The Oscar nominations are in, and boy are they disappointing, as always.

On Monday I did my best to predict the nominations for the major categories. I did so with an air of resignation knowing full well that I was making prognostications based on logic and trends that would inevitably make my heart sad. And lo and behold, the Academy did almost exactly what I predicted in most categories. That brings me absolutely no joy.

The inescapable conclusion of the 2019 Oscar nominations is that they reflect what a mediocre year 2018 was for movies. It was the rare year full of awards-bait movies that neither critics nor audiences alike seemed particularly excited about rallying around. “Black Panther” came the closest to threading that needle, but if a Marvel movie is the banner cinematic experience of the year, you know it was an overall weak year for film.

That said, there were some pleasant surprises nestled within the infuriating notion that problematic films such as “Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are still somehow major players in the Oscars race.

Let’s talk through this like adults:



Yay : “Black Panther” got a Best Picture nomination! After flirting with a “ Best Popular Movie ” category that many saw as an excuse not to nominate “Black Panther” for Best Picture, the Academy actually decided to reward a Marvel movie with this highly coveted honor. Wakanda forever!

: “Black Panther” got a Best Picture nomination! After flirting with a “ ” category that many saw as an excuse not to nominate “Black Panther” for Best Picture, the Academy actually decided to reward a Marvel movie with this highly coveted honor. Wakanda forever! Boo : Again, we somehow live in a world where a majority of the most prestigious film-awards voting body on Earth decided that mediocre-to-bad films “Green Book,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Vice” deserved a Best Picture nomination, but Barry Jenkins’ beautiful and complex “If Beale Street Could Talk” did not. That’s just annoying.

: Again, we somehow live in a world where a majority of the most prestigious film-awards voting body on Earth decided that mediocre-to-bad films “Green Book,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Vice” deserved a Best Picture nomination, but Barry Jenkins’ beautiful and complex “If Beale Street Could Talk” did not. That’s just annoying. Yay : Well done by the Academy for recognizing the astounding performances of "Roma" actresses Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira, who provided a film mostly notable for its directorial flare with its emotional core. Neither of them will probably win, but it’s an honor just to be nominated, right?

: Well done by the Academy for recognizing the astounding performances of "Roma" actresses Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira, who provided a film mostly notable for its directorial flare with its emotional core. Neither of them will probably win, but it’s an honor just to be nominated, right? Boo : Brian Tyree Henry showed up in “If Beale Street Could Talk” for maybe 20 minutes and threw 100 mph fastballs hot enough that it should have earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. No offense to Adam Driver, but nominating a white guy from “BlacKkKlansman” over an incredible performance from a black actor such as Henry feels just a tad awkward in context.

: Brian Tyree Henry showed up in “If Beale Street Could Talk” for maybe 20 minutes and threw 100 mph fastballs hot enough that it should have earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. No offense to Adam Driver, but nominating a white guy from “BlacKkKlansman” over an incredible performance from a black actor such as Henry feels just a tad awkward in context. Yay : Yorgos Lanthimos wasn’t a lock for Best Director for his trippy but gorgeous “The Favourite,” so it was a pleasant surprise to see his name under that category. Ditto for Spike Lee, whose “BlacKkKlansman” might have devolved into an unintelligible mess without his steady hand to keep it grounded.

: Yorgos Lanthimos wasn’t a lock for Best Director for his trippy but gorgeous “The Favourite,” so it was a pleasant surprise to see his name under that category. Ditto for Spike Lee, whose “BlacKkKlansman” might have devolved into an unintelligible mess without his steady hand to keep it grounded. Boo : It’s very strange to see Adam McKay and “Vice” (a movie more notable for its editing than directorial prowess) in Best Director category but not Bradley Cooper, who clearly put his blood, sweat, and tears into every shot of “A Star Is Born.” The conventional wisdom had that award being a two-man race between Cooper and “Roma” auteur Alfonso Cuaron. Apparently, the Academy is more shallow than we thought.

: It’s very strange to see Adam McKay and “Vice” (a movie more notable for its editing than directorial prowess) in Best Director category but not Bradley Cooper, who clearly put his blood, sweat, and tears into every shot of “A Star Is Born.” The conventional wisdom had that award being a two-man race between Cooper and “Roma” auteur Alfonso Cuaron. Apparently, the Academy is more than we thought. Yay : There’s some goofy pleasure in the fact a song about a cowboy ascending to heaven from a Netflix movie is up for Best Original Song. Good for the Academy for giving the best part of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” some well-deserved love. It’s destined to lose to “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born,” but it’s the thought that counts.

: There’s some goofy pleasure in the fact a song about from a Netflix movie is up for Best Original Song. Good for the Academy for giving the best part of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” some well-deserved love. It’s destined to lose to “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born,” but it’s the thought that counts. Boo : So “Black Panther” was good enough for be nominated for Best Picture, but not Best Visual Effects? And “Ready Player One” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” were deemed worthier of recognition? Sure, Academy, sure.

: So “Black Panther” was good enough for be nominated for Best Picture, but not Best Visual Effects? And “Ready Player One” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” were deemed worthier of recognition? Sure, Academy, sure. Boo : Pour one out for Rosamund Pike, who gave the best performance by an actress last year as legendary war journalist Marie Colvin in “A Private War.” Actually, mourn the fact the Oscars completely snubbed “A Private War,” a gripping, important biopic that’s better than 75 percent of the actual Best Picture nominees.

: Pour one out for Rosamund Pike, who gave the best performance by an actress last year as legendary war journalist Marie Colvin in “A Private War.” Actually, mourn the fact the Oscars completely snubbed “A Private War,” a gripping, important biopic that’s better than 75 percent of the actual Best Picture nominees. Boo : Here are a few films better than most of the Best Picture nominees that either no one in the Academy saw or they unjustly chose to ignore: “The Hate U Give,” “Blindspotting,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Eighth Grade,” “Leave No Trace,” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” Just saying.

: Here are a few films better than most of the Best Picture nominees that either no one in the Academy saw or they unjustly chose to ignore: “The Hate U Give,” “Blindspotting,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Eighth Grade,” “Leave No Trace,” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” Just saying. The Worst Boo: The most egregious Oscars snub was the Academy not nominating “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, for Best Documentary. That category was admittedly stacked this year, but there was room for the empathetic, deeply human message at the heart of Mr. Rogers’ story. He may have been all about love and forgiveness, but this one still stings.

Again, it’s worth reiterating that if the nominations this year feel disjointed, it’s because they were shaped by an equally fragmented year in movies. So, with that in mind, good luck to “Black Panther,” “Roma,” “The Favourite,” and no one else on Feb. 24 at the Academy Awards!

Joshua Axelrod (@jaxel222) was previously a web producer and pop politics writer for the Washington Examiner. He is an entertainment contributor to FanSided and has a master's degree in media and strategic communications from George Washington University.