The 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday and with them a host of snubs. Here's a look at some of the notable films and performances the Academy overlooked.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
The latest installment of the Star Wars series is now the highest-grossing film in North America; it was also very well reviewed, leading some critics to wonder whether it might earn a nod from the Academy. While it picked up a several nominations in technical categories, the blockbuster was shut out of the majors—including J.J. Abrams for Best Director.
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
The biopic about pioneering rap group N.W.A. garnered strong box-office receipts over the summer, but the film, its director, and actors didn't earn a single Oscar nomination. This was part of a broader theme for this year's Academy Awards: an overall lack of people of color nominated for awards. Straight Outta Compton's writers (both white men) did get a nod in the Best Original Screenplay category.
CAROL
The film about an affair between two women in the 1950s has drawn serious critical praise, as well as Oscar nominations for Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. But the movie and its director Toddy Haynes missed the cut for Best Picture and Best Director.
TANGERINE
The movie about two trans women captured much of the Zeitgeist around gender and race issues this year. The indie film was also shot, beautifully, on an iPhone 5. But neither the film nor its actors managed to earn attention from the Academy.
SICARIO
The action film about Mexico's drug war and the U.S.'s part in it was a long shot, but its star Emily Blunt turned in a heart-pounding performance that helped ground the movie in emotion. However, it drew a big nada from the Academy.
QUENTIN TARANTINO
The writer and director is a familiar face at the Oscars, but this year his film The Hateful Eight failed to earn him a writing or directing nod.
RIDLEY SCOTT
His film The Martian was nominated for best picture, but Ridley Scott didn't land a spot among the Best Director set.
RYAN COOGLER
The not-quite 30-year-old director of Creed—who also worked on the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station—was left off the Best Director list, despite the film earning praise from critics and audiences alike. The good news is Coogler's been tapped to direct the big-budget Marvel film Black Panther.
MICHAEL B. JORDAN
The star of Creed, Michael B. Jordan, was shut out of the Best Actor category, despite turning in a solid performance. However, his co-star, Sylvester Stallone, did earn a Best Supporting Actor nod.
HELEN MIRREN
The iconic British actress earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Trumbo. The film also earned its star, Bryan Cranston, a nod from the Academy for Best Actor, but nothing for Mirren.
IDRIS ELBA
The man who might be the next James Bond starred in the startlingly good Netflix filmBeasts of No Nation about an African warlord, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, but nothing from the Academy.
JOHNNY DEPP
He's turned in quite a few stinkers in recent years, but word around the movie theater was that Johnny Depp was back in a big way with Black Mass, transforming himself into notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger. The Academy didn't think so.
Words by Michael Sebastian ELLE US
