10 Great Films That Were Snubbed For Best Picture In 2022, According to Reddit
Even in a year with 10 guaranteed spots in Best Picture, there's always a small selection of films that the Academy decides not to nominate in the category, despite their wide acclaim and vocal supporters. Fans of these films have taken to Reddit to show their support of the movies that narrowly missed out on that top accolade.
2021 was a fantastic year for movies, particularly in the shadow of a time that housed very few blockbusters and big-budget studio movies. There were plenty of huge films released that had been pushed back due to the pandemic, so the selection of candidates for Best Picture was endless. But despite a diverse and widely acclaimed lineup, plenty of fans still believe that the Academy's decision excluded some of the best of the year.
Laurapalmersmom430 describes Julia Ducournau's viscerally wild Titane as the "most wild unique horror possibly ever made", but it somehow ended up with zero nominations at the Academy Awards. While it's true that bold, genre-specific films rarely get nominated at the Oscars, seeing absolutely nothing rewarded for Titane was admittedly a surprise.
Although Titane's strongest chance on paper was in the Best International Feature category, this possibility quickly went up in smoke when France didn't even submit the film as their official entry. If the film had been submitted there, maybe more voters would have watched it and realized that it definitely deserves a spot in Best Picture.
Reddit user sharkus1 claims that The Green Knight was "one of [their] favorites from last year", and its exclusion from the Best Picture category was definitely a surprise. The film retells the story of Sir Gawain, who is forced to undergo an adventure to visit the Green Knight, partaking in several quests and tests along the way.
The Green Knight also features some of the most stunning and memorable cinematography of last year, so its omission from Best Cinematography is also a pretty huge surprise. The film might not have been the most accessible for casual audiences, but there's no denying its distinct visual style.
Tick...Tick...BOOM! was Redditor feli_buste25's "second favorite movie of 2021", and the same can definitely be said about a lot of musical theater fans. They argue that the film should have been nominated in many more categories, such as "directing, adapted screenplay, picture, and cinematography."
The film did admittedly receive two nominations - one for Best Editing and one for Andrew Garfield's lead performance as Jonathan Larson - but many believe that it deserves much more. Plenty of pundits also believe that the film was maybe #11 or #12 in the category, just missing out on the nomination.
Pedro Almodovar's maternal melodrama Parallel Mothers may have been nominated for Penelope Cruz' lead performance, but the film still missed out on that Best Picture recognition. In fact, none of the ladies nominated in Best Actress category in 2022 managed to carry their film to a Best Picture nom, for the first time in many years.
Although Parallel Mothers is also nominated in Best International Feature, it seems fairly certain that that award will be going to Hamaguchi's Drive My Car, which is also nominated in Best Picture. So it seems pretty likely that Parallel Mothers will be going home with zero awards on Oscar night, which is a huge shame according to Jerrymoviefan3.
Reddit user unityofsaints believes that The Last Duel was definitely a snub in the category, and while it certainly wasn't the favorite to be nominated, there's definitely a strong case to be made that the film deserves a spot in the lineup more than some of the movies that made it.
Ridley Scott was extremely busy last year, releasing both The Last Duel and House of Gucci within the space of just a couple of months. And although this Redditor does note that "[House of] Gucci did get one nomination" for its hair and makeup, the critics' favorite The Last Duel received no recognition.
Many critics cited Pig as their favorite film of 2021, but it still managed to go home with zero nominations at the Oscars. Although Nicolas Cage probably wasn't too far off being recognized for his lead performance, the film itself gathered almost no momentum in last year's awards race, leaving it as one of the most underrated Nic Cage movies of all time.
Redditor shrek_deus offers many arguments in favor of Pig being nominated in Best Picture. They argue that the film has rich and philosophical themes such as "the consumerism/superficiality that people live in", and that the film offers "the best nic cage [sic] performance ever".
Although Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth did secure a few nominations at the Oscars - namely for its cinematography and Denzel Washington's lead performance - there are still plenty that believe the film should have gone even further and been nominated in Best Picture.
Reddit user horsewitnoname believes that The Tragedy of Macbeth represents "the closest thing to a snub this season". The fact that so many Oscar voters saw the film and decided not to nominate it in Best Picture is surprising, but that could come down to its somewhat inaccessible Shakespearean roots. Even the best Shakespeare adaptations often miss out on acclaim at the Academy Awards.
Rebecca Hall's directorial debut Passing was released on Netflix late last year and quickly began to gather traction in the current awards race. Although most of the buzz was surrounding actresses Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, there were still plenty advocating for the film's spot within the Best Picture lineup.
Redditor spacecoyote3 finds it "surprising [Passing] didn't get the Best Picture nom", particularly due to Thompson and Negga's standout performances. The film was praised as one of the best directorial debuts of 2021, so it's surprising to see it with zero nominations.
Reddit user darthplagueis_ asks the question that was on plenty of people's minds when the Oscar nominations were released: "nothing for C'mon C'mon?" The film was hugely praised by both critics and audiences, with both Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman collecting plenty of critics' awards throughout the season.
What's most surprising about C'mon C'mon's Oscar snub is that the film is such a crowdpleaser, offering an extremely heartwarming story and likable characters that almost any audience can connect to. In a year when fan favorites like Belfast and CODA can get nominated, it's surprising to see C'mon C'mon miss out.
Like many, Redditor zimultiverse "thought The World Person in the World might sneak in for best picture", but it still sadly missed out on the nomination despite its unexpected success in the Best Original Screenplay category. There were plenty of other areas where the film stood a chance to succeed - namely with actors Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie - but it sadly just lacked the passion to reach those categories.
It's an extremely original movie, so it makes sense that its screenplay was rewarded - even in favor of typical Academy favorites like Aaron Sorkin. There are few films quite like The Worst Person in the World, and seeing it gather success outside of Best International Feature just proves that the Academy isn't quite as conservative and exclusive as it once was.