If you know me, you know I absolutely love film. You may also know how much I detest the Oscars, because my one true love is horror and the Oscars will forever be horror’s one that got away. However, today I’m going to address the best picture nominees and winners from 2020 to now and detail my personal opinions on which films from the list of nominees got snubbed.
2020 Best Picture Nominees: “Ford V Ferrari,” “1917,” “Joker,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”
There’s no doubt about how wonderful “Parasite” is, and given the types of movies that I love, you might think I’m about to say that “Joker” should’ve won. “Joker” is masterful, down to every last detail, and possibly most impressive is that it set out to do exactly what it wanted to. It brought awareness to mental health and brought a newness, freshness, and darkness to DC that hadn’t been seen in years. However, Sam Mendes’s “1917” takes the cake and then some. I love “Joker,” but within the first ten minutes of “1917,” I was already floored with the cinematography. They used several tricks to make the entire film appear to be a one-shot. That’s absolutely astounding and incredible. Its writing, lighting, and acting elevate it even further up the Jacob’s ladder of film heaven, as it pulls a perfect balance in dialogue storytelling and visual storytelling. We all know I love horror, and, at the same time, “1917” was one of the most profound movie-theater experiences I’ve ever had in my life.
2021 Best Picture Nominees: “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah.” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Trial of Chicago 7”
Classic cinema is another joy of mine. “Citizen Kane” is among one of the greatest films ever made, no matter which way you slice it. You can’t deny its value, nor its impact, and “Mank” is a love letter to old Hollywood. David Fincher has been the mind behind several fantastic films, such as “Se7en,” “Fight Club” and “Zodiac,” and I’m glad it was him that got to do this film. Orson Welles was ahead of his time, certainly one of the greats. “Mank” is so clearly made with love and Fincher’s airtight precision, and the result is a period piece that truly feels timeless in its own time period. Atmospheric, hazy, and dripping in old Hollywood smoke, it’s one of the few good things cinema-wise to come out of 2020.
2022 Best Picture Nominees: “Belfast,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “Dune,” “King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” “The Power of the Dog,” “West Side Story”
I’ll admit, I’m a bit biased here. If you know me, you know supernatural thrillers are like Halloween candy for me, and then you may also know that Guillermo Del Toro specializes in Halloween candy. “Nightmare Alley” hits so many checks for me: supernatural, 1900s, noir, psychological aspects. It’s a joy to watch, though I can certainly say I understand why “Coda” won. However, if I were to pick between the two to watch for fun, I would for sure choose “Nightmare Alley.”
2023 Best Picture Nominees: “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Banshees of Isherin,” “Elvis,” “The Fablemans,” “Tar,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Women Talking”
I love “Everything Everywhere all at Once,” don’t get me wrong. But I’m here to talk about snubs, whether or not something wonderful won. Edward Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” took an old disturbing tale of war and young naivety and gave it a modern look and new eyes. It’s truly a stunning film, and not one to be taken lightly; it takes its subject matter seriously and benefits heavily from this attitude. It pays respect to the classic original, while keeping it fresh at the same time, something rarely balanced well or done right these days.
2024 Best Picture Nominees: “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things,” “The Zone of Interest”
I’m gonna be real here, I can’t contest this. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is a masterclass in film from a masterclass director. It’s huge, and it has every right to be. The cinematography, the acting, the writing, downright everything about this movie is phenomenal. It was the perfect summer blockbuster (and yes, “Barbie” deserves its flowers too), and during a time when we really needed a blockbuster like this.
