It’s true, we can’t always get what we want – but what about what’s right and fair?
The Academy prides itself on presenting awards to the most excellent contributions in respective categories, but backlash from fans and critics proves time and time again that they tend to make grievous mistakes.
We’ve rounded up a list of films and actors that deserved better.
Andrew Garfield – The Social Network (2010)
Despite his young age, Andrew Garfield proved himself as one of the best actors in Hollywood. His raw and enchanting performance in David Fincher’s The Social Network won him several accolades but sadly none from the Academy, which left fans and critics completely flabbergasted. We truly believe it’s about time Garfield is recognized for his immense talent.
On the bright side, the Academy did acknowledge his work in films like Hacksaw Ridge (2016) and tick, tick…BOOM! (2021), and we’re hopeful that his future will be filled with Oscars for his brilliant work in cinema.
Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell – Beautiful Boy (2018)
Timothée Chalamet won Hollywood by storm with his stellar performances in films like Call Me by Your Name (2017) Lady Bird (2017). Steve Carell is an acting legend with many excellent, diversified roles under his belt. When the two were paired up as father and son in Beautiful Boy, it was a match made in heaven – just not Oscar heaven, apparently.
This touching film was completely ignored by the Academy, and it’s utterly nonsensical. Both Carell and Chalamet delivered strong, mesmerizing, emotional performances that we fully believe were far superior to both of their previous dramatic roles.
Toni Collette – Hereditary (2018)
Toni Collette is positively one of the most talented and undervalued actresses of her generation. A brilliant performer, Collette manages to embody each character she portrays in extraordinary displays of her acting talent, and it is a shame she was only nominated once for an Academy award, for The Sixth Sense (1999).
In Ari Aster’s mind-boggling Hereditary, Collette is awe-inspiring in a truly once-in-a-lifetime chilling performance. The fact that neither her nor the film received any nominations is abominable.
Sam Rockwell – Moon (2009)
Don’t get us wrong, we were thrilled to see one of our favorite actors being recognized by the Academy two different times – once for his winning role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and then a nomination for his portrayal of George W. Bush in Vice (2018). Still, we’re baffled as to why he wasn’t recognized for his acting in Moon.
This genius mystery film about an astronaut being sent to space on his own and the things he figures out during his three-year stay should have gotten Rockwell at least a nomination for Best Actor.
Emily Blunt – Sicario (2015)
Emily Blunt gave one of her most commanding performances as FBI agent Kate Macer in Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, a role that demanded subtlety, restraint, and emotional depth. Blunt played a woman trapped in a male-dominated, morally compromised world, and totally nailed the complex balance between strength and helplessness.
The film received three Oscar nominations (Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing), but Blunt’s performance – arguably the emotional core of the film – was completely ignored. Considering her consistently stellar work across genres (The Devil Wears Prada [2006], A Quiet Place [2018], Edge of Tomorrow [2014] to name a few), it’s baffling that she only has one Oscar nomination to her name (for Oppenheimer [2023].)
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Lou Bloom in Nightcrawler was nothing short of transformative. Gaunt, manic, and morally deranged, his performance as a bottom-feeding crime videographer was universally praised for its eerie intensity. He embodied Bloom with such dedication that the character felt less like a role and more like a descent.
Despite a wave of critical acclaim and nominations from BAFTA, SAG, and the Golden Globes, the Academy shut him out completely. The snub was so severe, it launched countless “Oscar mistakes” listicles. Gyllenhaal has only been nominated once (for Brokeback Mountain in 2005), making this oversight even more egregious.
Amy Adams – Arrival (2016)
By the time Arrival premiered, Amy Adams was already a five-time Oscar nominee – and this sci-fi drama was supposed to be the one that sealed the deal. Her role as linguist Louise Banks required her to carry the emotional and intellectual weight of the film, guiding audiences through a nonlinear narrative with grace and vulnerability.
The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, yet Adams was nowhere to be found in the Best Actress category. This baffling omission fueled outrage from critics and fans alike. To this day, it’s one of the Academy’s most bizarre exclusions – and she still, somehow, doesn’t have a win.
Robert Redford – All Is Lost (2013)
All Is Lost was a masterclass in minimalist filmmaking, and Robert Redford carried the entire movie without saying more than a handful of words. As a lone sailor stranded at sea, Redford brought gravity, frustration, and emotional rawness to every silent frame.
Critics hailed it as one of the best performances of his career, yet the Academy gave him nothing. No Best Actor nomination. Not even a whisper. It’s even more surprising when you consider this was a late-career triumph from a Hollywood legend. The snub was so glaring that many still call it one of the worst of the decade.
Taron Egerton – Rocketman (2019)
Egerton didn’t just play Elton John – he became him. From vocal performance to emotional vulnerability, he brought humanity and energy to a musical biopic that was more surreal fantasia than traditional cradle-to-stage story. He sang every song himself (unlike Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody, ahem,) and critics raved about his commitment.
He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, making him a presumed Oscar frontrunner. But when the nominations dropped, Egerton’s name was nowhere to be seen – while Rocketman earned just one win (for Best Original Song). To many, it felt like the Academy had learned nothing from the previous year’s backlash.
Lupita Nyong’o – Us (2019)
Playing dual roles is hard. Playing two completely opposite characters in a horror film that hinges on both terror and emotional depth? Nearly impossible. But Lupita Nyong’o made it look effortless in Us, delivering one of the most chilling and complex performances of her career.
She was terrifying and tragic, sharp and soft, subtle and feral – all in the same movie. Critics were unanimous in their praise. She won multiple awards and appeared on nearly every year-end “Best Performance” list. Yet the Academy didn’t nominate her; further proof that the Oscars still don’t know how to handle horror (unless it’s in prestige packaging.)
Michael Fassbender – Shame (2011)
Steve McQueen’s Shame is not an easy watch, and Michael Fassbender’s performance is a big reason why. He dives into the psyche of a man struggling with sex addiction with fearless vulnerability – naked both emotionally and literally.
The film was raw, haunting, and deeply intimate, and Fassbender’s portrayal was lauded as one of the year’s best. He received nominations from BAFTA, the Golden Globes, and several critics’ groups, but the Academy chose to ignore him entirely. It’s hard to believe he didn’t get a nomination – let alone a win – for such a staggering role.
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin (2013)
In Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson plays an alien who lures men to their death, but the horror is buried under quiet, hypnotic visuals and an eerie sense of detachment. Her performance is haunting – alien and human all at once, a study in restraint and transformation. She barely speaks, yet communicates everything with her body, her eyes, and her stillness.
It’s easily one of the boldest performances of her career. But despite widespread acclaim and the film’s cult classic status, Johansson didn’t even land a nomination. Maybe the role was too weird, or maybe the Academy just didn’t know what to do with a movie that dared to be that strange and brilliant.
Final Thoughts
For an institution that claims to honor excellence, the Academy sure has a history of forgetting some of the best performances ever put on screen. Whether it’s genre bias, political games, or plain oversight, these snubs aren’t just disappointing – they’re cinematic crimes.
But hey, if there’s one thing more consistent than Oscar gold, it’s Oscar injustice. Here’s hoping the next generation of voters finally gets it right. Or at least… a little less wrong.
