EarlyGame | Top 20 Classic Movies That Never Won an Oscar

About this gallery:

For this list, we focused on movies that have transcended through time, and that despite demonstrating how great they are and how they have become a huge part in pop culture, the academy did not recognize them at the time. Because it's way too hard to actually rank them, we took another approach: chronologically listing them.

Do you think we missed a classic film that didn't receive an Oscar? Then mention it in the comments!

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Frank Capra’s It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is basically the gold standard for holiday movies – heartwarming, tear-jerking, and so deeply ingrained in pop culture that it feels like it’s always existed. Yet, despite James Stewart delivering one of his most iconic performances as George Bailey, the Academy was like, “Nah, we’re good.” The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Capra), and Best Actor (Stewart), but won absolutely nothing. Instead, The Best Years of Our Lives swept the night. Sure, it was good, but did it inspire a million re-watch traditions every Christmas? Didn’t think so. | © Paramount Pictures

Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) practically wrote the rulebook on action cinema, yet the Academy barely gave it a passing glance. This is the film that inspired The Magnificent Seven (and, well, pretty much every underdog war story ever), and it still wasn’t given its due. It was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, but did it win? Nope. Maybe the Academy just wasn’t ready for samurai that cool. Toshiro Mifune's legendary performance and Kurosawa's visionary storytelling should have at least earned a Best Director or Best Picture nod, but instead, this masterpiece had to settle for influencing every action movie that came after it. | © Toho Co., Ltd.

12 Angry Men (1957)

Imagine a movie that’s just twelve guys sitting in a room talking – and yet it’s so gripping that it keeps you on the edge of your seat for 96 minutes straight. That’s 12 Angry Men (1957). Directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda, this courtroom drama delivered a masterclass in tension and acting, yet it got blanked at the Oscars. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, but the Academy handed the trophies elsewhere (The Bridge on the River Kwai dominated that year). But let’s be real – has anyone rewatched The Bridge on the River Kwai as many times as 12 Angry Men? Doubt it. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / United Artists

Psycho (1960)

Let’s talk about one of the biggest Oscar snubs of all time. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) is one of the most influential horror films ever made, and yet the Academy decided it wasn’t worth a single win. Sure, it got nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Janet Leigh), Best Director (Hitchcock), Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction, but apparently, Spartacus and The Apartment were just too good to let a little masterpiece like Psycho win. Meanwhile, Psycho gave us one of the most famous scenes in film history, turned Anthony Perkins into a legend, and pretty much invented the modern horror-thriller. But yeah, tell me more about how it wasn’t Oscar-worthy. | © Universal Pictures

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

How do you make one of the greatest Westerns of all time, feature an iconic performance from Clint Eastwood, and revolutionize the use of music in cinema… only to get zero Oscars? Ask the Academy, because The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) somehow didn’t even get nominated. Not for Best Director (Sergio Leone), not for Best Score (Ennio Morricone), not even for Cinematography, which is mind-blowing considering how many filmmakers still study this movie today. Maybe the Academy just wasn’t ready for that level of spaghetti Western greatness. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / United Artists

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Few films have ever been as shocking, disturbing, and influential as A Clockwork Orange (1971). Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Malcolm McDowell as the unforgettable Alex DeLarge, this dystopian nightmare was a commentary on violence, free will, and the very nature of humanity. The Academy, however, was probably too horrified to give it an award. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Kubrick), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing, it lost in every single category (The French Connection cleaned up that year). Honestly, if there was an Oscar for “Most Unsettling Yet Brilliant Film”, A Clockwork Orange would have walked away victorious. | © Warner Bros.

Taxi Driver (1976)

"You talkin’ to me?" Yes, Academy, we are talking to you – because how did you let Taxi Driver (1976) walk away without an Oscar? Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro in one of his most iconic roles, this dark, brooding character study about a mentally unstable cab driver deserved way more recognition. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Original Score, it lost in every category (Rocky KO’d the competition that year). De Niro’s haunting transformation into Travis Bickle should have at least earned him a statue, but apparently, the Academy wasn’t ready to embrace the grimy, neon-lit streets of 1970s New York. | © Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures

The Shining (1980)

So let me get this straight: The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, and featuring some of the most iconic horror moments in history (Here’s Johnny!), wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar? That’s right – this legendary psychological horror film received zero nominations. Not for Best Director, not for Best Cinematography, not even for Best Score (which is still used to terrify audiences to this day). In fact, the only recognition it got was a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress (poor Shelley Duvall, who was fantastic despite Kubrick tormenting her on set). If there was ever proof that horror movies don’t get the respect they deserve, this is it. | © Warner Bros.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) is one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, but you wouldn’t know it from the Oscars. Despite its groundbreaking visual effects, haunting score, and philosophical depth, it only managed to land two nominations: Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects – and lost both. No nod for Best Director (Ridley Scott)? No Best Cinematography for those mesmerizing neon-lit cityscapes? And let’s not even talk about Harrison Ford’s snub. The film has since been hailed as a masterpiece, inspiring countless other sci-fi movies, but in 1982, the Academy just shrugged and gave everything to Gandhi. | © Warner Bros.

The Color Purple (1985)

Let’s talk about one of the biggest Oscar injustices of all time. The Color Purple (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards. Eleven. And won… zero. Nada. Zilch. Not even Best Actress for Whoopi Goldberg’s powerhouse performance. Not even a technical award. It tied with The Turning Point (1977) for the most Oscar nominations without a win, and frankly, that’s just embarrassing for the Academy. If ever a film deserved recognition, it was this deeply moving adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. | © Warner Bros.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990) is one of the most visually stunning and emotionally touching films ever made, yet the Academy apparently had butterfingers when it came to handing out an award. With Johnny Depp delivering a career-defining performance as the gentle, misunderstood Edward, Danny Elfman’s hauntingly beautiful score, and Burton’s signature fairy-tale-gone-dark aesthetic, this movie should have at least won Best Art Direction or Best Original Score. Instead? Just one lonely nomination for Best Makeup – which it lost to Dick Tracy. Seriously? A movie about a goth Frankenstein with scissors for hands loses to a bunch of dudes in colorful suits? Ridiculous. | © 20th Century Studios (Disney)

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Before Pulp Fiction made Quentin Tarantino a household name, there was Reservoir Dogs (1992) – a film so cool, stylish, and endlessly quotable that it should have been an instant Oscar contender. Instead, the Academy took one look at the blood-soaked crime thriller and said, “Yeah, no thanks.” It wasn’t even nominated for Best Original Screenplay, which is wild considering Tarantino’s razor-sharp dialogue made this movie a cult classic. With Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen delivering flawless performances, it also should have had some acting nominations in the mix. But nope – zero nominations, zero wins, just a whole lot of underground film cred. | © Lionsgate Films

Groundhog Day (1993)

Let’s be real – if the Academy handed out Oscars for movies people rewatch every single year, Groundhog Day (1993) would have swept the awards. Bill Murray’s brilliant, cynical, and ultimately heartfelt performance, combined with a script that redefined the time-loop concept, made this film a comedy classic. It should have easily won Best Original Screenplay, if not Best Actor for Murray’s perfect balance of sarcasm and sincerity. But what did it get? Zero nominations. Apparently, a film that influenced dozens of other movies (and possibly quantum physics) wasn’t worth a golden statue. Looks like the Academy was stuck in its own time loop of bad decisions. | © Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is the highest-rated movie on IMDb – and yet, somehow, it lost every single Oscar it was nominated for. Directed by Frank Darabont, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, this timeless masterpiece of hope and perseverance was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Freeman), and Best Adapted Screenplay. And it won… absolutely nothing. It had the misfortune of going up against Forrest Gump – a great movie, sure, but do people still quote Forrest Gump in dramatic voices on a daily basis? Didn’t think so. If any film deserved a retroactive Oscar, it’s this one. | © Warner Bros.

Heat (1995)

Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) gave us one of the greatest crime thrillers of all time – featuring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino finally sharing the screen in that legendary diner scene. With breathtaking cinematography, a gripping story, and the most intense shootout in film history, this movie should have at least been nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Pacino). Instead? The Academy completely ignored it. Maybe they were too distracted by Braveheart that year, but let’s be honest – when it comes to cops vs. criminals storytelling, Heat is the real MVP. | © Warner Bros.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Dude abides, but apparently, the Academy does not. The Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski (1998) is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, filled with bizarre humor, unforgettable one-liners, and a cast featuring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, and Julianne Moore. It deserved at least a nomination for Best Original Screenplay (because let’s face it, how many comedies have this much rewatch value?), and Bridges’ effortlessly chill performance should have been in the Best Actor conversation. But what did the Academy do? Completely ignored it. Maybe they just don’t roll on Shabbos. | © Universal Pictures

Fight Club (1999)

The first rule of Fight Club (1999) is you don’t talk about Fight Club – but we have to talk about how it was robbed at the Oscars. Directed by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter, this psychological thriller was way ahead of its time, tackling themes of consumerism, toxic masculinity, and identity crises like no other film before it. It received one measly nomination for Best Sound Editing (seriously?!), losing to The Matrix. Where was the love for Best Director? Best Adapted Screenplay? Best Cinematography? If this movie had come out ten years later, it probably would have been showered with awards, but in 1999? The Academy just wasn’t ready. | © 20th Century Studios (Disney)

American Psycho (2000)

American Psycho (2000) is the ultimate example of a film that the Academy completely misunderstood. Christian Bale delivered one of the most chilling-yet-hilarious performances ever as Patrick Bateman – his transformation from suave Wall Street sociopath to unhinged killer was nothing short of mesmerizing. And yet? No Best Actor nomination. No Best Adapted Screenplay nomination. No Best Director nomination for Mary Harron. Nothing. The Academy did notice Gladiator that year, which, sure, was great, but let’s be real – when’s the last time you watched Gladiator for fun? Meanwhile, we’re all still debating that ending and rewatching the business card scene on YouTube. | © Lionsgate Films

Gangs of New York (2002)

Okay, so Gangs of New York (2002) wasn’t completely ignored – it was nominated for ten Oscars – but it won exactly zero. That’s right: zero. And that’s an absolute travesty considering this is Martin Scorsese at his most epic, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz delivering powerhouse performances. Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher was one of the most terrifying (and strangely charismatic) villains in film history, yet he lost Best Actor to Adrien Brody (The Pianist). And Best Picture? Lost to Chicago. Look, Chicago is fun and all, but did it have an insane gang war set in 1860s New York? Didn’t think so. | © Miramax Films

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

At this point, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) losing at the Oscars is just a meme. This movie gave us Leonardo DiCaprio at his absolute best, directed by Martin Scorsese, with Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Matthew McConaughey all delivering hilariously unhinged performances. It was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Hill), and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won none. ZERO. The Academy basically looked at DiCaprio crawling on quaaludes and eating raw sushi off Margot Robbie and said, “Nah, let’s give Best Picture to 12 Years a Slave.” (Okay, fair, but still.) At least this movie finally pushed the Academy to give Leo his long-overdue Oscar two years later. | © Paramount Pictures