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Movies That Lost the Oscar For Best Picture to a Lower Rated Film

Movies That Lost the Oscar For Best Picture to a Lower Rated Film

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The disappointment in the audience at the Oscars is almost palpable when the Academy awards a film that was rated lower than other nominees. Viewers at home get equally frustrated as they watch the ‘wrong’ film win. The voting process for each of the Oscar categories is exclusive and limited to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). A range of film industry pros make up the Academy and only they get a say in who wins for each category.

he category of Best Picture has seen just over 600 film nominations and only 95 winners since its inception in 1931. Before this, in 1929, there were two distinct award categories. They included Most Outstanding Production and Most Artistic Quality of Production. This distinction ensured that different aspects of filmmaking were recognized and celebrated. The following year in 1930, those two categories were consolidated into one category: Best Production. This category was decided by the Academy and upon further inspection, they adjusted it to Best Picture, confirming they were equivalent.

In 1931, the category for Best Picture was officially instituted. When a film receives a nomination for Best Picture, it enters into the running for the most important award, which is presented last during the awards ceremony. This is an all-encompassing award that credits the director, the actors, and the writers who collaborate to create a film. Between 1944 and 2009, there could only be five nominations for Best Picture and often, the award was linked to the winner of Best Director. Since 2009, a total of 10 nominees for Best Picture have been allowed.

The list below highlights 58 films that were nominated for Best Picture but lost to a lower-rated film. When voting, members of AMPAS rank each of the nominees based on their preference. The film that receives the majority of votes moves into the position of winner and the award is handed over. In many cases, the voters’ preferences don’t align with the audience’s preferences, and the proof is in the viewer’s feedback. (These are the 25 lowest budget movies that won the Oscar for Best Picture.)

To determine the movies that lost the Oscar for Best Picture to a lower-rated film, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of February 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Films that were nominated for and lost Best Picture were ranked against the Best Picture winner in their Oscar year. Best Picture losers were ranked according to the difference in their index score with that of the Best Picture winner in their Oscar year. Data on Oscars nominations and wins is from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

58. The Insider (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (172,879 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (59,252 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (137 reviews)
  • Lost to: American Beauty

57. The Great Dictator (1940)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (213,266 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (43,757 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (45 reviews)
  • Lost to: Rebecca

56. Django Unchained (2012)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,427,183 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (429,752 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (291 reviews)
  • Lost to: Argo

55. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
  • IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (267,485 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (11,678 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (447 reviews)
  • Lost to: Green Book

54. Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (211,127 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (53,527 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (72 reviews)
  • Lost to: All About Eve

53. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (422,428 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,179 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Best Years of Our Lives

52. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (786,394 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (607,826 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (309 reviews)
  • Lost to: The King’s Speech

51. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (10,492 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (6,847 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (32 reviews)
  • Lost to: Mrs. Miniver

50. Shanghai Express (1932)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (8,349 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,594 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (33 reviews)
  • Lost to: Grand Hotel

49. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (49,143 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (33,979 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
  • Lost to: You Can’t Take It with You

48. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (111,405 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (45,892 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
  • Lost to: Gone with the Wind

47. The Last Picture Show (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (45,056 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (14,197 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (58 reviews)
  • Lost to: The French Connection

46. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (260,773 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (427,499 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (158 reviews)
  • Lost to: Gladiator

45. Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (98,700 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (142,741 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (226 reviews)
  • Lost to: Crash

44. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (67,341 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (12,420 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
  • Lost to: Ben-Hur

43. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (72,757 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (21,703 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (43 reviews)
  • Lost to: A Man for All Seasons

42. Hidden Figures (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (233,247 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (58,709 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (321 reviews)
  • Lost to: Moonlight

41. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (109,172 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (130,924 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (64 reviews)
  • Lost to: Braveheart

40. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (467,737 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (209,644 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (92 reviews)
  • Lost to: My Fair Lady

39. Raging Bull (1980)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (356,943 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (131,523 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
  • Lost to: Ordinary People

38. Top Hat (1935)

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (18,394 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (9,864 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (42 reviews)
  • Lost to: Mutiny on the Bounty

37. Up (2009)

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (975,977 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,204,358 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (298 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Hurt Locker

36. Z (1969)

Source: Courtesy of Cinema V
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (30,319 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (6,578 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
  • Lost to: Midnight Cowboy

35. The Lion in Winter (1968)

Source: Courtesy of Embassy Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (32,075 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (13,125 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (41 reviews)
  • Lost to: Oliver!

34. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (702,293 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (105,515 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (55 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Bridge on the River Kwai

32. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (520,850 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 99% (50,000 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (465 reviews)
  • Lost to: Everything Everywhere All At Once

31. The Hustler (1961)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (79,251 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (31,252 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (45 reviews)
  • Lost to: West Side Story

30. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (629,925 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (286,235 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (96 reviews)
  • Lost to: Kramer vs. Kramer

28. On Golden Pond (1981)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,427 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (20,585 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (43 reviews)
  • Lost to: Chariots of Fire

27. The Father (2020)

Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (187,723 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (1,000 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (295 reviews)
  • Lost to: Nomadland

26. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (119,669 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (26,178 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (52 reviews)
  • Lost to: Hamlet

25. Get Out (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (530,461 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (76,158 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (397 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Shape of Water

24. Citizen Kane (1941)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (422,500 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (159,588 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (117 reviews)
  • Lost to: How Green Was My Valley

23. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,731,527 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,355,751 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (235 reviews)
  • Lost to: A Beautiful Mind

22. Fargo (1996)

Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (643,417 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (234,520 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (102 reviews)
  • Lost to: The English Patient

21. Taxi Driver (1976)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (761,825 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (260,919 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (94 reviews)
  • Lost to: Rocky

20. The Heiress (1949)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (14,956 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (3,056 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
  • Lost to: All the King’s Men

19. Whiplash (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
  • IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (763,755 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (70,602 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (297 reviews)
  • Lost to: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

18. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 9.3/10 (2,465,102 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (887,061 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (77 reviews)
  • Lost to: Forrest Gump

17. The Right Stuff (1983)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (62,253 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (22,982 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (51 reviews)
  • Lost to: Terms of Endearment

16. Goodfellas (1990)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,165,874 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (430,048 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (103 reviews)
  • Lost to: Dances with Wolves

15. My Left Foot (1989)

Source: Courtesy of Miramax
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (75,444 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (25,000 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
  • Lost to: Driving Miss Daisy

14. The Color Purple (1985)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (82,334 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (180,943 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (31 reviews)
  • Lost to: Out of Africa

13. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
  • IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,292,307 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (993,591 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (143 reviews)
  • Lost to: Shakespeare in Love

12. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (44,085 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (47,635 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
  • Lost to: Gentleman’s Agreement

11. Captains Courageous (1937)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (9,280 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (3,818 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (18 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Life of Emile Zola

10. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Source: Courtesy of Miramax
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (900,884 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,042 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
  • Lost to: Titanic

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,546,188 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,341,428 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (255 reviews)
  • Lost to: Chicago

8. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (47,356 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (4,853 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
  • Lost to: Gigi

7. Double Indemnity (1944)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (150,031 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,812 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (92 reviews)
  • Lost to: Going My Way

6. Lilies of the Field (1963)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (9,809 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (6,155 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (24 reviews)
  • Lost to: Tom Jones

5. Giant (1956)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (37,057 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (24,274 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (45 reviews)
  • Lost to: Around the World in 80 Days

4. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (20,661 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (9,247 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (22 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Great Ziegfeld

3. The Front Page (1931)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (2,754 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (1,011 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (15 reviews)
  • Lost to: Cimarron

2. High Noon (1952)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (100,798 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (25,494 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (58 reviews)
  • Lost to: The Greatest Show on Earth

1. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (13,561 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (3,185 reviews)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
  • Lost to: Cavalcade
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