The start of a new year marks the final stretch of awards season in the film industry. The Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs, SAG Awards, and more occur within the first two months of the year. All of these ceremonies lead up to the most prestigious award show in the industry, the Academy Awards. The Academy recognizes what they think are the best films to come out the year before in numerous categories. From acting and directing to costume design and sound design, the Academy hands out awards in each category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is the governing voting body that is responsible for electing the nominees in each category. The Academy members vote on who and what they believe to be the best of each year, leading to the list of nominees we see every January. While the Academy might recognize these performances and movies as the best of the year, moviegoers aren’t necessarily going to agree. The 2025 nominees for the 97th Academy Awards ceremony are in, and some of our picks would have looked a little different. Here are the performances and films we think should have received a nomination in each of the major categories:
Best Picture: ‘Challengers,’ ‘A Real Pain,’ and ‘Nosferatu’
The most coveted award of the Academy Awards ceremony is the last award of the night; Best Picture. For the 97th Oscars, the ten nominees for Best Picture are Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked. It is perhaps one of the most diverse nominee groups in terms of genre and production country, with two foreign films nominated and multiple genres on the list. Biopics and war-centered dramas are among the Academy’s favorite film genres to nominate, but we also have a romantic dramedy, a blockbuster sci-fi, a musical, and most importantly, a horror film in the running.
A Strong List of Nominees Missing a Few Pieces
Emilia Perez has generated a significant amount of criticism online this awards season, and the whopping 13 nominations have already caused a lot of backlash. The controversial crime musical has been the subject of online discourse as it claims to be a pro-trans movie but doesn’t really accurately represent those in the trans community. A Complete Unknown‘s nomination was a bit surprising as well, but makes sense given the Academy’s love for biopics. With the recent news that AI was used to enhance Adrien Brody’s Hungarian accent in The Brutalist, it is just a little bit surprising it earned so many nominations.
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Films like Challengers, A Real Pain, and Nosferatu were not lucky enough to earn a spot in the Best Picture category, which is a shame. Challengers featured some of the best performances of the year in addition to immaculate editing and a skipless soundtrack. For many film fans, this should have been up there with the best of the year. Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a much more subdued, meditative slice-of-life narrative that sees Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin playing estranged cousins reunited on a trip to Poland to visit their late grandmother’s childhood home. Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu was one of the most anticipated horror films of the year, and the gothic nightmare did not disappoint. Any of these films, or all three, should have earned the coveted Best Picture nomination.
Best Director: Luca Guadagnino for ‘Challengers’
One of the biggest awards of Oscars night is the winner of the Best Director category. The nominees for this year are Sean Baker for Anora, Bradey Corbet for The Brutalist, James Mangold for A Complete Unknown, Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez, and Coralie Fargeat for The Substance. Based on the awards season journey for most of these films, the nominees are unsurprising. Except for maybe James Mangold. A win for Fargeat would be phenomenal as she would be the fourth woman to ever win the award, and it would be a massive win for the horror community. However, Corbet will likely be the winner.
Smooth Yet Energetic Direction
While the nominees for this category were mostly predicted, it is somewhat shocking that Luca Guadagnino was not nominated for directing Challengers. For film fans, Challengers was one of the best films of the year. In addition to a standout cast, impeccable editing, and an electrifying score, Guadagnino’s moves behind the camera greatly helped the film become the modern masterpiece it is. The direction is smooth yet energetic, matching the intensity of the many tennis scenes, as well as the more steamy scenes. Plenty of people around the world enjoy tennis, but Guadgnino made it look unbelievably sexy.
Best Actress: Zendaya for ‘Challengers’
The nominees for Best Actress are strong this year. Mikey Madison, unsurprisingly, received a nod for her incredible work in Anora. Fernanda Torres followed up her Golden Globe win for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama with another nomination for her work in I’m Still Here. Cynthia Erivo earned a spot in the category for her moving performance as Elphaba in Wicked. Plus, Demi Moore rightfully was nominated for her brilliant performance in The Substance. Moore was unbelievably brave and vulnerable in the film, and she more than deserved the nod.
A Fierce Performance from One of the Best Young Actors
Still, the category feels incomplete without the inclusion of Zendaya for her work in Challengers. Zendaya gives a fierce performance as Tashi Donaldson, a tennis prodigy turned coach caught in an intense love triangle with two best friends. Zendaya has already proven that she is a worthy actress in HBO’s Euphoria, but her role as Tashi solidifies that she is one of the best young actors working right now. She not only performed well on her own, but she also gave her co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist an excellent material to work off of.
Best Supporting Actress: Margaret Qualley for ‘The Substance’
This year’s Best Supporting Actress category came with a few surprises. The most pleasant surprise came with Ariana Grande’s nomination for her incredibly dedicated performance as Galinda/Glinda in Wicked, marking her first Academy Award nomination. Grande transformed into Glinda for the movie musical, truly embodying every facet of a character beloved by many. Selena Gomez was left out despite her Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Any Motion Picture. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was Margaret Qualley not receiving a nomination.
A Boldly Unhinged Performance
Qualley’s work in The Substance is bold. She gave an immensely dedicated performance in a role that demanded much of her physically and emotionally. She served as the perfect counterpart to Demi Moore’s Elisabeth, embodying everything Elisabeth thought she wanted to be. Qualley is already a talented actress, but this was a career-best performance from her that showed she is willing to go to bizarre, downright unhinged places for the sake of a film.
Best Actor: Sebastian Stan for ‘A Different Man’
If you have been keeping up with awards season, the Best Actor nominees should not be surprising (mostly). Adrien Brody won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture this year, so the nomination was all but guaranteed. Although Sing Sing has had an extremely limited theatrical release, Colman Domingo has been highly praised for his performance. Ralph Fiennes, Timothee Chalamet, and Sebastian Stan were nominated as well. Sebastian Stan gave two excellent performances last year in two different films. He has been nominated for The Apprentice, for which he plays Trump during the beginning of his real estate business. Unsurprisingly, Trump didn’t like the film because he wasn’t portrayed in a positive light.
A Raw, Emotional Performance
Sebastian Stan indeed gives an authentic performance, but his performance in A Different Man was perhaps even better. He even won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. Stan plays Edward, a facially disfigured man who shies away from the world in fear of judgement, who eventually agrees to an experimental medical procedure that “cures” the imperfections on his face. Of course, becoming conventionally attractive does not solve his problems or rid him of his inner demons. Stan’s performance is raw and emotional, showcasing his range as an actor. It’s not the type of film audiences are used to seeing him in, and the fact that he nails the role makes it even more satisfying.
Best Supporting Actor: Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’
One of the most exciting surprises from the Oscar nominations announcement was that Kieran Culkin was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain. He was wonderful in the film, and he is once again in competition with his former Succession co-star, Jeremy Strong, who was nominated for The Apprentice. Yura Borisov was nominated for Anora, Edward Norton for A Complete Unknown, and Guy Pearce for The Brutalist. Culkin won Best Supporting Actor in Any Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, which could be an indicator that he is likely to win the Oscar, which we would be happy to see.
A Hollywood Vet Snubbed
It is a bit surprising that Denzel Washington was not nominated for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. He seemed to be the standout to most fans of the film. He is an actor that always gives a strong performance no matter what the project is, so he seemed likely to be nominated. It is clear that Washington had a blast playing Macrinus, a former slave willing to do whatever it takes to gain control of Rome. Audiences love him, Hollywood loves him, and he played Macrinus perhaps better than anyone could have, so the snub is a tad shocking.
Best Original Screenplay: ‘Challengers’ and ‘Strange Darling’
The nominees for Best Original Screenplay are stacked this year. Anora, The Brutalist, A Real Pain, September 5, and The Substance all received nominations for their outstanding screenplays. The nominations for A Real Pain and The Substance in particular are exciting news for movie fans. It is rare that a horror film, especially a gory body horror film, is recognized by the Academy for its screenplay, so this is a win for the horror genre. Any of these films could win the award, and it would be deserved, but two more films could easily have been added in as well.
Two Enthralling Screenplays Left Behind
Challengers getting completely shut out of this year’s Academy Awards is baffling to many film fans, especially when the screenplay was so tight. It is a highly engaging, enthralling screenplay that at times makes the film feel like a thriller because of how fast it gets your heart racing. The characters and their arcs are written to near perfection, the plot points are beautifully detailed, and the third act is jaw-dropping.
JT Mollner’s screenplay for the horror-thriller Strange Darling could have easily been a contender as well. The film cleverly reveals its twists and turns, keeping the viewer constantly guessing as to what direction the film is actually going. It effortlessly makes you think one thing and then immediately shatters any confidence you had in predicting the narrative’s direction. The use of a non-linear narrative was an incredibly smart creative decision that forces the viewer to stay in detective mode. It’s one of the most engrossing films of 2024.
Best Original Score: ‘Challengers’ and ‘The Substance’
A movie would simply not be the same without its score. The score elevates scenes, emphasizes specific moments, and can even indicate what will happen next. Music is essential to filmmaking as they go hand in hand. The nominees for this year’s Best Original Score include The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia Perez, Wicked, and The Wild Robot. Wicked undoubtedly has an excellent score and is deserving of its spot here. The inclusion of Emilia Perez is, once again, being met with criticism on social media. Nevertheless, it is baffling that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ infectious score for Challengers was not nominated in the Original Score category, a category many believed the film would easily secure a nod for.
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A Great Year for Techno-House Music
The score for Challengers is undoubtedly one of the best of last year, if not the best. It’s sort of unbelievable that the film, at the very least, didn’t secure a nomination in this category. The pulsating techno-house score is vibrant and addicting. Each use of the score in the film enhances the scenes it’s used in. Similarly, the score by Raffertie for The Substance is equally as heart-pounding. Specifically, in the scenes with Elisabeth’s counterpart Sue, the score pulsates through your veins and creates anticipation for what’s to happen next. Both of these scores are some of the best musical works of the 2020s so far and should have received nominations.