Ranking The Oscar Nominated Films
Despite the dire circumstances that left the theatre world scrambling this past year, movie studios still managed to crank out a great set of movies that touched on many facets of human emotion. From dementia, to the continued struggle of black individuals in this country, to soul searching introspections, to fantasy revenge. This years crop of oscar nominated films managed to wow, astound, terrify, and inform us so in today’s adventure I will be personally ranking all the oscar films I’ve seen from worst to best.
26. United States V Billie Holiday (1 nomination)
Coming in at dead last is the bio-pic about the infamous Billie Holiday. This is a movie that should have been a sure fire bet. About a famous musicians struggle in Amerikkka while being hopped up on drugs during a pivotal era in American History and yet, this film bungles its every move and it all comes down to the script. Bouncing around from scene to scene with no rhyme or reason or cohesion, this film is a jumble of ideas just thrown against the wall of stock bio-pic tropes.
25. Greyhound (1 nomination)
It hurts my soul to put a movie starring my favorite actor this low but this film was just too much navy jargon and not enough story plotting. It’s a movie that if you’re into numbers or accurate boat warfare you’ll love but as a movie goer who wants to be wowed with story, this just doesn’t cut it. It would have been much better suited to a documentary format. And nothing is worse than a movie that’s only 90 minutes feeling like 2 hours. I’m sorry to say Tom, better luck next time.
24. The One & Only Ivan (1 nomination)
Just barely etching out Greyhound is the cute but derivative Ivan. A story about a captive gorilla who longs to return to the wild, it’s a movie you’ve seen a hundred times before but less funny and imaginative. Not even the fantastic Bryan Cranston and voice work of Sam Rockwell can make this any more enjoyable than alright. It’s an okay way to spend an afternoon if you have any younglings but other than that it’s an easily skippable film.
23. Hillbilly Elegy (2 nominations)
Coming in at 23 is the typical oscar bait movie that falls flat on its face. There’s one every year and this year it goes to Ron Howard with a dull family drama with decent performances from Amy Adams and Glenn Close but it’s another case of a movie you’ve seen before. This film adds nothing new or adds any unique twists to the family drama leaving this movie lifeless and a slog to get through.
22. Mulan (2 nominations)
Continuing the string of soul-less, boring, add nothing remakes is the live action retelling of Disney’s Mulan. A movie so lifeless and pointless I struggled to even make it through the whole film. These remakes get worse and worse and I feel we maybe finally hitting a breaking point with this years soon to be dud, Cruella. The biggest disservice this movie makes is telling us they got rid of mushu to be more realistic and then they go ahead and add a witch that can turn into a hawk.
21. The Midnight Sky (1 nomination)
Treading away from terrible movies into mediocre is the sci-fi drama The Midnight Sky. It’s a well made movie with solid visuals and a good performance from George Clooney and his epic beard. It’s just a shame he leaves the space crew with so little to do, especially with talented actors and actresses at the helm. The movie is also a little too on the nose and predictable steering into melodrama and beating you over the head with its themes but it’s not the worst science fiction film I’ve seen, which is a glowing review after the past few movies we’ve just ranked.
20. The White Tiger (1 nomination)
A sleeper pick for a movie I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did. A dark and twisted black comedy about an Indian man and the family he drives for and his ambition to reach higher than his status allows. It’s balances its tone really well too between funny and darkly violent with an excellent turn from its main star and a perfect example of why we don’t need every movie to be about white males saving the world. Give me a small stakes movie about status and culture any day of the week.
19. Pieces of a Woman (1 nomination)
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The first of our super depressing nominated films is the story of a woman giving birth and her struggles in the aftermath of that birth. It has a tremendous performance from Vanessa Kirby, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses but man is this movie depressing to sit through so make sure you’re in the mood for a depressing pick before sitting through this one.
18. Mank (10 nominations)
Mank is a very well made movie with great production value, good performances, a solid soundtrack and yet still it manages to be one of the most boring movies around. You’d need to really be into old school hollywood and/or citizen kane to truly enjoy every frame of this film and while I do love me some old school hollywood I’m gonna drop a hot take for you…I hate Citizen Kane.
17. Another Round (1 nomination)
We now dip our toes into the good movies with the booze induced frenzy of Another Round. After discovering that their lives are better while keeping on a buzz, four friends decide to experiment with keeping that buzz going through their daily life. It’s at times funny, at times dark, sad. It runs the gamet on emotions but one thing it is not is boring. This is definitely a film worth checking out.
16. Onward (1 nomination)
This first of two Pixar films to make this list is the underrated Onward. A film that seemed destined to fail if it didn’t reach the heights of Pixar’s classics but not everything can be an instant classic and just cause it’s not doesn’t make this a bad film. Far from it. This enjoyable adventure film of two brothers trying to recconect with their dead father is every bit as fun and emotional as you’d come to expect from Pixar.
15. One Night In Miami (3 nominations)
A meeting of the minds of the era’s most famous black individuals. One Night in Miami is staged like a play with terrific dialogue and an epic conversation that plays out over the second half of the film while in a hotel room. The conversations are loaded and heavy and humorous and light and a million other adjectives I could come up with. This is a fantastic debut from Regina King and I look forward to seeing what she does next behind the camera.
14. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (5 nominations)
The last performance we’re ever gonna get from Chadwick Boseman is also his best as he embodies a young upstart jazz musician looking to break out under the reigns of Ma Rainey. This film is another that is basically one long conversation but the dialogue is chock full of heavy themes and loaded questions and one particular story from Boseman all but sealed the deal for his posthumous best actor award.
13. Minari (6 nominations)
Another family drama, this one a million times better than Hillbilly. Minari follows a korean family as they start a farm in the midwest and their struggles to make it in America in the eighties. This movie is another phenomenal written and directed film that also lays thick on the depression so be sure to have a comedy lined up after to decompress.
12. Nomadland (6 nominations)
I love me some existential reflecting in my films so Nomadland was a real joy to watch with beautiful cinematography and another rousing performance from Frances McDormand. There’s not more to say that hasn’t already been said on the podcast so check that out for more in depth looks at these films.
11. Tenet (2 nominations)
Just missing out on the top ten is a movie I’m sure most people didn’t expect to be this high. The criminally underrated Tenet. A movie that came out at the wrong place at the wrong time and is a seriously tough movie to get through if you aren’t into the subject matter. Much like Mank, one would really have to be into time travel and quantum mechanics to really sink their teeth into this film and lucky for me, I am one of those people so I really dug on this far out trippy time travel exposition juggernaut.
10. News Of The World (4 nominations)
Lucky for me Tom never stays down for long and where Greyhound failed, News of the World excels with a lush vibrant film full of gorgeous cinematography, rousing performances from both Tom and the little girl and thrilling tense scenes as Tom tries to deliver the young girl back to her family after years living with Native Americans.
9. Judas & The Black Messiah (6 nominations)
A phenomenal film with terrific turns from Lakeith Stanfield and especially Daniel Kaluuya. Daniel truly embodies Fred Hampton giving a stirring and completely engrossing performance that I couldn’t look away from. This movie is tense, violent, and still perfectly relevent to our times today. The dialogue is also on point and given its full due by Kaluuya.
8. Da 5 Bloods (1 nomination)
Perhaps the biggest snub of the entire oscars this year is the film Da 5 Bloods. An uncompromising look at the effects of the Vietnam war on these individuals and their last ditch effort to retrieve a cache of gold. It’s epic in scope, violent as all hell, with another stand out performance from Chadwick Boseman but it’s Delroy Lindo here who truly shines in this film as an aging veteran who slowly slips into madness. It is absolutely criminal that he wasn’t nominated.
7. The Father (6 nominations)
An unflinching look at an old man as he slips into dementia and loses his grip on reality this movie is as depressing as they come but grips you along for the ride as you try along with Hopkins to piece together where everything in his timeline falls together. It’s a maddening and heartbreaking viewing experience but it offers Hopkins one of his best performances to date and may truly give Boseman a run for his money, and deservedly so.
6. Borat 2 (2 nominations)
No better movie exemplifies and completely decimates the American experience than Borat 2. Sacha Baron Cohen is on top form as he destroys every single one of us in his quest to show our stupidity and he exceeds every step of the way and he brings his daughter along for the ride this time and newcomer Maria Bakalova shines in a role that frankly not many people could pull of so her nomination is very well deserved.
5. Love and Monsters (1 nomination)
Another movie most people probably didn’t expect to be this high is the science fiction adventure film Love and Monsters. I seriously loved this movie, it ticked all the boxes that I look for in films and knocked each one out of the park. The practical effects work on the monsters were out of this world and such a throwback to the eighties, I couldn’t get enough. This is a movie that should have way more widespread appeal and one of covids most unfortunate victims. Find a way to watch this movie now.
4. Sound Of Metal (6 nominations)
Can just hear the metal from here. Another unfliching portrayal of a person going through unspeakable turmoil, this time with hearing. A heavy metal drummer must come to terms with his life changing completely when he finds out he’s going deaf. It’s so sad and yet uplifting. Bleak and bittersweet yet ends on a beautiful note. It’s a movie every movie lover should see and it is such a joy to see this movie get so much love at the oscars.
3. The Trial of Chicago 7 (6 nominations)
The king of dialogue returns (sorry Quentin) to show another era of American history that is still painfully relevent today. Aaron Sorkin is becoming one hell of a writer director with this follow up to Molly’s Game showcasing another effortlessly entertaining film with huge stars, tight dialogue and powerful messages. This is a must see on anyones list.
2. Soul (3 nominations)
Pixar continues to doll out life lessons and unexpected existential thoughts with one of the best animated films of all time. Never have I connected with a film as much as I did this one as a school teacher with dreams of becoming a jazz musician finds his life cut short and must find a way to return to achieve what he believes his life purpose is. It’s a beautiful film with a beautiful message that all kids should watch. This and Inside Out should be required viewing for any kids reaching the developmental stage.
- Promising Young Woman (5 nominations)
The piece de resistance. Not only my favorite movie of the oscars nominations but my favorite movie of 2020. This movie should be required viewing for all young boys reaching those hormonal levels of horniness. The fact too that they got every quirky funny guy actor from TV and film of the last few years to play the horrible dudes in this film just makes it even better. This revenge fantasy is dark, twisted, funny, and so painfully relevant, it has to be seen to be believed. The less you know going into it the better so do yourself a favor and check out this movie ASAP.
And there you have it, my rankings of the oscar nominations. For my thoughts on picks and who will win come game night be sure to check out the podcast The Link for our discussion of just that and until next time, Adventure On!