Spike Lee is calling out a bad call from the Academy more than 30 years later: The auteur, along with most cinephiles, is convinced that Denzel Washington was snubbed for the Best Actor Oscar for "Malcolm X.

If you ask Spike Lee, Denzel Washington deserved an Oscar for his role in Malcolm X. That year, the Best Male Actor trophy went to Al Pacino for his role in Scent of a Woman.

Cannes 2025 was alive with a mix of nostalgia and sharp insights as filmmaker Spike Lee arrived for the premiere of his latest film, Highest 2 Lowest. At the festival, he reignited one of Hollywood’s most talked-about debates: the Oscar snub of Denzel Washington for his role in Malcolm X.