The Academy only nominates a handful of movies for Best Picture each year, so there are some modern classics from the 2010s that were snubbed. The list of Best Picture nominees is always one of the most contentious reveals of each Oscars cycle, as fans argue over who should win and which films were left out.
The Academy has often been criticized for fixating on specific genres and nominating films which fit a certain mold. This means that plenty of worthy movies are looked over, and this was especially rife in the 2010s. Not only did the Oscars overlook some movies that should have been nominated, but they overlooked some films which should have won Best Picture outright.
Denis Villeneuve was already a critically-acclaimed director by the time he moved to Hollywood to start making English-language movies, and he made the transition with ease. Making two movies as good asEnemyandPrisonersin one year was the perfect way to announce himself to a bigger audience than ever before.
It’s a fascinating thriller that asks some uncomfortable questions about the nature of policing and criminal justice.
Prisonersremains one ofVilleneuve’s best movies, even though he has gravitated toward sci-fi more recently. It’s a fascinating thriller that asks some uncomfortable questions about the nature of policing and criminal justice, and how these concepts relate to our real lived experience.
9I, Tonya (2017)
Margot Robbie’s Performance Isn’t All That I, Tonya Has Going For It
The Academy seems to love biopics, so it was no real surprise to see Margot Robbie score a Best Actress nomination for her performance inI, Tonya.However, the film also deserved a Best Picture nomination. It’s a cut above some of the other biopics that the Academy has recognized.
I, Tonyadoesn’t fit the typical mold of a Hollywood biopic, which might explain why it was snubbed. It refuses to treat its subjects with reverence. Although it humanizes them and reveals deep truths about the human condition, it’s also darkly funny, with the zany energy of a crime caper and a sports underdog story rolled into one.
Knives Outlooks like a return to old Agatha Christie-style mystery movies, but it brings a surprisingly innovative approach to this framework. While Rian Johnson clearly has a lot of love for Christie and classic whodunit stories,Knives Outrefuses to conform to the conventional structure of these mysteries.
With a great ensemble cast and an infectious sense of style,Knives Outhas all the ingredients that make a classic mystery movie. What makes it stand out is the script, which shifts focus from the question of who committed the crime to something much more dangerous and unusual about halfway through.Wake Up Dead Manis set to continue Johnson’s franchise.
Gone Girlsees David Fincher returning to the crime genre once again, but his Hitchcockian thriller is a completely different offering from the likes ofFight Club, Se7enandZodiac.It’s still one ofFincher’s best movies, but not one of his three Best Picture nominees.
Rosamund Pike’s performance received plenty of awards-season glory, including a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars. Her icy sociopathic femme fatale has become a modern cinematic icon, but her performance also overshadows a lot ofGone Girl’s other good qualities.It has the power to stay with its audience for a long time.
Many of the best Coen brothers movies have enjoyed success at the Oscars, including Best Picture winnerNo Country for Old Men,butInside Llewyn Davissomehow flew under the radar. It has gotten more popular since its release, and has been recognized as one of the best movies of the 21st century by several major publications.
Inside Llewyn Davisis desperately sad and disarmingly funny in equal measure, but it never suffers from unintentional tonal dissonance. As an ambitious film that attempts to capture a portrait of a life in one week, it encompasses the broad span of human experience.It’s been said that it’s a roman-à-clef about Bob Dylan, but this is just one layer of its brilliance.
Alex Garland’sEx Machinais the closest thing to a modern classic that the sci-fi genre has. In terms of pure science-fiction, there are very few recent movies which are so captivating and so resonant, andEx Machina’s exploration of artificial intelligence continues to be vindicated in real life.
Ex Machinafeatures strong performances all-round, which is essential since the limited setting and cast leave no room for error. It’s a claustrophobic drama with a tightly written script that continually reveals more and more information about the characters. On a second watch, it’s almost a different movie.
Animated movies have historically been overlooked in the Best Picture race. That’s not to say that there should be one every year, but there should definitely have been more thanBeauty and the Beast, UpandToy Story 3by now.Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas a perfect candidate.
The firstSpider-Versemovie has an irreverent style, and it’s already clear to see the ripple-effect that it’s having on the animation industry. It’s a fascinating patchwork of different aesthetics, which captures its multiverse premise perfectly. Of course, this wouldn’t be worth much if the story wasn’t also outstanding.
Greta Gerwig has directed three feature-length films solo, and all three have received Best Picture nominations so far. Although she wasn’t behind the camera forFrances Ha,she co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach, and the movie bears plenty of her artistic hallmarks. Her lead performance is also perfectly measured.
Frances Hais a coming-of-age story about a woman in her mid-20s, which speaks to a younger generation trying to get a foothold in a perplexing modern world. By zeroing in on the specific,Frances Hamanages to expose some universal truths.It’s heartwarming, hilarious, and, above all, true.
The Academy doesn’t often pay much attention to franchise movies, but there have been a few exceptions in recent years. IfTop Gun: MaverickandMad Max: Fury Roadcan get Best Picture nominations, thenCreedshould also have been a top contender.It’s just as compelling and emotional as its predecessorRocky,which won Best Picture.
Creedis better than fans could reasonably have hoped for after theRockyfranchise’s patchy history. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan breathe new life into a familiar story, asCreedfollows the framework of an underdog boxing movie with plenty of originality and modern quirks. The fight scenes alone are worth the price of admission.
Céline Sciamma’sPortrait of a Lady on Fireis a gorgeous period romance, with practically every frame resembling an 18th century oil painting. From windswept coastal landscapes to intimate, revealing portraits, Sciamma uses her camera to tell a remarkable story.
Sciamma uses her camera to tell a remarkable story.
Parasitebecame the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture in 2019, butPortrait of a Lady on Fireshould have been in the running too. Despite being snubbed at the Oscars, its reputation continues to grow, with many critics citing it as a masterpiece.
