TheAcademy Awardsare supposed to recognize the best of the best, but there are plenty of movies from the 2020s that were overlooked for Best Picture at the Oscars. Award shows are both an exciting celebration of film, and something of a divisive subject, and the Oscars are especially controversial.
Though the awards have been given out for nearly 100 years, the Academy has yet to find a way to please everyone, and consider every film. Because of the rather narrow parameters by which the Academy considers films for Oscars, plenty of movies from genres like science fiction or horror have been outright ignored over the decades.
This issue is exacerbated by the rise of modern media, and there are literally thousands of films that hit theaters around the globe every year. While some movies were never in contention for Oscar consideration, there have been quite a few gems from the 2020s that were shockingly overlooked.
Some of the overlooked movies were nominated for lower categories, or shoved away inBest Foreign Language Filmwhere they weren’t given a chance to compete. Others were completely snubbed by the Academy, or didn’t fit the profile of a film that is “Oscar-worthy”. Regardless, the 2020s have been a goldmine for movies that didn’t get the proper award buzz.
Over half-a-century into the franchise’s run, it seemed that thebestGodzillamovieswere in the past. However,Godzilla Minus Oneproved that the beloved giant monster still had a lot left to give. The prequel film returned the franchise to its roots, and told a compelling story set in the aftermath of World War II in Japan.
Godzilla was a terrifying threat once again, and the movie balanced pure horror with heart-wrenching drama in equal measure. A tearjerkingGodzillafilm was never in the offing before, butMinus Onefocused on the cinematic aspects first and foremost. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, but deserved so much more than a technical accolade.
A few years afterParasitebroke new boundaries for South Korean cinema worldwide,Decision to Leaveseemed like a worthy successor to the former film’s Oscar wins. Unfortunately,Park Chan-wook’s unique detective drama was largely overlooked by the Academy, though it did earn a spot on the shortlist for Best International Feature Film.
A few years afterParasitebroke new boundaries for South Korean cinema worldwide,Decision to Leaveseemed like a worthy successor
Using interesting visuals and even stronger performances,the movie is a slow-burning ride that eschews traditional detective story tropes. The romance is really the movie’s biggest asset, and it manages to balance all of its disparate parts quite effectively. There is a playfulness that intentionally clashes with the darker themes, andDecision to Leaveis anything but pedestrian.
The films of A24are diverse, andZolais made in the company’s independent tradition. Adapted from a real-life social media story, the film blends dark comedy with crime, and is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. It intentionally blurs the line between fact and fiction, andis unflinching in its raw humor.
Zolagot no attention from the Academy, though it did perform well at other award shows. It was just too small to gain a lot of mainstream attention, andthe Oscars overlooked the film largely because everyone else did. However, it did help pave the way for a film likeAnorato win Best Picture a few years later.
Writer/director Charlie Kaufman is one of the few intellectual filmmakers who has found consistent success in Hollywood without having to compromise his complex visions.I’m Thinking of Ending Thingsis perhaps the most Kaufman-esque film so far, andit uses surrealism to explore a lot of the creator’s pet themes.
Charlie Kaufman won the Best Original Screenplay award forEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The Netflix exclusive was anchored by brilliant performances from Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, but it had other legends like Toni Collette and David Thewlis in prominent roles. Despite checking a lot of the boxes that the Academy traditionally loves, the 2020 streamer got no nominations at the Oscars andwas largely buried on the back pages of Netflix.
Since his triumphant debut in the 1990s,Wes Anderson’s filmshave been on the cutting edge of mainstream cinema. However,his 2023 filmAsteroid Cityis one of his few outings that was completely ignored by the larger award shows, and especially the Oscars. Hyperstylized as always, the period comedy had a bit more heart than its predecessor.
Boiling his methods down to a pure science,Asteroid Cityfelt like the culmination of the director’s 30-year pursuit of style. On top of that, it was humorous and heartwarming, with a cast that was jam-packed with award-winning legends. Nevertheless, Anderson’s ’50s opus was eschewed by the Academy Awards, and he still awaits his first big win.
After the success ofFirst Reformed, writer/director Paul Schrader was back in the public consciousness again. However,Master Gardenercontinued his hot streak, but was not nearly as popularon the award circuit. Complete with Schrader’s dour themes and abundantly dark tone, the movie seemed like a recipe for success, but evaded notice.
An Oscar campaign may have yielded some results, but that takes money.
Joel Edgerton’s performance is one of the best of his career, and Schrader’s screenplay is unsurprisingly masterful. However,the small scale of the movie is likely what turned off the Academy, and it was a low-budgeted indie that got great reviews but little else by way of attention. An Oscar campaign may have yielded some results, but that takes money.
Musicals are usually a big hit at the Academy Awards, but the understatedTick, Tick…Boom!was relegated to other categories and wasn’t considered for Best Picture. The Andrew Garfield vehicle dramatized the life ofRENTplaywriter Jonathan Larson, andis arguably one of the actor’s best performances.
However, the musical was also on a much smaller scale than many of its contemporaries, and was not nearly as over-the-top as other recent nominees likeWest Side StoryorThe Greatest Showman. It got terrific reviews, butits Netflix release didn’t do it any favors with the Academy. Fortunately, Garfield did score a Best Actor nomination.
Noah Baumbach might be best known for being one half of the creative team behindBarbie, but he’s an accomplished filmmaker in his own right. 2022’sWhite Noiseadapts the complex eponymous novel, and the film mostly confounded audiences and critics when it dropped on Netflix. Naturally,the divisive film didn’t get any Oscar notice.
Mixing dark comedy with heady themes like death, infidelity, and addiction, the movie is a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig are inspired in the lead roles, andit’s one of the most stylized movies of the 2020s without really trying too hard. While its release went unnoticed,White Noiseis destined to be a cult classic.
Indie films are already at a disadvantage at major award shows, and genres like horror stand almost no chance.I Saw the TV Glowchecks both boxes, and isa mesmerizing descent into concepts like gender dysphoria and nostalgia. The horror is rather light, but when mixed with its surrealism, the 2024 film is removed from mainstream tastes entirely.
I Saw the TV Glowdivided critics and audiences, and its limited release meant that it didn’t get the widespread attention that other films did. Unsurprisingly,the Oscars passed over Jane Schoenbrun’s horror opus, though they may get another crack at awards success in the future.
Wim Wenders’Perfect Daysis one of the most poignant and pleasant films in recent memory, and deserves the lofty distinction of being called a perfect movie. The slow-moving character study is charming and real, and it draws the viewer into an inward experience that is very difficult to convey on the big screen.
Sadness and joy exist simultaneously, andPerfect Daysis as true to life as movies get. It did get some attention at the Oscars, and it was nominated for Best Foreign Feature Film. However,Perfect Daysdeserved consideration outside just that single category at theAcademy Awards, and a Best Picture nod was more than earned.
