Predicting The Major 2022 Oscar Winners

With its fantastic voice cast, zeitgeist-capturing soundtrack, and strategic festive release on streaming services, Encanto was one of the biggest hits of 2021, and deservedly so. This is probably the best animated picture to come out of Disney studios since Moana, and similarly succeeds due to the detail and care put into its world.

Encanto tells the story of a Colombian family blessed with otherworldly abilities, around whom a mountain town thrives. Every member of the Madrigal clan has a superpower, save for protagonist Mirabel. When the magic starts to desert the world, she embarks on a quest into the family’s history to avert disaster.

The film utilises many classic Disney themes, but also subverts them intelligently. Here our protagonist genuinely isn’t special or chosen; she’s an everywoman who manages to give us a relatable entry point to this world of magical realism.

Everyone’s heard the songs - penned mostly by Lin-Manuel Miranda - but it must be noted that they’re some of the best in recent movie memory, particularly the fiendishly catchy “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. There’s stiff competition from Pixar’s Luca and Danish animated doc Flee, but Encanto would be a worthy winner.