Last month, the nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards were announced. The show, which is taking place on Sunday, March 2, is highly anticipated, given the prestige and accomplishment associated with the coveted Oscar trophy. Like every year, the list of nominations is not without its fair share of snubs, surprises, and record-breakers. Here’s my list of who I think will take home the big awards of the night, along with some key snubs and controversies surrounding the nominations.
First, it’s important to recognize what is significant about this year’s Academy Awards. The film at the center of the Oscar buzz is Emilia Pérez, a French film about a Mexican drug cartel leader who undergoes a sex change and tries to build her newfound identity and pave the way for a new life. Oh, and the movie’s a musical. From that description alone, saying the movie is controversial would be an understatement; however, both sides of the political aisle have taken issue with the film for a variety of reasons.
Conservative critics seem to take issue with one of the film’s major thematic ideas: that because the titular character has undergone a sex change, they are forgiven of the criminal acts committed as a cartel leader. The left has been outspoken against the film’s depiction of Mexico, along with Emilia Pérez’s actress, Karla Sofia Gascon, whose old Islamophobic tweets recently resurfaced. Emilia Pérez received 13 nominations, including making history for Gascon who is the first trans woman to be nominated in the Actress in a Leading Role category.
While Emilia Pérez’s controversy has overshadowed much of the discussion surrounding this year’s Oscars, there are other important snubs and surprises to note. In my opinion, there are three major snubs to go over. First, A Real Pain, a film about two Jewish American cousins exploring their family’s history throughout Europe, was not nominated for the Best Picture category, despite massive critical acclaim. While I have not personally seen the movie, those I know who have seen it say it is one of the best of the year. Second, Denis Villeneuve, the director of Dune: Part Two, was not nominated for the Directing category. The 2024 sequel to 2021’s Dune had fantastic direction and artistic vision from Villeneuve, so it is disappointing to see how his work has been overlooked. And finally, my personal pick for the biggest snub, is that Challengers received zero Oscar nominations. I think it should’ve at least been nominated for the Music (Original Score) category, given that the film won that award at the Golden Globes earlier this year. It is truly shocking that the film did not receive a single nomination.
There are definitely some nice surprises among the nominations. First, despite A Real Pain not receiving proper recognition in the Best Picture category, the Brazilian film I’m Still Here earned a spot instead. The film was not talked about much leading up to awards season, but Fernanda Torres’ win in the lead actress category at the Golden Globes propelled the film to its current status. It’s always great to see international films receive recognition at the Oscars. In addition, the horror film Nosferatu wasn’t expected to receive any Oscar nominations but ended up receiving four nominations. Other pleasant surprises include Sebastian Stan’s Actor in a Leading Role nomination for his role in The Apprentice, as well as Alien: Romulus for the Visual Effects category. Overall, the biggest surprise of this year’s nominations was that there really weren’t any surprises.
Having seen eight of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture, I think there are some clear front runners to look out for. I believe that Best Picture will be a battle between The Brutalist, Anora, and Conclave. I think Anora has the best chance of winning. In terms of the acting categories, I think they will be as follows: Adrien Brody for Actor in a Leading Role, Demi Moore for Actress in a Leading Role, Kieran Culkin for Actor in a Supporting Role, and Zoe Saldaña for Actress in a Supporting Role. Directing will go to Brady Corbert for The Brutalist, and Original Screenplay will go to either The Substance or Conclave.
While those are my predictions for the big categories, they aren’t necessarily what I agree with. I did enjoy Anora but I thought both The Brutalist and The Substance were better films. My personal top three for the year were Challengers, The Brutalist, and Dune: Part Two. In contrast to the past two years, where Oppenheimer and Everything Everywhere All at Once seemed likely to win, I think there is less certainty this year with which film will win Best Picture. To see for yourself, catch the 97th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2 on ABC or streaming on Hulu.
Sources:
https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/emilia-perez-karla-sofia-gascon-comments-oscars-director-what-know-rcna191000
