97th Academy Awards Oscar Noms! Snubs and Surprises!

Well it’s that time of year again: movie award season. While SAG, DGA, Independent Spirit, et. al. are respectable, the grand daddy of them all is of course the Academy Awards. After some delays due to the wildfires ravaging the greater Los Angeles area, the nominations were announced this past Thursday morning. As always Oscar pundits prognosticated as to who might be nominated for Oscar gold and as always there were some significant snubs and surprises.

Although I firmly believe the Oscars died almost twenty-six years ago when Saving Private Ryan lost to Shakespeare In Love, much like Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III, the awards show somehow manages to pull me back in every year. I don’t know if it’s the political climate, the ice cold temperatures in my neck of the woods, or that Cracklin’ Oat Bran is getting harder to find, but for some reason this years nominations made my blood boil. There were some snubs that had me shaking my head in derision.

One of my nearest and dearest friends, Mike Pagano, consistently reminds me to not care about what other people think, regardless whether it’s Oscar nominations, who got shortchanged for NFL coach of the year, or a career move. In fact he does it so much it’s essentially turned into this Simpsons meme:

As I get older I find it easier and easier to follow his sage advice even if it is axiomatic. However, when it comes to the Oscars, well, like Alanis Morrissette sings, “It’s some good advice that I just didn’t take.” Sorry Mike. Maybe someday.

But enough pre-amble! Here are my takes on the snubs and surprises from the 2025 Oscar nominations. For the most part I’ll be addressing the major categories with a few exceptions.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Snub: Challengers Music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

This may be the most perplexing snub of the year. I’m not a huge Luca Guadagnino fan but I adored Challengers and I think one of the highlights was Ross and Reznor’s propulsive score. This is one of those instances where the score made a great film excellent. I don’t know if it’s because the duo have won Oscars twice now (The Social Network, Soul) or what but this one is pretty egregious.

Surprise: The Wild Robot Music by Kris Bowers

This one made me so happy. The Wild Robot isn’t just the best animated film of the year, it’s one of the best films of 2024. I was an emotional wreck after this one as was my wife. Aside from the stunning animation and story, Kris Bowers score was as vital, dynamic, and riveting as any other part of the movie. I am so happy Bowers received a nod for his work and I’m definitely rooting for him and the movie this year.

BEST DIRECTOR

Snubs: Dune Part Two Directed by Denis Villeneuve and Nosferatu Directed by Robert Eggers

Listen I saw the Villeneuve writing on the wall for this one weeks ago but it didn’t piss me off any less. This reeks of the Academy’s general disdain for science-fiction. Villeneuve should have received a nomination for Part One but not garnering one for Part Two is ridiculous to the point of absurdity. Dune Part Two is a stunning achievement from the top down and no one with any critical thinking skills could not conclude it’s one of the best directed films of the year. Except the Academy apparently. All due respect to Jacques Audiard, Coraline Fargeat, and yes even James Mangold who received nominations, but Emilia Perez, The Substance, and A Complete Unknown are not better directed films than Dune Part Two. They just aren’t.

If you think the Academy are snobs about science-fiction, it’s nothing compared to their position on horror (The Substance not withstanding). But I’ll bring that up in Best Picture category. Regardless, I’m starting to wonder if someone at the Academy has it in for Robert Eggers. My man is 4/4 when it comes to films. A true auteur, Nosferatu may be his best work to date. Again I don’t know how any sane person could look at Nosferatu and think it is not one of the best directed films of the year. Hang in there Bobby E, you’ll get there someday.

Surprise: A Complete Unknown Directed by James Mangold

Every single Best Director nominee this year is a first timer and I couldn’t be happier for James Mangold. I hate it when people call him a journeyman director because it’s always made like a backhanded insult. The truth is that Mangold is an excellent director who’s been producing quality films for almost three decades now. While I think other directors were deserving (see above) I love the fact that Mangold finally scored a nomination in the directing category. There’s no chance in Hell he’ll win but it’s still awesome.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Snub: Dune Part Two Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya

Spoiler alert if you haven’t figured it out already but these snubs are going to be skewed heavily toward Dune Part Two. You’ll notice I wrote “and” above, not “or.” That’s because I fully believe both women should have been nominated in this category. The evolution of Ferguson’s character of Mother Jessica in Dune Part Two was nothing less than enthralling. I’d always appreciated Ferguson as an actor but she earned my complete and utter respect with this performance. Watching her go from a harried mother trying to save her son to essentially a cult leader gathering people to follow her son was captivating.

Zendaya on the other hand was the heart and soul of Dune Part Two. You could make a strong arguement that she’s the co-lead along with Timothee Chalamet. She’s able to bring a fierceness and vulnerability to the role of Chani that was lacking in Herbert’s novel. The fact that the final shot of the film coalesces around her and the multiple facial expressions Zendaya proffers just before it cuts to black made for an amazing capper on a masterful movie. I can’t imagine Dune Part Two without her.

Surprise: Conclave Isabella Rossellini

I would have put Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown (go Monica!) here, until I saw that Rossellini was nominated. Listen, I loved Conclave. I mean I freakin’ loved that film. Having said that, Rossellini was barely in the movie. If she had ten lines total I’ll eat my hat. This is a clear case of a career Oscar nomination (it’s Rossellini’s first) and I absolutely detest those. It’s honestly an insult to a woman whose career spans five decades and has delivered considerably better work on multiple occasions. So while I’m happy for her, this one was a head scratcher.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Snub: Javier Bardem and Austin Butler for Dune Part Two

Much like their female counterparts in the supporting category, both of these fine actors should have been nominated. It was a delight to watch Bardem’s Stilgar go from an amusing believer in the Lisan al Gaib messiah story, to a father figure and supporter of Paul Atriedes, to a full on fanatical jihad leader by the conclusion of the film. I don’t think we appreciate the genius of Bardem enough.

As for Butler, he’s quickly become an actor I’ll watch in anything. His portrayal of the psychopathic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen was maybe the best on screen since Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter. Butler was captivating and horrifying all at once. And the man didn’t even show up until well over an hour into the movie. An all-timer of a villain.

Surprise: Yura Borisov for Anora

I liked Anora even if I didn’t connect with it as much as others and I thought the mid portion of the film was relentlessly annoying. Although Borisov does an admirable job as the nuanced and deep Russian henchman Igor, there really wasn’t anything ground breaking to his performance. There wasn’t a single scene where I thought he distinguished himself from those around him. While I sincerely hope Borisov continues to have a strong career, his nomination came as real surprise to me.

BEST ACTRESS

Snubs: Challengers Zendaya and Lily-Rose Depp for Nosferatu

I’m starting to feel like a member of the Zendaya Snub Fan Club. What does this woman have to do to earn some love from the Academy? If anything, Zendaya’s performance as tennis player Tashi Duncan highlights her supreme talent because her portrayal is so different than Chani in Dune Part Two. Tashi is driven to the point of obsession and the way she tows the line between sex and power and her ability to manipulate those around her to get what she wants is fascinating. What a stellar performance that the Academy completely overlooked. Talk about an obvious double fault.

I have never been impressed with Lily-Rose Depp’s work up until this point. I always considered her the classic nepo baby who got lucky. Until I saw her work in Nosferatu. I’ll never doubt her talent again. Her performance is beyond the pale. A powerhouse tour de force of sexual repression, fear, guilt, anger, lust, love–it’s all on display here. And what’s Depp is able to do with her facial expressions and how she’s able to contort her body–Lord have mercy! It’s a travesty that Depp wasn’t nominated.

Surprise: I’m Still Here Fernanda Torres

I have to be completely honest, I’m Still Here is one of the few Oscar films I haven’t had the chance to see yet. The reason I’m putting Torres in the surprise category is that many movie pundits felt this was a long shot despite a stellar performance. The Academy tends to honor known entities rather than fresh faces. (Not that Torres is a fresh face considering she’s had a career for over four decades.) That’s why I was fully expecting Angelina Jolie to be nominated for her role as Maria Callas in Maria. Nice to see Torres sneak in though.

BEST ACTOR

Snub: Dune Part Two Timothee Chalamet

Yes I know, Chalamet was nominated for A Complete Unknown. And yes I know that no actor has ever been nominated in the same category twice in one year. But if there was ever a year to do it, it was this year. As much as I loved and admired Chalamet’s role as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, his performance as Paul Atreides is next level great. Extremely nuanced with an incredible character arc, I could not take my eyes off of Chalamet from the jump. His scene toward the end where he fully embraces the messiah role, his knife fight with Feyd-Rautha, his first ride on the sandworm, or even the way he looks at Chani with unadulterated love–it’s hard to deny that this is one of the best performances of the 21st century. I sincerely hope Chalamet wins for A Complete Unknown but damn it would have been inspirational if he’d won for Dune Part Two.

Surprise: The Apprentice Sebastian Stan

Believe it or not I got five minutes into The Apprentice the other day before I had to step away due to life events. So unfortunately I cannot provide a valid assessment of Stan’s performance as Donald Trump. Nevertheless I’m categorizing this as a surprise not because Stan isn’t worthy (I’m sure he is) but because if anything I thought he’d be nominated for A Different Man. Everyone seemed to think so and considering Hollywood’s mostly anti-Trump sentiment, this one was kind of a shocker even if The Apprentice is nothing close to a hagiography. In point of fact I thought Daniel Craig would have replaced Stan for his role in Queer but apparently the Academy hates Luca Guadagnino this year.

BEST PICTURE

Snubs: Challengers and Nosferatu

Speaking of Luca Guadagnino hate, I’m totally flummoxed as to why Challengers did not receive more love including a Best Picture nomination. A riveting deconstruction of obsession, the drive to be the best, and what you will sacrifice and who you will manipulate to get there, it’s unquestionably one of the best films of 2024 and damn entertaining. The performances, the score, the direction, the cinematography, it’s dynamite. It connects harder than a scorching serve from Tashi Duncan. For shame Academy

As much as the Challengers snub annoyed me, the Nosferatu snub made me want to put my fist through a wall. When it comes to horror, the Academy are a bunch of effete snobs. And yes I already hear people saying “But Corrye what about The Substance?” I see you. However, that’s a body horror film that wears its feminist commentary on its sleeve, a theme which very much appeals to the old guard Academy voters. The Substance was phenomenal but Nosferatu is a masterpiece. There’s not a single aspect of cinematic filmmaking in Nosferatu that isn’t peerless. The Substance is a Banksy but Nosferatu is a van Gogh. The Academy voters all deserve a visit from Count Orlok for this one.

Surprise: Emilia Perez getting thirteen Oscar nominations

So here’s the thing. I don’t think there’s necessarily a surprise per se for any of the Best Picture nominees. For the most part they are the usual suspects. What was surprising was Emilia Perez getting thirteen nominations. Here are some other films that have received at least that many nominations: Mary Poppins, From Here to Eternity, Chicago, Oppenheimer, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

I saw Emilia Perez. I liked Emilia Perez. I’m here to tell you that Emilia Perez did not deserve thirteen Oscar nominations and it’s not even in the same galaxy as the aforementioned films. Aside from Zoe Saldana’s stellar performance (she’s probably a lock for Best Supporting Actress) there’s nothing about the film that warrants this much love.

Well there you have it! We will see how it all shakes out come March 2nd!