Critically Overestimated: 5 Movie Performances That Didn't Deserve an Oscar

Last year, many people were upset that Margot Robbie wasn't nominated for Best Actress at the last Academy Awards for her performance as Barbie. Naturally, many people wonder how the process of choosing the winner works. While we can't explain this, we can give you five examples of Best Actor and Actress wins that shouldn't have been.

Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love (1998)

For those who entered the pop culture scene in the 2010s, Gwyneth Paltrow is a meme. For those who began their journey in film and television in the 2000s, she is Pepper from Iron Man. But the older generation knows the actress for her many other brilliant performances, including Viola de Lesseps in the 1998 historical romcom about a fictionalized affair of William Shakespeare, for which Paltrow won an Oscar. However, many believe that Cate Blanchett, who played Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth the same year, was more deserving of the award.

Sean Penn – Milk (2008)

When it comes to the Academy Awards, there are certain subjects that simply have a better chance of winning an Oscar. The 2008 biopic about gay rights activist Harvey Milk is a perfect example. While Sean Penn's performance was good, it had nothing on Mickey Rourke's Randy Robinson in The Wrestler, released the same year.

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side (2009)

Sandra Bullock may be best known for her many amazing comedies, including Miss Congeniality, The Proposal, and Ocean's 8. But it's her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy in John lee Hancock's sports drama that won her an Oscar. It's a great movie, and Sandra Bullock is great in it, but just like the previous movie on this list, it seems to play the right chords to win with its racial theme. Meanwhile, Helen Mirren also delivered as Sophia Tolstaya in 2009's The Last Station, but it seems the subject matter wasn't right for the Oscar committee.

Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

The 135-minute biographical musical drama about Freddie Mercury and the rock band Queen, which he led, was one of the most financially successful films of 2018, grossing a whopping $911 million against a $55 million budget. Rami Malek managed to capture the musician's mannerisms and charisma, but was it enough to win an Oscar? Taron Egerton, who played Elton John in 2019's Rocketman, wasn't even nominated, even though his performance was just as good, if not better, than Malek's.

Will Smith – King Richard (2021)

Throughout his extensive career, Will Smith has delivered many Oscar-worthy roles. But he received the coveted award for his performance as Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama, which seems undeserved since biopics are a known soft spot of the Academy. Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrayed Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog, wasn't even nominated, despite delivering a very compelling performance.