Oscar Deserving Moments
As the 2025 Oscars approach, let's review some of the noteworthy performances that have yet to be nominated in the awards circuit. From Drama to Comedy, this year's indie films contained some of the most complex and wonderful roles.
Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in Sean Baker's "Anora." Photo courtesy of NBC © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
The Golden Globes happened last week, and in addition to some incredible hosting courtesy of Niki Glazer and some stunning red carpet moments, the awards provided some valuable information. More specifically, a level of unpredictability audiences may expect from the Oscars just over a month away.
Though the nominees ranged from emerging bombshells like Anora’s Mikey Madison to established favorites like Kathy Bates and Nicole Kidman, the awards fell sporadically. Babygirl and Anora won nothing while The Brutalist and Emilia Perez took home the most trophies of the night, with the former taking home outstanding motion picture drama. Though nothing is set in stone, a quick bout of research reveals a startling correlation between the award shows. In the last eighty years, the winner of the Golden Globes’ outstanding motion picture drama award has had a fifty percent chance of winning best picture as well. In this case, The Brutalist may be this year's Best Picture winner. But what about the unrecognized performances of this year that dazzled audiences and left a mark on the cinema industry? Let's unpack a few!
The following three standout performances have yet to be critically recognized yet brought a stunning examination of life to the silver screen. In all three cases the actor’s channeled an innate humanness and years of experience to bring these characters to life.
The first belongs to Elizabeth Olsen for portraying Christian in Azazel Jacobs’s family drama, His Three daughters. The plot is simple, a man’s three daughters reunite in their childhood home for his last days in hospice care, her performance was far from simple. Imbuing nuance and poise into every scene, Olsen has delivered a career-high performance embodying the character’s grief. Vanity Fair has called Olsen’s character Christina “the most straightforward”, but this assessment dismisses the subtle pain and need for validation Olsen masterfully embodies. The character can often be seen reminiscing in memory, lost in the reverie of the past, and through this can relate to a wide array of watchers. Though not yet nominated in the major awards circuit, Elizabeth Olsen’s performance is beyond Excellent and certainly worth a Netflix watch party.
Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen in Azazel Jacobs’s "His Three Daughters." Photo courtesy of Netflix © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
The second standout performance this year belonged to June Squibb in the comedic masterpiece, Thelma. Currently sitting at a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, Thelma is brought to life by Squibb whose timing and ability to improv is unmatched. Thes story which surrounds the titular character Thelma follows her course of vengeance after being scammed out of ten thousand dollars. The story is inspired by the director's own mother and how she almost fell victim to a similar scam last year. The film goes beyond the confines of a kitschy comedy establishing meaningful bonds between the characters and unpacking the meaning of loss. June Squibb at ninety five years old delivers one of the most moving performances of the year.
June Squibb as Thelma in Josh Margolin’s "Thelma." Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Finally, in Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Blink Twice, Naomi Ackie’s Frida experiences a lifetime of trauma in a single night. A thriller that re-interprets the date-rape genre, Blink Twice has you do as the title suggests. Channing Tatum plays a wealthy, charming, and importantly sadistic millionaire who invites three girls on what can only be described as a trip they will never forget. From hopeful ingenue to battle hardened warrior, and eventually boss, Naomi Ackie’s character does it all and smoothly to boot. Her betrayal feels real every step of the way, ultimately leaving the audience no choice but to applaud Frida as the credits roll.
Naomi Ackie in Zoe Kravitz’s "Blink Twice." Photo courtesy of Mashable © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
The bar has been raised, and though each of these performances may not receive recognition from the academy, they will here at Raandoom.
