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.
