Oscars 2025: What is Oscarbaiting and how successful is the tactic during Academy Awards season?
It’s officially Oscar season—the buzz around Oscar bait has gotten louder 🎞🏆
- The term ‘Oscar bait’ is set to be used a lot more regularly in the weeks ahead.
- With the nominees for the 2025 Academy Awards set to be announced tomorrow, the term is used in both lightly and as an insult.
- But what is ‘Oscarbaiting’ and what does a film have to include to be considered Oscar bait?
With the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards set to take place tomorrow, The Brutalist looks to be a heavy favourite.
The film, starring Oscar winner and recent Golden Globe winner Adrien Brody, focuses on an architect who flees Europe after World War II to rebuild his life in the United States. It bears all the hallmarks of previous successes at the Oscars, such as Saving Private Ryan and The Pianist, the latter earning Brody a Best Actor Oscar.
But in some cinematic circles, the film is considered an example of Oscar bait; designed specifically to earn Oscar plaudits.
It's a term that you might have heard during Oscar season before and no doubt you'll hear after the nominees are announced tomorrow. So what is ‘Oscarbaiting’ and what does a film need to have to be considered ‘Oscar bait?’
What is Oscarbaiting?
