Five Oscar Hits and Misses Worth Talking About

… But Still No Love for Some Genres

But while the Academy is showing a greater willingness to accept different sorts of movies into its glittering fold, it shows an absolutely mystifying disregard for movies that, y’know, most people pay to see.

Last year was a banner year for superhero movies. Indeed, 2017’s superhero flicks were some of the most critically acclaimed movies of any genre: Wonder Woman, Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming boast a 92% “freshness” rating on Rotten Tomatoes—higher than Darkest Hour, The Post and Phantom Thread. Logan stands at 93%, higher than Dunkirk and The Shape of Water, and the same as Three Billboards.

How many Oscar nominations did those three collect this morning? One. Just one, for Logan in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

Science Fiction failed to impress Academy’s voters, either. Well-reviewed movies Blade Runner 2049 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi both earned a handful of nominations, but mostly in technical categories—even though 2049 being considered a dark horse for more prestigious awards. War for the Planet of the Apes, despite a 93% freshness rating on RT and a strong push to get Andy Serkis nominated for Best Actor (he plays Caesar via CGI wizardry), earned just one nom: An oh-so-predictable nod for Best Visual Effects.