As an audience member, there’s nothing more frustrating than spotting “Oscar bait”—a film that lacks genuine substance but tries to appear profound to lure in Academy voters with standout performances. Take, for instance, the recent disappointment of A Complete Unknown, which features Timothée Chalamet’s solid portrayal of Bob Dylan but is ultimately let down by a lackluster script. Similar criticisms apply to films like The Brutalist, The Girl with the Needle, and Oppenheimer, which often rely on star power to create an illusion of depth without delivering on it.
Unfortunately, this strategy is often a reliable way for actors to showcase their skills, sometimes resulting in Oscar and BAFTA wins for exceptional performances that, regrettably, aren’t supported by equally impressive films. The Academy typically favors more mainstream, heavily marketed works over smaller projects that might be more deserving but lack the same visibility.
Take Vanessa Kirby’s 2020 film Pieces of a Woman—though her performance is nothing short of extraordinary, the film itself feels emotionally flat, making it one of the quintessential examples of Oscar bait. Nevertheless, Kirby’s portrayal remains memorable, largely influenced by the legendary John Cassavetes, a filmmaker known for his raw and confrontational storytelling. His works often tackle uncomfortable themes like the breakdown of relationships and mental health, capturing emotional volatility, much like the performances of his regular collaborator, Gena Rowlands.
Kirby openly admires Rowlands, saying, “I love her messiness. Her strength combined with vulnerability is the kind of woman I want to portray on screen. I want to present characters that resonate with real-life experiences, not just the sanitized versions of women.” Her pursuit for meaningful roles led her to Pieces of a Woman, which drew her in with its emotional depth. She noted, “I was looking for a challenge. The scripts I was receiving felt cliché, but this story was so compelling that I knew I had to be part of it. Gena Rowlands is my hero, and her film A Woman Under the Influence represents the type of work I aspire to create—idiosyncratic, fierce, and yet vulnerable.”
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