Michael B. Jordan And Timothée Chalamet Both Give Oscar-Worthy Performances, But Here's Why I Love The Sinners Star's Work More

The 98th Academy Awards are upon us, and there's plenty of talent amid the 2026 Oscar nominees. Amy Madigan is neck and neck with Teyona Taylor, Best Supporting Actor is still a foot race between Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, and Best Picture is far from a done deal. But the race that has me fixated is Best Actor. Reports have Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet as frontrunners, in a race that has changed drastically over the course of awards season. While both did tremendous work, there are a few reasons why I love Jordan's performance more.

Michael B. Jordan Expertly Plays Twins In Sinners

In the critically acclaimed film, Sinners, Michael B. Jordan takes on an almost impossible task, playing two characters and making them feel distinct with unique personalities. Jordan plays twins Smoke and Stack, portraying both characters completely differently. Smoke is more serious and focused on establishing a juke joint after the twins return to their hometown. On the other hand, Stack is much more of a wildcard, who gets them into dangerous, unpredictable situations. Even though Jordan plays both, they are easily distinguishable and skillfully portrayed.

The characters' different love interests also lend credence to the different ways Jordan plays the roles. Supporting performances by Hailee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku show different kinds of love that both Smoke and Stack are experiencing, helping to further establish the twins as unique characters. It also allows Jordan to shine as an actor and presents him with the opportunity to play with opposing dynamics. In short, he's a natural in both roles and further showcases his range as an actor.

Even In A Genre Film, Michael B. Jordan's Performance Stays Grounded

Often in genre films, actors are allowed to give loud, boisterous performances to fit the tone of the often wild film they're in. Amanda Seyfried’s outrageously entertaining performance in The Housemaid comes to mind as well as Amy Madigan's stellar work in Weapons.

Genre gives license to play, which is a lot of fun for actors. Michael B. Jordan does play in Sinners (which is among the Best Picture nominees), especially with some of the external quirks of the Stack character. However, in a lot of ways Jordan is playing the characters completely straight. He is grounded, focusing on his emotional relationships with his two on-screen partners, and the newfound almost paternal relationship to the character of Sammie, the twins' cousin.

This grounded performance allows the chaos and the horror movie elements to happen around Jordan. Although this is essentially a vampire horror movie, Jordan doesn’t allow his performance to become a farce. He's playing things completely straight, fighting the urge to be as absurdist as the plot can be at some point. With this, he shines as an actor, and his approach allows for some of the deeper aspects of the movie, like its connection to Black history in America, to be even more prominent. Jordan is, in many ways, the connective tissue of the film.

Timothée Chalamet Still Deserves Props For Marty Supreme

For the reasons above, I think Michael B. Jordan is more than deserving of the Oscar. The tide seems to be going this way as well, with his Actor Award win showing that he might be an Academy Award winner after tonight. However, I think we would be fools to write off Timothée Chalamet. For most of this Oscar campaign, he has been the true frontrunner before Jordan became a prominent voice after the Actor Awards.

Chalamet's performance in Marty Supreme is extraordinary, keeping up with the pace of the film in a neurotic way. Controversially, I liked the self-seriousness of the performance, as it displays the range of an actor who is determined to showcase how the flame of success can be destructive to a person’s soul.

There's also a strong level of physicality that comes into play not only with the table tennis scenes but in others as well. In that regard Chalamet more than rises to the occasion.

However for Chalamet, the tide has turned negative for him in recent months. His much-discussed comments about ballet and opera left a poor taste in the mouths of some industry professionals and fans. Some have also questioned his almost “method” approach to promoting Marty Supreme. This helped sell the movie, as Marty did strong numbers at the box office, but there's the chance it could hurt his chances with the voting body.

I’d personally say this further speaks to Timothée Chalamet's prowess as a performer. Still, between him and Michael B. Jordan, I'd really like to see the latter win Best Actor.

We'll see whether Jordan or Chalamet take home the gold statuette during the 98th Academy Awards, which air tonight, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. The show also streams live with a Hulu subscription.