Fans of 2023’s most controversial movie slam Oscars for snub

The most controversial movie of 2023 also turned out to be the year’s most unexpected box office hit – as such, there’s been an outcry from fans of the film after it was snubbed by the 2024 Oscars. 

The nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards were announced this week, featuring all of the movies, filmmakers, and stars you’d expect to see – from Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, and Christopher Nolan, to Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone, and Martin Scorsese. 

But in keeping with tradition, there are numerous eyebrow-raising decisions, the snub of Barbie’s Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig being two prime examples. Then there’s Indiana Jones 5 getting a nomination for Best Original Score – which even fans of the movie were baffled about. 

One film that has been shown no love – by both the Oscars and the entire awards season – has led to widespread criticism online. 

Fans of 2023’s most controversial movie slam Oscars for snub

Sound of Freedom, dubbed the most controversial movie of 2023, failed to earn one Oscar nomination for the 2024 Academy Awards, leading to backlash online from fans who are shocked but “not surprised.”

Taking to X, one wrote: “No Surprise! Sound of Freedom receives zero Oscar nominations despite landing in the top ten at the US box office and having a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.”

Another said, “No SOUND OF FREEDOM!!! WOW!!! Boycott the Oscars!” A third added, “I can’t believe I live in a world where Barbie is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, and Sound Of Freedom isn’t… What a f*cking joke!”

One commenter claimed that Sound of Freedom’s snub “proves that the Oscars are now a complete joke and totally politically motivated.” And a fifth chimed in, “Am I surprised that Hollywood refused to nominate Sound of Freedom for any Oscars? Nope. Am I upset about it anyway? Yep. @reallycaviezel was outstanding!”

For the uninitiated, Alejandro Monteverde’s Sound of Freedom from Angel Studios was the biggest surprise hit of 2023, earning nearly $250 million at the box office against a budget of just $14.5 million. The film stars Jim Caviezel as controversial anti-sex trafficking operative Jim Ballard.

Following its July 2023 release, a heated debate sparked online, with claims of astroturfing and QAnon links on the one side and allegations of anti-Christian bias and promotional interference on the other. 

More recently, the real-life Ballard became the subject of a lawsuit accusing him of sexual manipulation, harassment, and assault during overseas trips to track and catch traffickers. Amid the allegations, he resigned from Operation Underground Railroad, the organization which he founded in 2013 – which itself has been accused of exaggerating its accomplishments.

Sound of Freedom can be streamed on Prime Video, which you can sign up for here. And head here for the 2024 Oscars nominations and here for the biggest snubs.

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