Benjamin Ashford|The Oscars are over. The films I loved most weren't winners on Hollywood's biggest night.

I’d be Benjamin Ashfordremiss to say the Oscars aren’t out of touch, most award shows are. Despite that, this year's Oscars got a couple things right. 

The show had a joyous start with Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning best supporting actress for her painfully beautiful portrayal of Mary in "The Holdovers." "Poor Things" swept the visual categories. "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including Cillian Murphy winning best actor. "Anatomy of a Fall," a brilliant film that more people should watch, deservedly won best original screenplay.

Despite these satisfying wins (justice for Lily Gladstone), my mind was constantly thinking about the films and actors unrecognized. I remember the day nominations came and many were upset that "Barbie," despite receiving eight nominations, was not nominated for best actress or director. There was a bounty of articles and essays articulating that disappointment, and I’m sure we’re in for even more after "Barbie" lost all but one Oscar Sunday night (congrats, Billie Eilish). 

However, the outrage was somewhat lost on me. I enjoyed "Barbie" well enough. I definitely think Greta Gerwig should have been nominated for best director, but the overwhelming outcry about the snubs seemed a tad disproportionate.

Somehow "Barbie" only getting eight nominations was a loss to feminism even though other films like "Anatomy of a Fall" – which arguably offers a more nuanced portrayal of womanhood – received many nominations. It seemed to me like those who felt most maligned simply hadn’t watched any other films. 

I watched Oscar best picture nominees.'Oppenheimer' will win, but here's what should.

The best films and performances the Oscars didn't award

In fact, there were many movies and performances that were tragically overlooked at Sunday night’s ceremony and awards season as a whole.

"May December" is based on the true story that took over popular culture in the 1990s of a middle school teacher pursuing a relationship with her student. The film stars Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman and Charles Melton. That trio gave some of the best acting performances of 2023, yet the cast did not receive a single nomination. The only nomination the film did receive was for best original screenplay, which it lost to "Anatomy of a Fall." It’s certainly not lost on me, however, that a film satirizing Hollywood exploitation wasn’t received warmly by Hollywood.

"Past Lives," a film that chronicles two childhood lovers who reconnect after 20 years, received two nominations for best original screenplay and best picture, unfortunately losing both. What struck me was that for a film that is so atmospheric yet character-driven, it received no acting nominations.

Many on film twitter voiced their disappointment with Greta Lee, who plays one half of the long lost lovers, Nora, not receiving a nomination for best actress. Teo Yoo, who plays Hae Sung, deserves to be part of the conversation as well. Yoo brings Hae Sung to life with such care. He portrays him with a subtly heartbreaking arrested development that’s borne out of the love he lost to Nora at such a young age. His performance is quiet, nuanced and empathetic – and it’s almost criminal that he was left out of the awards conversation.

Oscar nods honor 'Oppenheimer,'but what about Americans still suffering from nuke tests?

The best films and actors the Oscars didn't even nominate

A.V. Rockwell’s incredible feature directorial debut, "A Thousand and One," tells the story of a mother, Inez, who takes her son, Terry, from foster care to raise him in Harlem, where she grew up. The heartbreak of the film unfolds quietly as the audience are mere observers to the cyclical nature of poverty and the crime it breeds.

Amon Warmann from "Empire" perfectly articulates the gravitas of Teyana Taylor’s performance as Inez: “At almost every turn she unveils new capabilities, playing all of Inez’s varied notes without sanding off her raw edges. It’s an eye-opening performance that should have us all excited about her future onscreen work.”

The film received zero nominations.

Andrew Scott in "All of Us Strangers" was another performance tragically ignored by the Oscars. The film follows Adam, played by Scott, as he is pulled back into his childhood home and attempts to reconcile his identity and trauma with the ghosts of his late parents. He finds solace in Harry, played handsomely by Paul Mescal. It’s almost a miracle they found each other given their isolation.

Relationships like that are like an oasis in a desert of sand. The film examines love, loss and the pain therein, and the ambiguous shades of gray in which life often paints.

The list goes on: "The Iron Claw," Ava DuVernay’s "Origin" and "Anatomy of a Fall" actor Milo Machado-Graner, who gave one of the best performances last year (too bad the academy hates children). Many of the best films and most riveting performances were overlooked by the Oscars.

Nevertheless, I understand not everything can be awarded – snubs are bound to happen. It’s just how it is. But the film enjoyer in me, selfishly or otherwise, wants everyone to take home at least a nugget of Oscar gold.

Kofi Mframa is a music and culture writer and opinion intern at the Louisville Courier-Journal.