‘F1’s Best Picture Controversy – Does Brad Pitt’s Sports Flick Deserve a Nomination?

by

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are out, and the biggest surprise was seeing the Formula One movie, F1, listed as one of the ten contenders for Best Picture. While some had predicted this, as older Academy voters seemed to enjoy the Brad Pitt film, it was still unexpected to see it nominated over films like It Was Just an Accident, No Other Choice, and Sorry, Baby. Its inclusion definitely stood out.

As a huge movie fan, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed F1. Directed by the guy who did Top Gun: Maverick, it stars Brad Pitt alongside Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem. It ended up being a massive success, bringing in over $613 million globally – making it Brad Pitt’s biggest film ever, and a real win for Apple’s venture into filmmaking. Honestly, before it came out, people were talking about it as a possible Oscar contender, but after its release, it seemed like everyone was happy with it just being a great summer movie. Now, though, it’s suddenly back in the Best Picture conversation! But the big question is: does it deserve a nomination?

‘F1’ Should Not Be Nominated for Best Picture


Apple/Warner Bros.

Let’s be clear: F1 isn’t a poorly made film. Unlike Emilia Perez, which somehow earned a Best Picture nomination despite being a bad movie, F1 is actually quite good. It’s an enjoyable, exciting summer movie, and while the story is fairly predictable, the racing sequences are fantastic and the actors are engaging. However, the question remains: does it have what it takes to win Best Picture?

Unlike Top Gun: Maverick, which brilliantly combined thrilling action with a moving, character-driven story that really connected with viewers, F1 felt somewhat familiar – like a retread of what had already been done. This sense of déjà vu may have contributed to Avatar: Fire and Ash not receiving a Best Picture nomination – a first for the Avatar franchise. Interestingly, F1 didn’t suffer the same fate.

Many are questioning why F1 received nominations instead of other deserving films. It Was Just an Accident, which won the Palme d’Or, wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, making it the first Palme d’Or winner since Titane (2021) to be overlooked in this way. Sorry, Baby, a highly praised film even named the best of 2025 by MovieWeb, received no nominations at all, with the Academy seemingly favoring a film about professional competition instead of its powerful story of a woman rebuilding her life after trauma. Similarly, No Other Choice, a standout film from Park Chan-wook and considered one of the best of 2025, was also not recognized.

The idea of F1 being nominated for Best Picture would be a huge surprise, comparable to Superman or The Fantastic Four: First Steps getting nominated. Surprisingly, those films actually received slightly better reviews on average. If nominating Superman or The Fantastic Four would seem ridiculous, it’s hard to understand why F1 would be any different. The key difference lies in how people perceive F1 – it’s seen as a more traditional, “Oscar-worthy” film, even if it doesn’t necessarily deserve the nomination any more than those others.

‘F1’ Shows How Oscar Bait Has Changed


Apple Original Films / Warner Bros.

Recent films like The Shape of Water, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Anora have broadened the definition of what an Oscar-winning movie looks like, and the film F1 shows how the types of movies considered for Oscars are changing. F1 is specifically designed to appeal to older Academy voters by featuring a well-known actor like Brad Pitt and following a formula similar to films like Ford vs. Ferrari and Rocky. It’s a classic, large-scale movie – a departure from modern blockbusters filled with superheroes and computer-generated imagery, like Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Subscribe to the newsletter for sharper Oscars and film analysis

Want deeper context on surprising Oscar choices like F1? Subscribing to the newsletter gives focused analysis and informed perspectives on awards, nominees, and industry trends—designed to sharpen your take on the Oscars and cinema.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s
Terms of Use
and
Privacy Policy
. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The film F1 feels like a classic, nostalgic movie, and that seems to have really appealed to Academy voters. While it’s enjoyable and comforting to watch, there were other films released in 2025 that offered a similar experience, and frankly, better films overall. F1‘s Best Picture nomination proves that the Academy Awards will always have surprises and overlooked films, even when there’s a wealth of deserving contenders.

Read More

2026-01-22 19:18