Sandra Bullock in ‘The Blind Side’

We’re kicking things off with one of the most legendary moments in Razzie history. In 2010, Sandra Bullock was awarded the ‘Best Actress’ prize by the Academy just 24 hours before being given the corresponding gong at the Golden Raspberries. The star even arrived in person to collect her ‘Worst Actress’ statuette, which was for her performance in All About Steve. 

Her Oscar-winning turn in The Blind Side came under scrutiny at the time. However, things got even worse when the real-life subject of the movie, Michael Oher, claimed that Leigh Anne Tuohy (Bullock’s character) had taken advantage of him.

Rami Malek in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Playing a real person can go one of two ways. Rami Malek soared all the way to the top with his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. That film on the whole wasn’t to everyone’s taste, but the central performance ruffled more than a few feathers.

Malek’s take on Mercury was viewed by many as an exaggerated parody of the great man. His more flamboyant tendencies were pushed to the foreground, making it very hard to actually take him seriously. When it was revealed that he didn’t even do his own singing, that was the last straw.

Al Pacino in ‘Scent of a Woman’

The case of Al Pacino’s 1993 Oscar win for Scent of a Woman is well known. Much has been made about how the Academy presented him with the gong to make up for the fact that he’d never won before. Unfortunately, we now have to remember what was an otherwise forgettable performance.

Able-bodied actors playing disabled characters is always going to inspire debate. Pacino’s portrayal of a blind colonel walks the line of offensive and doesn’t always stay on it. In another universe, this could have been his most mocked role instead of his most celebrated.

John Wayne in ‘True Grit’

Similarly to Pacino, you get the feeling that John Wayne only won an Oscar for True Grit because the Academy wanted him on their books. His turn as one-eyed lawman Rooster Cogburn is no different to any of his other grizzled gunfighters. In fact, it might be worse than all of them.

Wayne felt uncomfortable throughout the movie. He had been taken out of his comfort zone, forced to work with writers and a director he didn’t know. This discomfort shines through in this very awkward turn. Thank God for Jeff Bridges, eh?

Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘Shakespeare in Love’

The entire saga of Shakespeare in Love at the Oscars is wild. Not only did the mediocre movie steal ‘Best Picture’, but Gwyneth Paltrow was also unfairly awarded ‘Best Actress’ for her role as the titular bard’s lover.

Is she bad in this film? Not at all. She does a perfectly acceptable job as the lead, forming a decent relationship with co-star Joseph Fiennes and investing the audience in the half-assed action. This honorary Razzie is awarded purely out of principle. Cate Blanchett should have won for Elizabeth, and that’s that.

Kate Winslet in ‘The Reader’

What the hell was Kate Winslet thinking with this one? Years before she won her ‘Best Actress’ Oscar, she had appeared on the TV sitcom Extras. The joke was that she was only starring in a movie about the Holocaust to win an Oscar, which is exactly what happened with The Reader.

Winslet is good in this film, that’s undeniable. In fact, she might be the only good thing about this incredibly manipulative drama. But for putting herself in this position, she deserves to take home all of the gag prizes.

Helen Hayes in ‘Airport’

This one feels especially bad, as to take away Helen Hayes’ Oscar would be to take away her EGOT. But do we really think she deserved it for the movie that Airplane! took its lead from?

Hayes plays a woman who smuggles herself aboard the doomed flight at the centre of the story. Again, this isn’t a bad performance, but it’s painfully by the numbers. She weeps and sobs her way through most of the action and actually becomes a little grating by the end. Looks like she’ll have to settle for an ‘EGRT’ instead.

Mikey Madison in ‘Anora’

At the time of writing, the most recent winner of the ‘Best Actress’ award was celebrated for playing a character who mostly shouts, swears, and twerks her way through the movie. 

Mikey Madison’s portrayal of a sex worker who marries the son of a mob boss received plenty of flowers, but this title role falls short of the mark. Almost all of it is down to her accent, which is admittedly very good, but this supposedly subversive take on the romantic lead often just comes across as annoying. I don’t feel good about this one, but it’s true.

Jared Leto in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’

Remember when everyone loved Jared Leto? Those were the days. The pinnacle of the rock singer’s success came when he collected the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ trophy for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. It was a great moment at the time, but looking back, it’s a little uncomfortable.

Leto’s character, Rayon, is trans. The discussion surrounding cis actors playing trans roles has come a long way since 2013, but it faced criticism even at the time. The performance might have been good, but was it really worth this injustice? Also, it’s Jared Leto. Give him all the duff awards.

Meryl Streep in ‘The Iron Lady’

The narrative surrounding The Iron Lady usually goes something like “bad film, great performance”. But is this true? The problem with playing a real person – especially someone as famous as Margaret Thatcher – is that it’s easy to stray into parody. That’s an issue with Meryl Streep throughout The Iron Lady.

Her ‘Thatcherisms’ can be way too much. It’s a decent impression, sure, but that shouldn’t be enough to snag the big one. Streep hasn’t won an Oscar since, and it’s sad to think that her run may end on such a sour note.