The Bobby Bones Show: Movie Mike's Podcast

Episode: 2026 Oscar Predictions, Snubs & Surprises + Movie Review: Mercy + Trailer Park (Crime 101)

Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Movie Mike (Mike D)
Co-Host: Kelsey

Episode Overview

This special episode centers on Movie Mike and Kelsey's lively breakdown of the 2026 Oscar nominations, including in-depth predictions, passionate debates over snubs and surprises, and personal picks. The episode also features a spoiler-free review of “Mercy” starring Chris Pratt, and a deep dive into the new trailer for “Crime 101.” The tone is energetic, candid, and deeply nerdy about film, filled with pop culture references and light-hearted banter.

Main Segments & Timestamps

• [02:14] Oscars 2026: Predictions, Snubs & Surprises
• [38:20] Spoiler-Free Movie Review: “Mercy”
• [48:20] Trailer Park: “Crime 101”

1. Oscars 2026: Predictions, Snubs & Surprises

[02:14 – 38:20]

Setting the Scene

• Mike and Kelsey record during a snowy Friday night, joking about their storm prep and Kelsey’s recent (not serious) driveway injury.
• They share excitement for one of the “strongest classes” of Oscar Best Picture nominees ever (since 2019), and the variety among the nominated films.

Best Picture

[04:45]
Nominees:
Begonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams

• Mike: Praises the broad representation, especially the inclusion of both commercially successful hits ("F1," "Sinners").
  • "Was it the most novel movie? No, but was it really good and had Brad Pitt, great director, and people actually watched it." — Movie Mike [05:14]
• Snubs:
  • “Weapons,” “K Pop Demon Hunters”, “Sorry Baby” — all cited for huge cultural or box office impact, notably absent. Wicked also not nominated.
  • "K Pop Demon Hunters should have been nominated... best picture defines the year." — Movie Mike [06:15]
• Picks:
  • Mike predicts "One Battle After Another" will win: "It crushed at the Golden Globes... it also has the best team." [07:06]
  • Kelsey leans toward “Hamnet” for its “likability” and strong press tour [07:32].
  • Both would love to see “Sinners” win for its underdog story.

Best Actor

[08:24]
Nominees: Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Wagner Moura (Secret Agent)

• Notable Moment: Michael B. Jordan earns first nomination; heartwarming story about calling his mom [08:38].
• Mike predicts: Timothée Chalamet wins for central, “movie-defining” performance in Marty Supreme.
  • "Without Timothée Chalamet as Marty Supreme, that movie would not have the same impact." — Movie Mike [09:25]
• Kelsey: Wants Michael B. Jordan to win for playing two roles.
• Surprise: The Rock (“The Smashing Machine”) snubbed; Mike says “he did it just for the Oscar nom” [09:57].

Best Actress

[10:58]
Nominees: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song, Song Blue), Renata Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Emma Stone (Begonia)

• Both agree — “Easiest category.” Jessie Buckley is the clear winner for “Hamnet”.
  • "The emotional level of her performance in Hamnet is just... that's just instantly goes to her." — Movie Mike [11:34]
• Surprise: Kate Hudson's nomination for Song, Song Blue.

Best Supporting Categories

• Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro tipped for “One Battle After Another” – especially for a “limited but memorable” role and the “pulled over” scene [14:04].
• Supporting Actress:
  • Tough call. Mike’s pick: Elle Fanning for “Sentimental Value”.
  • Kelsey’s pick: Teyana Taylor (“One Battle...”).
  • Noted: Sentimental Value may “split the vote” with two nominees.

Best Director

[15:53]

• Mike wants Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”) to win, but predicts Paul Thomas Anderson (“One Battle After Another”). Kelsey tips Chloe Zhao (“Hamnet”).
• Discussion about the differences in Oscar strategy (“best speech” potential, campaigning).

Other Categories: Highlights

• Best Animated Feature: If “K Pop Demon Hunters does not win, we riot.” — Mike [17:51]
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Mike: “Frankenstein,” Kelsey: “Hamnet” (better than the book)
• Best International Film: Sentimental Value tipped; huge snub for “No Other Choice” [20:20].
• Costume and Makeup: Frankenstein is favorite in both categories; Mike says of “Avatar: Fire and Ash”: "That should not be in this category." [23:24]
• Visual Effects: "Easily Avatar... the movie was really good looking. Visually stunning, thematically boring." — Movie Mike [25:43]
• Cinematography: Both pick “Train Dreams” for its stunning 4:3 visuals and color grading. Mike: "You could take any single frame of Train Dreams and put it on your wall." [28:19]
• Best Original Song: If “Golden” (K Pop Demon Hunters) doesn’t win, “they have to go 2 for 2 for me to be satisfied.” — Mike [30:17]
• Best Casting (new category): Mike: “Marty Supreme” for unique mix of A-listers and viral personalities; Kelsey: “Hamnet” for the brothers and child actor’s performance.

Notable Snubs & Surprises

[33:17]

• Actors: Chase Infinity (“One Battle…”), Paul Mescal, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Noah Baumbach
• Films shut out: J. Kelly, Superman, Sorry Baby, Materialists, After the Hunt, Wicked for Good, Kiss of the Spider Woman (J.Lo), Demon Slayer, Knives On Mystery, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
• "A clear Oscar bait movie not get any Oscars. Crazy." — Kelsey [33:49]

2. Spoiler-Free Movie Review: “Mercy”

[38:20 – 48:20]

Premise: Chris Pratt plays a detective accused of murdering his wife. In a near-future “AI judge” scenario, he has 90 minutes to prove his innocence before being executed in his interrogation chair.

Key Review Points

• Elevator Pitch Gone Wrong:
  • "You can have a great elevator pitch... but sometimes that is a sign of a bad movie.” [38:59]
• Structure Issues:
  • Largely set in one room (“bottle episode”), reminiscent of TV-saving tactics rather than cinematic brilliance.
• Acting:
  • Chris Pratt's performance is the only redeeming element.
  • "If you did not have him in that chair with his acting abilities, it would have been so much worse." — Movie Mike [39:55]
  • Supporting cast “terribly written.”
• AI Concept:
  • “Rebecca Ferguson did a pretty good job, but... I found a lot of flaws.”
  • The AI judge premise falls apart: “She wasn’t acting, in my opinion, robotic enough. Nothing about that system made me think it was so advanced.” [40:14]
• Predictable, Poorly Written:
  • “So many things easily teed up... You knew it wasn’t going to go that way.”
  • Movie is “so predictable I had it within the first 10 minutes.” [40:39]
• Budget Versus Creativity:
  • “A Black Mirror episode cost 10% of that and I could watch the worst Black Mirror episode and leave with much more of an impact than I did leaving watching Mercy.” [41:40]
• Final Verdict:
  • “Don’t go see this movie in theaters. It is not worth your time.”
  • “For Mercy, I give it two out of five trials.” [43:43]

3. Trailer Park: “Crime 101” — First Impressions

[48:20 – ~59:00]

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan
Plot: Heist thriller, Hemsworth is a jewel thief, Berry is disillusioned insurance broker, Ruffalo is a detective tracking the heists, Keoghan is the wild card.

Trailer Analysis

• Feels Familiar, But Still Tempting:
  • "Have you ever seen a trailer and thought, 'Man, I’ve seen this movie before'... but I still want to see it." — Movie Mike [48:43]
• Notable Quotes:
  • “You get Chris Hemsworth in a role that is not Thor. You get Halle Berry... it is an event.” [52:35]
• Red Flags:
  • Entire plot revealed in trailer, suggests “selling the sizzle more than the steak.”
  • “Second red flag… they are trying to sell you all these things up front.” [53:20]
• Comparisons:
  • Reminds Mike of Drive, Baby Driver, the Oceans movies, Heat, and The Place Beyond the Pines.
• MCU Connections:
  • Discusses Hemsworth and Ruffalo’s careers post-MCU and the difficulties of leaving the franchise behind.
• Big Screen Worthy?
  • Despite familiarity, the cast “gets you out to the theater,” especially Halle Berry, who only drops a major film every few years.
• Moderate Expectations, Still Excited:
  • “Even though this movie feels like it’s very familiar… I think it’s still going to be a good time at the theater, but I’m setting moderate expectations.” — Movie Mike [58:25]

Notable Quotes (With Timestamps)

• “Best picture defines the year. I look back... and I think that is where we stood in culture in that year.” — Movie Mike [06:15]
• “Really cool for Michael B. Jordan to get his first nomination. I saw, like, he called his mom and they were crying.” — Movie Mike [08:38]
• “If K Pop Demon Hunters does not win, we riot.” — Movie Mike [17:51]
• “Elle Fanning... I think she wins. Which she is first time nominated. I think that would be huge for her.” — Movie Mike [15:39]
• “How do you nominate that movie for so many awards and have it not win?” — Movie Mike on Sinners [16:04]
• “You could take any single frame of Train Dreams and print it off and put it on your wall and it’s a great photo.” — Movie Mike [28:19]
• “Don’t go see this movie in theaters. It is not worth your time, especially if you’re thinking ‘I’m going to brave this storm’...” — Movie Mike [43:49]

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Mike and Kelsey are passionate, opinionated, and unafraid to challenge the Academy’s choices; they root for popular, genre, and animated films when warranted.
• The Oscar field is stronger and more culturally broad than in recent years; still, genre (horror, animation, anime) and some critical or box office hits get short shrift.
• "Mercy" is a letdown: a good premise, poorly executed, that wastes the potential of Chris Pratt and its central idea.
• “Crime 101” promises prime popcorn-heist action with a killer ensemble but might be too familiar; the cast alone will probably make it worthwhile.

Additional Fun Moments

• Candid banter about theater accessibility: “Not even to rent sometimes or you’d have to buy it for like 20 bucks.” — Mike [29:18]
• Loving asides about costumes: “If you love costume design, you really love costume design.” — Mike [22:24]
• The trend of franchises and the challenge MCU stars face in “moving on,” including direct speculation on Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth’s next moves.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a full sweep of expected Oscar winners, the biggest snubs, and the reasoning behind each pick—plus a spoiler-free review of one new movie (Mercy) and a preview of an upcoming heist film (Crime 101). It’s a comprehensive and opinionated Oscars primer, wrapped up in Movie Mike and Kelsey’s playful, candid style.

For movie nerds, pop culture obsessives, and anyone making Oscar pool predictions: this episode is your ultimate cheat sheet.