The Rundown 2019: Makeup & Hairstyling

For our ninth Rundown article, we look at hair and makeup. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Makeup & Hairstyling as well as general commentary about the race. Tuesday, we’ll cover a handful of short films.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Winner Predictions

1917 (PP R) [New]
Bombshell (WL O) (TB O) (TL O)
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Runner-Up Predictions

1917 (TB R) [New]
Joker (WL O) (PP O)(TL R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: No one really knows how having five nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling will play out. The Academy has shown a willingness to go strange directions, which makes this particular category a hard one to suss out. I’m giving the edge to Bombshell, but wouldn’t be shocked at any other film winning the award.
Peter J. Patrick: I’m going with 1917 because it’s such a wild card. The same goes for Joker as my runner-up.
Tripp Burton: This is a category where a lot of prosthetics can help, and that should push Bombshell to an easy victory here (much like Vice and Darkest Hour the last two years). The only thing that could stop it would be a 1917 below-the-line sweep.
Thomas La Tourrette: I think this is bound to go to Bombshell. Everyone raved about how much Charlize Theron was made to look like Megyn Kelly. They also did fine work with Nicole Kidman and John Lithgow. I would be shocked if it went to any other film. When it cleaned up at the Makeup guild awards winning in three categories, it cemented itself as the front runner. Nothing has happened along the way to make me feel differently. Originally I would have said that Judy would be the one film that might pull an upset, however improbable that is, but now I think it would be Joker. If Joker were to be setting up a big sweep including best picture, then it could pull off this award, but that does not seem likely. The original Maleficent was not even nominated for makeup, so I doubt its sequel could win here. For whatever reason, war movies are often not nominated, though they use a lot of makeup. It shows the support for 1917, but I doubt that would carry over to a win. Bombshell should easily win this award.