What the Oscar Nominations Missed – and if I Picked Them

Samuel Stephenson 

Towards the end of January, the Academy Awards nominations were announced. As usual, there were several snubs (some which I find inexcusable). There is often a lot of politics involved inside the Academy which explain why certain films were left out. This is certainly true of certain directors and writers. But my job here isn’t to shout my frustrations. I’m eager to make a list and point out films which should’ve made the list. Because if you’re frustrated about a snub, the best thing to do is to share your thoughts about the film and encourage others to see it. After all, I’m not entirely convinced that the Oscars is the thing which gives films the most cultural relevance. For example, I don’t think CODA (although a film I loved) which won best Picture in 2022 will necessarily have more of a lasting impact than any of the nine other nominees that year. 

Rules 

To keep things fresh, I will be selecting picks for each category which were not included in the Oscar nominations - although allowing myself an extra spot for a mention of my favourite of the Oscar nominees. While not re-doing every single category, I will be picking those which feel the most important in my opinion. 

Best Supporting Actress 

Angela Bassett in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Winner) 

Jodie Comer in 28 Years Later 

Ariana Grande in Wicked: For Good 

Shih Yuan Ma in Left-Handed Girl 

Lesley Sharp in Pillion 

(Extra: Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value) 

Angela Bassett held her own in a film which already had an awful lot going for it. I mean, this film could’ve survived purely on the sheer absurdity and adrenaline of Tom Cruise’s stunts, but I believe the scenes with Bassett’s character (the President) were equally thrilling and terrifying, thanks to her electrifying screen presence and gravitas. This is yet another performance which proves that she is one of the best actors working today, I truly believe that if this performance existed in a film separate from a franchise, then it would’ve landed her a nomination. 

Best Supporting Actor 

Aidan Delbis in Bugonia 

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later (Winner) 

William H. Macy in Train Dreams 

Peter Mullan in I Swear 

Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly 

(Extra: Stellan Skarsgård in Sentimental Value) 

This one was easy. For me, 28 Years Later is one of best and most inventive films in recent years, and Ralph Fiennes absolutely stole the show with the limited screen time his character was given. He really captured the slightly insane, but full of heart nature of his character in a way I believe very few other actors could. You can feel in the film how the apocalypse has affected him and Fiennes manages to convince the audience that he is truly holding the burden of it all. 

Best Cinematography 

Chen Ko-chin, Kao Tzu-hao for Left-Handed Girl 

Anthony Dod Mantle for 28 Years Later (Winner) 

Robbie Ryan for Bugonia 

Linus Sandgren for Jay Kelly 

Kim Woo-hyung for No Other Choice 

(6^th Spot: Adolpho Veloso for Train Dreams) 

Both 28 Years Later and Left-Handed Girl this year proved that consumer-grade cinematography is anything but a gimmick and is here to stay. Both films, shot on iPhones, had an incredibly naturalistic feel to them which could not be captured using standard industry cameras. 28 Years Later in particular somehow managed to create a new style which made it feel unlike any other big blockbuster we’ve seen in a long time. 

Best Score 

Bryce Dessner for Train Dreams 

Young Fathers for 28 Years Later 

Michael Giacchino for The Fantastic 4: First Steps (Winner) 

Daniel Lopatin for Marty Supreme 

Nala Sinephro for The Smashing Machine 

(Extra: Jerskin Fendrix for Bugonia) 

I found choosing one in this category to be particularly challenging All scores in the list brought something incredibly unique to their film. The winner may have been Sinephro for her incredibly ethereal ambient jazz score (which managed to fit incredibly well into a wrestling biopic), if there had been more music created for the film. However, I found Michael Giacchino’s score for The Fantastic 4: First Steps to be utterly magical, with several tracks which feel wholly iconic and singular. I truly believe that the score did much of the heavy lifting for this film. 

Best Actress 

Laura Dern in Is This Thing On? 

Sally Hawkins in Bring Her Back (Winner) 

Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love 

Amanda Seyfried in The Testament of Ann Lee 

Eva Victor in Sorry, Baby 

(Extra: Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another) 

Sally Hawkins, one of Britain’s best, created one of the most loveable characters of all time in the Paddington films. And in this film, she creates a truly despicable and terrifying character. None of the joy and warmth of Mrs Brown can be found in her character here. Hawkin’s range is undeniable. 

Best Actor 

Robert Aramayo in I Swear (Winner) 

Lee Byung-hun in No Other Choice 

George Clooney in Jay Kelly 

Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning 

Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams  

Jesse Plemons in Bugonia (it felt unfair to pick 5!) 

(Extra: Michael B. Jordan in Sinners) 

There were so many good performances this year, many which did not even get a mention. For example, Tom Cruise’s level of commitment to his performance with all the stunts should be applauded and celebrated. George Clooney basically played himself in Jay Kelly but did it in an incredibly retrospective and sentimental way which made the character and the performance a wonderful example of meta-casting. But it was Aramayo’s incredibly authentic, genuine performance which did the most for me. 

Best Picture 

28 Years Later 

The Ballad of Wallis Island 

Boys Go to Jupiter 

I Swear 

Jay Kelly 

Left-Handed Girl 

Pillion 

Materialists 

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning 

No Other Choice (Winner) 

(Extra: Train Dreams) 

Park-chan-wook’s No Other Choice contains incredibly insightful and powerful commentary on masculine identity, the death of society by capitalism and AI, and stubbornness. It all felt like a cry for help, it left me feeling full of despair. Park’s incredible directing skills fitted with his quippy dialogue and razor-sharp editing made this film an absolute thrill to watch. The film also features the best needle drop of the year, in a scene which is pitch-perfect and gave me chills. Arguably the most politically and culturally relevant film of the year.