2016 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Director

The Best Director Oscar is already in the bag. The group of five all have their directorial merits (though some of the nominations were surprising to me). The five movies represented are all worth seeing. But only one person is truly the standout to earn the golden statue.

That person is Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu. The man has blown onto the Hollywood scene with truly artistic takes on the craft of film. Alongside Emmanuel Lubezki, Innaritu is doing something original and interesting with the camera. The Revenant may not have the greatest story, but the film is an experience. It is visually superior and more innovative than Birdman, which earned Innaritu the Oscar a year ago. Because of this, no other director in this category stands a chance.

Update: No surprise here, but Innaritu’s win at the Directors Guild Award on Feb. 6 confirms the strong likelihood that he will take home Oscar gold two years in a row. This is still a category with upset potential, given the strange Producers Guild Award outcome and Spotlight‘s continued critical support throughout awards season. Inarritu also won for his direction in The Revenant at the BAFTAs on Feb. 14, and the film won for Best Picture. These are just additional nails in the coffin for the film’s chances at the Oscars on Feb. 28.