As the rain falls from a dark and cloudy sky here in Los Angeles, I can’t stop thinking about the 94th Academy Awards, which limped across our television sets Sunday night. The ceremony, which was already marred by controversy due to the decision to not air 8 categories live and the inclusion of desperate attempts to cater to a nonexistent audience, suddenly jolted with the slap heard around the world. I won’t focus much on the scuffle between Best Actor winner Will Smith (King Richard) and comedian Chris Rock, but it was absolutely the most shocking, electrifying moment that’s happened at the Oscars in decades. I never thought the La La Land/Moonlight mixup could be topped, but here we are.

Before all that went down, let’s run a quick breakdown of three categories: Best International Feature, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design.

Best International Feature: Drive My Car (dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Japan)

There was no other way the category was going to turn out this year. Hailed immediately as an instant classic by critics across the country, the film picked up steam from its November release and won every single “Best Picture” prize under the sun from critics’ circles. By the time Drive My Car crashed into the Academy Awards with four nominations including Best Picture (the first time a Japanese film has been recognized in the top category), the momentum was unstoppable. The only other nominee that had a chance of winning was Norway’s The Worst Person in the World, which earned an additional surprise Best Original Screenplay nomination. Fellow nominees Luana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan), The Hand of God (Italy), and Flee (Denmark) rounded out the category. Flee was most likely in third place, given its other nominations in Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary, marking the first time a film has been nominated in all three categories. Luana was a surprise nod, the first Bhutanese film to be honored, beating out predicted nominees such as Iran’s A Hero and Finland’s Compartment No. 6. In this case, the Academy made the right choice. Drive My Car has already established itself as a timeless classic that will be highly regarded for decades to come.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

There’s a recent trend in this category for rewarding makeup artists and hairstylists who recreate real-life people. Ever since Suicide Squad won this category back in 2017, the prize has gone to work involving current or historical figures (Darkest Hour, Vice, Bombshell, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). With Jessica Chastain cruising her way to a Best Actress victory, the makeup crew who gave her Tammy Faye’s signature looks and iconic tattooed makeup picked up wins as well, not unlike TheIron Lady in 2012. The other nominees in this category were either single nominees (Coming 2 America, House of Gucci) or had nominations elsewhere they could be rewarded with (Cruella, Dune). It’s a solid choice for a winner, though it is a bit mystifying as to why less fantastical or extravagant work didn’t get the prize.

Best Costume Design: Cruella

First, the decision by ABC to air the one technical category a Disney film was likely to win ceremony is not lost on me. Nonetheless, after sweeping the precursors, Cruella took it home in a cakewalk, earning Jenny Beavan a second win (she previously won for Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015). The punk Vivienne Westwood-inspired outfits stood head and shoulders above the competition, with Dune’s gorgeously utilitarian space couture most likely coming in second place. Dune will just have to console themselves with the six other prizes they won last night. West Side Story, Nightmare Alley, and Cyrano, the other nominees, were all excellent period pieces, but it helps to have an edge. Edge is what made this category a two-way race between Cruella and Dune.

P.S.: If you’re in the L.A. area, the FIDM in downtown Los Angeles is offering a free exhibit on costume design, including all five of this year’s nominees. It runs through June 4th, 2022.