A24 has had one of the best years of 2014 with many films that could obtain Oscar nominations. One of those films is "Under the Skin," the critically-acclaimed science fiction feature by Jonathan Glazer.

After premiering to mixed reviews at the Venice Film Festival and obtaining buzz in the 2013 festival circuit, "Under the Skin" fell off the radar. However, in April, A24 opened the film to rave reviews and it became an Indie hit, grossing over $2 million in 176 theaters.

Critics raved about Scarlett Johansson's performance and for the movie's visually stunning cinematography. The score by Mica Levi also received rave reviews, and the composer obtained a lot of attention.

However, while the buzz slowly died out and pundits quickly forgot about it, it is a film that caused conversation and should definitely be considered for the Oscar race.

While it is unlikely the movie will be a Best Picture contender because of its experimental format, "Under the Skin" should be considered nonetheless.

The film is already generating buzz among Indie awards, as it was nominated for Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards last year and recently surprised pundits when it was nominated for the Gotham Awards for Best Film.

The Gotham awards are not always the best precursor for the Oscars but any buzz is important, especially with such in a competitive season.

The buzz is particularly important in order to bring attention to Johansson's riveting performance. The actress has already been nominated for the British Independent Film Awards and Gotham Awards for Best Actress, but pundits have not really spoken about her chances at the Oscars.

Johansson is one of the most respected actresses in the industry and this performance really demonstrates her range as an actress as well as her strengths. Latin Post called Johansson's work "one of the best performances in recent memory"

Another reason Johansson should be nominated is because she has never been shortlisted for an Oscar and she is having the best year of her career. This year alone saw Johansson in an Oscar-nominated film ("Her") and she scored No. 1 hits at the box office with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Lucy." She also led "Under the Skin", as well "Chef", to become Indie hits.

Additionally, Johansson is interestingly one of the few actresses to have been nominated for four Golden Globes and won one BAFTA award for Lead Actress. Essentially, she has been recognized by most of the leading organizations, but has always failed to get nominated by the Academy. Johansson can be considered overdue at this point, especially with her track record and a number of great performances.

Another reason why Johansson should be taken into consideration is because the Best Actress race is weak this year. Only Julianne Moore and Reese Witherspoon are said to be locks. There are a number of great performances this year, but Johansson is essentially in every scene and "Under the Skin" can almost be considered a one-actress film. As a result, she is forced to carry the film, just like Sandra Bullock did last year when she was nominated for "Gravity."

A24 has not announced if it will be campaigning her performance, but after the reaction to the film and the wide open race, Johansson could be a huge Oscar contender.

Levi's score could also figure into the race if the film emerges in the awards race. Other categories that "Under the Skin" could compete for are sound design, cinematography and screenplay.

The Academy Awards have the tendency to nominate late year releases because they are most fresh. However, if A24 brings this picture to the organization's attention, this could be a major awards contender.

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