“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” lead the field of 2026 Oscar nominees with 16 and 13 nominations each, respectively. (Photo illustration by Avery Fox / Los Angeles Times; Photos from A24; Focus Features; Getty; Netflix; Victor Juca; Warner Bros. Pictures) There’s something oddly predictable about the way Oscar nominations are discussed every year.  A film racks up a high number of nods and suddenly the conversation shifts from why this film worked to whether it now b