The 89th annual Academy Awards were hosted in 2017 and honored the best films from the previous year in 2016. Some of the films released that year that could have been nominated, but weren't, were: The Last Descent, 13 Hours, Me Before You, and Lights Out. Instead, the films that were praised and given the biggest nomination, in the Best Picture category, were: La La Land, Arrival, Lion, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, Moonlight, Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, and Manchester by the Sea.
Looking at this list now, there are a few nominees that haven't aged well and probably didn't deserve the praise they received, and there is definitely a handful of other great films that should have been recognized.
Should Have Been: The Nice Guys
This action-comedy stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as a private investigator and an enforcer who team up to solve the case of a missing teenager. The film was highly anticipated by both fans and critics and it did not disappoint.
The film was both a box office and critical success and received a handful of awards from smaller awards shows, but was snubbed by the Academy and all of the other major ceremonies that year.
Nominated: Arrival
This science-fiction film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. Adams plays a linguist who attempts to build communication between humans and aliens when those aliens land on earth.
The film was well-received by critics, but not as praised by actual linguistic professors who thought that the film's depiction of what linguistics actually is and how to utilize it, was a little off. Apparently, that didn't bother the Academy because the film received a lot of nominations, including Best Picture.
Should Have Been: 13th
This incredibly important documentary by Ava DuVernay is about systemic racism in the United States and how it still affects our country and the Black community to this day.
The film was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category but did not win, which is a travesty, but the fact that this film wasn't recognized in the Best Picture category either is even more absurd considering how important the message is and the fact that it is so applicable to today's world.
Nominated: Hell Or High Water
This Western stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two brothers who rob banks in order to save their family and their ranch. The film received four nominations from the Academy in the year it was released including Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture.
The film walked away from the night not winning any of their categories, making fans and critics wonder if this film should have received such recognition, to begin with.
Should Have Been: The Girl On The Train
This thriller based on the novel by the same name stars Emily Blunt, who received a lot of praise and recognition for her portrayal of a struggling alcoholic named Rachel, trying to cope with her recent divorce.
The film's acting is brilliant and the story leaves viewers on the edge of their seats the entire time. Most critics and fans assumed this film would be a big contender during award season, but it was snubbed heavily by the Academy, receiving zero nominations.
Nominated: La La Land
This film was a box office success and has gone on to be a favorite, especially with fans of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's on-screen chemistry. The musical movie received a lot of praise, including a Best Picture nomination, but one of the bigger, more glaring issues for this film is in its sound design.
For a musical movie, this film is weirdly quiet and understated most of the time, despite mimicking the formula and cinematography of classic old Hollywood musical movies.
Should Have Been: Sully
Tom Hanks plays the title character in this film about the real-life pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully landed a commercial jet plane on the Hudson River during an emergency landing shortly after take-off.
The film depicts the accident and the investigation that followed, which put Sully in the spotlight. It's an incredible story told by incredibly talented filmmakers, but was still left out of the biggest category of the night at the 2017 Oscars.
Nominated: Hacksaw Ridge
This biographical war drama directed by Mel Gibson stars Andrew Garfield as the main character, Desmond Doss, who was a combat medic and a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian and therefore, refused to carry a weapon while serving.
The film was praised for its story and the talent telling it, but upon its release, it was revealed there were a handful of historical inaccuracies in the film. That didn't stop the Academy from nominating the film in some of its major categories, though.
Should Have Been: Split
This is M. Night Shyamalan's second feature in his Unbreakable installment. The film stars James McAvoy as a man with twenty-four different personalities. James McAvoy's performance in this film is incredible and nuanced and the actor was recognized by a few award ceremonies for his work.
However, the film as a whole and McAvoy's performance were both snubbed by the Academy, despite the film being one of the most talked-about of the year.
Nominated: Manchester By The Sea
This dramatic feature stars Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, and Michelle Williams. Casey Affleck plays a man who must raise his teenage nephew after the death of his brother.
The film was quickly deemed a "must-see" after its screening at the Sundance Film Festival, but its praise and nominations haven't aged well in recent years after Casey Affleck was outed by the MeToo movement for his behavior. The fact that Affleck won Best Actor that year has also become problematic more recently.