film / tv / substack / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / substack / web / celeb

Viola Davis Getty 2.jpg

The Pajiba Alternative 2023 Oscar Nominations

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | January 25, 2023 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | January 25, 2023 |


Viola Davis Getty 2.jpg

The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were revealed yesterday and the results were reasonably okay. By the standards of the Oscars, it wasn’t too bad. Such are the joys of setting the bar incredibly low for yourself. 16 of the 20 acting nominees are first timers. We saw a lot of love for Everything Everywhere All at Once, a surprise nod for Andrea Riseborough that’s inspired a hell of a lot of Discourse, and nothing for Eddie Redmayne, bye.

But, of course, there were many omissions. Even in moments where the Academy dares to step outside of its own narrow confines, they can’t help but fall back into their comfort zone. It felt like a case of two steps forward then one step back: exciting developments that shook up the status quo, immediately followed by a total reassertion of it. So, we get shout outs for the likes of Ke Huy Quan and Angela Bassett, but then films like Till and The Woman King are entirely snubbed. Same as it ever was.

Every year, we like to compile a list of our own alternative Oscar nominations using only the films that didn’t get nominated in those categories. This is partly for our own amusement but mostly to remind everyone that there are so many incredible films to check out that are entirely deserving of love regardless of how many awards they received. It’s also a way to show how the Academy could easily make more progressive and unexpected choices should they choose to watch films that aren’t old-school prestige bait. Hell, I expanded the categories to six nominees for the fun of it and still feel like we had to make some tough cuts. It wasn’t hard to find agreeable choices!

BEST PICTURE

Aftersun
After Yang
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Crimes of the Future
Decision to Leave
Great Freedom
Nope
Saint Omer
RRR
The Woman King

BEST DIRECTOR

Alice Diop - Saint Omer
Chinonye Chukwu - Till
Park Chan-wook - Decision to Leave
Jordan Peele - Nope
Sarah Polley - Women Talking
Gina Prince Bythewood - The Woman King


BEST ACTOR

Colin Farrell - After Yang
Jack Lowden - Benediction
Park Hae-il - Decision to Leave
Daryl McCormack - Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Franz Rogowski - Great Freedom
Wes Studi - A Love Song

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis - The Woman King
Danielle Deadwyler - Till
Mia Goth - X/Pearl
Rebecca Hall - Resurrection
Regina Hall - Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Guslagie Malanda - Saint Omer

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Peter Capaldi - Benediction
Paul Dano - The Fabelmans
Conrad Ricamora - Fire Island
Mark Rylance - Bones and All
Steven Yeun - Nope

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Dolly De Leon - Triangle of Sadness
Nina Hoss - Tar
Lashana Lynch - The Woman King
Janelle Monae - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Keke Palmer - Nope
Kristen Stewart - Crimes of the Future


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Aftersun
Crimes of the Future
Decision to Leave
Nope
One Fine Morning
Saint Omer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

After Yang
Catherine Called Birdy
Bones and All
Fire Island
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
The Wonder

BEST SCORE

After Yang
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Living
Nope
RRR
Women Talking

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Corsage
Decision to Leave
Holy Spider
Joyland
Return to Seoul
Saint Omer

BEST HORROR FILM (added because we can!)

Barbarian
Mad God
Nope
Prey
You Won’t Be Alone
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair