Even after new rule, Oscar voters admit to hitting play, muting and walking away from screeners app

Express Tribune

30-04-2025

In an effort to bring more fairness and integrity to the voting process, the Academy has implemented a new rule that requires members to actually watch every film in a category before voting—and fill out a form noting when and where they did it.
The policy, which has become informally known as 'the 'Brutalist' Rule,' was inspired by Brady Corbet's 215-minute epic The Brutalist starring Adrien Brody, which managed to sweep major awards despite several voters admitting they hadn't seen it.
Now, members must view films via the secure Academy Screening Room platform, which tracks whether a movie was played from start to finish.
While this rule is seen by many insiders as a long-overdue step in ensuring informed decision-making, it's also exposed new ways voters are dodging accountability.
Some are simply pressing play, muting the sound, switching tabs, or walking away from the screen entirely—knowing that the system doesn't measure attention, just runtime completion.
Other voters openly admit that they continue to base votes on personal connections or campaign influence.
'It might just change how people pretend to follow the rules,' one executive quipped.
The Academy claims that initial feedback has been mostly positive and that the idea for the rule change came from members themselves.
But the concern remains: will this system really elevate the standard of Oscar voting?
The new policy mirrors protocols already in place for categories like Best International Feature, where viewers are also expected to watch every entry.
Yet, even in those areas, voters have found ways to work around the rules, with practices like speed-watching or passive viewing remaining common.
Whether this updated regulation will truly disrupt the old Oscar campaign playbook—or just inspire more clever rule-bending—is still an open question in Hollywood.