On January 23, the Academy finally announced the Oscar nominees, although the mood in the U.S. isn't exactly upbeat due to the fires in Los Angeles. Still, many are celebrating, as they've received nominations. For example, Sean Baker and his actress, Mikey Madison, will be hoping to turn their nominations for Anore into awards, especially since they were snubbed at the Golden Globes. We hope the creators will enjoy a nice surprise! However, we weren’t surprised to see Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist racking up nominations, as they were already considered Oscar contenders even before the shortlists. Moreover, there are whispers that the papal thriller The Conclave might dominate at the March ceremony. While it may not lead in the number of nominations, its divisive and progressive themes could make it a strong contender for Best Picture.
As is often the case, there are many snubs and omissions, and a few surprises as well. We're focusing on these in more detail, especially The Substance, which can be interpreted both as a satire and an art film, but as a body horror piece, it represents a genre the Academy usually overlooks. So, let’s look at the biggest snubs and surprises!
Snubs and Disappointments: Denis Villeneuve, Denzel Washington, and Margaret Qualley Miss Out
Dune: Part Two became the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024, with a global revenue of $714.6 million, and it was critically acclaimed. It received more (5) Oscar nominations than Golden Globe nominations (2). Some argue it deserved even more, yet it made the Best Picture category. However, its director, Denis Villeneuve, was snubbed — his name was not among the Best Director nominees, though he was listed as a producer for Best Picture. History repeats itself here, as Villeneuve was also overlooked for Best Director three years ago when Dune: Part One was released, although he did compete for Best Adapted Screenplay (but didn’t win). This time, Dune: Part Two wasn't even submitted in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Similarly, we can grumble about the omission of Wicked director Jon M. Chu, especially since the film received nominations in 10 categories. But perhaps even more disappointing is the absence of Luca Guadagnino's prestigious films from last year — Challengers starring Zendaya and Queer with Daniel Craig. It’s not like Queer was heavily promoted at the Golden Globes, where Craig was only nominated for Best Actor in a Drama, but the film was showcased at many renowned festivals, and critics have called Craig’s performance his most substantial to date. The omission of Challengers is similarly disheartening for both the creators and fans, especially since it garnered four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Original Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's much-praised work), and even took home a Golden Globe. The Academy didn’t consider it worthy of an Oscar in any category, though.
How was it 25 years ago? Yes, Gladiator earned 12 Oscar nominations, winning 5, including Best Picture. Fast forward 25 years: the sequel is only competing in one technical category — Best Costume Design. Okay, Ridley Scott's follow-up didn’t perform as well as the first film, but it’s still a prestige project, and while Paul Mescal didn’t shine in it, Denzel Washington did receive critical praise. He, however, missed out on a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, even though some critics argue that he gave a stellar performance as the complex character Macrinus.
Robert Eggers’ critically and financially successful Nosferatu received four nominations, including Best Cinematography, but it didn’t make it into the major categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actors, etc.), which was undoubtedly disappointing. But we’ll have to settle for The Substance, which represents the horror genre at the heart of the Oscars!
Perhaps even bigger snubs are for the "ladies" — specifically Margaret Qualley for The Substance, where she plays a role just as pivotal to the body horror genre as Demi Moore does. Yet, the Academy seemed to think only Moore deserved recognition, and she undeniably delivered an outstanding performance, deserving of an Oscar after her Golden Globe win. Another major loser is Angelina Jolie, who was overlooked for Maria, despite the film’s festival success and critical praise. Moreover, the film's director, Pablo Larraín, was also passed over by the Academy. Larraín's previous biographical dramas starred Natalie Portman (Jackie) and Kristen Stewart (Spencer), both of whom received Oscar nominations.
We can also consider Nicole Kidman and Pamela Anderson major snubs, as they were praised for their roles in Good Girl and The Last Showgirl. The omission of the latter is particularly painful for both the creators and the actors, as the film received accolades at several prestigious festivals (such as Zurich). In addition to Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis's performance was also praised, and Anderson received a Golden Globe nomination. Both actresses were nominated for awards by the Screen Actors Guild (whether they win will be revealed in February).
Surprises: A Body Horror Could Be Best Picture, and Sebastian Stan's Trump Performance Might Finally Get Recognized
But let’s not just dwell on the disappointments! There are some pleasant surprises as well. Let's start with The Substance! Many, including the director Coralie Fargeat, have pointed out that horror films are generally overlooked at major award ceremonies that don't specifically focus on the genre. This is true for the Oscars as well, where horror films typically only compete in technical categories (with a few exceptions: The Exorcist, Jaws, Get Out!). However, this is not the case with The Substance, which has earned nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. While it’s doubtful it will win (Moore seems more likely after her Golden Globe win), this is still an impressive achievement for a (authorial) horror film.
Another pleasant surprise is the talented Jeremy Strong's Oscar nomination for The Apprentice: The Trump Story. Strong already has an Emmy and Golden Globe for his successful TV series Succession, but he had never been nominated for an Oscar before, so he had no chance at the golden statue. However, for The Apprentice, he might earn his first Oscar. The film's presence among the Oscar nominees is a surprise in general, as it was somewhat overlooked despite (or perhaps because of) being released during the presidential election year and failing to find an audience in theaters. As a result, it’s not A Different Man that could bring Sebastian Stan an Oscar, but rather The Apprentice — even though Stan has been praised for his performance in the former as well, which helped him win a Golden Globe.
The Apprentice only competes in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category, due to the need for makeup artists to replicate a facial distortion caused by a rare disease (which makes sense). However, the "only" here should be seen as praise in the case of A Better Man. The movie, which flopped terribly in theaters, received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects as a sort of "consolation prize", due to the CGI monkey used to replace the pop-rock star in the film. While this didn’t win over audiences, given the film’s poor financial performance, it certainly impressed the Academy voters.