This year was the 90th annual Academy Awards ceremony. As usual, there were many amazing and groundbreaking movies nominated, but, unfortunately, not all of them could win. The ceremony started off on the red carpet. Many celebrities wore black in honor of the Time’s Up movement, and some brought certain figures who helped start the #MeToo movement as their plus ones/honored guests. And, of course, there was the notable absence of many Hollywood men who have recently fallen from grace.

After all the guests were seated, the show began. Nothing like the infamous envelope scandal of 2017 occurred, which allowed the producers to breathe easy. But, for the audience, it was a pretty average Oscars. Renowned actor Gary Oldman won Best Actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri snagged two coveted awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. (Frances McDormand is a queen and played her role phenomenally as Mildred Hayes, a mother whose child has been murdered. She deserved her Oscar.) Surprisingly, Dunkirk took home 6 Oscars, mainly for sound and film editing. This movie is based on some of the real events of WWII, after Allied troops were trapped in France by the Germans. The movie is tense to say the least. Also, Harry Styles is in it (do not let this fact influence you). Get Out director and screenplay writer Jordan Peele (from the notorious Key & Peele comedy group) won for Best Original Screenplay – the first time an African American has taken home an Oscar in this category. The Shape of Water won 6 awards as well, including Best Director (Guillermo del Toro) and Best Picture. Many were surprised to see this movie take best picture, but it was well-deserved.

Many were surprised that Ladybird was snubbed, not winning a single Oscar. Another surprise was that Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep did not win for their respective categories, especially since Meryl Streep is a maniac when it comes to winning Oscars. Additionally, Wonder Woman was not being nominated for a single Oscar, despite smashing box-office records and promoting female empowerment.

Regardless of the ceremony winners, even being nominated is an honor. Every movie which listed was breathtaking. These powerful films deserve to be watched – these stories deserve to be told. It will be interesting to see what movies 2018 has in store for us.