Buzzmeter Oscars 2016

By LOS ANGELES TIMES STAFF

Weekend after weekend, new movies come to life in theaters. And time after time, we hear various renditions of “Mom, can we please, please see this?” or “Dude, you’ve gotta see that, it’s gnarly” and “Honey, this one looks great.” Alas, we get pulled into this, taken away from that. What are we to do if we don't get a chance to see the year’s top Academy Awards contenders? We look to six of the most qualified Oscar pundits, here to tell us which movies will lead this year's Oscar race.

Are they on the right track? Tell us in the comments who you think deserves to win, and check back for updates as the awards season progresses. The Oscars are on Feb. 28 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Our panel

Dave Karger
Dave Karger, Fandango
Tom O'Neil
Tom O'Neil, Gold Derby
Mark Olsen
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Nicole Sperling
Nicole Sperling, Entertainment Weekly
Anne Thompson
Anne Thompson, Thompson on Hollywood
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp, The Envelope

Best picture

"Spotlight"
Kerry Hayes/Open Road Film
"Spotlight"
Dave Karger
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
"The Revenant"
20th Century Fox
"The Revenant"
Tom O'Neil
"Bridge of Spies"
Jaap Buitendijk/DreamWorks Pictures/Fox 2000 Pictures
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
Kerry Brown/Fox Searchlight
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"Room"
George Kraychyk/A24 Films
"Room"
'The Big Short'
Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures
'The Big Short'
"The Martian"
20th Century Fox
"The Martian"

Lead actor

Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"

Lead actress

Brie Larson, "Room"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Brie Larson, "Room"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"
Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"

Supporting actor

Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
Christian Bale, "The Big Short"
Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times
Christian Bale, "The Big Short"
Dave Karger
Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies"
Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times
Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies"
Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"

Supporting actress

Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"
Dave Karger
Mark Olsen
Glenn Whipp
Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs"
Tom O'Neil
Rooney Mara, "Carol"
Jennifer S. Altman/For The Times
Rooney Mara, "Carol"
Anne Thompson
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Hateful Eight"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Hateful Eight"
Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times
Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"

Director

George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Thomas Meredith/Los Angeles Times
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Mark Olsen
Nicole Sperling
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
Alejandro G. Inarritu, "The Revenant"
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times
Alejandro G. Inarritu, "The Revenant"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"

Original screenplay

"Spotlight"
Kerry Hayes/Open Road Film
"Spotlight"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
"Bridge of Spies"
Jaap Buitendijk/DreamWorks Pictures/Fox 2000 Pictures
"Bridge of Spies"
"Ex Machina"
A24 Films
"Ex Machina"
"Inside Out"
Disney-Pixar
"Inside Out"
"Straight Outta Compton"
Jaimie Trueblood/Universal Pictures
"Straight Outta Compton"

Adapted screenplay

"The Big Short"
Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures and Regency Enterprises
"The Big Short"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
"Brooklyn"
Kerry Brown/Fox Searchlight
"Brooklyn"
"Carol"
Weinstein Co.
"Carol"
"Room"
George Kraychyk/A24 Films
"Room"
"The Martian"
Aidan Monaghan/20th Century Fox
"The Martian"

Animated feature

"Inside Out"
Disney-Pixar
"Inside Out"
Dave Karger
Tom O'Neil
Mark Olsen
Anne Thompson
Glenn Whipp
"Anomalisa"
Paramount Pictures
"Anomalisa"
"Shaun the Sheep"
Lionsgate
"Shaun the Sheep"
"The Boy and the World"
GKIDS
"The Boy and the World"
2014 GNDHDDTK
"When Marnie Was There"

Credits: Soo Oh, Lily Mihalik