The Oscars. The Film Lover’s Super Bowl. The Movie Critic’s World Cup. Widely regarded as the most important award show of the entire season, Oscars night is packed with excitement. However, amid all the excitement, there is always something else running rampant: drama. 

Each year, without fail, somebody, somewhere finds something to complain about. From the moment the nominations for the awards are announced, and for months after the show, movie lovers all over the world have something to say. As a self-proclaimed movie lover, I find myself agreeing with a lot of the different opinions I see and hear online. 

For example, this year’s Oscars lineup—the “Best Actress” lineup in particular—has spurred a lot of discussion already. “Barbie” actress Margot Robbie failed to earn a nomination this year, despite giving what critics have called “one of the best performances of her career.” The Academy’s lack of acknowledgment of Robbie’s performance sent many fans into angry, finger-pointing spirals. 

While I do think Robbie’s portrayal of the beloved Barbie toy was one deserving of praise, I didn’t see a problem with her not receiving a nomination. Yes, she gave an incredible performance, but did it really stand out? Was it really as good as some of the other performances that were nominated this year? Or the performances that have won in the past? Plus, it’s not as if her work on the film went completely unnoticed. As a producer for the film, Robbie was nominated in the “Best Picture” category. 

The bottom line is, even though Robbie gave a fantastic performance, her competition this year was, simply put, better. 2023 brought the film community strong performances from multiple repeat nominees, with Emma Stone, Annette Bening and Carey Mulligan all receiving heavy acclaim for their respective work—the competition pool was already swimming with sharks. Those performances, plus the stunning work done by first-time nominees Lily Gladstone and Sandra Hüller were enough to knock Robbie out of the pool altogether. 

I was particularly impressed by Gladstone and Hüller. Gladstone’s portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in “Killers of the Flower Moon” was raw, heartfelt and just exceptional. Her honesty and dedication to telling the stories of the Osage Natives’ tragedies were awe-inspiring and heart-wrenching. Gladstone undoubtedly gave one of the best acting performances of all time, and this very performance made her the first Native American to be nominated for the “Best Actress” award. Hüller’s intense, mind-twisting depiction of a wife accused of her husband’s murder was thrilling and bone-chilling. The monologue she gives in a flashback scene easily makes its way up my list of best monologues given by an angry, wronged wife (though, Rosamund Pike’s “cool girl” monologue in “Gone Girl” still takes the cake). The versatility of Hüller’s character leaves every single watcher feeling sympathetic, yet so confused by the end of the movie. 

On the other hand, there were undeniably a number of snubs for this year’s awards, starting back at the “Best Actress” category. Greta Lee gave an immaculate rendering in Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” touching all audiences with her unique perspective on love, permanence and fate. Lee gives a phenomenal breakout performance as Nora, one that I would even consider to be better than some of the other “Best Actress” nominations. The movie as a whole analyzes life and regret in a light that I’ve personally never seen before, and it just wasn’t given enough praise. 

Furthermore, the absolute masterpiece that is Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw” received zero nominations—none. From the moment I set eyes on this movie, I have truly never been the same. Durkin follows the notorious wrestling dynasty, the Von Erichs, through triumph and tragedy, painting a beautiful image of brotherhood, grief and sacrifice, with standout performances from Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich. The fact that there was absolutely no recognition of Efron, White, Durkin or anybody involved is astounding to me. Each character was meticulously modeled after their real-life counterpart, with just enough individual flair from each actor. Each scene is shot with such intensity and drama, you literally cannot look away. The Academy truly made a mistake by not even giving it one nomination. 

As you can probably deduce by now, Oscars season is intense. Everybody has an opinion, everybody has a bone to pick with the Academy, and everybody just wants to see their favorite win. But like I said, Oscars night is one of the most exciting nights of the year for some, and arguably it’s the drama that makes it so exciting. The Academy might make terrible decisions, a host might get slapped across the face for their jokes, and the presenters might even announce the wrong movie for an award, but it is all of these little mishaps that make the Oscars the biggest night for film.