A night of powerful messages, missed opportunities — and the frustrating reality of watching it from Europe
There are evenings when you watch an awards show simply to see who wins.
And then there are evenings when the show becomes something more — a mirror reflecting the mood of the world.
This year’s Oscars felt like the second kind.
I’ve watched the ceremony live a handful of times over the past years, probably five or six editions by now. Each one has its own rhythm: some are pure celebration, some feel politically tense, and others drift somewhere in between.
A couple of weeks ago I had watched the SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards, and that ceremony had felt surprisingly quiet. The only moment that really stood out politically was the “ICE OUT” pin worn by several attendees — a subtle symbol that hinted at larger debates without turning the evening into a political platform.
Going into the Oscars, I actually expected the same tone.
Given the current global tensions — wars, political instability, rising polarization — I assumed Hollywood might tread carefully.
Instead, the opposite happened.
And in many ways, I’m glad it did.
A Night Dominated by a Few Films
One thing that struck me immediately was how concentrated the nominations and wins felt this year. It sometimes felt as if the entire ceremony revolved around only a handful of movies.
The names kept coming up again and again:
- Sinners
- One Battle After Another
- Sentimental Value
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
That doesn’t necessarily mean those films don’t deserve recognition. In fact, I’m sure some of them are excellent.
Sinners, for instance, has been everywhere in award season conversations. Ironically, I still haven’t seen it because it’s labelled as a horror movie on HBO Max — and horror really isn’t my thing. At this point, though, curiosity alone will probably make me watch it.
One Battle After Another, on the other hand, I did watch with my kids. It’s dreamy, visually beautiful, and at times quite artistic — maybe even a bit over the edge — but the cinematography and sound design make it a very immersive experience.
In the end, if I understood the results correctly, One Battle After Another walked away with the most Oscars, while Sinners still collected several awards.
Still, the ceremony left me wondering: Did last year really produce only five major films? Five films alone accounted for 55 nominations (well over half of all nominations) and ultimately took home 15 of the 23 Oscars awarded that night (pretty much 2 thirds), which explains why the ceremony often felt like a celebration of only a handful of movies.
Because in my world of cinema, there’s always much more happening.
Political Messages That Actually Meant Something
One of the strongest aspects of this ceremony was the political undercurrent running through many of the speeches.
The documentary awards in particular carried powerful messages.
One documentary – Mr Nobody Against Putin – highlighted how young people can be shaped — and manipulated — through propaganda in education. The director’s message was clear, direct, and deeply unsettling.
Another moment that stood out was a quote paraphrased by Joachim Trier during the ceremony, attributed to James Baldwin:
“All adults are responsible for all children”
The conclusion that followed made the message even stronger:
“… let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account.”
It wasn’t an aggressive speech. It was simply a reminder of accountability — and perhaps that made it even more powerful.
Then there was Javier Bardem’s blunt message:
“No to war; and free Palestine.”
It was a stark moment, especially because the co-presenter beside him seemed visibly uncomfortable, almost unwilling to engage politically at all. That contrast itself was revealing.
Humor That Still Hits the Target
Political commentary also came through humor.
Both Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien delivered some excellent jabs throughout the evening.
One of the funniest moments was Kimmel’s joke about the Melania Trump documentary, suggesting the former president might be furious it wasn’t even nominated.
He started the night by saying there was an “alternate Oscars, hosted by Kid Rock”, referring to the right-wing MAGA Superbowl programming “against” Bad Bunny’s amazing and excellent half-time show. Another memorable jab from O’Brien involved a theater-naming joke clearly aimed at Donald Trump. The punchline revolved around the idea that Trump would certainly not want his name attached to a theater associated with a rather unflattering reference to male anatomy — a joke the audience immediately understood.
And Kimmel’s jab about documentaries in countries where people cannot speak freely was equally sharp. When he joked:
“We hear a lot about courage at shows like this, but telling a story that could get you killed for telling it is real courage. As you know, there are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS”
it was a very clear wink toward the tensions surrounding Stephen Colbert.
The humor worked because it was playful — but still pointed.
Representation, Diversity, and Visibility
This year’s ceremony also carried strong messages about visibility and representation.
When the team behind K-Pop Demon Hunters received their first award, the recipient said something simple but powerful:
“For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this. ”
That sentence resonates far beyond Koreans. For many groups — women, minorities, people of color — visibility itself has always been the struggle.
Another memorable moment came when the winner for Best Cinematography, a woman, asked other women working in the field to stand up in the audience.
Conan O’Brien immediately followed the moment by saying how much he appreciated seeing a woman receiving this Oscar for the first time in history, underlining how meaningful that milestone still is.
Messages That Almost Got It Right
Not every speech landed perfectly.
The Best Actress winner from Hamlet dedicated her award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart” managing life’s endless responsibilities. While clearly meant as praise, the message felt slightly off to me.
It unintentionally reinforced the idea that women must carry the chaos rather than celebrating a future where responsibilities are shared equally.
In contrast, Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor speech struck a better balance. He honored the actors who paved the way before him — Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and others.
It was a quiet but powerful reminder of progress.
A Touching Tribute on Stage
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came when Billy Crystal paid tribute to Rob and Jennifer Reiner.
Crystal recalled that Rob Reiner had once played his best friend in a series, and he jokingly suggested that maybe they should simply keep playing those roles forever. The line drew laughter — but also genuine emotion.
The tribute then turned toward both Reiners, highlighting their support, kindness, and strong advocacy for equality and marriage for all.
It was one of those moments where Hollywood used its spotlight not for glamour but for gratitude.
The Silence That Was Noticeable
For all the strong messages, something else stood out.
Many people said nothing at all.
They simply read their scripts, thanked a few names, and walked off stage.
In times like these, that silence becomes noticeable.
Not every speech has to be political — but when a global stage like the Oscars is available, some moments felt like missed opportunities.
The Biggest Frustration: Actually Watching the Show
Ironically, the most frustrating part of the Oscars had nothing to do with the ceremony itself.
It was trying to watch it from Europe.
I attempted several options:
- Not on Prime, Netflix, Disney+ (geo-blocked), HBO, YoutubeTV (geo-blocked) or Apple TV+
- Swiss television on SRF1 — blocked
- Italian broadcast on RAI — blocked
- German broadcast on ProSieben — technically available, but chaotic
The German version was particularly painful. The red-carpet coverage felt awkward and embarrassing, with hosts attempting to speak to celebrities who simply kept walking past them.
Then during the ceremony itself, ProSieben repeatedly cut to commercials and dubbed German movie previews, only to jump back into the live show mid-segment.
Sometimes they showed scenes we had just seen moments earlier — only dubbed into German.
Other times the cuts were completely unrelated.
As someone who speaks multiple languages, the whole experience felt strangely clumsy.
Why Can’t We Just Watch the Oscars?
In 2026, it feels absurd that the Oscars remain so difficult to watch internationally.
The Super Bowl has become easier to access every year.
The SAG-AFTRA Awards streamed globally on Netflix without any issues.
Yet for the Oscars, viewers still need:
- national broadcasters
- geo-blocked platforms
- VPN attempts
- a fair amount of luck
Honestly, the solution seems obvious.
Let people go to the Oscars website and pay a symbolic amount to watch the show worldwide.
Millions would.
Instead, the Academy is hiding its biggest event behind outdated broadcasting structures.
A Night of Hope in a Chaotic World
Despite the frustrations, this year’s Oscars left me with one overall impression:
Many people tried to send a message of hope.
Through speeches about children.
Through calls for peace.
Through humor.
Through representation.
The world right now is chaotic. But the ceremony showed that artists are still trying — sometimes awkwardly, sometimes boldly — to push the conversation toward something better.
And maybe that, more than the golden statues themselves, is what the Oscars are really about.
A Personal Note
Watching the Oscars has always been a strange mix of fascination and frustration for me. Fascination because cinema still has the power to shape conversations about society, culture, and the world we want to live in. Frustration because sometimes the industry still struggles to open its doors wider — whether to new voices, new audiences, or simply viewers trying to watch from outside the United States.
Yet moments like the ones we saw this year remind me why I keep tuning in.
Because when artists speak honestly — about responsibility, representation, or hope — cinema becomes more than entertainment.
It becomes part of the conversation about the kind of world we are trying to build.
And that conversation is far from over.
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