The biggest snubs throughout the years
Watching the Oscars is stressful for movie lovers. Critical acclaim and box office success don't guarantee wins. The Academy values its own preferences over critics' or audiences' and we generally accept the results—however, in the past, the Academy snubbed some very worthy films and delivered shocking upsets.
Grand Illusion (1939)
Grand Illusion, a French war film, is still considered one of the greatest films of all time. The film follows two French aviators who are shot down by Germans and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp where they plot their escape. Anti-war in nature, Grand Illusion is about human relationships and common experiences within the POW camp, rather than about war or politics.
RCA, The Grand Illusion (1937)
The Wizard of Oz (1940)
Granted, Gone with the Wind was a heavyweight at the box office and at the Oscars in 1940, winning eight statuettes, including Best Picture. But, The Wizard of Oz is iconic and remains ground-breaking in its use of Technicolor.
Citizen Kane (1942)
Innovative and revolutionary in its filmmaking and storytelling, Citizen Kane is considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time. Despite its critical acclaim, its subject matter was controversial and it did not do well at the box office. Up for Best Picture at the 1942 Academy Awards, it lost to How Green Was My Valley.
Double Indemnity (1945)
Directed by Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity set the standard for film noir and provided the vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck’s best-ever performance. But it did not win the Best Picture Oscar. In fact, it didn’t win in a single category despite receiving seven nominations.
Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Giant (1957)
Widely revered for the incredible acting by the triumvirate of Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean, Giant continues to be beloved by audiences. The saga, based on a novel by Edna Ferber, is visually stunning with outstanding cinematography. While its director, George Stevens, won in his category, the movie lost to Around the World in 80 Days in the Best Picture category.
12 Angry Men (1958)
Lauded for its storytelling, camera work, and acting, 12 Angry Men nevertheless lost 1958’s Best Picture Oscar to The Bridge on the River Kwai. Both films are considered masterpieces and film critics and cinephiles continue to debate which film deserved to win.
United Artists, 12 Angry Men (1957)
Dr. Strangelove (1965)
Dr. Strangelove, a black comedy about the Cold War, is widely regarded as one of the best comedies ever made. A box office hit when it was released, the movie earned Stanley Kubrick his first Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. However, it lost to My Fair Lady.
Columbia, Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1967)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was a heavyweight at the 1967 Academy Awards. The film—which marked Mike Nichols’ directorial debut—is one of only two films to be nominated in every eligible category. It did nab five trophies at the award ceremony—but did not win in the Best Picture category.
Warner Bros., Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Bonnie and Clyde (1968)
The biopic Bonnie and Clyde marked a shift in American film. Its handling of taboo topics—particularly its unapologetic violence—excited audiences and changed the course of the film industry. Although its considerable impact is easy to see in hindsight, it garnered mixed reviews at the time of its release and did not win the Best Picture category at the Oscars.
Warner Bros., Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
M*A*S*H (1971)
The two top contenders for Best Picture in 1971 were both war films: M*A*S*H and Patton. M*A*S*H is considered one of the greatest comedies of all time but it only won one Academy Award in 1971—for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Twentieth Century, M*A*S*H (1970)
The Exorcist (1974)
The Academy is somewhat biased against the horror genre. The Exorcist was the first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture. The iconic film lost to The Sting. It wasn’t until 1992 that a horror film (Silence of the Lambs) nabbed the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Warner Bros., The Exorcist (1973)
Taxi Driver (1977)
Two iconic films went head-to-head in the Best Picture category in 1977. Rocky was the highest-grossing film in 1976—an incredible achievement for an indie film. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it won three, including Best Picture. Although Rocky deserved the award, Taxi Driver was easily the other top contender in the category, thanks to its incredible acting and terrific screenplay, cinematography, and score.
Apocalypse Now (1980)
Shocking and disturbing in its bleak portrayal of the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now is regarded as the best war film of all time. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, it took home only two, for cinematography and sound. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the Academy’s favoritism of emotionally rending family dramas, Kramer vs. Kramer was awarded the statuette for Best Picture.
United Artists, Apocalypse Now (1979)
Raging Bull (1981)
Often called “groundbreaking,” Raging Bull is a masterpiece of acting, cinematography, and directing. Its legacy is sprawling—it introduced black-and-white cinematography in modern film and continues to influence how sports dramas and biopics are told. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, it lost in the Best Picture category to—you guessed it—an emotionally rending family drama, Ordinary People.
United Artists, Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982)
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a cinematic masterpiece recalling the swashbuckling adventure movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age. It has become a pop culture giant, spawning four sequels over 42 years, countless parodies, television shows, video games, novels, and comic books. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, it won four (art and set direction, sound, film editing, and visual effects) and earned a special achievement Oscar, presented for sound effects editing. It did not, however, win Best Picture.
Paramount, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
E.T. (1983)
The Academy is decidedly biased against the sci-fi genre. Only 15 sci-fi films have been nominated in the Best Picture category since the inception of the Academy Awards. The first one to win was Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2022. It’s not surprising, then, that E.T. lost to Ghandi in 1983 but still disappointing. It is considered one of the greatest movies of all time, largely thanks to its stunning cinematography and score.
Universal, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Broadcast News (1988)
In 1988, The Last Emperor was up for 9 Academy Awards. It swept every category that it was nominated in, including Best Picture. The sweeping historical film is stunning in many ways but the acting in Broadcast News is impeccable. William Hurt and Albert Brooks both give the best performances of their careers, under the direction of James L. Brooks.
Twentieth Century, Broadcast News (1987)
My Left Foot (1990)
Under the direction of Jim Sheridan, Daniel Day-Lewis displays his extraordinary acting chops as Christy Brown, the Irish poet and artist who could only use his left foot to communicate. Lewis deservedly won in the Best Actor category. Oddly, although it is both a biopic and an emotionally rending drama, My Left Foot did not win the Best Picture Oscar.
Goodfellas (1991)
Martin Scorsese was shunned again at the 1991 Academy Awards, when his critically acclaimed film, Goodfellas, lost both the Best Picture Oscar and the Best Director Oscar to Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves. Widely considered the best gangster movie ever made, Goodfellas has been called “a masterclass” in filmmaking by Steven Spielberg.
Warner Bros., Goodfellas (1990)
Pulp Fiction (1995)
Described as a “touchstone of postmodern film,” Pulp Fiction nevertheless lost in the Best Picture category to Forrest Gump at the 1995 Academy Awards. Granted, Forrest Gump was an incredible film, but Pulp Fiction broke all the rules, revolutionized filmmaking, and invigorated the independent film industry.
Babe (1996)
The family-friendly Babe is a sweet and inspiring film that won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical in 1996. With a Golden Globe under its belt and seven Academy Award nominations, it wasn’t unthinkable that a G-rated film about farm animals could win in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Fargo (1997)
Edgy and original, Fargo is another one of those critically acclaimed films that has had a lasting impact on the art of filmmaking but lost out on the Best Picture Oscar. Instead, the award went to the sweeping historical drama, The English Patient.
Saving Private Ryan (1999)
When Shakespeare in Love nabbed the Best Picture Oscar in 1999, it was called the biggest upset in the history of the Academy Awards. The statuette was widely expected to go to Saving Private Ryan, the Steven Spielberg film with cinema’s most brutal depiction of war.
Paramount, Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The Insider (2000)
Awarded the Best Picture Oscar in 2000, American Beauty has not aged well. In hindsight, The Insider may have been the better winner. Expertly crafted and still relevant today, it provides the vehicle for what is arguably Russel Crowe’s best performance of his career.
Touchstone, The Insider (1999)
In the Bedroom (2002)
It wasn’t a huge surprise when A Beautiful Mind won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2002. After all, the film follows a formula that the Academy loves: it’s a well-crafted dramatic biopic about a person overcoming an obstacle. But, In the Bedroom was a critical success, praised for its screenplay, direction, and acting. Three of its actors were nominated for Oscars in their respective categories.
Miramax, In the Bedroom (2001)
The Aviator (2005)
The Aviator had all the right stuff to win the Oscar for Best Picture in 2005. A lavish historical biopic about one of Hollywood’s legends, the film featured stellar performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett. However, it lost to Million Dollar Baby in a somewhat shocking upset.
Brokeback Mountain (2006)
When the Academy awarded the Best Picture Oscar to Crash in 2005, it was called the biggest upset in the history of the awards. Even the presenter of the award, Jack Nicholson, was visibly shocked when he opened the envelope, saying “Whoa!” Brokeback Mountain is an incredible film, with a beautiful love story, stunning cinematography, and impeccable acting by an all-star cast. It deserved to win.
River Road, Brokeback Mountain (2005)
There Will Be Blood (2008)
The contenders for the Best Picture Oscar in 2008 are perhaps the greatest collection of films in that category, ever. Every picture was strong but both There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men were phenomenal. While there is no doubt that No Country for Old Men deserved to win, in any other year, There Will Be Blood would have likely taken the statuette home.
Miramax, There Will Be Blood (2007)
The Social Network (2011)
Given the Academy’s love for lavish historical dramas that feature a character who overcomes an obstacle, it is no surprise that The King’s Speech nabbed the Best Picture Oscar in 2011. While it is an excellent film, the Academy’s decision was shocking to many who expected The Social Network to win. The latter film is a modern-day classic with a thrilling screenplay as well as incredible acting, directing, cinematography, and scoring.
Columbia, The Social Network (2010)
The Tree of Life (2012)
The Tree of Life was an experimental film that broke the rules of filmmaking. Critically acclaimed, it achieved modest box-office success, largely thanks to winning the Palme d’Or (Cannes’ top prize). Still, since it is not the kind of film that the Academy usually favors, it is considered a victory that it was even nominated for Best Picture (along with Best Director and Best Cinematography).
River Road, The Tree of Life (2011)
Amour (2013)
Since the Academy historically snubbed foreign-language films, it was no surprise that Amour did not win the Best Picture statuette in 2013. It should have. A powerful film about dementia, it is one of the best works directed by Austrian Michael Haneke. Deservedly nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, it nabbed only one: Best Foreign Language Film.
Her (2014)
Nominated for five Academy Awards, Her is a sci-fi romance that seemingly foretold our future reliance on tech and the resulting loneliness epidemic. Beloved by critics and audiences alike, the movie earned five Academy Award nominations. It is not terribly surprising that it lost in the Best Picture category to 12 Years a Slave, which very deservedly won but Her is a masterpiece exploration of human connection and love.
Boyhood (2015)
Shot over 12 years, to document the literal growth of its characters over time, Boyhood is a ground-breaking and unique film that would be difficult to replicate. Nominated for six Academy Awards, it won only one—Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2016)
One of the best action movies ever made, Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for a whopping 10 Academy Awards. It didn’t win in any of the major categories but cleaned up in the craft categories with six statuettes. It is not surprising that Spotlight was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, but it has not held up as well as Mad Max: Fury Road.
Village Roadshow, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Get Out (2018)
Given the Academy’s bias against the horror genre, it’s not surprising that Get Out did not nab the statuette for Best Picture in 2018. Described as a “modern horror masterpiece,” Get Out explores casual racism through a lens of terror and comedy. Nominated for four Academy Awards, it won only one: Best Original Screenplay.
Roma (2019)
2019 marked another big upset at the Academy Awards when Green Book won over Roma. The darling of film critics, Roma was very deservedly nominated for 10 Oscars but won only three. As a foreign language film, Roma had a long shot at the Best Picture Oscar but it is a stunning film that absolutely deserved to win.
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
The 2021 Academy Awards had two very strong contenders for Best Picture: Judas and the Black Messiah and Nomadland. Featuring career-best performances from LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, as well as a riveting screenplay and stunning cinematography, Judas and the Black Messiah did not win the statuette but will certainly become a classic.
Warner Bros., Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
The Power of the Dog (2022)
The Power of the Dog, the critically acclaimed film about toxic masculinity, earned director Jane Campion her second nomination in the Best Director category, making her the first female director to achieve that milestone. The fact that the film was nominated for a whopping 12 Oscars speaks to its brilliance. However, it won only one Academy Award—Best Director.
Netflix, The Power of the Dog (2021)
Tár (2023)
Everything Everywhere All at Once is the first science fiction film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film did well at the awards ceremony in 2023, winning in seven of the ten categories that it was nominated in. But the brilliance of Everything Everywhere All at Once should not take away from the mastery of Tár. In a different year, Tár may have been the one to sweep the awards, especially given the career-best performance from Cate Blanchett.
