The biggest Oscar snubs♎ are a surprising bunch. Of the myriad of films that have never won those coveted gold trophies are the likes of It's a Wonderful Life, Fight Club, and Rebel Without a Cause. That𝔍's just scratching the surface, too – and we've taken a deep dive into the 30 Oscar-worthy movies that don't have an Academy Award to their name.
You'll find a mix of hidden gems and classics below, meaning you can fill out your watchlist with🌃 a healthy variety of movies. So, for a roundup of the very best films that lost at the Oscars, check out our roundup right here.
As for this year's Oscars ceremony, the night saw some surprising snubs in the form of Elvis, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Banshees of Inisherin, and Steven Spielberg's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Fabelmans going home empty handed, despite plenty of nominations. For more on the latest Academy Awards, see our roundup of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:bigge🌄st talking points, snu✨bs, and surprises.
30. Don't Look Now (1973)
The movie: Nicolas Roeg’s spine-tinglingly horror follows a grief-stricken couple – Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland – retreating to Venice after the death of their daughter. There, they’re met by two sisters claiming their daughter is trꦡying to contact them from beyond the grave.
Was it nominated? Nope. Absolutely no🐠thing. The now-classic thriller initially received posit♛ive, but not stunning, reviews. Only now is it regarded as a genre highlight.
What it should’ve won: Don't Look Away could should have been a contender for Best Picture, Actress, and Actor – but the real snub is towards Nicolas Roeg, who does a sublime job at creatin🐽g an anxious, tense atmosphere – one that filmmakers have tried to reproduce ever since.
29. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
The movie: James Dean plays Jim Stark, the eponymous rebel, who starts life afresh in a new town. Unf꧑ortunately, it's not long before he mak🦩es a few enemies.
Was it nominated? Rebel Without a Cause picked up three nominations, but none of them were for Dean, who was instead nominated for East of Eden – for which he posthumously won.
What it should’ve won: Dean's performaces in both East of Eden an💧d Rebel Without a Cause are phenomenal, but it's the latter that has become truly iconic.
28. King Kong (1933)
The movie: The classic version of King Kong, in which the eponymous monst🐓er not only steals the show, but also Ann Darrow.
Was it nominated? Nope. Monster movies weren't taken particularly seri💞ously back in the '30s, no matter how groundbreaking the special effects were. Or how much they made you cry.
What it should’ve won: Best Film, surely? Compare the impacꦿt of King Kong to actual Best Picture winner Cavalcade – it doesn't come cl🎃ose.
27. American Psycho (2000)
The movie: Christian Bale plays the psychopathic Patrick Bateman in Mary Harron’s incredible adaptation of Bret Easton Elli🅘s' co𝄹ntroversial novel.
Was it nominated? Nope. Another classic went completely ignored by the Academ𝐆y Awards, despite having a long, impactful 💦legacy.
What it should’ve won: The star of American Psycho is, of course, Bale, who should ha🌺ve won the Best Actor award for his terrifying, intense portrayal of a man living on the edge.
26. Rear Window (1954)
The movie: Photographer Jeff, played immaculately by James Stewart, spies on his neighbours after finding himself housebound with a broken leg. Soon enough, the voyeur witnesses something... murderous.
Was it nominated? Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for six Oscars over his career yet never took home the Best Director statuette. Rear Window got him close, though, with a no🔥mination in the category. Something, at least.
What it should’ve won: Best 🐬Director would have been most fitting, but so too would have Best Actor, as Stewart does a mesmer𝄹ising job despite being stuck in essentially one place through the movie's runtime.
25. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
The movie: James Stewart's lays a depressed businessman contemplating suicide, but soon discovers there's so much more to life than running a business – plus there𓂃's a whole family relying on him.
Was it nominated? Five nominations (includin⛦g Best Pictu🍸re and Best Director), but no prizes.
What it should’ve won: Again, we're going to have to Stewart's unbridled performance should definitely have landed him Best Actor.
24. Mean Streets (1973)
The movie: Charlie (Harvey Keitel) attempts to climb the Mafia ranks in New York's Little Italy, but discove🅘rs it's not as easy as it sounds.
Was it nominated? Nope. The Academy was far more interested in Thꦿe Sting, A Touch of Class ꦜand Save the Tiger.
What it should’ve won: Robert De Niro deserved a Best Suppo🅷rting Actor gong for his performan🐠ce as the psychotic Johnny Boy.
23. Miller's Crossing (1990)
The movie: Prohibition-era thriller from💃 the Coen brothersﷺ. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) is caught between two gangs who are attempting to take control of the city.
Was it even nominated: Not a single nomination. Which seems strange, considering how much the Ac🌃ademy now loves the Coens.
What it should’ve won: Barry Sonne🎐nfeld's cinematography was certainly worthy of a trophy, while the Coens' script ไis easily a strong contender for the Best Original Screenplay gong. If they had been nominated, of course…
22. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
The movie: Sergio Leone's epic tracks the lives of New York gangsters as they rise through the ranks 🐠and revel in the Prohibition era (and🎉 beyond).
Was it nominated? Nope. While the movie may have gone through a tortured post-production proces🐻s, that does not excuse the Academy for completely ignoring this masterpiece.
What it should’ve won: Best Pictur🌃e, Best Director, Best Actor, Costume Design… This should have been an awards sweep. Alas, this exquisite piece of filmmaking will forever be one of the Oscar's most notorious snubs.
21. Marvin's Room (1996)
The movie: When Bessie (Diane Keaton) discovers she has leukaemia, she attempts to rebui😼ld her relationship with her sister (Meryl Streep) and her two sons.
Was it nominated? Keaton received a nomination in the Best Actress category, but none of the other ꦐcast members got any recognition.
What it should’ve won: Keaton, Streep, and Leonardo DiCaprio are 💙all fantastic, while Scott McPherson should have been at least nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for his emotional, but never💃 saccharine, scripting.
20. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
The movie: Clint Eastwood returns as the unnamed bounty hunter. This time, he's up against 🌃two ruthless killers – Tuco and Angel Eyes.
Was it nominated? Upon release, critics frowned upon the ▨movie's violence, leaving this epic Western completely unrewarded by the Osca🍸rs.
What it should’ve won: Another movie that has lasted the test of time. The Good, the Bad🌌, and the Ugly remains an all-time classic and should have picked up either Best Picture or Best Director for Sergio Leone.
19. Leon: The Professional (1994)
The movie: Orphan Ma🍌thilda (Natalie Portman) is taken in by the eponymous assassin (Jean Reno) when her family's killed by Gary Oldman's maniac cop.
Was it nominated? When you're a foreign language movie, let alone a 𝓰violent foreign language movie, you're already at a disadvantage when it comes to the Oscars. so it's no surprise Luc Besson's movie didn't receive a single nomination.
What it should’ve won: Best Supporting Actor for Garܫy Oldman. His portrayal of an unhinged antagonist is spellbinding.&෴nbsp;
18. Halloween (1978)
The movie: John Car💫penter’s influential slasher click sees Jamie Lee Curtis's innocent babysitter being stalked and almost murdered by the terrifying Michael Myers.
Was it nominated? As you may hav✅e guessed, this got absolutely nothing. The Oscars hated horror! And, arguably, still do – though the Academy has softened slꦇightly towards spooky flicks.
What it should’ve won: Carpenter is a masterful director, who turns the paradise of middle-class America into a frightening world f⭕illed with faceless killers. A Best Director win would🙈 have been well deserved.
17. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
The movie: This drama follows the Grape family – a✅mong them Gilbert (Johnny Depp), who has to look after younger brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Was it nominated? DiCapri🐈o received a much-deserved nomination for🍸 Best Supporting Actor.
What it should’ve won: DiCaprio should have taken the Supporting Actor pri꧑ze home. He lost to Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive, a '90s action flick that really was completely OꦏK...
16. The Shining (1980)
The movie: Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel sees Jack Nicholson head to an isolated hotel with his family, where h♏e starts seeing ghosts. Then he loses his mind…
Was it even nominated: You guessed it. The Academy couldn't get over their hatred of hor💯ror even for maestro Kubrick.
What it should’ve won: Best Actor. Though, we should not, Robert De Niro won that same year for 🌼Raging Bull. That would ꧃have been one incredible Oscars race.
15. Psycho (1960)
The movie: Norman Bates goes on the rampa💧ge in this classic shocker, which tackl𝕴es everything from cross-dressing to cold-blooded murder.
Was it nominated? Hitchcock picked up another Best Director nomination but failed to take▨ home the award. Janet Leigh, the victim of that iconic shower scene, garnered a Bes♕t Supporting Actress nod.
What it should’ve won: Leigh deserved the gold – she made what should have been a thieving harlot into a likeably flawed🐻 her༒oine.
14. In the Mood for Love (2000)
The movie: Wong Kar-wai's modern classic about unrequited love between two neiಞghbours in Hong Kong.
Was it nominated? Nothing. Though Wong Kar-wai did get a shoutout from Sofia Coppo when she won an Oscar for Lost ꦗin Translation – the iconic opening shot of that movie was heavily inspired by In The Mood For Love.
What it should’ve won: Best Foreign Language Film, though it would have been up again Pedro Almodóvar's All About My Mo💃🐟ther.
13. Stand by Me (1986)
The movie: Four friends go on a quest toꦺ uncover the body of a missing boy in this Stephen King adaptation.
Was it even nominated: Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Ev♏ans received a nomination for their screenplay, but nobody else got a look in.
What it should’ve won: Best Adapted Screenp🍒lay would be the obvious call, though the movie's impressive young stars are all remarkable. River Phoenix, in particular, is OScar-worthy.
12. Memento (2000)
The movie: Guy Pearce suffers from short-term memory loss – though that certainly isn't going to prevent him from tracking down the ꦿman who killed his wife. Oh, and this is directed by Christopher Nolan, so expect some time-altering shenanigans.
Was it even nominated: It received just two nominations: Best Fil⛦m Editing and Best Ori꧂ginal Screenplay.
What it should’ve won: Best Film Editing, without a shadow of a doubt. With its non-linear narrative, the movie still mana𒁃ges to feel coherent, and when the credits roll you feel exhilarated rather than confused.
11. Heat (1995)
The movie: Epic crime noir from direct🍨or Michael Mann, in which Robert De Niro and Al Pacino go head to head. Sort of.
Was it even nominated: Despite being one of the best crime drama🔴s of all time, the Academy basically pretended Mann's masterpiece never existed.
What it should’ve won: Val Kilmer would have made for a great re🐲cipient of the Best Supporting Actor award. Dante Spinotti's cinematography is also a highlight of this inc🌃redible movie.
10. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The movie: A wildly entertaining 🌳biopic tel🍎ling the rise and fall of stockbroker and scammer Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Was it nominated? The Wolf of Wallstreet picked up five nominations, including a Best Director nod for Martin Scorsꦬese and a Best Actor nod for DiCaprio.
What it should've won: Matthew McConaughey is admittedly great in Dallas Buyers Club, yet DiCaprio's menacing deviant should have bagged the actor his first Oscar – even if just for the Quaaludes s⛎equence alone.
9. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The movie: Quentin Tarantino's bloodbath of a debut feature, Reservoir Dogs concerns a heist that 💝goes terribly wrong – and someone gets their ea🏅r cut off.
Was it nominated? Tarantino's debut didn't receive a single nomination. Thankfully, the Academy𝄹 made up for their error by honouring him in 1994, for Pulp Fiction, instead.
What it should’ve won: Best Original Screenplay. Tarantino has always been an incredible writer of dialogue, and thi♒s is no different.
8. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
The movie: Adam Sandler takes on a serious role, playing novelty shop owner B🥃arry Egan, who struggles to make a living🐟 and deal with his ridiculing sisters. And then he finds love.
Was it nominated? Nada f♑or Paul Thomas Anderson's mesmerising movie.
What it should’ve won: Sandler is superb in a more grounded, less comical role, and should have p𒁃icked up the Best Actor award. Yet, there's also Philip Seymour Hoffman – who w🐼ould have been an excellent candidate for Best Supporting Actor.
7. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
The movie: Darkly magical fantasy from Tim Burton. Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) escapes his isolated castle and attempts to fit in with normal 🦄'60s society.
Was it nominated? Stan Winston received a doff of the cap for Best Makeup, but ev🥃erybody else was left scratching their heads.
What it should’ve won: Best Makeup should have belonged to the Edward Scissorhands team (damn you, Dick Tracy), a🍎nd Depp would have been a far more interesting choice over Jeremy Irons, who won Best Actor for Reversal of Fortune.
6. Tokyo Story (1953)
The movie: Yasujirō Ozu's masterpiece about ordinary life in Tokyo, shot in an extraordinary light. Essential cinema.
Was it nominated: Tokyo Story reached cinemas in November, 1993 – a year in which the Foreign Language Oscar was not presented to anyone. Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell picked up the award in 1994, and no other nominees were even announced. That should put some persp🅷ective on how the Academy regarded non-English language cinema.
What it should've won: Best Picture and Best Director should have belonged to Tokyo Story and Ozu, respectively. Thankfully, filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas discovered Tokyo Story at a lateꦑr date, and turned this into one of the most influentia𒀰l movies of all time.
5. Drive (2011)
The movie: Nicolas Winding Refn's slick, '80s-style crime thriller centres on Ryan Gosling's nameless driver, who attempts to help his neighbour (Carey Mulligan), only to find trouble waiting for hi🐼m.
Was it nominated? Just one nomination– &nbs🍬p;for Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis's gorgeous sound editing.
What it should’ve won: Drive sco꧋re is wonderfully a🐈tmospheric, but it's Gosling who should have been up for Best Actor. His performance is a tour de force in restraint.
4. Fight Club (1999)
The movie: The Narrator (Edward Norton) has his life turned upside down by Tyler Durden♈ (Brad Pitt), the founder of an underground fight club.
Was it nominated? Fight Club picked up a nomination for Best Effects, which is a bit of a kick in the teeth considering the amount of acting talent involved.
What it should’ve won: Norton and Pitt are both incredible, yet Helena Bonham Carter should have walked away with Best Supporting Actress. Plus, the cinematography is astounding. A couple of potentials for this exquisite thriller.&nbꦉsp;
3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The movie: Adapted from Stephen King's novella, The Shwashank Redemption sees a wrongly-imprisoned banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) at🙈tempts to escape jail.
Was it nominated? Despite bombing at the box office, The Shawshank Redemption was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Cinem༺atography, Best Picture an𒁏d Best Sound.
What it should’ve won: Best Picture or Best Adapted Screenplay, ♚though Morgan Freeman would have deserved the Best A💫ctor award.
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The movie: "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire and has to accept a job to pay for the damage he does to the rich Leb﷽owski's home.
Was it nominated? Nope. But ♒the Coens did get a Berlin Golden Bear nomination...
What it should’ve won: Bridges deserved Best Actor, but John Goodman's scene-stealing performance definitely should have earned him a Support✤ing Actor award.
1. The Terminator (1984)
The movie: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:James Cameron's sci-fi epic sees Arnold Schwarzenegger's robotic bounty hunter travel back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hꦕamilton).
Was it nominated? Nope. The Terminator, despite being one of cinema's most iconic movies, didn't pick up a single nomination. Not even special effects. For shame, Academy.
What it should’ve won: Best Speci🎀al Effects is the most obvious. Yet, it's Cameron's script that's disarmingly lean, punchy, and imaginative. A Best Original Screenplay should have been his.
And that's you all caught up on movies that never won Oscars! Wants more awards content? then check out our piece on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Oscar-winners of all time.
Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializ🔜ing in TV and film for the lik✨es of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.
