Leave it to Freddie Mercury to defy the odds, right?
Though the musical genius wasn’t alive to see Bohemian Rhapsody hit the big screen, his time-honored legacy was very much present and well within Fox’s biopic, which saw Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek lend his likeness (and his vocal cords) for what was one of 2018’s best performances. In fact, the film’s now finding itself coming up in some serious Oscar talk, as it scored a huge victory last night at the Golden Globes.
As you’ve surely heard by now, Bohemian Rhapsody walked away with the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. And though we wouldn’t go so far as to say that either of those prizes was totally undeserved, its wins have definitely sparked some controversy across the web.
For one thing, Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t exactly a hit with the critics. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 62%, some of its competitors at the Golden Globes were seen to be much more deserving of the Best Motion Picture – Drama award in particular. But that wasn’t all, as the shadow of Bryan Singer also loomed large over the film’s big night, with the director having been booted off the project midway through production for various behind the scenes issues.
Given all that, and Singer’s very controversial past, a lot of people felt that Bohemian Rhapsody shouldn’t have been honored like it was, and below you can see but a sampling of what folks are saying.
https://twitter.com/MICHAELfilm94/status/1082155299342110720
https://twitter.com/HarryCook/status/1082135800785977344
A huge LOL to every single person (man and woman) present at The Golden Globes that didn’t mention Bryan Singer regarding Bohemian Rhapsody. #thegoldenglobes #goldenglobes2018… https://t.co/d92LhqbadA
— Kevin Arbouet (@kevinarbouet) January 7, 2019
Those back-to-back heartfelt tributes to Bryan Singer were so moving. I thought they'd never stop talking about him.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) January 7, 2019
There were a few right answers that the HFPA could have gone with tonight, but by giving Best Picture to a Bryan Singer film, they chose the only wrong answer.
— The Albert Santos, in cinemas now (@albertinho) January 7, 2019
Bohemian Rhapsody‘s lifetime total currently stands at a mighty $743.7 million, cementing its place as one of 2018’s undisputed sleeper hits alongside Venom. And with the awards buzz it’s now receiving, you can bet that total will climb even higher. Especially since Fox has announced a round of sing-a-long screenings, too.
Not only that, but Queen legend Brian May has even gone so far as to suggest that Bohemian Rhapsody‘s eye-watering success could warrant a sequel, one which may well explore the twilight years of one Freddie Mercury. And while the studio hasn’t given us any indication yet that that’s a route they’re interested in heading down, it’s clear that the film won’t be held back by the controversy currently swirling around it and with any luck, might just go on to take home even more awards during the Oscars.