HBO Max’s The Menu took the world by storm, generating conversation among families and friends nationwide. The satirical thriller was unique, unexpected, and an overall hit by many counts, from the actions of Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) to how the ending played out.

But, the Academy noticeably left the film out of their list of nominees, leaving many fans of the film wondering why that could be. There are several possibilities that could explain its lack of nominations. Let’s break down what it could’ve been, and what it probably wasn’t.

     Searchlight Pictures

The Menu certainly toted a fairly Oscar-worthy cast for one thing. The burnt-out movie star was played by John Leguizamo, a fairly accomplished actor and voice actor, famous for his roles as Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age franchise, Luigi in the Super Mario Bros movie, and the narrator of the television sitcom The Brothers Garcia. Executive Chef Julian Slowik is played by Ralph Fiennes, known for countless large roles, including Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, Amon Göth in Schindler’s List, and M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Nicholas Hoult (Skins, Warm Bodies, The X-Men franchise) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, Peaky Blinders) are a few of the other big names cast in The Menu, playing a rather unconventional couple dining at Chef Slowik’s restaurant.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

All four of the aforementioned actors are no strangers to The Academy and other big awards, all four having been nominated for dozens each, and each winning at least one of those nominations. Taylor-Joy won both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, Fiennes is a two-time Oscar nominee (Schindler’s List, The English Patient) and five-time Golden Globe nominee, of which one nomination was for his role in The Menu, Hoult is a two-time Golden Globe nominee and a Primetime Emmy nominee, and Leguizamo has won a Primetime Emmy and has been nominated for a Golden Globe as well. Thus, four of the leading actors in The Menu are at a stage in their careers where Academy Award nominations are high on their list of goals. Not to mention director Mark Mylod won a Primetime Emmy and received multiple nominations for his work on Succession.

Anyone who’s seen the movie, even those who may not have enjoyed it or thought it deserving of an Academy Award per se, knows that at the very least the directing has merit; there were a good number of scenes in which Mylod orchestrates shock value quite nicely. Additionally, with a cast of known greats such as Leguizamo and Fiennes, and modern greats such as Taylor-Joy and Hoult, it’s hard to believe anyone viewed the acting as average at worst. Those who do think the film worthy of an Academy nomination are apt to believe the acting was on par with what they’ve seen of this ensemble in the past, which, as proven with past nominations and even wins, has been quite award-worthy.

The Menu’s Themes Could Be the Deciding Factor

With all of that to consider, it’s hard not to wonder why The Menu did not receive a single Oscar nomination this year. There is always the prospect that the film was shut out intentionally. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and was nominated by a handful of other prominent organizations, including the Writers Guild of America, the Hollywood Critics Association, and the London Critics Circle. The Academy seems to be the only organization that wasn’t a fan of the film.

There’s no doubt the film was controversial, given its anti-capitalist themes and overt disapproval of the American upper class. But that’s hardly stopped films from nominations before; some of the most controversial films of all time have been nominated for, and even won Oscars, like A Clockwork Orange, Requiem for a Dream, Full Metal Jacket, and Borat. At a time when the future of the US economy is so murky, what with Covid-19 still a looming threat, the political divide further driving a wedge in the country on a daily basis, and the widespread bigotry, racism, antisemitism, and homophobia, it seems that right now would be the perfect time for The Menu’s controversy to take center stage. At least, other organizations seem to think so.

This year’s Academy Awards saw a wide breadth of films to choose from, but only a handful received nominations. Many films received multiple nominations, while films with A-list casts and directing teams, like The Menu, Amsterdam, Don’t Worry Darling, and Nope did not receive a single nomination. People are up in arms about Nope being shut out of the nominations, what with its predominantly Black cast, it’s hard not to equate that shut out to something race related.

Could it be that The Menu was shut out for similar reasons? Each of those two films addresses issues in today’s society that most definitely contribute to that political wedge. Is it possible that by leaving the two films out of this year’s list of nominees that the Academy is staking its claim on those issues, whether intentionally or not?

The Menu is available to stream on HBO Max, and if you haven’t yet seen the film, check it out and decide for yourself. Is it an Oscar-worthy film, or was it rightfully omitted from the list of nominees?