On Sunday, April 25, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences hands out golden statues to the best in film. Movies like Nomadland, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Mank have finished jockeying for their trip to the podium. Directors like Chloe Zhao, David Fincher, and Lee Isaac Chung have their Oscar speeches ready. Check out our final Academy Award article for the year, the one where we hand out picks for Best Director and Best Picture. Let’s get right to it so you can make your bets against their Academy Award odds.
Entertainment Betting News | Director & Best Film Picks Update
2021 Academy Awards
- When: April 25, 2021
- Where: Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Best Director
- Chloe Zhao – Nomadland -2500
- David Fincher – Mank +1000
- Lee Isaac Chung – Minari +700
- Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman +1800
- Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round +2800
The odds suggest Zhao is a lock. We don’t often back chalk, but Zhao deserves the Oscar. She’s one of the best directors on the planet and has created one of the most important movies in the past decade. But even though Zhao should win, and probably will win, buzz has built around a couple of other contenders.
Lee Isaac Chung created a simple movie about what’s like to not only be an immigrant in the United States, but an under-the-radar immigrant. For most of its history, the U.S. has turned an eye away from its Asian-immigrant population. If the Academy is as woke as they say they are, Chung could grab the award.
Our underdog pick is Emerald Fennell. Before writing further, we want to give a shout out to Regina King, who got snubbed for Thomas Vinterberg.
Vinterberg does great work, but Another Round feels tone deaf compared to King’s One Night in Miami. So Regina should be in the running on Sunday. She isn’t.
Back to Fennell, Promising Young Woman is a great movie. Also, buzz has built around Carey Mulligan’s performance as well as the film. Fennell could grab some of the vote that may have gone to King. She can steal some of Zhao’s vote, which makes Emerald Fennell an underdog offering overlay odds.
Oscar Pick: Lee Isaac Chung
Oscar Underdog Pick: Emerald Fennell
Best Picture
- Nomadland -750
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 +800
- Minari +450
- Promising Young Woman +900
- Mank +2200
- Judas and the Black Messiah +1600
- Sound of Metal +6500
- The Father +6500
Nomadland has won almost every important best movie award out there. However, the film that grabs the most pre-Oscar awards doesn’t always get the golden boy.
Nomadland may not win because it’s about people living in the United States that we’re guessing Academy voters don’t care about all that much. So even though Nomadland should win, don’t be surprised if there’s an upset.
Minari is the hot movie. The odds on the small film about an immigrant Korean family moving to South Carolina has gotten the most buzz. Could it pull off the upset? Yep. It could big time. We’re making Chung’s film the top pick to win Best Picture.
The underdog money goes to Mank. We didn’t think it had a shot but then the Academy gave it the most nominations. It’s also a movie about movies and those have won more than their fair share of golden statues.
Oscar Pick: Minari
Oscar Underdog Pick: Mank
