2022 Oscars: The Case of the Disappointing Best Original Screenplay Race

In a year full of some of the most imaginative screenplays in cinema, it was particularly disappointing to see which original stories were recognized by the Academy.

The nominees were: a self-important script that calls to mind the smug wallflower at the back of every party who thinks they’re smarter than everyone else (Don’t Look Up), an aimless tale that is more of a what-not-to-do-in-Improv-Class help video than an actual screenplay (Licorice Pizza), a victorious biopic about famed tennis coach Richard Williams (King Richard), the semi-autobiographical story that wandered for two hours (Belfast), and an honest look into the fear and uncertainty of a person's life path (The Worst Person in the World). It is also important to note that The Worst Person in the World is the only non-English script in the category.

Among these five nominees, the pacing, dialogue, and story of King Richard and The Worst Person In The World were the most impressive. Despite this, it seemed that Don’t Look Up and Licorice Pizza were frontrunners to win Best Original Screenplay. How shocking was it that Belfast, a screenplay as mediocre as the frontrunners, took home the gold? It should be no surprise: Kenneth Branagh had been Oscar-nominated 8 times, so the Academy must’ve thought “we might as well award him now!” As usual, these decisions come at the expense of the truly deserving nominees.