10 Biggest Oscar Snubs of 2021

Despite the fact that movie theaters have been either closed or at minimum capacity for the majority of the year, IT'S OSCAR SEASON!! The Oscars are like my personal Superbowl, and nomination announcement day is always exciting. What made the cut? Who will go home a total loser? Getting an Oscar nomination cements one's movie cred in the history books forever, even during a weird COVID year, so a snub hurts extra hard! The following are what I consider to be the 10 biggest snubs of the 2021 Oscars:

10. The Invisible Man snubbed for Best Visual Effects, Best Actress, Best Sound

Horror movies getting respect at the Oscars is always the exception to the rule. Although Get Out, Silence of the Lambs, and The Exorcist show that sometimes a fright flick can cut through the sobering period pieces and family melodramas, it just wasn't The Invisible Man's year. Despite being a brilliant reinvention of the classic Universal Monster as a metaphor for hidden domestic abuse it earned no love this season. Elizabeth Moss delivers a fantastic performance essentially against "nothing" (I mean, it's an invisible man), the sound design was delicately calibrated for the perfect scares, and the visual effects were simple, but horrifying. I was hoping for it to sneak in there somewhere but oh well... at least this movie will definitely have a longer shelf life than most of the other nominees!

9. I'm Thinking of Ending Things for Best Adapted Screenplay

Eccentric screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is no stranger to Oscar voters; his surreal, offbeat films like Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Anomalisa were all nominated, and his brilliant sci-fi film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind won for Best Original Screenplay. But despite his successful track record, he wasn't able to sneak in a nomination for his latest thought-provoking weirdo artist endeavor I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Perhaps this one was just a little too divisive for the Oscar voters.

8. Soul for Best Picture

Similar to horror, animated films are typically also subjugated to "lesser-than" status. As of yet no animated film has ever won Best Picture, and it's surprising that Pixar's latest and most ambitious project yet couldn't even snag a nomination this year, unable to join the ranks of Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3, the only films to make it onto the Best Picture docket. But for sure if anyone could break tradition and get Best Picture for a "cartoon" it would be the brilliant Pete Docter!

7. Ellen Burstyn Snubbed for Supporting Actress in Pieces of a Woman

Although Vanessa Kirby rightfully earned a nomination for her AMAZING performance in the harrowing film Pieces of a Woman, for whatever reason Ellen Burstyn, playing Kirby's mother, continually was shut out of the awards conversation this year. Is this ageism? She's great in the film, even if she is playing an unlikeable character, and deserved the nomination. At 88 years old to deliver such a powerful performance is incredible!

6. All In's "Turntables" for Best Original Song

Best Original Song is always a difficult category to predict each year, but this anthem from Janelle Monae seemed like a sure bet for the nomination. With nearly 2 million views on YouTube (a significant amount more than 3 of its competitors) and a strong message about voters' rights, it's surprising to see it left out, especially with Monae being Oscar-adjacent in past years with her roles in Moonlight and Hidden Figures.

5. Zendaya snubbed for Malcolm & Marie

I'm not complaining or anything since the Best Actress race was tight this year, but I do think Zendaya deserved a nomination for her amazing performance in Malcolm & Marie, which for some reason is only getting a lukewarm response. Ironically in the movie she plays a woman who wasn't thanked at an awards show!

4. Tenet snubbed for Best Music Score

Ludwig Göransson won a Grammy and an Oscar for his work on Black Panther, and then an Emmy for The Mandalorian, so this 30-something is only a Tony away from an EGOT! Unfortunately his first collaboration with Christopher Nolan did not earn him a nomination, unlike Hans Zimmer, who's sort of Nolan's musical muse, earning nominations for Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk. Tenet was my favorite music score of 2020, so it stung not to see it nominated!

3. Never Rarely Sometimes Always snubbed for Best Actress

I didn't think this movie had a chance at the Oscars, which is a shame, but I was still crossing my fingers it could sneak in somewhere. First-time actress Sidney Flanigan delivers a subtle but powerful performance as a young girl struggling to get an abortion in New York City. Maybe it was a little too "indie" for the Oscars, but I hope this movie finds its audience over time.

2. Boys State misses Documentary Feature

I have yet to see two of the nominees in this category, but I'm a little surprised not to see Boys State make the cut. The film is about a camp in Texas where thousands of teenage boys create a mock government, with the "winner" of the election getting a scholarship. It's terrifying how the results mirror that of "real" elections. A great doc, but its cynicism may have turned some of the Academy's voting body away.

1. Da 5 Bloods snubs Spike Lee and Delroy Lindo

By far the most egregious snub is Delroy Lindo for Da 5 Bloods. While critics were somewhat split on the film, Lindo delivers an undeniably great performance, and this would have been the perfect time to award the long-standing, unheralded character actor. Similarly, Spike Lee has only been nominated for Best Director once for Black Klansman, despite being one of the most famous directors in the business.

All that being said, there weren't too many shockers in the nominations this year. I'm overall really happy with what did make it in, and I can't wait to see what wins come Oscar night! Be on the lookout for my Oscar prediction blog post coming soon!