Written by Juliana Ukiomogbe
This year’s 91st Academy Award ceremony holds a lot of weight. It’s the first year that Spike Lee is nominated for Best Director and the first time an indigenous Mexican woman (Yalitza Aparicio) has been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. While all of these milestones are extraordinary, the Oscars are still missing a few nominees. From Best Screenplay to Best Supporting Actor, here are some films and performances that were overlooked at this year’s show.
Blindspotting
Written by and starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, Blindspotting was a hidden gem released last year. Diggs plays Colin who’s on probation and the film chronicles his three final days before he’s a free man. The film is about police brutality, race relations, class, and gentrification. There are so many layers to this movie, and it takes so many twists and turns. The performances are all great, especially Diggs and Casal who plays his best friend Miles. If it had garnered more traction and public attention, this film could’ve easily snagged a Best Screenplay nomination.
Eighth Grade
The premise for Eighth Grade is simple: a quiet and introverted teenage girl named Kayla tries to survive her final weeks of eighth grade before she starts high school. The story sounds simple, but the movie is so much more than that. It fully encapsulates the angst of being a teenager. You’re at the point where you’re so ferociously trying to be an individual yet you’re also so desperately trying to fit in. It’s a weird space to be in and this movie captures it perfectly. Elsie Fisher and Josh Hamilton are both brilliant in their portrayals of Kayla and Mark Day, respectively. Bo Burnham was definitely snubbed for a Best Screenplay and Best Director nomination.
Disobedience
Disobedience is about two women (Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams) who come to terms with their sexuality in a highly religious, and stifling, environment. This is another movie that didn’t get enough attention. It’s a bit of a slow burn and sometimes loses its place, but Weisz and McAdams save it in a lot of ways. They were both due for acting nominations for this film, but Weisz is nominated for The Favourite… so all hope is not lost.
Widows
Directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen, Widows is essentially about a heist. Of course, it had great performances all around, but Daniel Kaluuya is the one who stood out the most. He did such a great job at being so menacing and creepy. Although he didn’t have much to do in the movie, he worked well with what he had and was brilliant. I would’ve liked to see him nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Hereditary
One of the biggest surprises was the snub for Hereditary. It came out last summer and its impact still lingers. In a nutshell, it’s a horror movie about a family dealing with death. The film was very twisted and terrifying. The standout, by far, was Toni Collette. There is one scene where her character Annie is talking to her son Peter at the dinner table. She goes through so many emotions in that one scene in such a short amount of time and it’s phenomenal. She deserved a Best Actress nomination and it’s a shame that she’s not getting more recognition for this role.
