Paul: CODA is a landmark in awards winning and will pave the way for much diversity at the Oscars. Nice to see a crowdpleaser win for a change. The music choices and the performances were great.

Irene: The Academy Awarding Films That Aren't Actually Good So They Can Tote How Diverse They Are, Example #4283232

Kyle: I laughed. The Power of the Dog deserved this out of the ten nominees. Justice for Passing!

John: While CODA was not in my personal top five of the Best Picture nominees, it does capture a warm and bland heartwarming story that’ll put a smile on your face. It’s inoffensive and I can see why that’s valued in 2022. CODA has great highlights, Troy Kotsur was my personal pick for Best Supporting Actor and his castmates, Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant, soared with him. CODA thrived when the focus came back to its supporting cast and it did make for a historic night.

Cole: CODA winning Best Picture falls in line with wins such as The King’s Speech, The Artist, and The English Patient - perfectly fine, forgettable films suddenly burdened with the weight of carrying the Best Picture crown when they cannot achieve that. Fans may point to it as a win for representation and change in the industry, but as time has proven, an Oscar win for a member of a marginalized community has done almost nothing for their Hollywood status in the long run. CODA, a winner chosen with the same logic that Spider-Man fans used which was widely mocked at the beginning of awards season, will likely suffer the same fate: to be nothing more than the answer to a question on trivia nights. In a year with nominees such as The Power of the Dog, Dune, Drive My Car, and West Side Story, this win may appear even more bewildering to future film students down the road.

Engwari: Dune was the clear standout to me on a technical, cinematic, and acting level.