A Pattern of Post-Oscar Disappointments

For studio executives and filmmakers alike, the allure of an Oscar win is undeniable. However, a closer look at recent Best Director winners reveals a concerning pattern: critical acclaim and awards glory often precede important box office disappointments and alienated audiences. Is there an “Oscar curse” plaguing these celebrated directors?

Case Studies in the Alleged Curse

Over the past decade, several directors have experienced this phenomenon firsthand. Consider these examples:

• Following Ang Lee‘s triumph with Life of pi (2012), his next venture, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016), failed to resonate with audiences and underperformed commercially.
• Damien Chazelle, fresh off the success of LA LA LAND (2016), saw his subsequent film, First Man (2018), struggle to find a wide audience despite positive reviews.
• Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021) couldn’t recoup its budget after the Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water (2018) captivated viewers.
• Chloé Zhao’s critically acclaimed Nomadland (2020) was followed by Eternals (2021), a Marvel superhero film that, while commercially viable, was considered a creative misstep by many and received mixed reviews.

Bong Joon Ho and the Specter of “Mickey 17”

The potential “curse” has resurfaced with Bong Joon Ho, the South Korean director celebrated for his anti-capitalist thriller, Parasite. parasite’s journey from Cannes darling (Palme d’Or in 2019) to Oscar sensation (four wins) seemed unstoppable. Though, his latest project, Mickey 17, a high-budget science fiction comedy starring Robert Pattinson, faces an uncertain future.

Despite favorable early reactions and decent audience scores on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes,Mickey 17 is projected to lose millions. With a production budget of $118 million (excluding marketing costs), the film has so far grossed only $40.8 million domestically and $110.7 million worldwide. This performance raises questions about whether even the most acclaimed directors are immune to the fickle nature of audience tastes and market trends.

Ancient Precedent: “Heaven’s Gate”

This phenomenon isn’t entirely new. Some point to Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980), a famously disastrous Western that followed his success with The Deer Hunter, as an earlier example of the “Oscar curse” in action. The epic scale and financial ruin of Heaven’s Gate served as a cautionary tale for years to come.

The lesson here might be that even the most talented directors can stumble when given unlimited resources and creative freedom after achieving significant critical success.

A Film Historian

The Underlying Factors

While the idea of a literal “curse” is far-fetched, several factors could contribute to this trend:

• Increased Expectations: Oscar wins raise expectations, making it harder for subsequent films to meet the heightened standards of critics and audiences.
• Creative Risks: Directors, emboldened by their success, may take greater creative risks that don’t always pay off commercially.
• Market Volatility: The film market is inherently unpredictable, and even well-made films can fail to find an audience due to changing tastes or external factors.
• Studio Interference: Sometimes, studios exert more control over projects following a director’s Oscar win, potentially diluting their vision.

The Perils of Peak Recognition

The Academy Award, a symbol of cinematic achievement, can paradoxically become a burden for directors. While it opens doors to new opportunities and creative freedom, it also brings immense pressure to consistently deliver groundbreaking work.some argue that the adulation and unchecked creative control following an Oscar win can lead to hubris and ultimately, artistic missteps.

this [prize] is a supreme validation that you receive [from] Hollywood. So you know that you are realy good… and unless you keep on the ground, it can become a real problem.I think very few artists, or people in general, have this ability to step back from their art.
Thomas Doherty, professor of American studies at the university of Brandeis and editor associated with the magazine Cineaste

Creative Freedom and Financial Risk

oscar-winning directors frequently enough gain the coveted “final cut” privilege, as exemplified by Bong Joon Ho’s control over Mickey 17. Though, this freedom can be a double-edged sword. The allure of unchecked creative expression, coupled with the financial backing that follows an Oscar win, can sometimes lead to projects that prioritize artistic vision over audience appeal, resulting in box office disappointment.

Case Study: Ang Lee’s High-Frame Rate Experiment

Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016) serves as a cautionary tale. following his Oscar win for Life of Pi, Lee embarked on an ambitious project utilizing cutting-edge high-frame-rate (HFR) technology. While technically innovative, the film’s unconventional presentation proved to be a major obstacle. The film, which follows a soldier in the Iraq war, was criticized and considered a commercial failure.

Lee’s decision to shoot at 120 frames per second, combined with 3D and 4K UHD resolution, created significant logistical challenges. Only a handful of theaters worldwide were equipped to project the film as intended, limiting its accessibility and ultimately impacting its box office performance. The film only grossed $2 million domestically.

Critics also questioned the artistic merit of the HFR technology in this context. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the frame rate as artificial and distracting, arguing that it detracted from the narrative. This highlights the risk of prioritizing technical innovation over storytelling, even for a director as accomplished as Ang Lee, who had previously won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain.

Guillermo del Toro’s Noir Gamble

Another example is Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. Following his success with The Shape of Water, which won Best picture and Best Director, del Toro ventured into the realm of psychological neo-noir. Despite a star-studded cast including Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, the film struggled to find its audience, earning roughly the same domestically as the $40 million budget of Billy Lynn. This illustrates that even with critical acclaim and A-list talent, a director’s post-Oscar project can still face significant challenges in attracting viewers.

Navigating the Post-Oscar Landscape

The “Oscar curse” is not an inevitable fate. Many directors have successfully navigated the post-Oscar landscape by carefully selecting projects that balance artistic ambition with commercial viability. Though, the pressure to replicate past success, coupled with the increased creative freedom that comes with an Academy Award, can create a challenging environment. The key, perhaps, lies in maintaining a grounded perspective and prioritizing compelling storytelling above all else.

The Oscar curse: A Trend of Diminished Returns?

The Academy Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement in filmmaking, but for some directors, the golden statuette seems to be followed by a period of creative or commercial struggle. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as the “Oscar curse,” raises questions about the pressures and expectations that come with such recognition.

Case Studies: When Acclaim Doesn’t Guarantee Success

Several examples illustrate this potential downturn. Consider Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, a visually stunning film that, despite its pedigree, only grossed $40 million in the United States against a $60 million budget. This underperformance echoes the experience of Damien Chazelle’s First Man, a biopic of Neil Armstrong starring ryan Gosling. Despite chazelle’s previous success with La La Land, first Man faced criticism and failed to ignite the box office.

A large part of the film drags,the scenes repeating and changing slightly until we just want to shout on the screen.

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair, on first Man

Similarly, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, released after her Oscar-winning film Nomadland, received mixed reviews and didn’t achieve the same level of critical acclaim. This raises the question of whether certain skills, though impressive, are always transferable across different projects.

The Exception to the Rule: Iñárritu and Cuarón

Interestingly, some directors seem immune to this “curse.” Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Alfonso cuarón, both Mexican cinema giants, have consistently delivered acclaimed work after their initial Oscar wins. Iñárritu, such as, followed his Birdman triumph with The Revenant, securing consecutive Best director Oscars. Cuarón, after Gravity, created the deeply personal and critically lauded Roma, earning him his second Best Director award.

Scaling Down: A Strategy for Sustained Success?

One potential explanation for Iñárritu and Cuarón’s continued success lies in their willingness to scale down their projects after achieving widespread recognition. Iñárritu’s Bardo (2022) was a more introspective and controversial work, while Cuarón’s Roma explored his personal history through the lens of his childhood nanny. This shift towards smaller, more personal stories may allow directors to reconnect with their creative roots and avoid the pressure of replicating past successes on a grand scale.

The Pressure of Expectations and the Allure of Personal Stories

The pressure to deliver another blockbuster after an Oscar win can be immense. Directors may feel compelled to take on larger, more ambitious projects, potentially losing sight of the creative spark that led to their initial success. By contrast, focusing on personal narratives, as Iñárritu and Cuarón have done, can provide a sense of creative freedom and allow directors to explore themes that resonate deeply with them.

Beyond the Golden Statue: Do Oscars Hinder Future Success?

The Academy Awards, the pinnacle of cinematic achievement, often catapult directors to new heights of fame and influence. However, a recurring narrative suggests that winning the Best Director Oscar might inadvertently cast a shadow over subsequent projects. Is there a genuine “Oscar curse” affecting these celebrated filmmakers, or are other factors at play?

Challenging the Notion of a Curse

While some perceive a decline in the immediate post-oscar work of certain directors, it’s crucial to remember that filmmaking is a complex and unpredictable art form. As the saying goes, curses are made to be broken. the upcoming projects of recent Best Director winners, such as Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), and Sean Baker (Aor), present opportunities to defy this perceived trend.

The Halo Effect: A Potential Pitfall

Instead of a supernatural curse, a more plausible explanation might lie in the altered dynamics within a director’s professional environment. As film critic Doherty suggested to The Hollywood Reporter, the Best Director Oscar could create a “halo effect,” potentially hindering constructive criticism and open dialogue.

I wonder if the people working with the director—producers, writers, and actors—are so impressed that they hesitate to question his judgment, because his author’s talent has been validated by the highest price in industry.
Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter

This reluctance to challenge a validated director’s vision could lead to less rigorous feedback and potentially compromise the quality of the final product. In essence, the very award intended to celebrate excellence might inadvertently stifle the collaborative process that is essential for creating great films.

The Power Dynamics of Hollywood: Then and Now

Doherty further illustrates this point by contrasting the current landscape with the “golden age of Hollywood,” where studio executives held considerable sway over directors, even those under contract.

In the past, in the golden age of hollywood, a magnate could tell the director under contract that the film was too long and that it had to cut 25 minutes. Who today would have the gut to say that to Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan?
doherty, The Hollywood Reporter

The shift in power dynamics, coupled with the prestige associated with the Best Director Oscar, may create an environment where critical feedback is suppressed, potentially impacting the director’s subsequent work. Whether this constitutes a “curse” or simply a change in the collaborative process remains a subject of debate.