Five movie that were created as blatant Oscar-bait
In the film industry, the importance placed on critical acclaim has only grown over the years, with filmmakers relying on certain levels of success to fund their next projects. If something sweeps at the Oscars, one of the most prestigious voting bodies in Hollywood, then there is no doubt that the process of creating their next film will be much easier.
However, the process of voting has become incredibly corrupt in recent years, with awards only going to projects that have significant marketing budgets, even if they contain no artistic value or rely on cheap tricks to manipulate audiences. It could be the likes of Green Book or Bohemian Rhapsody, which didn’t achieve anything groundbreaking yet were somehow heralded as the masterpieces of the year, while genuinely risky projects slip under the radar and are ignored by those with power.
As a result, awards season has never been more contentious or highly debated, with some films being criminally overlooked while others are elevated to completely undeserved heights. And alongside this, there are others that are created with the sole purpose of scooping awards, with the creative team showing no real interest in making a good story, often relying on the central performances to add substance.
it seems to be an increasingly common occurrence in recent years, with five films that spring to mind as being blatant Oscar bait.
Five blatant Oscar-bait movies:
‘A Complete Unknown’ (James Mangold, 2024)
Nothing is more frustrating than a super average film that is hyped up as God’s gift to cinema, a fate that we were collectively subjected to before the release of A Complete Unknown, as critics hailed it as a masterpiece that cracked open the enigmatic persona of Bob Dylan. However, much to my disappointment, it was a sorely mundane picture that did little more than show Dylan to be an annoying and misogynistic pest, with the entire film hinging on Timothée Chalamet’s great performance.
You can imagine that behind the scenes, the script was pitched to Chalamet as a chance to immerse himself in a character and divulge the lost secrets of a musical legend, while also being a surefire chance to be nominated for an Oscar, with biopics generally leading to such recognition for those who star in them. It’s an obvious measure of talent that all audience members can appreciate, with people being able to mark if it’s good or bad by simply comparing it to a real-life figure, with accuracy being the yardstick for calculating success. But in the case of A Complete Unknown, it is sadly a complete bore, and something that was created with the sole intention of sweeping up a few awards.
‘Pieces of a Woman’ (Kornél Mundruczó, 2020)
Apart from the unfortunate presence of Shia LaBeouf, the central performance from Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman is inarguably incredible, leading us through all stages of grief and anticipation as she plays a woman whose home birth goes horribly wrong. However, while the birth scene itself is gripping and devastating to watch, with a one-take shot that leaves us unable to escape from the horrors of what happens, it shortly nose-dives into a territory that has little to say besides, “look how good Vanessa Kirby is at acting”.
The rest of the film hinges on her ability to portray the all-consuming grief that follows her baby’s death, and while the performances are riveting, the story itself is not, feeling like an empty plot that was created to be critically recognised. While it’s certainly a chance for the actors to spread their wings, the story should always come first, and unfortunately, the film feels like it is putting the characters through extreme experiences with no real motivation besides being impressive.
‘Oppenheimer’ (Christopher Nolan, 2023)
There is nobody who hates Oppenheimer more than I do, with Christopher Nolan becoming public enemy number one after his exploitative and vapid portrayal of the creation of the atomic bomb, one of the biggest threats to humankind as we know it.
Besides the awful script and flimsy character development, in which the so-called moral dilemma of Mr Oppenheimer is explored through one brief scene that does not portray the weight of his internal struggles in any way, the film is completely mediocre in everything it sets out to do. But because it’s based on a real-life person and slice of history, it came as no surprise that critics and members of the Academy fawned over it like it was the best thing since sliced bread, despite holding no substance to accurately depict the implications of this creation or to warrant the countless awards it received.
‘The Whale'<em> </em>(Darren Aronofsky, 2023)
While Brendan Fraser might be one of the most decent people in Hollywood, it felt like Darren Aronofsky was capitalising on his long-awaited comeback and beloved reputation to appeal to critics when creating The Whale. Despite being a fairly moving story, it was ultimately very cliché and fairly problematic, with Aronofsky painting obesity as a character flaw instead of a health issue and focusing on symbols/metaphors instead of the interiority of Fraser’s character.
It deeply lacks compassion for the character, with Aronofsky creating a predictable weepie about a father trying to connect with his estranged daughter, with the biggest obstacle in their relationship being his weight. Fraser might be fantastic and deliver one of the best performances of his career, but the writing is lazy and offensive, and Aronofsky was clearly trying to capitalise on Fraser’s likability to win awards, instead of creating a good film.
‘Maestro’ (Bradley Cooper, 2023)
Despite the fact that many of the films on this list are ones I didn’t personally enjoy, Maestro was one that crept up on people and made a positive impression, even if Bradley Cooper’s efforts were largely ignored during awards season. The film follows the life and marriage of Leonard Bernstein, a passion project from Cooper that was eight years in the making.
You can feel Cooper’s creative energy and love for the story in every frame, and while there is much to love about it, you still come away with the feeling that he was hoping to bag a few awards through its creation, something that feels inevitable when someone stars, directs, writes and produces a project. However, while it might have been blatantly reaching for critical acclaim, Maestro sadly did not reach the heights Cooper had set his heart on, remaining as one of the less successful Oscar bait films on this list.
