2025 Oscar Nominations: My Analysis and Breakdown

Celebrating Horror, Surprises, and Snubs: A Look at the 2025 Oscar Nominations

The 2025 Oscar nominations are here, and there's plenty to analyze and discuss. First and foremost, I want to congratulate the horror genre for its well-deserved recognition this year. For too long, horror has been overlooked by the Academy, but 2025 is shaping up to be a turning point.

Horror’s Time to Shine

Leading the charge is The Substance, which earned nominations for Best Picture, Actress (Demi Moore), Screenplay, Director (Coralie Fargeat), and Makeup. That’s an incredible showing for a genre often relegated to technical categories or ignored altogether. Demi Moore’s performance was phenomenal, and I believe she has a strong shot at taking home the Oscar for Best Actress. That said, Mikey Madison is stiff competition in this category, and it’s shaping up to be one of the night’s most exciting matchups.

Other horror entries also made their mark. Nosferatu landed nominations for Cinematography, Costume Design, and Makeup, which is fitting for a visually stunning reimagining of the classic story. Meanwhile, Alien: Romulus secured a well-earned nod for Visual Effects. While I hoped Naomi Scott might sneak in with a nomination for her standout performance in Smile 2, I’m thrilled to see the genre as a whole receiving some love. It doesn’t entirely make up for Toni Collette’s snub for Hereditary in 2018, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The Big Contenders: Emilia Perez and The Brutalist

Leading the pack this year is Emilia Perez with an impressive 13 nominations, followed by The Brutalist with 10. I haven’t had the chance to see either film yet, so I can’t speak to their quality personally. However, based on reviews and early buzz, both seem like quintessential “Oscar movies”—the kind that sweep awards season but don’t always leave a lasting cultural impact. Will they stand the test of time like Anora, The Substance, Dune: Part Two, A Complete Unknown, and Wicked? Only time will tell.

One potential stumbling block for The Brutalist is the controversy surrounding its reported use of AI. While this may seem like a minor issue, it could influence voters in a year when the industry’s relationship with technology is a hot topic. As for the acting categories, I’m curious to see how voters respond to Adrien Brody’s performance compared to Timothée Chalamet’s transformative portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Chalamet feels like a strong frontrunner.

Acting, Directing, and Snubs

Kieran Culkin’s nomination for A Real Pain is a highlight of the list, and I’m rooting for him to win. His performance was raw, compelling, and deeply memorable. On the Original Screenplay front, A Real Pain also deserves the win, though the competition is fierce with The Substance and Anora also in the mix.

I also want to make sure to mention the historic nomination of Karla Sofía Gascón for Best Actress. Gascón is the first openly transgender Best Actress nominee, and regardless of what you think about the movie, it is a historic moment in Oscars history.

On the director side, if Sean Baker wins Best Director for Anora, it would be well-deserved. However, there are strong contenders this year, and while I’d love to see him take the award, it wouldn’t be a huge disappointment if he doesn’t. Coralie Fargeat for The Substance would also be a fantastic choice. Denis Villeneuve deserved a chance too, and I can’t believe he didn’t get a nomination.

Ariana Grande’s nomination for Wicked was another pleasant surprise. Her performance was pure fun, and she brought both charisma and vocal power to the role. On the other hand, it was surprising to see Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl) and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl) miss out on nominations, especially given the buzz around their performances. Denzel Washington also missed out on a nomination for Gladiator II, but looking at the incredibly competitive field, it’s understandable.

Some snubs are harder to ignore. The absence of Challengers from the Best Score category stands out. Luca Guadagnino being completely shut out for both Challengers and Queer is surprising as well. Guadagnino consistently delivers visually stunning, emotionally rich films, so it’s unexpected not to see his work recognized this year.

Catching Up on the Nominees

Every year, the Oscar nominations serve as a reminder of how many movies I still need to see. This year is no different, and the nominations have pushed several films to the forefront of my watchlist. Emilia Perez and The Brutalist are now must-sees for me.

Based on past experiences, though, I haven’t always been "in love" with "Oscar movies." While they’re often technically brilliant, they don’t always resonate with me on an emotional level. It really feels like some of these movies were made for Award Season, and the pandering can get annoying. Looking back on past Best Picture winners, there aren’t a ton of movies I would consider “must-watches” or ones that I would give a repeat viewing. For every No Country For Old Men or Oppenheimer there is a Crash and Nomadland.

Crash is so, so, sooooo bad

People should also realize how much money goes into the marketing and money goes behind a nomination, so many of these films can be stood up to a higher level than they might deserve because of a huge campaign. For example, Emilia Perez is a Netflix movie. Netflix prints money, and I am sure their dollars and influence helped lead to more nominations. Still, I’m excited to dive into this year’s slate and see how my personal rankings stack up against the Academy’s choices.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this year’s nominations reflect a strong and diverse slate of films, with something for nearly every type of moviegoer. From horror’s breakthrough moments to the big-budget spectacles and smaller, character-driven dramas, the 2025 Oscars are shaping up to be an exciting celebration of cinema. Here’s hoping the awards themselves live up to the promise of the nominees. With Conan hosting, I think the show will be excellent!