The 5 Movies Everyone Is Talking About After The 2026 Oscars
The 2026 Oscars have come and gone with big wins, a surprising tie that we haven't had in fourteen years, and some unfortunate snubs. Since every announcement, social media has been buzzing with both positive thoughts and negative comments, depending on how people wanted things to go, or whether the surprises make sense or not. It's the same pattern every year, and while people don't always remember every award or every category, they remember the movies that made the biggest impact during their respective year.
Here are the five movies people are currently buzzing about on social media, as well as where you can stream them on platforms like Prime Video and more, to join the conversation.
One Battle After Another conversations are a mixed bag because while people are rightfully thrilled about Paul Thomas Anderson finally winning for Best Director, the film winning Best Picture comes as a shock to most. At the same time, for various reasons, Sean Penn's win as Best Supporting Actor doesn't sit well with a lot of viewers, and the fact that he wasn't even present doesn't help the case.
Still, there's plenty to appreciate about the movie visually and in writing, even if it's probably one of the few on this list that a lot of viewers have voiced they couldn't get through. It's a niche movie in more ways than one, so conversations about it are likely going to get a lot more intense as the week passes and more people watch it to see if its win is earned or not.
Despite not sweeping as many of us hoped it would, Sinners still made history at the 2026 Oscars. With sixteen nominations, the cast and crew deservedly took home four, including Ryan Coogler for Original Screenplay, Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor, Ludwig Göransson for Best Original Score, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Best Cinematography, making her the first woman to ever win in the category.
The historic year the film has had is wholly indescribable. While some wins were expected, both Jordan and Arkapaw are so monumental and so meaningful that people on social media are emotional about them. (I am.) These deserved wins signal to Hollywood that original stories are not only needed, but they can be the exact thing we need to fix the industry. Sinners might not have won Best Picture, but it's undoubtedly the film of the year and perfect for anyone who loved the depth and emotional impact of Get Out (2017).
Hamnet wasn't an easy movie to watch, let alone discuss with nuance, and there were countless debates about its ending when it first released, but Jessie Buckley winning Best Actress has the film in a more positive light again. People are not only talking about how much they cried, but her heartfelt speech about mothers is exactly what makes it monumental and earned.
With every award season, there's something that'll frustrate people, even when they're happy, but personally, I can't remember the last time I adored a Best Actor and Best Actress duo the way I do Buckley and Jordan. Photos of them hugging backstage with big smiles on both their faces are something to appreciate, and countless posts celebrating them having 16.5k likes and counting say as much as well. The category hasn't been this perfect in a long time, so I'm glad Hamnet gets to shine because of Buckley.
From their brilliantly deserved Best Animated Feature win to the shining performance of "Golden," KPop Demon Hunters is back in the conversation, but did it even leave? Zootopia 2 (2025) might have surprised people with its take on an exceptional sequel, but at the end of the day, the joy that this animated musical brought into our lives is inimitable. It's a rare movie, and it's still thankfully hyped all over social media.
Like Sinners, its win is proof of the fact that people will continue to love and champion original stories because they matter more than anything else. They're what make this industry so special in trying times. Simultaneously, countless fans and critics alike are rightfully angry because speeches for the film were cut off by music when we'd much rather hear acceptance speeches than the skits prior. Maybe next year they'll do better with this because of how frustrated people are. It's especially irritating when the win is as significant as it is for KPop Demon Hunters.
Frankenstein could've also made history with a Best Picture win, but still, the Best Costumes, Hair and Makeup, as well as Production Design are tremendous achievements, allowing people to talk about all that the movie represented when it first aired. There were a lot of people also hoping that Jacob Elordi might surprise audiences by winning Best Supporting Actor, but unfortunately, that one didn't come to pass, which is also part of the online chatter.
Still, Frankenstein is the type of movie that deserved recognition at the Oscars, and it's still getting it even now. If it had won nothing, people would understandably be running to social media to complain about it getting snubbed because it's one of the best adapted screenplays of all time. And in truth, that's a category it was also snubbed in because few writers can take on a classic novel with as much nuance and depth as Guillermo del Toro did.
