Oscar nominations 2025: Snubs, surprises and love for "Wicked"
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The witches of "Wicked." Photo: Universal Pictures
Those who have followed our careers know that while our subject matter expertise may vary, we are both major cinephiles.
Driving the news: We were very excited to see the Oscar nominations revealed today and have some opinions:
Most pleasant surprise
Troy: The Demi Moore revival has been fun to watch.
- Not only was she nominated for Best Actress for "The Substance," which was expected, but the film also earned four other nominations, including Best Picture and Director.
Sam: With the caveat that I've seen fewer than half of the Best Picture nominees — I know, I know — I was delighted to see "Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both get nods.
- Their powerhouse vocals and chemistry made the film. I've already seen it twice.
Most aggravating snub
Troy: Not seeing Denzel Washington ("Gladiator II") or Daniel Craig ("Queer") in the Best Supporting Actor category is disappointing.
- Yes, but: Nicole Kidman missing out on Best Actress was the biggest shock. I'm not saying "Babygirl" is a great film, but it may be the most buzzworthy.
Sam: Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers" was one of my favorites of the year. I thought it merited nominations in multiple categories, but especially Best Original Screenplay.
- Cillian Murphy won last year's Best Actor honors for "Oppenheimer" — a no-brainer — but I thought his performance in "Small Things Like These" this year was equally worthy of recognition.
Nominee you're rooting for
Troy: Erivo for Best Actress. "Wicked" was the feel-good movie of 2024 and I've had "Defying Gravity" stuck in my head since November.
Sam: Sebastian Stan for Best Actor in "The Apprentice," mostly because his career has become orders of magnitude more interesting than MCU counterpart Chris Evans.
Nominee that doesn't belong
Troy: "Emilia Pérez" has the most nominations with 13 and I don't know why.
- The performances are solid, but the movie's second half is a snooze.
Sam: Completely agree. And allow me to invite the Academy not to needlessly duplicate nominations.
- If "Emilia Perez" and "I'm Still Here" are nominated for Best Picture, can we make room for additional foreign-language titles in the Best International Feature category?
Best Picture prediction
Troy: My heart says "Anora," an indie film with endless amounts of humor and heart.
- My head says "The Brutalist," a three-and-a-half hour period drama Oscar voters usually eat up.
Sam: I have not yet seen "The Brutalist"; nevertheless, I am picking it.
- It would be hilarious if "Conclave" won, though, due to Academy voters' distaste for other selections — not unlike the plot of "Conclave" itself.