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I’ve had a screener of The Imitation Game sitting on my desk for over a month now. Oscar Guilt, foisted upon us by film critics, that coworker who was racing (and inevitably failed) to see all of the “contenders” before the “big night,” and the culture at large, tell me I should see this movie. It has been widely acclaimed, hailed as “strong, stirring, triumphant, and tragic” — which actually reads like a checklist for How to Get An Oscar Nomination. And I believe the hype. I’m even pretty sure I’ll like it. Still, I can’t bring myself to watch it.
It seems that over the past few years, more and more films have been conceived, written, developed, released, and marketed to be Oscar Movies. It’s no wonder. Considered the most prestigious prize in the film industry, an Oscar — and many times even a nomination — can have a significant impact on a film’s box office and the careers of its director and stars (though not always a positive one — just ask Mo’Nique). But playing by the Academy’s rules as to what does or does not make a film “Oscar-worthy” leaves us with a lot of formulaic films. Period piece that also acts as a social commentary on the way we live now? Check. Tearjerker? Yes, please. Actor who has undergone a serious physical transformation and/or forsworn glamour for a role? You’re in. Even better if you’re British. Better still if you’re white.
But don’t dismiss me as anti-Oscars. I’ve seen my fair share of this year’s contenders — I even saw American Sniper over Oscar weekend, lured by a friend’s promise to pay for boozy brunch before. (Incidentally, I do not recommend this method of viewing American Sniper.) And I have even liked some of them that were not named Birdman, the ultimate champion. But whenever I’ve found myself in the mood to sit down and watch a movie over the last month, I haven’t been reaching for The Imitation Game. (This problem has plagued me for some time. I have yet to find myself in the particular mood necessary to subject myself to Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning turn in Monster and, I’ll say it here, I don’t think that I ever will).
There have been think pieces upon think pieces written about the state of the industry, how the voting body of the Academy looks nothing like industry it represents, how they are painfully, chronically out of touch with what’s going on in the culture at large. So, I’ll spare you another one of those. But if you’re experiencing Oscar Movie Burnout like me, I’m here to recommend some other, excellent movies released this past year year. They have a grand total of one Oscar nomination to their name and zero wins, but they are inventive, original, and very much worthy of your, if not the Academy’s, consideration.
'The Babadook'
Before M. Night Shyamalan became the punchline he is today, he was an Oscar nominee for both writing and directing The Sixth Sense. That film, formulaic by suspense and horror standards, seems to be about as far as the Academy is willing to go into the dark. Which is a shame, because 2014 gave us one of the most dazzling, incisive horror movies in years. The film centers on a widowed mother, her son, and the monster that invades their house through a mysterious book. It would be easy to dismiss this premise as pure monster movie trash, but The Babadook is so much more than that: more an exploration of the demon inside us rather than the demon from hell. Filmmaker Jennifer Kent has plenty to say about cliché topics like grief and motherhood, but she approaches them in shocking, unforgettable ways. [Where to stream The Babadook]
'Dear White People'
Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris, following his painfully sincere opening number, started his monologue by joking, “Tonight we celebrate Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry … brightest.” If Harris had left it there, the joke might have been an effective nod to the glaring lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations. But jokes at the expense of Oprah (oh, Neil, have you learned nothing?), Octavia Spencer, and David Oyelowo throughout the seemingly 17-hour broadcast made the host feel more part of the problem than someone trying to call attention to it. First time director Justin Simien’s Dear White People, which took home a 2014 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, is more sly and effective on the issue than any Oscar host could ever dream of being. The movie follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and racial politics at a predominantly white college. The satire is biting, the comedy is deliciously un-P.C., and the film is a must-watch. [Where to stream Dear White People]
'Neighbors'
Much like horror, big budget, crowd pleasing comedies have a hard time garnering the attention of the Academy. Sure, a few years ago they threw the Bridesmaids gals a couple of nominations, but more often than not the Academy’s sense of humor doesn’t extend beyond whatever film Woody Allen put out that year. Neighbors was never going to be an Oscar contender, but taken at face value, it’s a really entertaining frat flick meets a meditation on coming to terms with what it means to be an adult. Its killer cast, including a mostly shirtless Zac Efron and Rose Byrne speaking in her native accent, makes the most of the material and exposes an unexpected sweetness under the surface … and the dick jokes. [Where to stream Neighbors]
'Nightcrawler'
The only movie on this list to receive an Oscar nomination — for Original Screenplay; it lost to Birdman — Nightcrawler was the best movie I saw last year. Gorgeously shot and featuring scary good Oscar snubbed-turns by Jake Gyllenhaal as an obsessively driven young man desperate for work and Rene Russo as a news producer thirsting for (literal) blood, the tension builds to near operatic heights until it explodes. The film takes on ambition, the 24-hour news cycle, those uncomfortable gray areas of morality, and the lengths we go to to get the job done. As much a social commentary as it is a high-octane thriller, Nightcrawler still sticks with me months after my first viewing. [Where to stream Nightcrawler]
'Obvious Child'
We’ve established that the Academy is not terribly friendly to comedies. But a low budget independent comedy about abortion? Forget about it. Jenny Slate, best known as the voice of Marcel the Shell and the girl who said “fuck” on SNL, steps into the leading role of this lovely — if thorny — and romantic — though gross — comedy. It is difficult to classify, another thing that likely made it inaccessible to Academy members. But Slate shines as a down-and-out comic who gets pregnant during a one night stand and decides, with little fanfare, to get an abortion. It’s the sweetest damn movie you’ll ever see about abortion. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll see Jake Lacy fart on Jenny Slate’s face. What are you waiting for? [Where to stream Obvious Child]
'The One I Love'
Late one night, obsessively checking when Mad Men’s final episodes were airing, I stumbled upon this little indie starring Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) and the Duplass brother who’s not on Transparent (Mark). On the brink of separation, Ethan (Duplass) and Sophie (Moss) escape to a beautiful vacation house for a weekend getaway in an attempt to save their marriage. What begins as a romantic and fun retreat soon becomes surreal, when an unexpected discovery forces the two to examine themselves, their relationship, and their future. While it might sound like a New Yorker story come to life, the movie is fast-moving, high-minded, and delightfully strange. [Where to stream The One I Love]
'The Skeleton Twins'
If Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader were shooting for Oscar gold, then they got it all wrong. While it’s true the Academy loves to award comedians playing against type — Jamie Foxx in Ray, Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting — Wiig and Hader’s SNL pedigree helped them create much more quiet, nuanced characters than the Academy generally pays attention to here. Playing estranged siblings brought back into each others’ lives after they both attempt suicide on the same day — the feel-good hit of the summer this is not — Wiig and Hader exude a rare, easy chemistry. Their relationship feels shockingly lived-in, and they have a knack for letting just enough humor show through the cracks. Unlike the Oscar bait-y Silver Linings Playbook, another movie about fucked up people trying to find their way, The Skeleton Twins doesn’t treat its characters with kid gloves. It beats them up, makes them — literally — dance, and the grace they achieve, no matter how little or double-edged, is entirely earned. [Where to stream The Skeleton Twins]
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Photos: Everett Collection
