blend of musical, crime, and comedy, delving into themes of identity, redemption, and societal transformation', is the review from The Movie Blog, it is understandable why it is in the mix for the best picture.

Anora and Conclave also feature below 10/1 in the market, however, other choices extend to 20/1 and higher after that.

Oscars - Best Actor Odds

The 'Best Actor' award is given for what it says on the tin, as Wikipedia states, the award is for an actor who has 'delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year'. Last year, the award was won by Cillian Murphy for his performance in Oppenheimer.

It should not come as a surprise to see that Adrien Brody has been listed as the favourite to win the award, given he is the star of the film The Brutalist. As already stated, the film is the favourite to win 'Best Picture'.

Brody has already won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor, and you can tell it is a role that meant a lot to the actor as he stated in an interview, relayed by Buzzfeed.

"What a role! I think any actor would just die to play a character like this. The complexity and nuance in the storytelling, I'm very grateful to be a part of it."

Timothee Chalamet is the second favourite to win the award for his role in the film A Complete Unknown - the film ranks in the top five to be named as Best Picture of the year.

The Guardian gives the film four stars, and this is largely down to Chalamet's star performance, critic Wendy Ide states that "he radiates insouciant charisma and channels the once-in-a-lifetime talent, he reveals next to nothing about [Bob] Dylan as a person. This is not necessarily a failure in Chalamet’s acting. Instead, it's a deliberate choice."

Many believe that Chalamet is destined for greatness, and if he were to claim the award here, it would be the first Oscar of his career.

Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) are also listed.

Oscars - Best Actress Odds

The 'Best Actress' award, again, is given for what it says on the tin. Wikipedia states the award is for an actress who has 'delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year'. Last year, the award was won by Emma Stone for her performance in Poor Things.

As it stands, Demi Moore is the favourite to win the award for her performance in 'The Substance'. Despite rising to stardom in the 1980s, the performance is her first nomination for an Oscar award.

It is rare that actresses win the award for their performances in Horror films, and Moore could become the seventh actress ever to achieve the feat, as Screen Rant states. Her performance has led to the film becoming a 'genuine award contender', and it would be a crowning moment for her career.

Mike Madison's performance in Anora has resulted in the 25-year-old being nominated for the award of best actress, and it seems there is not much between the duo, as their prices are quite close in the grand scheme of things.

Toisto states, "Mikey Madison is a revelation [in the role]. Her towering performance anchors the movie, and it's a fearless and honest act that makes the film. Ani feels real. She's chaotic, charming, unlikable, loving, harsh, and a dozen other things. Often all at once. Madison bravely holds nothing back."

Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here), Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez) and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) have also been nominated.

Oscars - Best Director Odds

There is a little difference when it comes to the 'Best Director' award, though it is normally done under the same parameters. As Wikipedia states, the award "is given in honour of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry". Last year, the award was won by Christopher Nolan for his film Oppenheimer.

It does not come as a shock to see that Brady Corbet is the favourite for this award, considering The Brutalist is a favourite in many of the award categories. The film has been taken well by critics and viewers alike, and there is a great chance of it being named as 'Best Picture'.

Wendy Ide, the Guardian's critic, rates the film at four stars, and states that 'It’s a huge, uncompromising cinematic statement about the creation of a huge, uncompromising architectural statement'. Whilst also admitting that 'Brady Corbet's audacious architecture drama is a monumental achievement'.

Sean Baker follows in second with Anora, once again, the film is in contention for several awards on the evening.

Anora is a 'propulsive, crowd-pleasing rollercoaster of an experience. It’s one of my favourite films to premiere at Cannes this year,' as David Chen writes for Decoding Everything with the critic even stating that 'He [Baker] is the poet laureate of the hustler class, the champion of people abandoned by society who are doing their damnedest to survive. With each of his films, he holds a magnifying glass to the sort of character rarely given the big-screen treatment, finding beauty in both their perseverance and their (often sizable) flaws'.

Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) are also nominated.