98th Academy Awards: Biggest snubs and surprises
What's the story
The 98th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, saw several unexpected wins and losses. Among the surprises was Cassandra Kulukundis's win for Best Casting in One Battle After Another, making her the first-ever winner of the award. Sinners was widely predicted to sweep this category. The live-action short film category also witnessed a rare tie between The Singers and Two People..., leaving the audience in disbelief. Meanwhile, Marty Supreme, Train Dreams, Bugonia, among others, went home empty-handed despite multiple nominations.
Unexpected victory
'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' won over 'The Perfect Neighbor'
Another surprise of the night was Mr. Nobody Against Putin's unexpected win in the Documentary Feature category. It beat the fan-favorite and critically acclaimed documentary The Perfect Neighbor, streaming on Netflix. The Perfect Neighbor chronicles a shooting incident in June 2023, where a white female, Susan Louise Lorincz, fatally shot her Black female neighbor Ajike Owens, in Ocala, Florida. Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir directed it.
Major omissions
'Marty Supreme,' 'Train Dreams' go home empty-handed
Sean Penn, as expected, won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. However, Stellan Skarsgard was also the frontrunner for the same honor. Shockingly, Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet, also went home empty-handed despite nominations for Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Directing, among others. The movie has received rave reviews worldwide. Netflix's Train Dreams and Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia were other notable snubs despite multiple nominations across categories like Best Picture and Original Score, respectively.
Cannes double winner's disappointment
Cannes Film Festival double winner 'The Secret Agent' also snubbed
Cannes Film Festival double winner The Secret Agent, along with its star Wagner Moura, also walked away empty-handed from the 98th Oscars. The film had received nominations in categories like Best Picture, International Feature, Best Actor, and Casting. Despite these accolades, it failed to secure any wins on Sunday night. Jafar Panahi's It Was Just An Accident also didn't win any awards, despite picking up the Palme d'Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.