The 97th Oscar Nominations—The Good, the Bad, and the Emilia Pérez
My candid take on the 97th Oscar nominations, where I break down the best, the worst, and the Emilia Pérez of it all.
Hey Movie Villains!
It’s that time of year again! After some delays due to the devastating wildfires in LA—which there communities are still grappling with the fires and their aftermath and are in dire need of our support—the Academy has finally revealed its nominations for film’s biggest night. As always, the list brings a mix of excitement, surprises, and, of course, the occasional head-scratcher.
This year, there’s a lot to unpack. While it’s exciting to see some familiar faces and standout performances making waves, it’s hard to ignore the glaring choices that feel off. Take Emilia Pérez, for instance, leading the charge with 13 nominations. To say I’m not a fan of this pick would be an understatement. While I absolutely understand the Academy’s intent to amplify trans narratives, I truly wish they’d given that spotlight to a different story. I’m all for representation, but this particular film does not deserve the praise it’s receiving.
In this issue, I’ll break down my personal picks for the categories I care about most and offer my take on the nominees. Whether you agree or disagree, I’d love to hear your thoughts too—let’s get into it!
Happy Oscar season!
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Oh, the drama of this category. Overall all the movies I was expecting to see are here. And I’m so happy for a lot of these nominees—especially The Substance, making the list as only the seventh horror movies to be nominated for the big award. As for Emilia Pérez… ugh. It’s horrendous. I’m not going to apologize for calling a spade a spade. Sure, it’s a "trans story," but it’s a very French (derogatory), very white trans story that completely misses the mark.
The Villain’s Pick: Anora—I’m here for all of the wild swings this film took. There’s a reason it was in my tops of 2024 list.
Directing
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Can we just talk about how Best Directing only gets five slots while Best Picture has ten? It’s offensive, truly. We all know there are some glaring omissions here—RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two, and John M. Chu for Wicked come to mind. But, alas, we got this list, and I think you can guess which name I’m less than thrilled about seeing.
The Villain’s Pick: Coralie Fargeat—because, obviously, I’m not even going to pretend I’m not obsessed with how masterful this film is. And I’m fully behind Fargeat as the only woman with a nomination in this category this year.
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
Let me be blunt—I didn’t love a lot of these films. Conclave was solid, and I absolutely adored Sing Sing—shocked it didn’t land a Best Picture nod, but okay, Academy, sure. The Apprentice was fine, but the real performance of the year from Sebastian Stan was in A Different Man—which the Academy overlooked. The Brutalist has great performances, but it’s a slog to get through with its demanding runtime. And sorry Timothée, but I’m not watching a movie about Bob Dylan, I don’t care enough.
The Villain’s Pick: Colman Domingo—this is his year. The man is giving us nothing short of a masterclass in acting, and he deserves to take it home. Also, props to him for getting two leading role noms two years in a row.
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
NOW THIS IS A NOMINATION LIST! Truly, both the leading and supporting actress categories are way more exciting than their counterparts and picking a winner is surely going to spark debate and hate on the internet no matter who wins. And despite the movie being horrible (to put it nicely), I can’t disregard how big of a moment it is to have the first ever openly transwoman be nominated for this award.
The Villain’s Pick: Demi Moore—because watching her absolutely dominate this role is what dreams are made of. A win here would be everything. And don’t worry, Cynthia, the second act of Wicked is more of Elphaba’s time to shine in the acting department anyways, so you’ll be back to collect the Oscar next year—this year is all about Demi for me.
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
This supporting actor lineup is significantly stronger than the lead roles for men this year, no contest. But let’s be real—nobody is taking this Oscar away from Kieran Culkin. He owns this role. That said, I’m absolutely thrilled to see Edward Norton and Yura Borisov here, two of the most interesting performances of the year. And okay, I rewatched Gladiator II last night—and while the film’s okay, Denzel Washington deserved a spot here. Not seeing him on this list feels like a mistake of epic proportions.
The Villain’s Pick: Kieran Culkin—I already gushed about him, so no need to repeat myself, but he’s my guy.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Ah, the classic case of category fraud. Look, I love these actresses, but let’s be honest: Zoe Saldaña is in no way a supporting character here. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo should both be lead nominees, and Isabella Rossellini was in Conclave for a hot second. The Academy has some explaining to do. And don’t even get me started on Margaret Qualley—how was she snubbed? This is a crime against cinema, and I will avenge you! Despite that, it’s still an exciting group.
The Villain’s Pick: Ariana Grande—yes, she’s committing category fraud, but I don’t care. She killed it as Glinda, and it’s so clear how much she loved this role. I need her to win, so I can get a solid Glinda-centric Oscar moment.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
I gotta hand it to the Academy—this is a strong slate of screenplay nominees. There’s one I would absolutely boot off the list, but overall, I can get behind the choices.
The Villain’s Pick: Nickel Boys—let’s be real, this film deserves something, and I’m picking screenplay because I’m genuinely begging people to watch it. Like, please, for the love of all things cinema, watch this film.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
This is a tough one, a lot of these films give us some interesting characters to follow. But I gotta give credit where credit is due: Coralie Fargeat’s screenplay for The Substance is exceptional. She created a world so brutally honest, so unflinching in its storytelling—it’s just a remarkable piece of writing.
The Villain’s Pick: The Substance—because I can’t get over how bold and unapologetic this screenplay is.
Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Let’s talk about how more animated films need to be up for Best Picture—seriously. There are some gorgeous films in this category, and picking a winner is giving me anxiety.
The Villain’s Pick: Flow—I’ve gone back and forth between Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, but after seeing Flow, I’m convinced this one will come out on top. That said, I’d be thrilled with any of these films winning.
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Look, I’m not a documentary person. I’ll be the first to admit that. But sometimes, a documentary comes along that is so raw, so gut-wrenching, it makes me rethink my whole stance. And Sugarcane is that film. It’s beautiful, heart-wrenching, and it will haunt you in the best way possible.
The Villain’s Pick: Sugarcane—this documentary was a punch to the gut in all the best ways. Watch it.
Cinematography
Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez
Ed Lachman, Maria
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
We had some gorgeous films this year, and the cinematography was absolutely top-notch across the board. But Anora deserved a place in this conversation, and I’ll die on that hill—especially over a certain film with a very washed-out color palette.
The Villain’s Pick: Dune: Part Two—this film had some of the most goregous cinematography of the yea. Just so stunning.
Costume Design
Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown
Lisy Christl, Conclave
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II
Linda Muir, Nosferatu
Paul Tazewell, Wicked
No contest here. Paul Tazewell slayed the costume design in Wicked. Every piece was a work of art. Period.
The Villain’s Pick: Paul Tazewell, Wicked—he had one job: make us want to live in the world of Oz, and he did. Those costumes were everything.
Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Where is Nickel Boys?! I’m just out here, asking the real questions.
The Villain’s Pick: Nosferatu—because, come on, this film’s entire vibe is immaculate. The design is hauntingly perfect.
Music (Original Score)
Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
Clément Ducol and Camille, Emilia Pérez
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot
Here’s where I just start screaming. I actually think Academy voters should face prison time for snubbing Challengers—okay, prison may be too much, but at least community service because damn this was awful.
The Villain’s Pick: The Brutalist—it’s going to win. Mark my words.
Music (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
Okay, now I’m really losing it. TWO songs from Emilia Pérez? Really? The songs were the worst part of an already dreadful movie, so how in the world did we get two nominations for them? This is nasty work.
The Villain’s Pick: Anything but an Emilia Pérez song. I’m begging you, Academy, please give it to anyone else.
Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Listen, if Dune doesn't win this, I will LOSE MY MIND. I’m talking full meltdown. The sound design in that film is nothing short of perfection, and I’m not here for any snubs in this department.
The Villain’s Pick: Dune: Part Two—I don’t even need to say more. This is obvious.
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
The Villain’s Pick: Better Man—I’m honestly feeling a lot of emotion over this category because I need Better Man to win something. It’s so good, it deserves at least one award. I’m begging you, Academy—do the right thing.