Oscars 2024 nominations: Oppenheimer leads the race, Indian docu receives a nod

Indo-Canadian director Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill a Tiger has received a well-deserved nomination in the documentary feature category at the 96th Academy Awards.

The film explores a father’s journey as he fights for justice for his 13-year-old daughter, who is a victim of sexual assault. The film is set in rural Jharkhand and follows Ranjit’s uphill battle and the emotional turmoil that ensues.

The film also credits actor Dev Patel and actor-writer Mindy Kaling as executive producers.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and was subsequently added to the annual year-end Canada’s Top Ten list for the same year.

Other nominees in the category include Bobi Wine: The People’s President, The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters, and 20 Days in Mariupol. 

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer led the way on the Hollywood front, racking up 13 nominations, including best picture, best director, and best actor for Cillian Murphy.

Oppenheimer, a biopic of the “father of the atomic bomb,” faces stiff competition for the best picture prize from diverse contenders like Greta Gerwig’s whimsical Barbie, Martin Scorsese’s gritty Killers of the Flower Moon, and Cord Jefferson’s acclaimed American Fiction.

On the acting front, Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of the legendary American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein earned him a nod for the best actor prize, while Colman Domingo became the first Afro-Latin actor to get nominated for an Academy Award. 

Industry veteran Robert De Niro also earned a nomination for the best supporting actor prize for Killers of the Flower Moon along with his co-star Lily Gladstone, who became the first Native American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. However, their other co-star and acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio was snubbed. 

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon also received nods for best cinematography, costume design, editing, original score, production design, best picture, and best director. Scorsese now holds the title for being the most nominated living director in the history of the Academy Awards.

Carey Mulligan received a nomination for the best actress prize for her role in Maestro, and so did Emma Stone for her kooky portrayal of Bella in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Frankensteinian retelling Poor Things.

Poor Things also received a surprising nomination for Mark Ruffalo in the best supporting actor category, receiving a total of eleven nominations. 

Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One also won a couple of nods for best sound and best visual effects. It was the seventh addition to the acclaimed action franchise.

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie were simultaneously snubbed for the best director and best actress nomination for the billion-dollar blockbuster Barbie, much to the chagrin of netizens who took to X to share their disappointment with the Academy. All in all, Barbie received eight nods including best picture, best adapted screenplay, best original song, best costume design and best production design, along with best supporting actor and actress for Ryan Gosling who played Barbie’s plastic boyfriend Ken and co-star America Ferrera, respectively.  

Where Greta Gerwig was overlooked for the best director nomination, Justine Triet, director of Anatomy of a Fall became the only female director to be nominated in the category this year. Triet also received a nomination for the best original screenplay, along with co-writer Arthur Harari. The film received four nods in total, including best picture and best actress for Sandra Hüller.