It’s Christmas in Tinseltown. Artists from across the globe gathered at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre Sunday night to celebrate another beautiful year in cinema and bid adieu to a chaotic awards season. First-time host and late-night veteran Conan O’Brien steered a tight ship. Sean Baker’s “Anora” scored a night-topping five wins in its Best Picture-winning haul.

What went wrong? What went right? From a refreshing monologue and thoughtful production additions to embarrassing speeches and Timothée Chalamet’s bold look, let’s get into the highs and lows of Oscar night 2025.

High: The opener

A “Wicked” opener, courtesy of stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, brought the house down to commence the evening. Twinkling in a ruby slipper-inspired dress, Grande turned back the clock with a gorgeous rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Erivo took over with “Home” from “The Wiz” before the two broke out into “Defying Gravity.” Love or hate the movie, “Wicked” is a cultural landmark of 2024, and its leading ladies can belt these tunes to perfection.

High: Conan O’Brien

O’Briencertainly didn’t look like an Oscar’s rookie. The opening bit — a “The Substance” inspired clip showing him digging for a lost shoe in Demi Moore’s severed back — kicked off the night’s thoughtful attention to its nominees. His monologue was fresh and funny, including the obligatory harmless jabs at the Best Picture nominees. He inserted some much-needed edge, calling out Karla Sofia Gascón’s nasty tweeting history. “Anora uses the F-word 479 times; that’s four more than the record set by Gascón’s publicist,” O’Brien said. “Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember: my name is Jimmy Kimmel.” Thanks to Conan, it was a smooth, entertaining evening.

High: Kieran Culkin nabs first Oscar for “A Real Pain”

Though highly expected, Culkin’s Best Supporting Actor victory was beyond well-deserved. It’s always a treat to watch him bumble through an improvised speech.

Low: Where are the acting clips?

One of my biggest complaints last year was the lack of acting clips during nomination round-ups. We were promised their return this year, and luckily, they were included in the Best Actress and Best Actor categories. But where is the love for our supporting performances? Cut for time? It doesn’t make much sense.

High: Attention for craft experts

We like to get worked up about the stars. We replay their speeches, obsess over their films and appreciate their talents. But some of the industry’s most essential artists are rarely given a spotlight. At the end of O’Brien’s opening monologue, he underscored the breathtaking talent of behind-the-scenes craft workers — the costume designers, sound designers, composers, effects artists, editors and cinematographers who carry their films to success.

Such thoughtfulness extended to the awards presentations, which incentivized sharing the spotlight. Actors from nominated films paid tribute to their costume designers one by one. The production repeated this process for cinematographers.

High: “Flow” wins animated feature

For the second consecutive year, a foreign independent film has ousted a heavily favored major studio film. Latvia’s gorgeous, dialogue-free masterpiece “Flow,” rendered entirely on a free and open-source software platform called Blender, upset Dreamworks’ “The Wild Robot.”

Low: A random James Bond tribute?

Typically, the ceremony features a slew of musical performances from Best Original Song nominees. For whatever reason, this year’s numbers were James Bond tributes performed by pop stars LISA, Doja Cat and RAYE. They weren’t egregious, just unmemorable and completely random. After Daniel Craig’s departure in 2021’s “No Time to Die,” the franchise is on hiatus. This time could’ve been utilized for something more relevant.

Low: “Emilia Pérez” scores pair of trophies

Look, we already knew this was going to happen. But seeing it come to fruition on screen is still disappointing. Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Emilia Pérez.” While she might be the best part about that movie, I can’t wrap my head around this win, especially given the film’s rampant controversy.

To make matters worse, French composing duo Clément Ducol and Camille took home Best Original Song for their tough listen “El Mal.” When Camille started singing awkwardly at the end of her speech, the entire audience cringed in dismay — the perfect embarrassment to end this film’s outrageous presence throughout awards season.

High: “No Other Land” wins Best Documentary Feature

The most powerful win of the night went to the Palestinian-Israeli documentary “No Other Land” — a portrait of a West Bank village under Israeli military occupation. In their speech, co-directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham pleaded for peace. “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” Adra said. Abraham added, “We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life.”

High: “I’m Still Here” wins Best International Feature

Everybody cheered. After a last-minute Oscars campaign trail, Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” is bringing home Oscar gold, defeating “Emilia Pérez” in the process. Back home, the Brazilian faithful erupted with excitement in a collective display of national pride. This is what it’s all about.

High: Craft winners

This year’s craft winners were all worthy, inspired choices. While some races might come down to aesthetic preference, I can’t discount any of the victors. “The Substance” won Best Makeup and Hairstyling; “The Brutalist” won Best Cinematography and Best Original Score; “Dune: Part Two” nabbed Best Sound and Best Visual Effects; and “Wicked” took home Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Low: Adrien Brody overstaying his welcome

Get off the stage! The last time Adrien Brody won an Oscar, he gave Halle Berry an unsolicited kiss. This time, he ate up five minutes and thirty-seven seconds of screen time — a ceremony record. While providing a hollow, cookie-cutter ramble about ending hate, Brody wouldn’t allow himself to be played off. His performance in “The Brutalist” is fantastic, but the entitlement evident on stage is a sorry sight.

High: Sean Baker advocates for the theatrical experience

Sean Baker is one of the most prestigious voices in contemporary cinema. He finally received his flowers on Sunday, scoring a whopping four Oscars for writing, directing, editing and producing “Anora.” After winning Best Director, Baker encouraged filmmakers to keep making projects explicitly designed for a theatrical experience and for audiences to never stop visiting the theater in the age of streaming.

Low: A rare Timmy tumble

The glitz and glam of Oscar night is always a pleasure to witness. It’s the most prominent Hollywood event there is, with celebs vying for the “best dressed” title. Some play it safe; others get a little too ambitious. Unfortunately, Timothée Chalamet displayed a rare swag miss, rocking a gaudy, butter-yellow fit. He looked like The Man with the Yellow Hat from “Curious George,” sticking out like a sore thumb in his front-row seat. He’ll get ‘em next time.

High: “Anora” wins Best Picture

To bookend the night, “Anora” concluded its near-sweep and took home the top prize. I can’t say it was my personal favorite of the year — I’d give the nod to “The Substance” or “Nickel Boys” — but it’s undoubtedly a worthy entry in the history books. Baker’s tragic romp traces the chaotic journey of an unruly sex worker played gloriously by Best Actress winner Mikey Madison. It’s a distinctly modern, excellently crafted win for independent cinema.