The 95th Academy Awards was conducted on March 12, 2023. The night celebrated Hollywood’s latest films and actors. Many actors and directors of color finally earned their spotlight after years of fighting for recognition. It is safe to say the 2023 Oscars was successful. 

As always, the Oscars had a wide selection of movies nominated. The most notable pieces of works were Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, The Western Front, The Banshees of Inisheer, and The Whale. However, there have been movies that the general public were not aware of.

“There were alot of movies this year that I didn’t recognize. The nominees at least. So I caught up to the movie’s and thought they were cool but most of them I didn’t see coming,” said Tim Willmot, the theater director at Briar Woods High School. 

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once racked up 11 nominations, the most notable ones being Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. The sci-fi, comedy, and action film puts the Asian immigrant narrative on the big screen, representing the many stories of real immigrants in the U.S. 

“It’s a very beautiful movie for sure, the villain was very well executed and the character development was amazing as well,” said Aziza Usta-Omar, sophomore at Briar Woods High School.

Michelle Yeoh has become the first Asian woman since Merle Oberon in 1935 to be nominated for Best Actress. Her dedication for the role of Evelyn Wang shows how an actor can still thrive decades in her career. 

“I think movies surrounding non white people aren’t advertised as much as they should be and become overshadowed,” said Usta-Omar.

The general public had their own opinions on movies that were snubbed. The most mentioned movie was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. People wanted it to be nominated for Best Picture, since it would honor stories of black women. 

“I agree with the statement Black Panther is a very beautiful movie and I love the way it showcases Sub Saharan Africa especially because a lot of cultures in that area have not been properly represented,”  said Sana Abdul, sophomore at Briar Woods High School. 

The Oscars have been under fire for the lack of diversity. This year the Academies ramped up their nominations allowing actors of color to get a spot in the Oscars. 

“They should have picked the best movies, while diversity matters, this is for best movies, actors, and etc. I think they should pick the best of the best regardless of color,” said Nayeem Patwary, a junior from Herndon High School.

During the 2022 Oscars, there was an incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock. This year the Oscars planned on creating a ‘crisis team’. The goal is to prevent any disrupting measures during the ceremony. 

“Everyone at the Oscars should be respectful without extra security having to be put in place but the precaution is good just incase” said Priyanka Upreti, sophomore at Briar Woods High School 

The box office long dictated which movies would win in each nomination. The general public say it’s unfair as well-known movies don’t perform well in the box office. 

“The box office generates hype and buzz and with that comes the awards. I think the money it builds, one of the earlier awards like the People’s Choice Awards and the Hollywood Foreign Press have a different outlook, that continues the box office and it generates. It is like a jugger knot,” said Willmot.