The Oscars Needs to Get It Together

It’s a Sunday afternoon. Hollywood’s biggest stars pack into the Dolby Theater, where everyone eagerly awaits for their categories to be announced. The women look stunning, the men are trying their best. It’s the last chance for these nominees to shine. I hoped that The 97th Academy Awards would do what they’re supposed to: give recognition to the year’s best cinematic work. As the show went on, I was horrified by their choices.

The In Memoriam segment was tragic—but for all the wrong reasons. As the In Memoriam began to play, (as terrible as it sounds) I couldn’t hold back my laughter. They chose Lacrimosa by Mozart, a haunting requiem, to play alongside the slideshow of fallen legends. The creepy song choice made it feel as if the Academy was attempting to resurrect the late actors instead of honoring their passing. Not only was the song an awful choice, but The Academy rightfully received major backlash for leaving out notable actors who passed, such as Michelle Tratchenburg and Olivia Hussey.

They also failed to give David Lynch, one of the most influential filmmakers of our time, a proper memorial. The Academy had time for a random 7-minute-long James Bond tribute, but only gave 10 seconds of screentime for the great David Lynch? You would think that after 31 years of honoring the deceased, they would learn to do it tastefully, but I guess that’s just asking for too much.

The Oscars are losing sight of what makes a good movie. It’s a total joke that an embarrassment like Emilia Perez can walk away with 2 awards, while a masterpiece like Challengers didn’t receive a single nomination. Emilia Perez is a Netflix original about a lawyer who agrees to help a cartel kingpin undergo a sex change operation but was poorly received by audiences for being both terribly acted and terribly sung. The singing is so bad it made me question if it was intentional. I felt that no one truly embodied their character, especially Selena Gomez. She’s been acting since she was a child, yet her performance in this movie made it seem like she’s never even taken an acting class.

To make matters worse, Emilia Perez disrespects Mexico as it downplays real suffering caused by cartel violence. The director, Jacques Audiard, has called the Spanish language “of the poor and migrants”, and claimed to have done no prior research. Nothing about this movie is remarkable, and it certainly wasn’t worthy of any accolades.

Although I’m glad that independent films are finally getting recognized at the Oscars, Anora was far from deserving. Mikey Madison plays Anora, a sex worker who falls in love and marries Vanya, the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. The film wanders around aimlessly most of the time, relying heavily on its outlandish characters and Euphoria-esque party scenes to keep the viewer entertained. It’s a shame since the film is full of great performances, especially Mikey Madison. Her winning Best Actress is a true testament to her skills, but I wish Sean Baker gave her more to sink her teeth into. Unfortunately, the film seems to drift away from Madison’s character, allowing other characters to take the spotlight. The movie is centered around her experience with her husband, yet it never bothers to explore her character further. Anora lacked substance and was undeserving of Best Picture.

Challengers, an electrifying film with a whopping 88% Rotten Tomatoes score, was well received by both audiences and critics. I loved how exhilarating it was to watch that film in theaters. Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor all knock it out of the park with their performances. The film wraps you in a decades-long love triangle between 3 tennis players and leaves you wanting more when the credits roll. It has everything you could want in a movie: a thrilling plot, strong performances and a near-perfect score. It’s disrespectful that a film as good as this got zero recognition from The Academy.

Nickel Boys is another breathtaking film that was completely underappreciated this awards season. Even though it was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, it deserved nominations for both its cinematography and acting. Shot entirely from a first-person POV, the viewer is immersed in the action through the eyes of its leads, Elwood and Turner. Their tragic story is beautifully told by the seamless performances of their actors, Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson. This film is one of a kind and deserved so much better.

As soon as the ceremony was over I shut off my TV and immediately hopped on X (formerly known as Twitter) to find people who felt as frustrated as I did. I mourned with others over Nickel Boys, persisting that the film deserved everything. I bickered with Anora lovers who were celebrating their wins. Of course, art is subjective and everyone has their own opinions, but it’s disappointing when you have soulless films like Emilia Perez winning major awards while neglecting absolute gems that are compelling and passionate. The movie industry is taking a weird turn, and I’m not sure where it’s going to end up. The Academy is holding me hostage because, despite my frustrations, I will be tuning in next year hoping they get it right. They’ve awarded great work in the past. There are some great movies I’m excited for this year, so I hope they lock in and correct their mistakes.