The 2025 Oscar nominees were announced this morning from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. As is the tradition of the announcements, the lists of nominees were read live. This year, that honor was given to actors Rachel Sennott (Saturday Night, Shiva Baby) and Bowen Yang (Wicked, the current cast of Saturday Night Live).
While there weren’t too many surprises this year, there were some good films that earned well-deserved nods, while a troubling number of good films and performances were left out. Here are the good, the bad, and the ugly of this year’s nominees and those who were left out in the cold.
THE GOOD-
Emilia Pérez continues to be “the little movie that could” by earning 13 nominations including Best Picture, Best International Feature, and recognition to its star, Karla Sofia Gascón, in the lead actress category. While it can be argued that a nomination for both Best Picture and Best International Feature is basically nominating a film for the same prize, it is nice to see the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences give this film deserved recognition.
The Brutalist continues to earn respect and defy expectations with 10 nominations in major categories. Director Brady Corbett is now a favorite to take home the Best Director Oscar, but star Adrien Brody (nominated in the Best Actor category) faces strong competition from Coleman Domingo for his career-best work in the underappreciated Sing Sing and Timothée Chalamet’s stunning turn as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, also a nominee for 8 awards, including Best Picture. For his spot-on portrayal of Folk legend Pete Seeger, Edward Norton’s nomination in the Supporting Actor category may finally bring him Oscar gold.
The most divisive film of 2024, The Substance, earned Demi Moore her first Best Actress nomination (well-deserved) and Original Screenplay and Director nominations for Coralie Fargeat. Props to the AMPAS for recognizing horror films, a genre that is consistently ignored from decade to decade.
Though not a surprise, Mikey Madison’s Best Actress nomination for Sean Baker’s tremendous Anora (also a contender for Best Picture), along with the nods for The Substance, shows the Academy still has some chutzpah now and again.
THE BAD-
While Wicked was a beloved success with fans and at the box office and is somewhat entertaining, the film was too bloated and riddled with imperfections to deserve a place amongst the Best Picture nominees.
Isabella Rossellini is a great actress and has done some award-worthy work over the course of her career. In Conclave, the actress was fine, but her role was too small to make an “She deserves an Oscar” impact.
If you are going to give Zoe Saldana a nomination for her work in Emilia Pérez, Selena Gomez deserves one as well. Her work is as “on fire” and explosive as Saldana’s and she has the best song!
Nicholas Cage created one of the most memorably frightening horror film creations in years with his chilling, creepy, and rather terrifying work as the titular character in Longlegs. His work in Osgood Perkins’ instant genre classic is unforgettable. Again, the Academy need not look down on the horror genre.
September 5 was thrown a bone with a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination, but the gripping and well-executed thriller should find itself in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing categories.
THE UGLY-
Nosferatu. Nosferatu. NOSFERATU! Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Skarsgård’s performance will become horror-movie legendary) should have the name Nosferatu among their nominees. While its technical nominations are well-deserved. Eggers masterful work deserved so much more.
Clarence Maclin more than deserved a seat at the Supporting Actor nominee table for his soul-stirring and inspiring work in Sing Sing. It is a supreme dishonor to both the man and the film to leave him out of the running.
Piece By Piece is one of the most inventive and entertaining documentaries in decades. The film should have earned spots in the Documentary and Animated categories.
Joan Chen’s work in the Indie drama Didi was one of the year’s most moving and the finest of Chen’s career.
The Bikeriders found zero Oscar love. Jeff Nichols’ episodic “Goodfellas on Motorcycles” ode to rebellion was masterfully crafted and anchored by a great script and a shoulda-been-nominated turn from Jodi Comer.
Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding was one of the most inventive and well-written erotic thrillers in some time. At the very least, an Original Screenplay nod would have been appropriate recognition.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was another George Miller triumph where action film became art. The Academy didn’t think so and dropped the ball hard by ignoring it, especially in the Editing category.
Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness was one of 2024’s most moving films. For it to be completely ignored is to overlook an important work. To the AMPAS’s defense (somewhat), the studio failed to get behind this one.
Like it or loathe it, how could Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis fail to receive recognition for its jaw-dropping Production Design, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Sound, and Score?
The 97th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Full List of Nominees–
Best Picture-
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role-
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role-
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role-
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role-
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Best Animated Feature Film-
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best Animated Short Film-
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Achievement in Cinematography-
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu
Achievement in Costume Design-
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
Achievement in Directing-
Anora, Sean Baker
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet
A Complete Unknown, James Mangold
Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat
Best Documentary Feature Film-
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Best Documentary Short Film-
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Achievement in fFilm Editing-
Anora, Sean Baker
The Brutalist, David Jancso
Conclave, Nick Emerson
Emilia Pérez, Juliette Welfling
Wicked, Myron Kerstein
Best International Feature Film-
I’m Still Here, Brazil
The Girl with the Needle, Denmark
Emilia Pérez, France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Germany
Flow, Latvia
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling-
A Different Man, Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado
Emilia Pérez, Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
Nosferatu, David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton
The Substance, Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli
Wicked, Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth
Original Score-
The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg
Conclave, Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez, Clément Ducol and Camille
Wicked, John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers
Original Song-
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight
“Like A Bird” from Sing Sing
“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Achievement in Production Design-
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Best Live Action Short Film-
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Achievement in Sound-
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Achievement in Visual Effects-
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)-
A Complete Unknown, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
Conclave, Screenplay by Peter Straughan
Emilia Pérez, Screenplay by Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
Nickel Boys, Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing, Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield
Writing (Original Screenplay)-
Anora, Written by Sean Baker
The Brutalist, Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain, Written by Jesse Eisenberg
September 5, Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David
The Substance, Written by Coralie Fargeat