The Biggest Snubs And Surprises Of The 2022 Oscar Nominations

Ah, the Oscars. How we like to celebrate when they get things right. And how we like to mutter under our breath all manner of foul curses when they get things wrong. 

This morning's nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards were no different. As usual, the Academy got some stuff very right, some stuff very wrong, and left the /Film team equally elated, angry, and confused. Typical Oscars morning. As is tradition around these parts, we set out to make a list of the major surprises and snubs, a look at what left us pleasantly dizzy and what left us deeply annoyed. It wouldn't be Academy Award nominations day if we didn't spend an entire article experiencing whiplash over these awards, would it? 

Note: this list won't contain snubs that we knew were coming. Like how "Titane" somehow didn't make the short list for International Feature Film, or how Disney somehow decided to not submit "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for Best Original Song.

While it is no surprise that Ryusuke Hamaguchi's moving and meditative drama "Drive My Car" landed a nomination in the Best International Feature category (alongside Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director), the film landing a Best Picture nomination is a triumph in itself. It is rare for "foreign" features to be highlighted in more than one category (barring the six nominations for "Parasite" in the 2020 Oscars), but "Drive My Car" is a worthy Best Picture contender due to its incisively humane and poetic nature, making history (rightfully so) as the first Japanese film to ever be nominated in this category. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson are international treasures. We probably all know this, but if you weren't yet aware, watch "Passing" and see for yourself. Everyone — major associations included — was so enamored by Negga's performance in Rebecca Hall's debut that her Best Supporting Actress nomination (and possible win) seemed like a formality at this point. "Passing" also had a strong chance of securing a Best Actress nod for Thompson, especially after all the BAFTA love last week. It's true that the Supporting Actress race is usually pretty tight, but Negga turned in a career-best performance with "Passing," and at the very least, her work should have been recognized. (Lyvie Scott)

To be fair, the critically-acclaimed swine-napping drama "Pig" was always seen as a little too idiosyncratic for Oscar voters' tastes to really catch on with the Academy. Even so, its shut-out at the Oscars comes as a surprise, granted that star Nicolas Cage won the Best Actor Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" in 1996 and was nominated in the same category in 2003 for "Adaptation." Not only that, the movie was backed by Neon, a distributor that ran a highly successful Academy Award campaign for Bong Joon-ho's own off-beat masterpiece "Parasite" just a couple of years ago. No such luck this time, though. (Sandy Schaeffer)

It seems the Academy was really into "Being the Ricardos," which isn't exactly surprising, but it's certainly a divisive stance. Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman were both nominated for Best Actor and Actress, while J.K. Simmons, who played William Frawley, got a nod for Best Supporting Actor. The film has been a major discussion point this season, even furthering chatter about the supposed death of the biopic. Either way, these nominations reinforce the Academy's penchant for tradition and old-school projects that spend a lot of time honoring the past, but give us little for the future. (Lex Briscuso)

That "Nightmare Alley" landed a handful of Oscar nods wasn't too shocking, least of all in the wake of director Guillermo del Toro's multiple wins at the 2018 Academy Awards for "The Shape of Water." Curiously, though, Cate Blanchett didn't receive a nomination for her lauded turn as the film's duplicitous psychologist, Dr. Lilith Ritter. Blanchett has already won a pair of acting Oscars (for "The Aviator" and "Blue Jasmine") and was nominated on another prior four occasions, so she wasn't, per se, overdue for recognition from the Academy. That may also explain why she was overlooked this time around. (Sandy Schaeffer)

Mike Faist played Riff to smirking, street-smart perfection in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" remake, and it's a travesty to see his work go unrecognized. The snub is particularly egregious because, in our world of contention, this seemed like the one thing everyone agreed on: Mike Faist is the definition of a scene-stealer! He makes the most of every ounce of screen time by giving the epitome of a Best Supporting Actor performance. He hooks us in with charm and momentum and easily brings us to tears by the third act. Whether he's swinging through a dance number or giving way to vulnerability with the slightest expression, Faist is electric. And in a film full of magnetic forces, he manages to completely reinvent a classic role with a singular stand-out performance. (Shania Russell)

It's hard to remember a time before Jesse Plemons cemented himself as a reliable Hollywood constant. One minute he was just set dressing in a suitably tense season of "Breaking Bad," the next he was the most terrifying onscreen presence we had the (incredible) misfortune of enduring. Since then, he's gone from one role to the next, sometimes a bumbling, likable fool, other times a force to be reckoned with — but without fail, Plemons is an endlessly compelling performer. "The Power of the Dog" is no exception, but his time he's finally getting some well-deserved recognition. It's a thrill just to know he's on the ballot at all, but the fact that he gets to share the nomination with Kirsten Dunst, his real-life wife, is a lovely bonus. And personally, I consider this the Academy making up for not giving Plemons the Oscar he deserved for "Game Night." (Shania Russell)

Sony Pictures did their best, Tom Holland joked about his Oscar chances, and clearly audiences had an appetite to see "Spider-Man: No Way Home" rewarded with a Best Picture nomination. Needless to say, that didn't quite happen. No, before anyone grabs their pitchforks and torches, that doesn't mean the Academy conspired against the most successful American film in the pandemic era. Though the judgment of voters can be questioned in many areas, clearly they figured "Most watched" needn't automatically translate to "Best Picture." Sony ultimately spent significant money in a fruitless effort ... but something tells me they'll be fine. (Jeremy Mathai)

Like the great journalism at the heart of the film's story, "The French Dispatch" was overlooked in this year's nominations. The film was met with overwhelming acclaim — and frankly, in the past, Wes Anderson's films have glided into nominations quite easily. Between costumes and production design — even before acting — Anderson's films are a staple acknowledgment for their sheer visual originality. If nothing else, it's usually to be expected to see Alexandre Desplat's name in the Best Original Score category. After all, he did win for Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Sadly, "The French Dispatch" will not be joining in that hall of accolades, which is a puzzling snub. (Lex Briscuso)

Is it too much to ask for some variety in our Best Animated Feature category? Something beyond all the Disney/Pixar releases that year, or whatever movie the Academy member's kids told them they liked. While the (highly deserved) nomination of the animated documentary "Flee" is a nice break in this trend, there was one glaring snub in the category that fell to the Academy's worst whims: Mamoru Hosoda's dazzling digital epic "Belle." Hosoda's breathtaking follow-up to his Oscar-nominated family fantasy drama "Mirai," there was some hope that "Belle" would receive a similar nod, especially after the heavy awards campaign that GKIDS launched for the film. But alas, "Belle" is left out in the cold. (Hoai-Tran Bui)