There are as many Spider-Man movies with Andrew Garfield as animated films that have been nominated for Best Picture. It’s a short list, and they’re all Disney productions: Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3. That’s it. 2018’s magnificent Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse could have been the fourth; 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse should be the fourth.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently sporting a 96 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.7 on Letterboxd. In his review, Uproxx‘s Mike Ryan wrote, “On paper, these really probably shouldn’t work. ‘An ambitious mess,’ would be the most likely headline. Instead, it’s one of the most, if not the most, immersive superhero stories going, pushing far beyond the boundaries of what superhero stories should and could be.”
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the only Oscar it was nominated for, Best Animated Feature (it beat Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet, among others). Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a remarkable, superhero fatigue-busting achievement that makes me mad all animated movies can’t be this imaginative, and it’s deservedly getting Oscar buzz outside of the genre-specific category. Is Best Picture a possibility? Variety makes the case:
It has a chance. With Oscar-winning and nominated auteurs such as Guillermo del Toro (Pinocchio), Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs), and Charlie Kaufman (Anomalisa) exploring stories in animation and becoming vocal advocates for what it can achieve, it only helps the future of the medium. This conveys hope for more opportunities for the industry to see this as a serious art form as more respected filmmakers discover and explore its creative capabilities.
I hate going to bat for a comic book movie, which have dominated the culture for over a decade. But most comic book movies aren’t this good.
This needs to be nominated not just for Best Animated Feature but for Best Picture too. 10/10 #SpiderVerse pic.twitter.com/GEPegIRwMp
— Callum Myers (@HeavyMetalMyers) June 1, 2023
If ANY animated film deserves a best picture nomination
It’s Across the Spider-Verse. pic.twitter.com/HqlT5vIhHP
— Hassan Hamid
(@HassanHamid266) June 2, 2023
A list of the nominations SPIDER-VERSE should receive at this years Oscar’s.
BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ANIMATED FEATURE
CINEMATOGRAPHY
FILM EDITING
SOUND
VISUAL EFFECTS
ORIGINAL SCORE
ORIGINAL SONG#SpiderVerse #SpiderGwen #SpiderMan2099 #SpiderMan #Oscars pic.twitter.com/3XWpt3PAPA— Max Joseph (@Mjoseph492) June 2, 2023
I’m a single issue voter and that issue is ensuring @SpiderVerse is nominated for Best Picture, not Best Animated Feature.
— jeff irl (@thecultureofme) June 2, 2023
Across the Spider-Verse needs to be nominated & won in 4 categories at the Oscars:
-Best Animated Feature
-Best Original Score (Music)
-Best Production Design (Art Direction)
-Best PictureI’m not playing with them! pic.twitter.com/HOenRLdUc3
— Hermes ☿ (@thehermeister) June 2, 2023
recency bias but not really: i think spider-man: across the spider-verse might be the best film of the last five years. i think it should win best picture. i think it should win the nobel peace prize. i think it should be pope
— Emil (@quezoncitrus) May 31, 2023
I don’t want Across the Spider-Verse to just win Best Animated Feature this year for the Oscars
I want the Best Picture nom for it so bad. It deserves it
— david the slowpoke (@Dcuajunco) June 1, 2023
Unless something completely unexpected comes sweeping in, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has Best Animated Feature in the bag (& deserves a Best Picture nom, if we are being honest). The way the colors express and enhance the emotional beats..#SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse pic.twitter.com/GqTJc7WTww
— Tessa Smith – Mama’s Geeky (@MamasGeeky) May 25, 2023
Attempting to write anything about this would reduce it. It’s better than the first one and that was a era defining masterpiece. Just go see it. #spiderverse if this doesn’t get a best picture (not animated – best picture) nom, this whole thing is full of shit. pic.twitter.com/3RK2jSCSz6
— Ryan Hill (@josephryanhill) June 2, 2023