Oscars 2018: Who Should Win Every Award (And Who Actually Will)

8. Original Score

The Shape Of Water
Fox Searchlight

Nominees: Dunkirk, Phantom Thread, The Shape Of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who Should Win

The Shape Of Water

An excellent category this year, and it's tempting to go for the tension Jonny Greenwood builds with his piano-work in Phantom Thread, but there's an otherworldly, old movie magic to Alexandre Desplat's The Shape of Water score that elevates it above the competition. Like the movie itself it's whimsical, swoonsome, romantic, and a little bit dark underneath, leaving us completely enchanted.

Who Will Win

The Shape Of Water

Desplat has form here, winning for The Grand Budapest Hotel (incidentally the last time he was nominated) and, while there's stiff competition from Hans Zimmer and Greenwood, he should have enough fans. The Shape of Water looks like being a hugely popular film with voters, its score stands out without being too intrusive, and he's already won a couple of the biggies of awards season thus far.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.