12 Anticipated 2015 Movies That Have Already Lost The Oscar Race

Oscar season is now in full swing, what with major festivals having unleashed the latest and greatest (or not) movies hoping to vie for the Academy's attention over the next 5 months, but of course, not everything can be the sure-fire Oscar contenders that are festival favourites such as Steve Jobs, Carol, Spotlight, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn and Room, alongside those sight-unseen films that nobody's been lucky enough to see yet, like Joy, The Hateful Eight and The Revenant. Every year, there are a glut of films which fall by the wayside when they're finally unspooled, either ending up as embarrassing failures or simply decent films that don't have what it takes to end up winning or even being nominated for Oscars. These 12 movies were all on everyone's radars earlier on in the year, but as they've been seen ahead of general release, it's become clear that they've already lost their place in the race and won't be competing for any serious awards short of a major fluke. From great actors let down by just-adequate scripts, to dramas that painfully fail to meet their intent, and ambitious efforts which may in fact be too ambitious for the Academy, these films have already written themselves out of Academy love, making the shape of the upcoming race that much more clear.

12. Suffragette

The Hype: A film based on the women's suffrage movement at a time where women are still trying to achieve their fair share of representation in the film industry and elsewhere? It's unquestionably topical, and with an all-star cast led by Oscar familiars Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and, of course, Meryl Streep, why wouldn't it be in awards contention? Why It's Lost The Oscar Race: Well, for starters, the film just isn't that good. It's been positively reviewed from festival screenings so far, but the reviews are broadly positive for the most part rather than effusive or even particularly enthusiastic. That expected Best Picture nomination just isn't on the cards, and even the performances, though good, are ultimately held at the mercy of a relatively pat, by-the-book treatment. Most disappointing of all, though, is the fact that despite being heavily featured in the movie's advertising, Streep appears in the movie for about 90 seconds to give one quick rousing speech and then rush off out of sight. It'll make money, but it'll struggle to nab even a few crafts nominations such as Costume Design and Makeup & Hairstyling.