Pop Culture Pick: BAFTA 2025 Nominee Choices I'd Have Made
If I had a vote...
Welcome to Pop Culture Pick, a catch-all for subjects I want to highlight outside of the usual weekly Weekend Watch columns. In this edition, films I would’ve liked to see some love from BAFTA. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite, Threads/Instagram: @jammerwhite and Blue Sky: @jammerwhite.bsky.social
This week, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced its nominations for its 2025 film awards.
And there were certainly some excellent choices: Conclave, Anora, A Real Pain and Dune: Part Two all scoring chances to earn trophies come next month, when the ceremony, hosted again by David Tennant, happens on 16 February in London.
Yet there were also some puzzling omissions, and here I present my wish list of people and films who missed out.
Image Credit: Amazon/MGM Studios
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino had two films out this year –– steamy tennis drama Challengers and the Daniel Craig-starring William S. Burroughs adaptation Queer. I’ll admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of the latter, but Craig puts solid work in and the film as a whole does its best to channel Burroughs’ particular style. I had thought Craig at least would be in with a shot.
I’m honestly more surprised that Challengers –– which sees Zendaya, Mike Feist and Josh O’Connor playing competitive tennis pros-turned-romantic rivals –– didn’t get more attention. It has certainly racked up nominations from other bodies, it’s just a little shocking that BAFTA voters chose to overlook it.
Image Credit: A24
A Different Man
Though the film’s star, Sebastian Stan, did land an acting nomination for his other film this year, The Apprentice, Aaron Schimberg’s comedy thriller was sadly shut out completely. Nothing for Stan, and even more shockingly, zero love for Adam Pearson, who plays the chatty, charismatic Oswald and steals scenes the minute he shows up.
The film’s wild tone towards the end has led to it being divisive, but I’d have thought that the make-up team who crafted Stan’s initial look also deserved a nomination.
Image Credit: A24
Heretic
Yes, Hugh Grant’s blistering performance snuck in there among the Leading Actor list, but no mention of the superb script from co-writer/directors Scott Beck Bryan Woods? For shame! There are passages of Heretic that impressed me more than many other films this year.
I suppose Heretic’s horror genre categorisation worked against it in this case –– beyond the giant likes of Dune or Wickedthere isn’t a whole lot of genre work making it in here.
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Denzel Washington, Gladiator II
Ridley Scott’s latest certainly showed up in one big category (Best British Film) and some technical arenas such as sound and visual effects, but the biggest omission in my view was Denzel Washington’s film-hijacking Supporting Actor performance as Macrinus.
Historically-accurate accent be damned, Washington strode through the film and chewed on some of the best lines. Are you not entertained? I certainly was, but I guess BAFTA voters decided otherwise.
Image Credit: Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel
Dogpool, Deadpool & Wolverine
Justice for Peggy! Admittedly, she’d already won Britain’s Ugliest Dog (good luck taking that trophy home, Chalamet!) but I can’t be the only person who thinks that the Oscar-calibre performance of Deadpool & Wolverine’s canine sensation deserves to be spotlighted more this awards season.
Yes, I’m being a little silly on this one, but I do genuinely feel that there were elements of the latest Deadpool outing that should have earned more attention. It was funnier and more emotionally affecting than a whole swathe of films, and it had Peggy. Case closed.
But if you want to check out the official list of films and people that did make the cut, head here…