The Academy Awards do their best to pay tribute and recognize the greatest and highest profile releases in a given year, a precedent that they have only further continued throughout the 21st century following their expansion to 10 different Best Picture nominees. For the most part, many of the nominees for Best Picture prove to be some of the most acclaimed and notable releases of the year. This ranges from meteoric winners likeParasiteandNo Country for Old Mento other notable films that didn’t take home the main award, likeBarbieandGet Out.
However, the Academy is far from perfect, oftentimes having the strange and out-there selection for a Best Picture nominee that,while it may have rung true for the industry, largely flounders compared to the highly acclaimed competition. This phenomenon is made worse by the passage of time and reflection, with films getting much larger recognition due to their Best Picture nomination, leading to more audiences checking out the film and being wildly disappointed. When it comes to modern film fanatics, a great metric to see which Academy decisions of the 21st century have missed the mark the most is through Letterboxd, the premiere place of film discussion in the modern social media era.
10’The Kids Are All Right' (2010)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 3.3/5
WhileThe Kids Are All Rightwas widely praised by critics and audiences upon its initial release as a topical and hilarious dramedy about connection and family,specific plot threads have made it age less than gracefully in the nearly 15 years since its release. The film follows a married lesbian couple who have been raising a duo of children through artificial insemination for a long time, yet now that their children are 18, they go behind their mothers' backs to contact and meet up with the donor.
The film is far from being completely hated by the Letterboxd community, as the inherent charm and likability of talent likeJulianne Moore,Annette Bening, andMark Ruffalois enough to make it a lighthearted, fun dramedy. However, one especially uncomfortable plot point where a lesbian character cheats on her wife of 18 years with the sperm donor places a dour, sickening gaze over the entire film. The film is especially lacking compared to some of the other high-profile nominees from the 83rd Academy Awards, includingInception,Black Swan,The Social Network, andToy Story 3.
The Kids Are All Right
9’The Blind Side' (2009)
It’s difficult to think of a more prominent fall from grace for a widely celebrated Best Picture nominee thanThe Blind Side, which went from being a Best Actress-winning powerhouse toa poorly aged mess. The film follows the real-life story ofMichael Oher(Quinton Aaron), a homeless boy who went from a painful childhood and living on the streets to being a first-round NFL draft pick thanks to the caring hospitality ofLeigh Anne Tuohy(Sandra Bullock) and her family.
The Blind Sidewas largely elevated during the awards circuit by the exceptional lead performance from Bullock, buteven her strengths in the film couldn’t save it from 15 years worth of reexamination and hindsight. From the deeply problematic and uncomfortable portrayal of Oher’s struggles to the continued painful perpetuation of the white savior trope,The Blind Sidehas only grown more gross as the years have gone on. It doesn’t help thatOher himself has gone on recordtalking about the lies that the film perpetuated, making this glamorous retelling much less compelling.
The Blind Side
8’American Hustle' (2013)
Nearly all ofDavid O. Russell’s awards-driven films have been the subject of fierce reexamination following both the array of allegations andthe catastrophic bombing ofAmsterdam, withAmerican Hustlereceiving the most ruthless reexamination. The star-studded crime comedy follows a con man and his seductive partner being forced to work for an FBI agent as they attempt to take down the deadly world of Mafia power brokers and corrupt politicians through sting operations.
WhileAmerican Hustlewas tied withGravityfor having received the most nominations at the 86th Academy Awards,it speaks volumes that the film wasn’t able to earn a single win at the ceremony. The film is largely genetic and formulaic in its approach to its story, doing very little that Russell’s previous movies hadn’t accomplished in the past and being painfully dull in its execution. While it certainly has its occasional highlights, such as a great supporting performance byJennifer Lawrence, the majority of the film is about as forgettable as it gets.
American Hustle
7’Seabiscuit' (2003)
Most of the notoriously painful Best Picture nominations of the 21st century have cropped up following the increase of nominations from five to ten, yetSeabiscuitstands asone of the few wildly confusing inclusions from the early years of the new millennium. The sports biopic follows the story of the titular underdog racehorse that made waves during the Great Depression thanks to its various unexpected successes despite being overlooked and unexpected by those around him.
There was certainly an inherent desire for feel-good dramas during the early 2000s, as the American people as a whole were in a period of mourning and pain. However, 20 years removed from its Best Picture nomination, it’s hard to seeSeabiscuitas anything other thana generic, feel-good drama with little else to offer in terms of filmmaking or storytelling. Especially when the 76th Academy Awards also saw the meteoric sweep fromThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, it’s easy to see whySeabiscuithas largely faded into obscurity.
Seabiscuit
6’Mank' (2020)
There are few things that the Academy likes more than a film that takes place and explores the intricacies of classic old Hollywood, with few modern films more non-transparently tapping into this love thanMank. The film takes a glimpse into the wild and chaotic world of 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of legendary screenwriterHerman J. Mankiewicz(Gary Oldman) while he’s in the process of writing the screenplay ofCitizen Kane.
Mankisone of the most blatant pieces of Oscar bait that have been released during the 21st century, playing into the exact type of stories and tendencies that Academy voters just eat right up. If it hadn’t released in a year that wasn’t the largely lacking and smaller 2020 Award season, it’s easy to see a world where it is overlooked in favor of higher profile films. It is far from a necessarily bad film, but it especially doesn’t stack up when compared to the legendary and acclaimedfilmography of director David Fincher.
5’Maestro' (2023)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 3.1/5
A high-profile biopic that sought to bring to life the legendary and chaotic love life of one of the most legendary composers in American history,Maestrohad all the markings for a modern classic, yet several key details made it falter in the eyes of general audiences. A large part of the issue stems from the very core of the film, withBradley Coopernot only directing the film but playing a leading role asLeonard Bernstein. While Cooper had proven himself in the past to be an effective director for music-based storytelling with A Star is Born, many saw him as a wrong fit to portray such a legendary Jewish-American figure.
Many were quick to cite it asa nontransparent attempt by Cooper to finally earn that Academy Award win that he’s been pining after for years, although this isn’t to say the film isn’t entirely without merit or positives.Carey Mulliganbrings it for an exceptional and multilayered performance as Felicia Montealegre, and the overall visual style of the film, from masterful makeup work to stunning black-and-white scenes is a joy to see. Still, as likable as Cooper is in his other works, his overwhelming presence and almost comical attempt at Bernstein’s accent made the film a difficult approach for many non-Academy members.
The journey of a legendary conductor unfolds, highlighting his rise to fame and the intricate dynamics of his personal and professional life. The film offers a deep dive into his creative process, the challenges he faces in the music industry, and the profound connections he makes along the way.
4’Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close' (2011)
One of the most painful examples of anaggravating Oscar bait filmthat, despite its flaws, somehow managed to find success and recognition by the Academy,Extremely Loud & Incredibly Closeis an unsubtle mess. Unlike many other Best Picture nominations that were understandable at the time and have been reexamined in the years since,there was mass controversy and confusion surrounding the film’s nomination from the very beginning.
The ways that the film attempted to portray and examine the topic of autism proved to be deeply rooted in stereotypes andmore focused on cheap, manipulative storytelling over creating an actually compelling character. The film has only continued to garner a harsh reputation since its nomination, as more and more audiences were made apparent of the silted storytelling and cheap emotional pulls without any substance or care. While most audiences can enjoy an effective drama with an emotional side, the filmmaking inExtremely Loud & Incredibly Closehas no care for the audience and feels manipulative in its approach to heavy subject matter.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
3’Don’t Look Up' (2021)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 3.0/5
Adam McKayhas proven to be something of a fan-favorite among the Academy, rising up from his humble days of adult comedies likeStep BrothersandAnchormanto create politically charged dramedies inThe Big ShortandVice. However, while his other Best Picture-nominated films had the perspective and benefit of being satirical stories revolving around real-life events, the fictional satire crafted inDon’t Look Upproved to be too blunt and unsubtle for audiences and critics to latch onto.
The film certainly has good intentions with its brash storytelling, being a blatant and in-your-face message about the stakes and gravitas of climate change in its own wild, apocalyptic story. Still, how the film approaches the topic proves to be tiring and non-productive, not being willing to point a finger at the real problems causing climate change but instead chalking it up to being an issue of widespread stupidity. Even outside its mixed messaging, it has an overall mean-spirited tone that,when combined with its mixed bag of comedic attempts, makes for a rather unpleasant viewing experience.
Don’t Look Up
2’Crash' (2004)
The largest benefit that can be given to the majority of the worst Best Picture nominees of recent memory is that they were only nominees, with none of them actually taking home the award for Best Picture. That luxury cannot be extended toCrash, however, which since its highly contentious win has long since been considered one of theworst Best Picture winners of all time. Even during its rise to prominence leading up to its win,Crashwas largely recognized asa cheap, by-the-numbers drama that had no lasting impact outside of making audiences feel good for a moment.
It isn’t just that this largely generic and forgettable drama managed to win Best Picture, but a large part of its infamy is the fact that its win came at the cost of a victory forBrokeback Mountain, a powerful and groundbreaking drama that deserved higher recognition. The film touts its messages of anti-racism to prop itself up as an important film, yet its extremely basic and formulaic execution proves to undermine the supposed goodwill of the film, in reality accomplishing nothing at all.
1’Emilia Pérez' (2024)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 2.1/5
It’s difficult to imagine a Best Picture nominee more controversial and divisive thanEmilia Perez, a film that managed to besimultaneously beloved and praised by the Academy and viscerally hated by audiences. The musical crime thriller was already a contentious film long before thewide array of controversies and setbacksthat the film faced during the awards circuit, with its continued success with awards bodies being a clear showcase of the industry being out of touch.
Strictly from the perspective and viewpoint of the average Letterboxd rating, it has been fascinating to see the score slowly drop lower and lower ever since its wide release and its nomination at the Academy Awards. Back when it was only seen by critics at film festivals, the film held a respectable 3.8/5 score, yet this score slowly dropped following its release on Netflix and audiences bore witness to its array of flaws. This was only further amplified after its Best Picture nomination, asthe score has been on an unstoppable freefall since its shocking 13 nominations, with a good chance that 2.1/5 is far from the lowest the score will go.
Emilia Perez
Emilia Pérez follows Rita, an underestimated lawyer working at a prominent law firm focused on freeing criminals rather than pursuing justice. She is recruited by the leader of a criminal organization, prompting a complex journey that challenges her principles as she navigates the morally ambiguous world of her new employer.
