Top Ten 2023 Oscar Snubs

They can't all be winners - but sometimes not getting a nomination can feel almost like a personal insult! Here are what I consider the biggest, most upsetting snubs at this year's Oscars.

10. The Northman snubbed in all categories, including Production Design

I don't know what happened, but Robert Eggers' excellent Viking epic The Northman came and went earlier this year, unable to drum up any support this awards season. This Shakespearean tale of revenge brought the brutal Nordic world of the late 800s to life with some amazingly-crafted sets and costumes, and I was hoping to see it at least sneak in MAYBE this one category. Unfortunately, this movie will have to find its audience some other way!

9. She Said snubbed for Best Adapted Screenplay

Maybe I'm being a conspiracy theorist here, but part of me thinks She Said was shunned by the Academy Awards because it would've made the celebrities question themselves too much, and their complacent association with infamous scumbag Harvey Weinstein. To me, the film was reminiscent of All the President's Men and Spotlight, with a propulsive energy despite only focusing on conversations. It's a testament to the writing that an unexaggerated film about journalism could be so engrossing.

8. Jeremy Pope for Lead Actor in The Inspection

While it's awesome to see Paul Mescal get a nomination for the excellent, moving, and patient indie drama Aftersun (my #10 film this year),  Jeremy Pope's breakthrough performance was unfortunately not given the same recognition. Playing a gay man in the military, forced to hide his sexuality and shunned by his mother for his lifestyle, he delivers a heart-wrenching performance that definitely put him on my radar. Hopefully he continues to get roles like this until the Oscars finally shine a light on him!

7. Mad God Snubbed for Animated Film

While I wasn't necessarily expecting it, Phil Tippet's horrifying vision of hell was one of the most unique, haunting, complicated pieces of animation I've ever seen, and the fact that it wasn't nominated over the more conventional Puss in Boots 2 (which, granted, is a lot of fun), shows where the Oscars' head is at when it comes to this category.

6. Decision to Leave snubbed for Best Foreign Language Film

South Korea was the first country to win Best Picture with a Foreign Language film (Parasite), but it wasn't their year this time. Decision to Leave is a romantic-mystery film from one of the country's most prominent filmmakers, Park Chan-wook, winning Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, but for whatever reason this intricately-plotted, beautifully crafted film didn't make the cut.

5. Wakanda Forever Snubbed for Music Score

Ludwig Göransson managed to win this category for the first Black Panther film, but surprisingly was unable to snag a nomination this year. Personally, I thought the score was incredible, especially concerning the underwater Talokans, whose presence is preceded with a creepy "call and response" chant. Maybe it was just a little too similar to the first for voters to want to reward the series again.

4. Top Gun: Maverick for Cinematography

This came as a shock, because I honestly thought Top Gun was going to win this category. The aerial cinematography is next-level, with some of the most thrilling fight pilot action scenes ever committed to film.

3. Dolly De Leon snubbed for Best Supporting Actress in Triangle of Sadness

This is a confusing omission, considering Triangle of Sadness received a Best Director, Picture, and Screenplay nomination - but the most magnetic performance in the film went empty-handed. This first American feature from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund is about a yacht cruise of rich people who use the workers as their personal play things - but when the yuppies crash on an uninhabited island, their lack of real world skills or knowledge turns the order completely around, and now the servants (lead by Dolly de Leon) have the upper hand. She was my favorite part of the movie, so it's a little disappointing to see her lose out on a nom.

2. James Cameron Snubbed for Best Director for Avatar: The Way of Water

13 years in the making, James Cameron's mega-gamble of one of the most expensive movies in history somehow paid off. He now has three of the top ten highest-earning films of all time, and it's primarily his insane vision that made it all possible. Love or hate the film, it's a massive achievement, but maybe the directors branch didn't think Cameron needed any more of a spotlight.

1. TIE! Best Actress Snubs for Danielle Deadwyler in Till and Mia Goth in Pearl

My two favorite female performances this year were snubbed! Danielle Deadwyler was the favorite to be the sole nomination for the historical drama Till, where she plays the grieving mother of Emmett Till with such an amazing degree of pathos that she can hold an audience with a 5+ minute close-up alone. And you know who else did that this year? Mia Goth! Pearl, my #2 film of 2022, wasn't expected to get any nominations because it's a horror film, and the Oscars are notorious when it comes to horror. Whether it's Florence Pugh in Midsommar, Lupita Nyong'o in Us or Toni Collette in Hereditary, any horror love at awards season is the exception to the rule, and it's a damn shame!

Thanks for reading! Despite the snubs, it's sure to be an interesting Awards Season! I will be back for my official Oscar predictions soon!