We’re looking at each individual category for the Oscars and what our thoughts are going into the final stretch. We’ve adjusted our thoughts based on the precursor associated with this category, Directors Guild of America. Below are our predictions in Best Directing.

Best Directing

Winner Predictions

• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (WL) (PP) (TL)
• Ryan Coogler – Sinners
• Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
• Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
• Chloë Zhao – Hamnet

Runner-Up Predictions

• Ryan Coogler – Sinners (WL) (PP) (TL)

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Wesley Lovell: With both the DGA (the single best precursor in existence) and BAFTA going with Paul Thomas Anderson, it seems a safe bet that the Academy will too.
Pete Patrick: Rarely does Oscar vote against the DGA winner. This won’t be one of those years in which they do. Paul Thomas Anderson will win this easily.
Thomas La Tourrette: With wins from the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and the Directors Guild, Paul Thomas Anderson will easily win the Oscar for directing One Battle After Another. Having won nothing on his first 11 nominations, he is viewed as overdue for an Oscar and looks to probably take three home on the 15th. This is probably his most secure win. A lot of people loved the film, but I just did not find the humor in it and found parts to be tedious. He does elicit good performances from his actors, but I just do not think this is the film he should win for. There Will Be Blood was easily his best work, but it has been decided that this is his year and nothing will stop him from winning. Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Chloe Zhao (Hamnet) or Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) would be better choices, but it is doubtful any of them will win. I did see that Variety now lists Coogler as the winner, so maybe there is a small backlash growing about OBAA, but that seems to be an outlier. They did say he got the loudest applause at the Academy luncheon, so maybe the race is not over yet, but it definitely feels like this goes to Paul Thomas Anderson.

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