Film, TV + Theatre

7 Films That Should Be Nominated at the Oscars—But Won’t

Daylight robbery

22.01.2025

By Nikita Nawawi

Images: COURTESY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
7 Films That Should Be Nominated at the Oscars—But Won’t

Hollywood’s favourite season, awards, is reaching a crescendo. The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be revealed tomorrow. With the field and its frontrunners firming up, awards prognosticators have started placing bets on the probable surprises in all 23 categories. Can Anora overcome the Golden Globes shutout? Will Wicked rebound after its underperformance at the Baftas? Is The Brutalist losing momentum as the Best Picture favourite following its SAG ensemble snub?

While some brace themselves for disappointment, others have already given in to it. The overflow of treasure gold on the silver screen last year means little in the context of Tinseltown trophies—not every masterpiece gets to break into the winner’s circle. Landing an Oscar nod requires more than just a good film. It takes a strategically orchestrated effort—critical acclaim, studio-backed campaign, and prime-time release date—to manufacture the perfect storm to blow the roof off the Dolby Theatre.

So if you’re looking to broaden your cinematic horizon, here are seven criminally underrated films that have flown under the Academy’s radar.

 

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT BY PAYAL KAPADIA

In a perfect world, All We Imagine as Light would lead the nomination tally. Snubbed by the Film Federation of India in favour of Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, which failed to make the Best International Feature shortlist as India’s official submission, the Cannes-winning title is looking at a complete shutout come Thursday night. It bears a cruel irony given Payal Kapadia’s assured direction in shifting the focus from the bling of Bollywood to the reality of life in the underbelly of urban India.

 

ABANG ADIK BY JIN ONG

This Jin Ong-directed drama made waves in both local and international scenes upon release, winning hearts and hardware for its penetrating portrayal of two undocumented brothers in Kuala Lumpur. Submitted for Oscars’ consideration by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), Abang Adik, too, was unable to crack the shortlist when it should’ve gotten its well-deserved flowers, if only for the tour-de-force performance by Wu Kang-ren.

 

HERE BY BAS DEVOS

In a time where constant connectivity only means growing detachment, Bas Devos is reminding us of the fundamentals of our being. Here, at its core, is a pensive meditation on human nature. It traces the monotonous daily grinds Stefan and Shuxiu move through and exposes the gaping voids we often overlook. Devos’ latest directorial outing weaves a narrative of isolation and offers a remedy that alchemises upon a chance encounter on a rainy day.

 

INSHALLAH A BOY BY AMJAD AL RASHEED

An incisive critique on gender politics, Inshallah a Boy takes us to present-day Jordan, where a widow grapples with unique obstacles upon the passing of her husband. An unsavoury fight for inheritance breaks when she fails to present a formal agreement to lay claim to her husband’s apartment. With her brother-in-law waiting in the wings to take it all—a ramification of the state’s draconian laws—she is faced with an impossible solution. She is to produce a male heir.

 

KINDS OF KINDNESS BY YORGOS LANTHIMOS

Kinds of Kindness marks a welcome return to form for Yorgos Lanthimos. Fresh off his Oscar glory with Poor Things, the Greek filmmaker brings back that unsettling blend of absurdism, stilted dialogue, and deadpan performances with this darkly comic anthology. Jesse Plemons turned in Oscar-worthy performances, especially as a police officer who grows increasingly uneasy when his wife, presumed dead at sea, mysteriously reappears with an unfamiliar demeanour.

 

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL BY CAMERON AND COLIN CAIRNES

The horror genre, to no one’s surprise, is given the cold shoulder this awards season, save for Demi Moore’s star vehicle The Substance. Joining the ranks of Us, It, and Hereditary is the underrated Late Night With the Devil. The Cameron and Colin Cairnes-directed feature tackles the theme of ambition and how far one is willing to go to pursue it. Set on a talk show stage, the film follows Jack Delroy on his sinister quest to boost Night Owls’ declining ratings.

 

THE MONK AND THE GUN BY PAWO CHOYNING DORJI

In a glut of stone-faced dramas and screwball comedies, The Monk and the Gun is an antidote many didn’t know they needed. Here, Pawo Choyning Dorji chronicles the moving—and sometimes amusing—conflict and confusion during Bhutan’s transition to democracy. As government officials stage a mock election to educate the locals, a monk traverses the land for guns, crossing paths with villagers, urbanites, and an American arms collector along the way.

 

 

For more culture reads, click here.

SHARE THE STORY
Explore More