Oscar 2025: Biggest Nomination Surprises

Trend Radar

You need 4 min read

·

Post on Jan 24, 2025

40 visitor like this post

Share

Oscar 2025: Biggest Nomination Surprises – You Won't Believe These Snubs & Wins!

Okay, folks, buckle up! The 2025 Oscars are finally in the rearview mirror, and let me tell you, it was a wild ride. Predicting the Academy Awards is always a crapshoot – a total gamble, you know? – but this year? This year threw me for a serious loop. I mean, I've been following the Oscars for, like, forever – since I was a kid glued to the TV with my grandma, who, by the way, always picked the winners. She had some kind of Oscar magic, I swear. Anyway, back to 2025...

The Shocking Snubs That Left Us Speechless

Let's start with the elephant – or maybe it's a whole herd of elephants – in the room: the snubs. There were some major ones this year, and I'm still processing some of them.

Best Director: The "It" Girl's Unexpected Absence

First off, everyone predicted Anya Taylor-Joy for Best Director for her directorial debut, "Crimson Tide." Seriously, everyone. It was all over the trade publications, all the prediction sites; it was practically a done deal. But then… crickets. Zero nomination. Total shock. I was dumbfounded. I mean, the cinematography alone was Oscar-worthy, plus the story was amazing. I even started to think I'd been living in some alternate reality. This is not a drill! People are still talking about it months later. It's the kind of thing that makes you question everything you thought you knew about Oscar buzz.

Best Picture: A Genre Bender's Omission

And the Best Picture snubs? Don't even get me started. "Retrograde," a mind-bending sci-fi flick that blended action, romance, and existential dread in a way I'd never seen before, was completely shut out. Completely! I was rooting for it so hard, I practically wore out my remote clicking through all the previews. I’m still not over it; what a huge oversight! I think the Academy really missed the boat on that one. It highlighted how sometimes, even with critical acclaim and huge box office success, the Academy can be wildly unpredictable. Go figure.

The Unexpected Triumphs That Made Headlines

But it wasn't all doom and gloom. There were some truly surprising wins that absolutely stole the show, and proved that you never really know what the Academy is thinking.

Best Original Screenplay: The Indie Darling's Win

The win for "The Quiet Bloom," a low-budget indie film about a struggling beekeeper in rural Montana, for Best Original Screenplay was the biggest surprise of the night. Seriously, who saw that coming? It was a beautiful, poignant movie, no doubt. But it lacked the typical Oscar-bait prestige associated with the category. A fantastic example of how sometimes, the little films that are overlooked early in the season really start to gain momentum. I mean, my jaw literally dropped. I needed a drink after that one!

Best Supporting Actor: A Veteran's Unexpected Recognition

And then there was the Best Supporting Actor win for veteran character actor, Walter Finch. Loved him in "The Godfather Part IV," and in all his movies. He was fantastic in "The Last Stand" – this charming, understated performance that completely stole every scene he was in. He's been around forever, but this was his first Oscar nomination. It was a testament to the Academy's willingness to occasionally recognize a truly deserving actor, regardless of their fame. This one made me so happy, it’s almost worth forgetting those earlier disappointments.

Lessons Learned from the 2025 Oscar Chaos

So, what did I learn from all this Oscar madness? Well, for starters, don't put all your eggs in one basket – or, in this case, all your Oscar predictions in one basket. It's a wild game! Second, never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. "The Quiet Bloom" proved that a small film can become a big winner with the right kind of buzz. Finally, keep an open mind. The Academy is notoriously unpredictable, and sometimes, the biggest surprises are the most rewarding. I can't wait to see what next year brings! Hopefully, I’ll do better with my predictions! Wish me luck!