2018 was a year filled with some of the best movies with some of the best actors in Hollywood. With the 91st Academy Awards finally here, airing on Sunday, Feb. 24, it’s up to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to decide who really is the best in the industry.

Best Picture: Two of the movies that critics and audiences,raved about the most, also happen to be nominated for the Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. A Star is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, and Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Rami Malek, definitely earned their nominations, but of course, only one can take home the award. Personally, I’m a fan of movie musicals. A Star is Born was a great movie, but I don’t think there was enough of a transformation for the actors, even though Bradley Cooper claimed he couldn’t sing, but came out and starred in a movie about a singer. Rami Malek was one of these actors that made a huge transformation for his role as Freddy Mercury. He didn’t physically transform into Freddy Mercury, mainly because he already had a strong resemblance with him, but his own personality mirrored Mercury’s in this movie. Not only was Malek’s portrayal nearly perfect, but the covers of the songs made famous by Queen were also almost spot on, so I think Bohemian Rhapsody is the movie that will end up taking home the award.

Animated Feature: Some of the movies that were nominated in this category were movies that fans had been anticipating for years, like Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Even though these movies got plenty of hype before they hit theaters, these movies didn’t really live up to the hype. In no way were they poorly made movies, but many were expecting them to top the originals, and let’s be real, nothing can top the original Incredibles. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was quite the opposite. When the news of this movie was first announced not many people, including myself, were confident in its success. Once it came out, though, we were all proved wrong. Not only was the plot of the movie amazing, but the visual effects were flawless. The animations perfectly resembled a comic book, and made the audience feel as if they were actually in it. Although the movies nominated were very good, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the movie that should win.

Lead Actor: The fight for who will take home the Oscar for Lead Actor is going to be a tough one. Both Christian Bale, Vice, and Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody, went through some pretty impressive transformations for their particular movies. Bale, who portrayed George W. Bush’s right-hand man, Dick Cheney, went through a serious transformation for this movie, making him almost unrecognizable. Bale’s specific transformation, though, was primarily because of the wonders worked by the makeup artist for Vice, Greg Cannom. Bale’s makeup was one of the things that really made this character, but his portrayal of Cheney was what truly made it work. Bale is one of those actors that can, somehow, play any role that will get handed to him, and he doesn’t just try it and see if it turns out okay, he does a pretty great job. He just understood this character and what was trying to be done with the movie, so he definitely deserves the Oscar. The problem is that there is still Malek who played rockstar,Freddy Mercury. Similar to Bale, Malek also went through a drastic transformation for his role. What made Malek’s so special isn’t the famous Mercury mustache and bucked teeth, it was the Mercury persona that made this movie work. Malek was just made to play this character. He completely understood what Mercury was really like, and how he should be shown on screen. Since both of these actors were impressive in their roles, it’s hard to say who should, and will take home the award, but personally, I think Malek is the most deserving of it.

Lead Actress: For me, the actress that should take home the Oscar for Lead Actress is a no-brainer. Lady Gaga, A Star is Born, isn’t someone many people recognize from the screen, but from her music and wild outfits. Seeing her in this movie without an insane outfit on was almost refreshing. This role perfectly allowed her to still showcase her amazing musical talent, but it also proved that she is capable of much more than just singing. Of course the other women nominated for Lead Actress were phenomenal in their roles, like Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but Lady Gaga’s transition from popstar to actress just made her the most deserving of this award.