The nominees for the 2025 Oscars were recently announced, and looking at the shortlists, it is clear that Netflix failed to give Angelina Jolie a real chance at a much-needed Academy Award nomination. In 2024, Jolie starred in the third of Pablo Larraín’s 20th century women biopics, Maria. The film followed Jolie as the real-life opera singer Maria Callas, who flees to Paris during the final days of her life. Maria was supposed to be Jolie’s first chance at an Oscar in several years, yet now that the actress has been snubbed, many want to know who to blame.
Since the 1990s, Jolie has been a notable name in Hollywood. Jolie has given moving performances in movies like Girl, Interrupted, and has garnered attention for her star-studded marriage to Brad Pitt, which only recently ended in a finalized divorce. Despite Jolie’s fame, the actress has fallen out of the public eye in recent years. She has only made a few on-screen appearances in the last five years, none of which have received too much praise. In this way, Maria was supposed to be the project that brought Jolie back into the spotlight. The Oscars have proven otherwise.
Angelina Jolie Was Expected To Be An Oscar Contender For Maria Before Its Release
Maria’s Story & Origins Explained
What makes Jolie’s Oscar snub so disappointing is that expectations were quite high. Even before Maria was released to the public, many felt that this movie would be her chance to get back into the Oscars race. Arguably, much of this expectation had to do with the movie’s background. Before Maria, Larraín directed two other movies centered on important 20th century women, Jackie and Spencer, which both earned their lead actresses Best Actress nominations. With no doubts about Jolie’s talent, many assumed that she would follow in Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart’s footsteps.
Pablo Larraín’s 20th Century Women Biopics |
Who The Movies Center On |
---|---|
Jackie (2016) |
Jackie Kennedy |
Spencer (2021) |
Diana Spencer |
Maria (2024) |
Maria Callas |
Furthermore, Maria has all the makings of an Oscar-worthy movie. Aside from its connection to Jackie and Spencer, the movie itself presents a moving and important story of a notable woman who many audiences may not be aware of. Callas was not only considered to be one of the greatest opera singers of all time, but her life was shrouded in controversy and difficulties. Because of this, Maria should have piqued the interest of the Academy, yet somehow, the movie and Jolie’s performance were overshadowed by projects like Anora, The Substance, and Wicked.
Maria Is Angelina Jolie’s First Oscar-Worthy Performance Since 2008
What Has Gone Wrong With Jolie’s Career
Another disappointing aspect of Jolie’s Maria snub is that this movie was Jolie’s first truly Oscar-worthy performance in 17 years. Over the course of her career, Jolie has only ever been nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted, which she won, and Best Actress for Changeling, which she did not win. Looking at Jolie’s resume, 2008’s Changeling really was the last time Jolie deserved an award for her acting. Every movie she has appeared in since then has simply lacked that serious quality that makes movies Oscar-worthy, and Jolie has not stuck out.

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The most obvious question here is what happened to Jolie’s career. The actress’s descent away from being a serious dramatic actor is a bit concerning. Mainly, the issue is that Jolie’s projects since 2008 have almost all been fantasy or thriller movies. The actress simply has not pursued more serious work, instead opting for projects like Kung-Fu Panda, Maleficent, and Eternals. While the Oscars should definitely put more credit into high-fantasy movies, the ultimate result for Jolie is that she has not been recognized for awards in nearly 20 years.
What Went Wrong With Angelina Jolie’s Oscar Campaign
How Jolie Can Get Back Into The Game
At the end of the day, Jolie’s Oscar campaign failed because Maria simply wasn’t strong enough in the face of other Oscar-worthy movies. The movie is the lowest rated among Larraín’s 20th century women films, with a fine 74%. Furthermore, it got very little hype around it, and this could be due to its release on Netflix rather than in theaters. All in all, Jolie gave a wonderful performance, but she simply did not rise to the occasion like Demi Moore or Mikey Madison. This is troubling for Jolie fans, but it is simply how award season works.
Fortunately, Maria was far from Jolie’s last chance to earn herself another Academy Award nomination.
Fortunately, Maria was far from Jolie’s last chance to earn herself another Academy Award nomination. Now that she has starred in a more serious work and has finalized her divorce, this could be her chance to reemerge in Hollywood. In fact, this journey is already beginning, as Jolie is slated to star in an upcoming French film called Stitches, wherein she plays an American filmmaker. Overall, Jolie has had a definite lull in the 2010s and 2020s, but she is perfectly equipped to make a stunning comeback in future Oscar races.

Maria
- Release Date
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November 27, 2024
- Runtime
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123 Minutes
- Director
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Pablo Larrain
- Writers
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Steven Knight