2023 Oscar Nominations Reactions

This morning (Jan. 24) Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed and M3GAN star Allison Williams revealed the nominees for the 95th Academy Awards. Everything All At Once leads all films with 11 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (The Daniels), and Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh). The Banshees of Inisherin and All Quiet on the Western Front earned 9 nods each, while beloved blockbusters such as The Woman King and Nope were snubbed across the board.

In commemoration of the Oscar Nominations Announcement Day, here are some gut reactions, race breakdowns, and early predictions for nearly every category.

*Everything Everywhere All At Once* (A24)

BEST PICTURE

A shockingly solid lineup of nominees, with some questionable snubs (even if their chances were slimmer than expected, Nope and The Woman King not receiving a single nod is tragic). As for the race itself, this is a three-dog fight between EEAAO, Banshees, and The Fabelmans. I would normally lean towards predicting the Spielberg picture to win, but the sustained groundswell of love for EEAAO looks to place it as the undisputed champion in the same way Moonlight and Parasite soared to victory. — Cole

Johnny is rooting for Top Gun: Maverick, all day every day we don’t stop! — Johnny

Did anybody see All Quiet On The Western Front? Anybody at all? Didn’t think so. Elvis and Avatar: The Way of Water were nominated for Best Picture despite neither Baz Luhrmann nor James Cameron receiving a nomination for Best Director. In the evergreen words of Joe Spinell, “You cannot have the best picture unless the director is also nominated- who made the picture? Somebody’s mother?” The Banshees of Inisherin’s nomination makes sense. Top Gun: Maverick was nominated so there wouldn’t be a second insurrection. Women Talking was nominated to prove the Academy isn’t sexist (and they’ll nominate and award abusers next year, just watch). Triangle of Sadness would’ve won Save The Cat. TÁR, EEAAO, and The Fablemans are all incredibly deserving of Best Picture (and I am personally rooting for these three), but I believe it might go to Avatar: The Way of Water — Irene

I haven’t seen All Quiet on the Western Front or Women Talking yet, but I’m sure they’re good. I enjoyed EEAAO, Elvis, Way of Water, The Fabelmans, and TÁR. I think Banshees is a good movie despite how robotic the script felt. Triangle of Sadness was one of my bigger disappointments last year, so I’m definitely just…okay with it being there. I’m happy if EEAAO, The Fabelmans, or TÁR win; anything but Triangle is great for me honestly. — Paul

This is one of the stronger Best Picture lineups in recent memory. The Woman King and Nope snubs were egregious, but I can’t help but appreciate how many large spectacles were nominated this year. Niche and esoteric nominations and wins will always be important and necessary, but sometimes it’s okay to recognize the craft in making something that just rocks the general public’s socks off. Everything Everywhere All At Once is clearly the best of these ten films and the frontrunner, but TÁR, The Banshees of Inisherin, and The Fabelmans all seem to be likely winners of the top prize as well. — Engwari

Elvis movie of the year!!! (really it's Nope and the snub is painful) — Keshaun

Nope was snubbed, and it’s really that simple. Outside of that egregious omission, I’m pretty fond of this lineup. I’m rooting for EEAAO, but I would love to see Banshees come out on top as well. — Kyle

I have no idea, I don’t watch movies. — Kara

BEST DIRECTOR (Irene)

This category left a lot of worthy directors in the dust. Jordan Peele gave us his most dynamic filmmaking yet with Nope, Gina Pince-Bythewood gave us an incredible period-action film with The Woman King, and Baz Luhrmann gave auteur in excess with Elvis. The first Avatar film scored nine Oscar nominations including Best Director, and its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water earned even more box office success and critical acclaim. Nonetheless, this was not enough to lift James Cameron into the Best Director category this year. Even with these snubs in mind, this category is still pretty solid. TÁR (Todd Field) threw us into the titular character's cold, calculating frame of mind. The Daniels delivered perfectly balanced maximalism with Everything Everywhere All At Once. Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans let us into his complicated, painful childhood and showed off his five-decade career with some of his best work yet. Despite all this, The Banshees of Inisherin gave us Colin Farrell, so it’s a tough call!

I predict that either Field (TÁR) or Spielberg (The Fabelmans) will win, although I would not be surprised (I’d be thrilled actually) if The Daniels end up taking home the gold.

BEST ACTOR (Cole)

In keeping with the apparent fresh new expansion of voices in the Academy, every Best Actor nominee this year is a first-timer! Following a flurry of major announcements during the voting process, Paul Mescal lands a nom for his turn as an emotionally fractured single father in Aftersun. He’s a long shot to win, but it’s great to see his performance honored and he’ll definitely be back for more in the future. Industry vet Bill Nighy snagged his first nom at the age of 73 for his role in Living, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Ikiru. Again, another long shot to win, but a first-time nomination for veterans who have been turning in excellent work for years is always lovely to see.

The race comes down to three: Austin Butler for Elvis, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, and Brendan Fraser for The Whale. Farrell and Butler have already won Golden Globes for their respective roles, and Fraser took home the Critic’s Choice Award. The race will be tight between the three of them, but in consideration of the Academy’s love of musician biopics, Austin Butler seems primed to win the big prize for his turn as the American music icon Elvis Presley. The Whale and Elvis both received crucial Best Makeup and Hairstyling nominations, which allowed Jessica Chastain to get the last laugh over fellow redhead Amy Adams last year when she won Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The tie-breaker here is Elvis has a Best Picture nomination, unlike The Whale. If Fraser or Farrell win, don’t be surprised, but Butler seems to lead the race.

BEST ACTRESS (Engwari)

Since the start of awards season, Best Actress has felt contained to two frontrunners, Cate Blanchett (TÁR) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once). These two actresses couldn’t have two more different performances and narratives for their campaigns. Where Blanchett was quiet, subtle, and reserved, Yeoh was comedic, physical, and brash. Both titans in their craft, Blanchett already has two Academy Awards to her name while this is Yeoh’s first nomination to date. It’s an uphill battle for Asian actors to get any recognition despite their tremendous skill. Furthermore, Yeoh’s historic nomination is a bittersweet reminder that actresses of color often have to wait decades to get the prestigious star vehicle roles that their white counterparts basically get on command. Make no mistake, if Michelle Yeoh wins the Oscar this will not be some type of “make up” or “career” award. She was spellbinding in EEAAO, and she’s just as deserving as anyone else.

While we celebrate Yeoh’s accomplishments, we look at the other three curious nominations. Ana de Armas somehow got a nomination for her performance in Blonde, the critically-panned Marilyn Monroe biopic, and Michelle Williams earned her fifth nomination for her work in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. But it’s the nomination for Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie that left many of us befuddled this morning. She received very little attention from critics, festivals, or other award bodies until last month when several actors conducted a viral campaign advocating for her nomination. The campaign itself was odd, but the fact that it worked was even odder. Sure Riseborough is probably great in To Leslie, but it feels a little like a slap in the face seeing a white woman easily score an Academy Award off of some light social media lobbying while Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) were racking up serious accolades at all the major and minor precursors. Time and time again, the Academy Awards show they have no interest in seeing Black women win Best Actress. Halle Berry (2002) remains the only Black woman to triumph in this category. This isn’t a new observation, but it’s frustrating that we have this conversation every year.

*Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* (Marvel)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Cole)

Best Supporting Actor, out of all the acting races, might be the easiest one to call. First, a round of applause for the four runner-ups. Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) has finally been recognized by The Academy after burning up cinema screens in If Beale Street Could Talk and Widows! This was my favorite surprise of the morning. Judd Hirsch, one of the few former nominees in an acting category this year, received a nod for his scene-stealing turn in The Fabelmans, where he lays out the heart and theme of the film in one highly memorable scene. The Banshees of Inisherin struck double gold with both Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan scoring nominations, giving the film a quartet of acting nods.

The winner? Ke Huy Quan, who’s swept every ceremony so far for his flawless turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once as a deeply loyal, multiverse-traveling husband. After being locked out of Hollywood opportunities to act for decades following his childhood star-making roles in The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he seems poised to continue his awards season sweep (including wins at the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards) all the way to the finish line.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Keshaun)

Another year, another Oscar race built on legacies. Who's shocked!? If we're being honest with ourselves, Hong Chau (The Whale), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once) only have outside shots at winning. This is a battle between two icons. Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) scores her first-ever Oscar nomination for playing with her food as everyone else around her went on an emotional journey through the multiverse, while Angela Bassett has received her second career nomination — and first in 30 years — for her work in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer. These women have legacies that stretch decades, and that's what this award will come down to. It’s not about how well they acted, but about how beloved they are. Nonetheless, there is the slightest chance they will cancel each other out, leaving room for an upset from one of the other three actresses. What I see happening instead is Jamie Lee Curtis and EEAAO co-star Stephanie Hsu splitting the vote, giving Angela Bassett an easy path to the Oscar that she should have already had.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (KYLE)

I’ve often found Original Score to be one of the most underrated Oscar races. This year’s nominees — Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front), Justin Hurwitz (Babylon), Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Son Lux (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and John Williams (The Fabelmans) — all come from films that received multiple nods across the playing field. Hurwitz is the only composer competing with a score for a film without a Best Picture nod, but with a recent Golden Globe win and a previous Oscar triumph for La La Land back in 2016, I feel comfortable saying that he has a solid shot at taking this home. Personally, I loved the dark whimsy of Burwell’s Banshees score; he’s my pick to take home the gold.

Son Lux is the sole first-time nominee in this lineup and the recognition for his idiosyncratic genre-blending EEAAO score. As for the other nominees, there were no shocks or surprises in this category if you’ve been keeping an eye on the precursors. However, I think Ludwig Göransson was snubbed for his work on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever score, which I think is even stronger than the score for the first Black Panther film — and he won the Oscar for that one! I was also disappointed to see both Hildur Guðnadóttir (Women Talking), a former victor in this category, and Alexandre Desplat (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), an eleven-time nominee and two-time winner, omitted from the Final 5.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG (Kyle)

Heading into the nominations announcement, Best Original Song looked like it was going to be a battle of the pop stars. With tracks from Lady Gaga (“Hold My Hand,” Top Gun: Maverick), Selena Gomez (“My Mind & Me,” Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me), Billie Eilish & FINNEAS (“Nobody Like U,” Turning Red), and Rihanna (“Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) in contention, all eyes were on this race. In the end, only Gaga and Rihanna made it to the final lineup. Gaga picks up her third nomination in this category (she won back in 2018 for “Shallow”), and Rihanna (alongside Tems, Ryan Coogler & Ludwig Göransson) earns her first nod in this category. Personally, I’m still kinda lukewarm on “Lift Me Up.” Although I’m happy for everyone involved, I still think “Alone” (Burna Boy) and “Coming Back For You” (Fireboy DML) were stronger songs with more intriguing narrative tie-ins.

The other nominees in this category are frontrunner “Naatu Naatu” (RRR), the Mitski and David Byrne-penned “This Is A Life” (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and “Applause” (Tell It Like A Woman) from perennial Oscar loser Dianne Warren. In terms of snubs, I know some people were expecting to see “Ciao Papa” (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) pop up here, but, alas, the song missed out. For me, the most upsetting omission was “Stand Up” (Till). Jazmine Sullivan and D’Mile, who won this category alongside H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah two years ago, crafted a gorgeous closing song for an incredibly moving film. It seems that the Academy didn’t care for Till, but these are the same people that gave Green Book Best Picture and Bohemian Rhapsody Best Editing, so clearly they don’t always know what they’re talking about.

*All Quiet On The Western Front* (Amusement Park / Netflix)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (IRENE)

It is sad — and a testament to the Academy’s tendencies — how elated I am at the screenplays chosen this year. After the painful mediocrity that was last year’s nominees and eventual winner (Belfast? Seriously?), this year’s nominees are mostly really good. However, the Academy wouldn’t be the Academy without nominating something thoroughly basic, and this year Triangle of Sadness takes that slot. I’ve had my fill of weak attempts at class critiques, haven’t you? Lord of The Flies with adults and social media influencers… sounds like the screenplay of a first-year film student. If this were an overall weaker year, Triangle of Sadness would’ve taken the award home. Thank God some real writing titans came out to play.

2022 saw the return of Todd Field, who released his first film in fifteen years with TÁR. With The Fablemans, Spielberg has given us his most personal screenplay yet, another hit collaboration with Tony Kushner — this is actually Spielberg’s first Oscar nomination ever in the screenplay category. The Banshees of Inisherin, after winning the Venice Film Festival Golden Osella for Best Screenplay and nabbing a BAFTA screenplay nomination, was an obvious shoo-in for this category. Everything Everywhere All At Once’s nomination was such a delightful surprise, as it is easily one of the most creative and original screenplays of the year — and we know how the Academy treats originality.

The past year in film also delivered Jordan Peele’s best film and screenplay thus far with Nope, but it was shunned in every category for which it was eligible. Honestly, it’s difficult to say who will take this Oscar home, it’s a refreshingly stacked category. Although I would be happy to see any of the four (yes, four!) win, I predict that either The Fabelmans or The Banshees of Inirishmen are most likely to win Best Screenplay.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (Cole)

This category is a tough beast to predict, especially with most of the year’s acclaimed screenplays falling into the Original category. The pickings were slim (I mean, Top Gun: Maverick? Glass Onion? Really?) but with The Whale missing out here, this category feels primed for Women Talking to win, especially since its only other nomination came in the form of Best Picture. Don’t count out All Quiet on the Western Front to surprise though, the Academy loves this story. The original version from 1930 was nominated for its screenplay way back when this category was called Best Writing.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (Engwari)

It’s been an interesting year for animation. Perennial favorites for the Best Animated Feature category, Walt Disney Studios, really faltered this year. Just like in 2021, Disney and Pixar released three films, but they couldn’t match the roaring success that Encanto gave them. They started off with their strongest film, Turning Red, in March. While the film got rave reviews and strong viewership on Disney+, it was marred by the controversial decision to have yet another Pixar film skip a theatrical release. On another front, Turning Red received (ridiculous) backlash over its refreshing and frank discussions on female menstruation and puberty. At times, it felt like the discourse hampered the film, but it prevailed much better than the studios’ next two films.

Pixar’s first theatrical release in nearly three years, Lightyear, hit the market with a resounding thud in the summer. A confusing premise (it’s about the man that the toy Buzz Lightyear is based on in the Toy Story films???) and lackluster reviews couldn’t save this film from being a box office disappointment. Not the grand return anyone was hoping for. And then there was Strange World. Disney’s usual Thanksgiving slot should’ve been a guaranteed smash hit as usual, but this family-centric pulp sci-fi adventure performed disastrously at the box office and earned middling reviews. Many wondered what was to blame. Bad marketing? Weak script? The addition of an out-gay lead character? No one’s quite sure, but it didn’t surprise anyone that Lightyear and Strange World weren’t nominated come Oscar morning.

There wasn’t much movement on the international either. Independent animation distributor GKids couldn’t garner much momentum for their best-reviewed film of the year, Inu-Oh. With thirteen Oscar nominations for the company, they’re usual favorites for the one token indie spot in this category, but that seems to have been given to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On this year.

The actual nominated films couldn’t be more different from each other. Indie darling distributor A24 had Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, a charming and strange stop-motion film that gained steam through the festival circuit. Netflix had an unexpected success with The Sea Beast, a swashbuckling high-seas adventure that took the summer by storm. Dreamworks Animation surprised everyone with a new stylized look for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and finally, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio delivered a unique take on an old tale that had critics raving.

Conventional wisdom would tell you to not bet against the Mouse House. They’ve won 9 out of the last 10 years, but this year feels different. Pinocchio is made by two-time Oscar winner del Toro, one of those wins being for Best Picture. We may finally see the streak broken. Not only would it be groundbreaking to see such a different type of animated film rewarded, but it would also be the first stop-motion film to win the prize since Wallace & Gromit in 2005.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM (Paul)

Best International Feature Film has been a wild category for years, so, of course, many things were anticipated to land in the final line-up. Decision to Leave and RRR being snubbed is definitely shocking and just not at all what I expected. They did pretty well throughout awards season, and RRR scored a Best Original Song nod, but alas. Saint Omer was another one of my favorites from the shortlist and should be the most-awarded film, in my opinion.

Argentina, 1995 is a courtroom drama about a team of lawyers taking down a dictatorship which sounds relatively interesting. I’ve heard it’s good. EO got in and I don’t know much about it other than it stars a donkey, and at some point, Isabelle Huppert shows up. I’ve also heard that this one is good, and whenever I watch it, I’ll decide if it’s Oscar material. Close is a movie about a friendship between two male kids that constantly has its closeness questioned. I’m intrigued to see how the film delves into that, and I’m excited to see it. The Quiet Girl is a mystery to me, but it’s about a girl who is sent away to a house with some kind of secret. All Quiet on the Western Front tied for the second-most nominations for any film by the end of the nominations announcement this morning. It’s a remake of an older war movie from the German side of things and might get a few wins. I’m pretty sure it’s winning this award, but who knows, it’s the Oscars!

*Avatar: The Way of Water* (Lightstorm / TSG)

BEST FILM EDITING & SOUND DESIGN (Johnny)

Editing and Sound at the Oscars are nominations that, more often than not, go hand in hand. It’s interesting that this year the Academy went for a bigger shake-up than what we usually see across the board. This year these two categories only have two films that overlap, Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis. The nominees in Sound Design are All Quiet On The Western Front, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, The Batman, and Avatar: The Way of Water. The nominations in Editing are Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, The Banshees of Inisherin, TÁR, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

If we go with tradition then if either Elvis or Maverick wins one, then they’ll win the other. But if we look at the nominees as they are, then I would say that both Avatar and The Batman are strong contenders, but the Sound Design award would most likely go to Maverick or All Quiet on the Western Front. I am personally rooting for Maverick. Here, we’ll start to see stories popping up again in an effort to campaign for a win. In terms of its sound design, Maverick was exceptional. I’ll take it a step further and give it the award for Editing as well. Maverick had 800 hours of footage to piece together to create that movie! A lot of the scenes involved masterfully and painstakingly cutting takes together to showcase the jets flying through the air.

However, we do have another main contender in Everything Everywhere All At Once. While Twitter won’t stop gushing over the scene of Evelyn experiencing the multiverse in its entirety, the whole film is an experience that finds its anchor in the editing booth, regardless of its admittedly cheap VFX. Between the power behind this film and the quality of the end product, I wouldn’t be surprised, nor would I be upset, if it won. Nonetheless, the surplus of nominations for Banshees, All Quiet, and Elvis along with Best Picture noms for all five movies that I’ve talked about (including Avatar) make it an exciting race. If TÁR had more of a narrative behind it, then I could see a win here, but not right now. The Batman winning is very unlikely in my opinion. Right now, my bets are on Maverick for Sound and either Maverick or Everything Everywhere All at Once for Editing.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Cole)

With Top Gun: Maverick, the predicted winner and primary victor of the precursors, completely shut out here, the race is wide open. It’s astonishing that Avatar: The Way of Water couldn’t make it in here either. When in doubt, go with the war picture, which means All Quiet on the Western Front is likely to triumph here. If there’s an upset, it’ll be in the form of Elvis and its kaleidoscopic camerawork.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (Engwari)

In a time when all visual effects workers are fighting for better pay, hours, and treatment in Hollywood, I don’t think anyone can blame VFX teams when their work comes out in varying quality. The five nominees this year were a good representation of this year's blockbusters. While many decried the exclusion of Everything Everywhere All At Once when the Oscar shortlist was announced last month, you can’t argue that Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun Maverick, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Batman and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever weren’t deserving.

There’s no real contention that the true triumph of special effects this year was Avatar: Way of Water. There were many doubters in the 13 years since we last took a trip to Pandora. Could James Cameron’s billion-dollar gamble actually pay off for a second time? Would anyone care about the story this past the visuals? Well as of this writing, Way of Water has hit $2 billion at the worldwide box office and earned rave reviews from critics. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful movies of the year, the hyper-realistic alien Na’vi and underwater bioluminescent worlds of Pandora were simply jaw-dropping to witness in theaters, nothing else truly compares, and audiences and critics agreed alike. Nonetheless, the groundbreaking use of LED screens in The Batman deserves some acknowledgment as well, and it will be exciting to see more blockbusters use this new technology in the future.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (IRENE)

The nominees in this category are relatively solid at best and, given certain global political events this past year, predictable at worst. All That Breathes focuses on environmentalism and poverty as two brothers try to save thousands of black kite birds in polluted New Delhi. Fire of Love focuses on married scientists trying to understand and spread knowledge about one of the most powerful phenomena on Earth: volcanic eruptions. Despite not being traditional nature documentaries, these two films feature powerful nature cinematography. These films discuss humanity’s relationship with the Earth and preach the power of love. Also nominated are two documentaries related to Russia: A House Made of Splinters, a doc about an orphanage/halfway house in Eastern Ukraine struggling to keep children safe from the invasion, and Navalny, a doc about the life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the aftermath of the murder attempt on his life. Also nominated is All The Beauty and All The Bloodshed, which explores artist Nan Goldin’s protests of famous art museums that accept donations from the Sackler family — the family responsible for the Opioid Epidemic. It is a heartbreakingly painful truth about how art is uplifted while artists are disregarded. Considering current events and the reaction of the wealthy and famous regarding the Russian-Ukrainian War, Navalny and A House Made of Splinters are the most likely to take home the gold.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN (Kara)

We all know how the Costume Design category works — they give it to period films, even when it’s undeserved (Little Women’s costume win in 2019 is proof enough). With three period films nominated this year (Elvis, Babylon, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), it may feel inevitable that one of those will walk away with the stature. Nonetheless, The Woman King, a period film that was snubbed across the board, had better costumes than all three of those films. My predictions, therefore, do not reflect the usual bias towards period film but instead reflect the outcome of the 2019 Costume Design Oscar race. That year, Black Panther prevailed over not just one, but four different period films (The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, The Ballad of Buster Scrubs, and Mary Poppins). Everything Everywhere All At Once, the only other non-period film nominated, is the only real competition Wakanda Forever has in this category.

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING (Cole)

Following the acting wins of Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), among others, Elvis seems primed to win here for transforming Austin Butler into the titular superstar and for turning Tom Hanks into Batman’s nemesis the Penguin — I mean the Colonel. If the race breaks the other way and goes to The Whale… get ready for Fraser to upset in Best Actor.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN (Cole)

Hollywood loves Hollywood and recreating time periods, so expect either Babylon or Elvis to triumph here. If there’s a surprise, it’ll come from Avatar: The Way of Water, which has picked up some precursors this season. It also doesn’t hurt that the first Avatar film won this category back in 2009.

Kara Quirk is a historical fashion expert, costume critic, and writer.

Irene is a screenwriter, essayist, and poet hailing from New Jersey, but try not to hold that against her. Her Substack, which she is embarrassingly proud of (though she swears she has more credentials than just that), can be followed here.

Connect with Johnny on Substack.

Cole is a Los Angeles-based podcaster and film aficionado. You can tune in to the First Watch podcast here, and follow him on Letterboxd.

Keshaun is a writer, who never updates his newsletter, and wastes all his best ideas on Twitter threads. you can find him on his Twitter and his substack.

Connect with Engwari on Substack.

Connect with Paul on Twitter.