The 2024 Oscar nominations have many outraged at performances and films being “snubbed”. A year with so many incredible films, and a limited number of slots available, leave some of the best performances kept out of the spotlight. “Barbie” may have been snubbed for best actress and director, but here is a list of the films that were undeservedly shut out of this year’s Oscars ceremony.
May December
May December was hands down, one of the most chilling films I saw last year. It follows Elizabeth Berry(Natalie Portman), an actress portraying the story of Gracie Atherton (Julianne Moore) going to jail for an affair with then-13 Joe(Charles Melton), twenty years after the scandal occurred. The characters in the film have so much depth. Portman shines playing a B-list actress desperately trying to get her big break and understand the mentality of Gracie. Moore’s character makes you feel sympathetic for the state she is in yet utterly disgusted at the way she manipulates the truth in her favor(and how the town she lives in lets this happen). Charles Melton’s character is so tragic, stuck in the shell of his thirteen-year-old self and trapped in a relationship with the very woman who sexually abused him.
The film is chock-full of stand-out performances, and all three leads deserved an Oscar nomination.
Saltburn
Saltburn is one of the most memorable films of 2023. It follows Oliver(Barry Keoghan), an Oxford outcast who is taken in by Felix(Jacob Elordi) to stay at his enormous estate during the summer. However, Oliver takes advantage of the situation, staging horrific events and doing everything in his power to take himself from middle to upper class. The writing in Saltburn kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was floored at the many twists the story took. It also has many scenes that will be etched in my memory forever. You will not look at bathtubs, graves, or the song “Murder on the Dance Floor” the same way after watching this film.
Saltburn had so many great performances, especially with Keoghan, Elordi, and Rosamund Pike. Its psychological thrills are what implant the film into the collective mind, and it deserves at least a nomination for Best Cinematography.
Priscilla
Priscilla was one of the films I most looked forward to last year, and it did not disappoint. It tells the love story of Priscilla(Cailee Spaeny) and Elvis (Jacob Elordi) through the former’s perspective, and is absolutely heartbreaking. Spaeny expertly channels the naivety of Priscilla一a high school freshman head over heels for her idol and craving his affection, despite their ten-year age gap. The most interesting part of the film is that it does not paint Elvis as the king-of-rock-and-roll, but as a man who is taking advantage of a teenager. It adds more complexity to the public’s interpretation of Elvis’ character and allows the viewer to see what he was like behind the screen.
Cailee Spaeny is such a talent, and even though the Oscars did not recognize her this year, I desperately hope she makes a return to the award season.
Suzume
Suzume was one of the best films I saw last year. It follows the titular character as she attempts to save her country from disaster through her ability to see the supernatural. The characters, writing, animation, score, and heart of the movie are incredible. I was shocked to see that it did not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film, but it deserves a watch, at the very least.
My full thoughts on the film can be seen here: https://voyager-online.org/11557/entertainment/makoto-shinkai-strikes-gold-once-more-with-new-hit-suzume/
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Hunger Games franchise is seldom recognized during the award season, and for what reason? Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, and so many others give incredible performances in the origin story of the despicable President Snow. The film is expertly shot, with the best soundtrack of the series, and moments that were the most chilling I saw this year. Songbirds and Snakes is, dare I say, the best of the Hunger Games franchise, and deserves far more nominations than it received this award season.
My full thoughts on the film can be seen here: https://voyager-online.org/12521/entertainment/the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-is-a-star-studded-spectacle/
These are simply my takes given the films I saw last year. I have yet to see Iron Claw, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, or All of Us Strangers, but I am sure they fit in this list as well. The Oscars may not have highlighted these films, but they all deserve a watch.
