Idris Elba, pictured as the Commandant in "Beasts of No Nation, " did not receive a nomination at the 88th Academy Awards, which will be given out Feb. 28, 2016. Photo: Netflix
The Oscars are just around the corner on Feb. 28, but with frustratingly few slots for nominees in the award show’s limited categories, the academy has yet again overlooked some of the year’s best and most innovative movies, not to mention the glaring lack of diversity in the 2016 nominees. From blatant snubs, to films too daring for academy voters, there is a long list of movies deserving of recognition that failed to gain a single nomination – even in technical categories.
Here, in no particular order, are the top 10 movies – since the last Academy Awards – that the Oscars forgot. Think of it as the island of misfit movies:
"Beasts of No Nation"
Idris Elba was trending on Twitter when fans learned the academy had snubbed his frightening performance as the Commandant in Netflix's child soldier drama, "Beasts of No Nation." The truth is, Elba's performance was far from the only snub, as Hollywood has been reluctant to embrace streaming. Both director Cary Fukunaga, who gave Africa (the movie did not specify a specific country, but it was filmed in Ghana) the same surreal treatment he gave the Louisiana bayou in "True Detective, " and Abraham Attah, who along with Jacob Tremblay in "Room" made 2015 the year of great child acting performances, deserved more recognition. "Beasts of No Nation" was often disturbingly hard to watch, but undeniably moving. Elba's Commandant rallying his child army to take a bridge in the heat of battle may be the scene of the year.
Watch the trailer for "Beasts of No Nation" below:
"Tangerine"
"Tangerine, " the story of a transgender sex worker who, fresh out of prison, discovers her pimp boyfriend has been cheating on her, was shot entirely on an iPhone and stars an actual transgender actress and former sex worker. Filmmaking does not get more grass roots. The result is one of the most visceral, naturalistic and relevant comedies of the year. While the plot can sometimes meander, the film's characters are always captivating, especially Sin-Dee, played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in a performance that did not get nearly the attention it deserved.
Watch the trailer for "Tangerine" below:
"It Follows"
Horror has always had a tough go of things at the Oscars. But with more than eight nominees this year and as many as 10 possible, perhaps a spot should have been saved for "It Follows, " the most inventive scary movie in years. David Robert Mitchell's supernatural thriller follows a group of high school kids plagued by a sexually transmitted demon. It sounds farfetched, but Mitchell expertly sets up the skin-crawling premise, all but teaching the audience to obsess over his characters' backgrounds – is "it" following them? – before sitting back and letting the dread sink in.
