Greatest Movies That Should Have Won an Oscar

In 2019, “Capernaum” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. However, it ended up losing to “Roma,” which also won Best Achievement in Directing and Best Achievement in Cinematography. “Capernaum” has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 93% with over 1,000 ratings.

“Secrets & Lies” is an incredible drama that was nominated for five Oscars in 1997. It was one of the best picture nominees for that year. Brenda Blethyn was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The 1997 award for Best Picture ended up going to “The English Patient.”

“The Crowd” was nominated for two Oscars in the first year of the Academy Awards Ceremony in 1929. This film, starring Eleanor Boardman, James Murray, and Bert Roach, was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture in the category of Unique and Artistic Production. 1929 was the only year that this specific award was presented, but it went to “Sunrise” instead of “The Crowd.”

In 1962, the Western known as “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was released. This film starred John Wayne, James Stewart, and Vera Miles. Despite having a Tomatometer of 95% and an audience score of 92%, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was only nominated for one Oscar. It was nominated for Best Costume Design in Black and White but lost to “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”

“Before Sunset” is a drama and romance film starring Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Vernon Dobtcheff. Some background on the film tells us that it was written based on a true story from director Richard Linklater’s life. The film was nominated for Best Writing in the category of Adapted Screenplay, but “Sideways” ended up winning the award.

“Wild Tales” is a drama and thriller broken into six different stories about the behavior of people in distress. Directed by Damián Szifron, this film was originally called “Relatos Salvajes” and was a Spanish-language film. “Wild Tales” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.” Although it did win Best Latin-American Film at the Ariel Awards, it lost to “Ida” at the Academy Awards.

“The Elephant Man,” a drama directed by David Lynch, is number 158 on IMDb’s list of top-rated movies. As one of the best films that didn’t win an Oscar, “The Elephant Man” was nominated for eight Academy Awards. The nominations included Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Art Direction.

There are few duos more iconic than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. “Top Hat,” featuring the duo as well as Edward Everett Horton, is a musical romance about an American dancer who falls in love during a trip to Britain. This film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture. However, “Mutiny on the Bounty” ended up winning. The award for Best Picture was previously known as Outstanding Production.

Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas, “Knives Out” was a dramedy released in 2019. This film tells the story of an investigation surrounding the death of a renowned novelist. “Knives Out” was nominated for one Academy Award for Best Writing for an Original Screenplay in 2020. “Parasite” ended up winning the award that year.

The all-star cast of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” included Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. This heartwarming tale of adventure tells the story of Puss in Boots as he tries to restore all the lives he’s lost. “Puss in Boots” was nominated for the 2023 Award for Best Animated Feature Film. However, “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” ended up winning the award.

“Persepolis” is an animated film based on a graphic novel series. Both the graphic novels and the film are autobiographical and tell the story of author Marjane Satrapi as a child growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Marjane Satrapi was the first woman to be nominated for this award. “Ratatouille” ended up winning Best Animated Feature Film, even though “Persepolis” may have been the best movie to win an Oscar.

In “Amores Perros,” three different stories are connected by one horrific accident. Starring Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, and Goya Toledo, this thriller was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, representing Mexico. Instead, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” ended up winning the award.

“Avengers: End Game” was the dramatic and action-packed end to the “Avengers” series. The cast for this film included Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, and numerous other renowned actors and actresses. Even though Chris Evans or Robert Downey Jr. should have won Best Actor, the only nomination this film received at the 2020 Academy Awards was Best Achievement in Visual Effects. However, “Avengers: End Game” did win the Best Comic-to-Film Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror Films.

Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, and Burl Ives star in this drama about an alcoholic husband who avoids the affection of his wife. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” was released in 1958 and nominated for six Oscars. The film’s nominations included Best Picture, but the award was presented to “Gigi” instead.

Mervyn LeRoy directed the 1932 crime drama “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.” This film follows the story of James Allen, who is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and ends up serving in a chain gang. “I Am a Fugitive in a Chain Gang” was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Sound. “Cavalcade” ended up winning Best Picture or Outstanding Production.

“Full Metal Jacket” is a war drama starring Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, and Vincent D’Onofrio. This film has a Tomatometer of 92% and an audience score of 94%, despite it not winning any Oscars. “Full Metal Jacket” was nominated for Best Writing in the category of Screenplay Based on Material From Another Medium. However, “The Last Emperor” ended up winning the award for that category.

The dark film known as “Strangers on a Train” was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The storyline of this film focuses on a psychopath who comes up with a plan for two strangers to kill someone the other person hates. This drama was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in Black and White. It went up against films like “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Death of a Salesman.” “A Place in the Sun” ended up winning Best Cinematography.

“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is an animated film about a princess who tries to avoid marrying a man she doesn’t love by sending her suitors on an impossible task. The original title of this film was “Kaguya-hime No Monogatari.” “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, but “Big Hero 6” won the award.

The 1959 film “Anatomy of a Murder” was nominated for seven Oscars. Starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, and Ben Gazzara, it tells the story of a courtroom drama and the lawyer who defends a soldier in court. Among the nominations for this film was the nomination for Best Picture. “Ben-Hur” ended up winning the Best Picture award.

“In the Name of the Father” is a film starring Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis as well as Pete Postlethwaite and Alison Crosbie. The film is about a man who is wrongly accused of a bombing in London and tries to clear his name and his father’s name. “In the Name of the Father” was nominated for seven Oscars, but didn’t end up winning any of the Academy Awards.

Considering how popular “Die Hard” still is today, it may be surprising that it didn’t bring home any Oscars. This film, starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Bonnie Bedelia, is a thriller about a police officer who has to save a group of people held hostage by terrorists. “Die Hard” was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Sound, Film Editing, Visual Effects, and Sound Effects Editing.

“Angels with Dirty Faces” is a 1938 drama directed by Michael Curtiz. Starring actors such as James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, and Humphrey Bogart, this film tells the story of two childhood friends who end up on two vastly different paths. “Angels with Dirty Faces” was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Actor in a Leading Role. James Cagney was nominated for Best Actor but ended up losing to Spencer Tracy from “Boys Town.”

James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes starred in this thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. “Vertigo” is about an ex-police officer who becomes obsessed with two women he is investigating. This film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound and Best Art Direction. However, it didn’t end up winning either award.

“Song of the Sea” is an animated adventure film about two siblings who desire to save the spirit world. Directed by Tomm Moore, this film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year for 2015. It was in the running against other animated films like “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “The Boxtrolls,” and “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.” “Big Hero 6” ended up winning the award for Best Animated Feature Film.

The mystery film “The Maltese Falcon” was released in 1941 and starred Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Gladys George. “The Maltese Falcon” was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture. There were many excellent films nominated for Outstanding Motion Picture that year, but “How Green Was My Valley” ended up winning the award.

James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, and Edmond O’Brien starred in “White Heat,” a crime drama released in 1949. This film tells the story of a gang leader whose character is based on New York murderer Francis Crowley. “White Heat” was nominated for Best Writing in the category of Motion Picture Story but lost the award to “The Stratton Story.”

“How to Train Your Dragon” is a heartwarming animated tale about a young Viking who ends up becoming friends with a dragon he names Toothless. The film starred voice actors such as Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, and Jay Baruchel. “How to Train Your Dragon” was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures. “Toy Story 3” ended up winning the award that year.

Ernst Lubitsch directed the 1942 film “To Be or Not to Be.” This comedy about an acting couple who managed a theatrical troupe during the German occupation of Poland was nominated for one Oscar. Despite the nomination for Best Music, “Now, Voyager” ended up winning the award for Best Music in the category of Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

“The Great Escape” is a 1963 adventure drama starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough. This film, based on a true story, tells the tale of a group of soldiers who were imprisoned during World War II. “The Great Escape” was nominated for Best Film Editing, but “How the West Was Won” won the Oscar.

Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, and Cybill Shepherd starred in the crime drama known as “Taxi Driver.” This film tells the story of a man who suffers from insomnia, leading him to work as a taxi driver in New York City. Later on, he decides he wants to make the world a better place. “Taxi Driver” was nominated for four Oscars, but didn’t end up winning any of the Academy Awards.

“Memento” is a mystery thriller starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. This film is about a man who loses his short-term memory after trying to stop the men who are attacking his wife. “Memento” is rated as the 57th top movie according to IMDb. It was also nominated for two Oscars but didn’t end up winning either award.

“The Thin Man” is a crime mystery film directed by W.S. Van Dyke. This film is about a retired detective who ends up investigating the case of a missing inventor with his wife. “The Thin Man” was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Picture. “It Happened One Night” won the award for Best Picture or Outstanding Production.

“The Princess Bride” is one of the best films that didn’t win the Oscar for Best Picture. Despite how popular this 1987 film is, it was only nominated for Best Music in the category of Original Song for the song “Storybook Love.” This romantic song ended up losing the award to “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from “Dirty Dancing.”

Soon after its release, “Klaus” became a beloved holiday film based in the fictional town of Smeerensburg. With a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 96%, this film tells the story of a toymaker known as Klaus. This film was the first original animated film Netflix released, and it was also released in select theaters. It didn’t win the award for Best Animated Feature Film, and the award was presented to “Toy Story 4.”

Another film directed by Charlie Chaplin, “The Great Dictator” stars Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, and Jack Oakie. On IMDb, “The Great Dictator” is rated as the 67th top movie. This film about a dictator, which was banned by Adolf Hitler in Germany, was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. However, “Rebecca” ended up winning the award.

“North by Northwest” is a mystery directed by Alfred Hitchcock. When a New York City executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent, he finds himself on a grand adventure that includes meeting a beautiful woman. This film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Writing, Best Art Direction, and Best Film Editing.

Another epic Spider-Man adventure was released in 2021 with “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Benedict Cumberbatch, this adventure film follows Peter Parker as he enlists the help of Doctor Strange. This Spider-Man film was nominated for Best Achievement in Visual Effects but didn’t end up winning the Oscar.

In 1925, Charlie Chaplin directed and starred in the comedy film “The Gold Rush.” Also starring Mack Swain and Tom Murray, this film was nominated for two Oscars, including Best Sound and Best Music. Although it did win several other awards, the cast of “The Gold Rush” went home without an Oscar.

“Double Indemnity” is a 1944 crime drama about a salesman who engages in a plan to murder the husband of the woman he’s having an affair with. Starring Fred MacMurray, Barabara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson, this film was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. However, “Going My Way” won the Oscar for Best Motion Picture that year.

Directed by Frank Capra, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture for 1947. This classic holiday film is still beloved today even though “The Best Years of Our Lives” ended up winning the award for Best Picture instead. “It’s a Wonderful Life” has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 95%.

Nominated for four Oscars from the Academy, “Dr. Strangelove” was a 1964 war comedy about the Soviet Union. Stanley Kubrick directed the film, and the cast included Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden. One of the film’s nominations included Best Picture. Some of the other nominees included “Zorba the Greek” and “Mary Poppins.” “My Fair Lady” ended up winning the award.

“Psycho” is another thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock that made the list of greatest movies that should have won an Oscar. It’s also the 35th top-rated movie on IMDb. “Psycho” was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. The mystery film didn’t end up winning any Oscar at the Academy Awards.

The cheerful romance known as “Singin’ In the Rain” is a classic musical from 1952. This film starred Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. It’s rated in the top 100 movies of all time and was nominated for two Oscars. Even though it has a Tomatometer of 100%, it didn’t end up winning the Oscar for Best Actress or Best Music.

“The Boat,” also known as “Das Boot,” was nominated for six Oscars in 1983. This German film, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, is about the trials of a submariner during World War II. This film made the list as the 77th top-rated movie according to IMDb. Despite the numerous nominations it received, “Das Boot” didn’t end up winning an Oscar.

Like many of the best mystery films, “Rear Window” was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This film, starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Wendell Corey, tells the tale of a photographer who thinks he has witnessed a murder. “Rear Window” is rated as the 50th top movie according to IMDb. It was also nominated for four Oscars but didn’t win any of the awards.

“Witness for the Prosecution” was nominated for six Oscars. This film, based on a play by Agatha Christie, is rated as the 66th best film by IMDb. One of the nominations it received was Best Picture. “Witness for the Prosecution” went up against films like “12 Angry Men” and “Peyton Place,” but it lost to “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”

When it comes to films that should have won the Oscar, “The Shawshank Redemption” has to be near the top of the list. This incredible film about two convicts who form a friendship has become a classic and has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 98%. Even though it lost the Best Picture award to “Forrest Gump,” “The Shawshank Redemption” is rated the number 1 movie on IMDb.

In 1957, “12 Angry Men” went up against “Bridge on the River Kwai,” but the cast of “12 Angry Men” went home with a loss. This film, telling the story of a courtroom drama involving a jury in New York, is still incredibly popular. It also has a higher audience score than “Bridge on the River Kwai.”