The 96th Academy Awards unfolded at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday night. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the awards ceremony was lit up by glittering red carpet entrances, anchored by emotional acceptance speeches and not without the odd surprise twist.

The big news story over the last year was the double feature for the meme-inducing Barbenheimer as Barbie and Oppenheimer, two of the biggest movies of the year, shared the same release date. Essentially on opposite sides of the movie spectrum, they were also headlined by two of the most discussed stars in Hollywood today, Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy. This talk-of-the-town sentiment was echoed on Oscar night as Oppenheimer pulled some of the night’s biggest awards from a pool of awards often described as the Big Five.

Best Director

Christopher Nolan was nominated for Best Director for his work on Dunkirk. A filmmaker who seems able to create commercially viable films of critically-acclaimed artistic merit, he’s pulled the rabbit out of the hat on numerous occassions, finally getting the coveted honour of an Oscar for his craft. His epic biopic, Oppenheimer, tells the story of the enigmatic atomic bomb architect J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Best Picture

The winner of Best Picture over the weekend, Oppenheimer impressed as a commercial and critical success. Having brought another powerful historical drama to the Academy Awards, the win underscores Nolan’s legendary filmmaker status, whose dark, immense and immersive visions have captivated audiences for decades now.

Best Actor

The Best Actor win for Cillian Murphy’s brilliant and thoughtful take on Oppenheimer is testament to his series of strong performances across film and television over the last decade. Able to showcase his talent and range as J. Robert Oppenheimer, this performance gave the understated Irish actor a full opportunity and enough screen time to truly shine.

Best Actress

One of the most talked about feature films of the year is Poor Things. One of Yorgos Lanthimos’s not-so-secret weapons in this unconventional period dramedy is Emma Stone. Winning Best Actress in a year where Lily Gladstone was tipped for the win after her remarkably graceful performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, Stone’s darkly comical take on an innocent in a adult’s body stole the show. Balancing on this tightrope, she managed to convey reckless abandon and delve into the sinister with a refreshing lightness of touch in a bold, fearless and challenging role.

Best Screenplay

Having wowed audiences throughout its extensive festival run, Anatomy of a Fall eventually won Best Original Screenplay for its well-balanced and see-sawing courtroom drama. A multi-lingual effort requiring the mastery of several languages and the nuance of this interplay, this complex yet elegantly woven script offers a taut, thought-provoking and haunting film.

Other Awards

Another strong performance in Oppenheimer managed to snatch Oscar gold on the night as well as a standing ovation for Robert Downey Jr. whose infectious performance style has entertained audiences across the spectrum. Playing a confidante to J. Robert Oppenheimer, this supporting performance was a clean break from what we’ve come to expect from the livewire talent. Pulling back for a more steady performance, he wowed everyone – following up his SAG award with an Academy award.

Then for the Best Supporting Actress award, it was Da’Vine Joy Randolph who’s won a number of awards this season already, who took home the golden statuette for her turn in The Holdovers. A full-range performance alongside Paul Giamatti, her emotional speech capped off a well-deserved win.

Taking home Best International Feature it was a good evening for Jonathan Glazer’s haunting and unconventional The Zone of Interest. Then, the heart-wrenching on-the-ground war documentary 20 Days in Mariupol landed Best Documentary.

Snubs and The Rub

In terms of snubs, one would have to look to Barbie, Maestro, Past Lives and Killers of the Flower Moon, four fine films with high hopes that didn’t deliver in the nominee selection and on award expectations on the night. While the evening itself was diverse, representation has plagued the Oscars in recent years and it became a talking point especially around the best actor and actress award nominees. While all awards shows are political by nature, this year’s ceremony wasn’t derailed by controvery and offered audiences a welcome night of celebration after a year with many fantastic films.