Could ‘Sinners’ Shock the World on Oscar Night?

This year’s Oscar race for Best Picture was over before it began.

Or is it?

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” had everything necessary to win the big prize on Oscar night.

• An A-list director beloved by critics
• Rave reviews from said critics
• An A-lister synonymous with awards season (Leonardo DiCaprio)
• A story ripped from the Left’s current fever dreams (ICE Out, Bleep ICE)

Done and done.

There’s suddenly some doubt in Tinsel Town about “OBAA’s” inevitability, or at least a sliver of it.

For starters, “OBAA” has been in the lead from the jump. Sometimes awards season momentum can stall. It doesn’t make sense, but what about this season does?

It’s like a political campaign. Millions are spent to change hearts and minds, and the nominated artists weigh their words carefully in media interviews.

Secondly, “Sinners” has picked up a few important wins, including the recent Actor Award for best movie cast. That honor suggests it might be building some momentum on its own.

Plus, the film did score a whopping 16 Oscar nominations, the most in film history. Can it really exit, stage Left, when the night’s biggest prize is handed out?

Kevin Feige says ‘SINNERS’ should win Best Picture at the Oscars.

“The Academy doesn’t always, in my opinion, recognize the movies that are most relevant for audiences today. But, boy, did they hit it with this one.”

(Source: https://t.co/uG4fQWgW6D) pic.twitter.com/mpgF1Xdha2

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 10, 2026

Of course it should. https://t.co/s68S5JI6Xc

— Sasha Stone at Awards Daily (@AwardsDaily) March 4, 2026

There’s an X factor in play, one nobody saw coming. Late last month, a Tourette syndrome sufferer said the n-word just as “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage at Britain’s BAFTA ceremony.

The timing was awful. The historic precedent behind the word? Just as tragic. And, of course, the person who uttered it wished he had said anything other than that sour, six-letter slur.

The reaction has yet to die down, even though the person who said the revolting word literally couldn’t help himself. His condition made him do it.

Period.

That hasn’t stopped the film community or the Legacy Media from turning the unfortunate moment into a near-daily story. Multiple apologies weren’t enough.

The person who said the word, a deeply regretful John Davidson, couldn’t contain the fallout.

Could that change the very nature of the Best Picture race? Might that incident influence enough voters to mark down “Sinners” and not “OBAA?”

The Guardian article arguing on “Sinners'” behalf describes in detail how the film captures core elements of the black experience. “OBAA” only glancingly does so.

Will that be a difference maker for an industry known for its virtue signaling?

We’ll find out on March 15 when the golden statuettes are handed out.