2025 Oscar Nominations Reaction
Another year, another round of mixed-bag Oscar nominations. After watching the many movies I do and seeing the Academy's inner workings, I’ve come to accept a certain level of disappointment in the Oscars.
Both in nominations and wins. I will hold my third annual Awards in February. For now, we will react to this year’s Oscar nominations and celebrate the films of 2024.
Some overall thoughts:
Emilia Perez leads the field with 13 nominations…OOF. The Brutalist and Wicked follow with 10. Talk about a real one of these is not like the others. Except Emilia Perez makes Wicked look like Citizen Kane.
For me personally, this slate of nominees has highs and lows. Anora, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, and Sing Sing are incredible films everyone should watch. Wicked, Emilia Perez, and some of A Complete Unknown are at the bottom.
Just like every Academy Nomination morning, you gotta take the good with the bad and focus on the good.
Now! Without further ado, let’s look at each category:
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
This is the first of many questionable Wicked nominations. Did you see the flying monkeys? It's cool that Alien: Romulus and Better Man got in. In most years, I’d root for Better Man, but Dune: Part Two should and will take this.
Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Wicked and Emilia Perez…Taking spots from films like Civil War and Furiosa. Even Challengers I’d put in here over either of the musicals.
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Perez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Emilia Perez again!!! I know it never had a shot but Terrifer 3 belongs in here over that garbage musical. Same with In a Violent Nature. Would’ve liked that over Wicked though it was never going to happen.
No complaints from the other three nominees.
Music (Original Song)
“El Mal” – Emilia Perez
“The Journey” – The Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Perez
“Never Too Late” – Elton John: Never Too Late
One of the several problems with Emilia Perez is the music. It’s bad and it does not work as a musical. So having two songs, not one person could hum is a problem.
Diane Warren getting nominated again because her friends are the guild continue to be funny and annoying. Annoying because she takes spots from worthy people and funny because she continues to lose.
Honestly, this whole category is not great. “Like a Bird” is pretty good.
The only place I wanted The Last Showgirl to appear was here for Miley Cyrus. Too bad.
The Academy has reported there will be no live performances during the ceremony. At least we’re saved from having to hear the Emilia Perez songs again.
Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
Conclave – Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Perez – Clement Ducol & Camille
Wicked – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz
The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers
NO CHALLENGERS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What is anyone even doing? If Daniel Blumberg doesn’t run away with this it’ll be a crime. Emilia Perez and Wicked can get lost. The only other score I like here is The Wild Robot.
However, I would swap Flow for The Wild Robot. Flow is an incredible score that’ll be used for study and meditation for years to come. As well as helping to tell the story of a silent film.
Conclave’s is a bit goofy, really pleading with the audience to take the film deathly serious. Calm down, it’s Pope’s being catty, this is popcorn fun.
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
No Dune: Part Two or Furiosa. I find the Conclave nomination weird. Those red robes everywhere sure are poppin’!
One of the few places I’d actually nominate Wicked.
Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Here is the other category for Wicked. The sets look great, even though it looks like they were built on the surface of the sun.
I do like the Conclave nomination here, all those sets were built and it’s impressive looking. Honestly, overall this is probably the category the Academy got the most right.
Cinematography
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Maria
Nosferatu
Emilia Perez over Nickel Boys is bad. Maria is a pleasant surprise here. I’m not sure how Nickel Boys missed, its cinematography in relation to storytelling is revolutionary and will be ripped off for years to come.
Film Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Perez
Wicked
Again, Emilia Perez, why? Wicked? No thanks. No Challengers? Did ya’ll see that final tennis match? Nickel Boys is phenomenally edited and would have been worthy here.
Live Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
I will have to catch the shorts where I can. Like every other year, I have no opinion to give on them because I haven’t seen any of them.
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Same here, I can say it’s surprising a Netflix documentary with a star missed here (Will and Harper). I’ve heard great things about Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat and Sugarcane.
Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
No surprises here, I still need to see Memoir of a Snail. I really hope Flow can win this.
International Feature Film
I’m Still Here
The Girl with the Needle
Emilia Perez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Flow
I’ve only seen Flow and Emilia Perez. Because the other films have yet to be released here. I’m going to have to catch up with I’m Still Here given the Best Actress and Best Picture nominations.
Due to rules I know it was not eligible but I wish Evil Does Not Exist could be here.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
I’m good with the first three nominees. I have yet to see September 5, but I am seeing it this Friday finally. Why it took this long for an American film to come to the Midwest is beyond me.
The one thing I don’t think is strong in The Substance is the script. Though it was never gonna happen Rebel Ridgewould’ve been a great nomination here, as well as Challengers.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown – James Mangold & Jay Cocks
Conclave – Peter Straughan
Emilia Perez – Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, & Nicolas Livecchi
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield
Pleasantly surprised with Nickel Boys and Sing Sing getting in here. Not surprised by Conclave and I suspect that it is this category’s winner. Emilia Perez here and that film needs four writers…WOOF!
A Complete Unknown, sure, It’s just not a movie. It’s a series of Bob Dylan songs performed. Performed well I’ll give you.
Dune: Part Two not getting in here is bad. It’s a great adaptation, using the original as a guide but making it Denis’ vision. Also, Hit Man was never getting in here but it’s such a smart film.
Directing
Sean Baker – Anora
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Perez
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Denis Villeneuve missing for Dune: Part Two and not being nominated for either Dune film is something I will never understand. Especially when you consider that Emilia Perez was nominated here.
Coralie Fargeat being nominated here is cool. I would’ve liked to have seen RaMell Ross here for Nickel Boys. I get James Mangold being nominated because the Academy greatly respects him.
However, I did not care for A Complete Unknown and wouldn’t have nominated him for the film. If Brady Corbet does not walk away with this, I cannot help the Academy.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldana – Emilia Perez
Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t make it for The Last Showgirl. It would’ve been a better nomination than the one she one for…
I never felt Margaret Qualley was going to make it for The Substance. The film performed about as strongly as it could’ve and she still missed.
Zoe is the only good thing about Emilia Perez; she makes it watchable.
I’m very happy for Monica Barbaro. For me, she’s the MVP of A Complete Unknown. Ariana is very funny in Wicked. I’m happy for Isabella finally getting an Oscar nomination after such a long and storied career.
I don’t hate the second half of The Brutalist, so I don’t hate Felicity’s nomination here. It also shows what strength that film has. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but her getting in here means it is competing for Best Picture.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
No big surprises here. If there was a surprise it’s Jeremy Strong, but he picked up enough precursors that we could’ve seen this coming.
The other four were as expected. Kieran is walking away with this award.
I was hoping for Clarence Maclin for Sing Sing. Given how well the film performed he was close, possibly sixth place.
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon – Emilia Perez
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Again, still need to see I’m Still Here. Congrats to Demi for getting her first nomination ever! After her Globes speech, I think she pushed herself to the front of this pack.
Mikey is great in Anora and I have no doubt she’ll be back. Cynthia was no surprise here but I don’t think she is competing.
Congrats to Karla for being the first trans actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. Yes, this is a big moment. However, it’s unfortunate it took so long when other trans performances have been worthy for years. Not to mention the first trans performance to be nominated is for Emilia Perez.
The big shocker I think is no Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths. Maybe it took too long to go wide? Who knows, but she should be in here. Make no mistake it’s one of the best performances of the year.
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
The first four who were at every precursor is here again. The surprise is Sebastian for The Apprentice. Just when I thought I was going to look cool for nominating him when the Oscars didn’t. Sometimes I don’t give them enough credit, then they give 13 nominations to Emilia Perez.
Honestly, sight unseen, this could be a top ten lineup in this category in the 97 years at the Oscars.
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
This lineup is high highs and low lows. Three films with 4.5-5 star ratings. Four with 3.5 stars and below. Conclave and Dune: Part Two sits somewhere in the middle. With me not having seen I’m Still Here.
Unlike last year, at least there are a few films I am passionate about, however, there is a film I loathe and one I thought was ok. So, as I said before, you have to take the good with the bad and celebrate the stuff you’re happy about. Focus on the good.
