The Top 20 Most Underrated Best Picture Oscar Nominees

Katrina Sirotta

Contributor

 Updated:
{2}

The Best Picture Oscar stands as one of Hollywood's most prestigious awards. While many 21st-century winners have left a lasting mark on cinema, not all have experienced enduring fame. Some former winners, once hailed by critics and audiences alike, have now faded into obscurity.

To uncover the Best Picture nominees overlooked by the masses, we thoroughly analyzed all nominated films. We focused on those that didn’t win the award and had fewer than 50,000 votes on IMDb. The chosen top 20 were ranked by IMDb user ratings. The data collection was finalized in March 2024 and ties were resolved using IMDb user votes. IMDb It won't shock many that a significant number of early cinema films feature on this list, given their tendency to attract few votes in a modern digital database. Notably, a good portion of the selected films was produced in the 1970s.

Curiously, not a single film from the 1980s made the top 20 list, nor even the top 30. This was a transformative decade, cultivating a wide array of memorable films, from sci-fi hits like 'Back to the Future' to teen classics like 'The Breakfast Club.' During this era, studios shifted focus to blockbuster productions aimed at wide audiences, possibly granting these films greater lasting appeal.

The films on this list might not enjoy the limelight, but it doesn't diminish their importance in cinematic history—they were Best Picture nominees for a reason! Delve further to uncover more about the distinguished nominees that lack deserved recognition, and perhaps discover a new favorite film.

Bob Fosse, a celebrated director and choreographer, is the creative force behind 'All That Jazz,' a captivating retelling of his life. Starring Roy Scheider and Jessica Lange, the film challenged musical cinema norms but received mixed initial reviews despite nine Oscar nods, of which it won four.

All That Jazz (1979)
Bettmann // Getty Images

#20. All That Jazz (1979)

  • Director: Bob Fosse
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8
  • Metascore: 72
  • Runtime: 123 minutes

Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images

The Postman (1994)
Directors: Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi

#19. The Postman (1994)

  • 'The Postman' tells the poignant tale between a humble Italian postman and exiled poet Pablo Neruda in a quaint town. Star Massimo Troisi, who postponed critical heart surgery to complete the film, sadly died the day after shooting concluded. While winning an Oscar for its score and gaining later acclaim, 'The Postman' was somewhat eclipsed by another 1997 film with the same title.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8
  • Metascore: 81
  • Runtime: 108 minutes

John Kobal Foundation // Getty Images

The Thin Man (1934)
Starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, 'The Thin Man' is a delightful comedy about a retired detective couple solving a murder purely for amusement. The charming mystery led to five sequels but faced stiff Oscars competition from 'It Happened One Night,' which swept the major 1935 awards.

#18. The Thin Man (1934)

  • Director: W.S. Van Dyke
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: 86
  • Runtime: 91 minutes

In 'Captains Courageous,' directed by Victor Fleming, Rudyard Kipling's 1897 novel comes alive. It chronicles spoiled Harvey's journey from a steamship overboard fall to an apprenticeship with fishers. Though unsuccessful in winning Best Picture, Spencer Tracy's role as Manuel secured him a Best Actor Oscar.

Captains Courageous (1937)
Bettmann // Getty Images

#17. Captains Courageous (1937)

  • Director: Victor Fleming
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: 81
  • Runtime: 117 minutes

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' depicts a dedicated teacher’s enduring impact on his students over decades. Though beloved, it lost five of seven nominations to 'Gone with the Wind' at the 12th Academy Awards, except for Robert Donat’s Best Actor triumph over Clark Gable.

#16. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

  • Directors: Sam Wood, Sidney Franklin
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 114 minutes

Warner Bros./Courtesy of Getty Images

Auntie Mame (1958)
'Auntie Mame's' captivating lead, Mame Dennis, a lively New York socialite who adopts her orphaned nephew, made it 1958's second biggest hit. Despite six Oscar nominations, it missed out on wins, but Rosalind Russell’s portrayal remains celebrated.

#15. Auntie Mame (1958)

  • Director: Morton DaCosta
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 143 minutes

Released amidst Hollywood's rigid censorship, 'The Little Foxes' boldly critiques capitalism through Bette Davis's portrayal of tenacious Regina Giddens. Despite nine nominations with no wins, it’s remembered for its groundbreaking narrative.

The Little Foxes (1941)
RKO Radio Pictures // Getty Images

#14. The Little Foxes (1941)

  • Director: William Wyler
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 116 minutes

Joan Crawford's 'Mildred Pierce' explores a determined mother's struggles with her ungrateful daughter. This melodrama revived Crawford's career, earning her only Oscar and lasting legacy despite losing Best Picture to 'The Lost Weekend.' It inspired a 2011 TV miniseries starring Kate Winslet.

Mildred Pierce (1945)
Bettmann // Getty Images

#13. Mildred Pierce (1945)

  • Director: Michael Curtiz
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: 88
  • Runtime: 111 minutes

AVCO Embassy/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

The Lion in Winter (1968)
'The Lion in Winter' dramatizes the historical conflict between King Henry II and his three sons regarding succession. Though missing Best Picture, it won three Oscars, including Katharine Hepburn’s third Best Actress award, maintaining an unbroken record for acting honors.

#12. The Lion in Winter (1968)

  • Director: Anthony Harvey
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 134 minutes

'The Emigrants' shares the perilous journey of a Swedish farming family seeking land in America. The 19th-century saga received four Oscar nods but was outshone by 'The Godfather's' Best Picture triumph.

The Emigrants (1971)
Warner Brothers // Getty Images

#11. The Emigrants (1971)

  • Director: Jan Troell
  • IMDb user rating: 8
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 151 minutes

John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
'The Ox-Bow Incident,' starring Henry Fonda, depicts a lynch mob's deliberations over three accused murderers. This distinctive Western, solely nominated for Best Picture, ultimately lost to the iconic 'Casablanca.'

#10. The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)

  • Director: William A. Wellman
  • IMDb user rating: 8
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 75 minutes

and increase your chances of hitting the jackpot!

25 BEST SLOT MACHINES TO PLAY AND WIN

Discover the top-rated slot machines to play Renowned director Ingmar Bergman crafted over 60 films, with 'Cries & Whispers' often hailed as his visual masterpiece. Set against a simple plot of a family gathering around a dying sister, its striking aesthetic bewitched critics. Despite Roger Ebert’s praise, 'The Sting' won Best Picture in 1973.

Cries & Whispers (1972)
Bettmann // Getty Images

#9. Cries & Whispers (1972)

  • Director: Ingmar Bergman
  • IMDb user rating: 8
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 91 minutes

PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images

Secrets & Lies (1996)
'Secrets & Lies' touches on identity when a Black woman learns her biological mother is white, exposing deep family secrets. Critical acclaim led to five Oscar nods, but in a competitive year with films like 'Jerry Maguire,' 'The English Patient' secured Best Picture.

#8. Secrets & Lies (1996)

  • Director: Mike Leigh
  • IMDb user rating: 8
  • Metascore: 92
  • Runtime: 136 minutes

'Fiddler on the Roof' brought the beloved stage musical to film in 1971, seven years after its Broadway debut. Following a Jewish farmer’s struggles in a prejudiced Russian village, it was nominated for eight Oscars, winning three. That year, 'The French Connection' won Best Picture. Roger Ebert gave it 4/4 stars 'The Crowd' is a silent film that showed simplicity’s depth, focusing on a couple's city life. At cinema's infancy, it was revolutionary for its realistic American portrayal, earning two unique Oscar nominations at the first Academy Awards.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
United Artists // Getty Images

#7. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

  • Director: Norman Jewison
  • IMDb user rating: 8
  • Metascore: 67
  • Runtime: 181 minutes

Financially struggling films aren't always unsuccessful. 'The Heiress,' about a young woman defying her strict father’s marital disapproval, didn't succeed at the box office but garnered eight Oscar nominations. It won four, yet lost Best Picture to 'All the King’s Men.'

The Crowd (1928)
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' depicts a dedicated teacher’s enduring impact on his students over decades. Though beloved, it lost five of seven nominations to 'Gone with the Wind' at the 12th Academy Awards, except for Robert Donat’s Best Actor triumph over Clark Gable.

#6. The Crowd (1928)

  • Director: King Vidor
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 98 minutes

'The Grand Illusion' stands tall among prison-break films and is lauded as one of cinema's greatest. Set during WWI, it follows two French POWs’ escape attempts, cementing its legacy in film history.

The Heiress (1949)
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' depicts a dedicated teacher’s enduring impact on his students over decades. Though beloved, it lost five of seven nominations to 'Gone with the Wind' at the 12th Academy Awards, except for Robert Donat’s Best Actor triumph over Clark Gable.

#5. The Heiress (1949)

  • Director: William Wyler
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 115 minutes

Here are 20 nominees for the Best Picture Oscar that haven't received the recognition they deserve. Let's explore these cinematic treasures that flew under the radar.

The Grand Illusion (1937)
Starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, 'The Thin Man' is a delightful comedy about a retired detective couple solving a murder purely for amusement. The charming mystery led to five sequels but faced stiff Oscars competition from 'It Happened One Night,' which swept the major 1935 awards.

#4. The Grand Illusion (1937)

  • Director: Jean Renoir
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 113 minutes

Let's delve into 20 remarkable films nominated for Best Picture that have not garnered the recognition they deserve. These hidden gems are worth exploring for any film enthusiast.

These movies were nominated for Best Picture but, despite their quality, didn't win the award. They have left a lasting impact on the landscape of film, even if they're not frequently remembered.

The Red Shoes (1948)
To identify which Best Picture nominees may have been overlooked by popular culture, we examined all films nominated and focused on those that didn't win the top prize and had under 50,000 votes on IMDb. The list was narrowed based on user ratings as of March 2024. In the event of a tie, the number of user votes was used as a deciding factor.

#3. The Red Shoes (1948)

It's evident that many underappreciated classics hail from the early years of cinema, as these films tend to attract fewer votes on contemporary movie databases. Yet, it's fascinating how the '70s also produced a good number of such underrated films.
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 135 minutes

Remarkably, the '80s didn’t contribute a single film to the list of the top 20, nor even to the top 30. While this decade is famed for iconic films like 'Back to the Future' and 'The Breakfast Club,' it also marked a shift towards creating large-scale blockbusters, which may have ensured the enduring popularity of movies from that period. Even though the films on this list aren’t frequently mentioned, each played an essential role in cinematic history. They earned their Best Picture nominations for a reason, and who knows—you might discover a new favorite movie among them. Bob Fosse's 'All That Jazz,' a musical retelling of the director and choreographer’s own life, features Roy Scheider and Jessica Lange. Known for its genre-pushing style, the film received mixed reviews upon release yet nabbed four Oscars from its nine nominations.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#2. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

  • Director: Mervyn LeRoy
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2
  • Metascore: data not available
  • Runtime: 92 minutes

Michael Radford and Massimo Troisi’s 'The Postman' film captures the growing bond between an Italian postman and the poet Pablo Neruda. The lead actor, Troisi, delayed heart surgery to finish the film, succumbing to illness the day after filming ended. Despite winning an Oscar for its score, it might be overshadowed by another film with the same title from 1997.

William Powell and Myrna Loy star in 'The Thin Man,' a comedy featuring a retired detective and his wife taking on a murder mystery for fun. While the movie’s popularity spurred five sequels, it lost the Best Picture Oscar to 'It Happened One Night.’ sued Warner Bros. for $1 million Adapted from Rudyard Kipling's novel, ‘Captains Courageous,’ directed by Victor Fleming, portrays a spoiled boy who learns life's hardships aboard a fishing vessel. Although it didn't win the Best Picture, Spencer Tracy garnered the Best Actor award for his role as a seasoned fisherman.

NO DEPOSIT CASINO BONUSES

Find and enjoy a wide array of no deposit bonus casinos In 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips,' the tale of a cherished schoolteacher who forges deep connections with his students unfolds. Up against 'Gone with the Wind,' the film lost in five of its seven categories but saw Robert Donat win Best Actor for his portrayal of Mr. Chips.

Z (1969)
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' depicts a dedicated teacher’s enduring impact on his students over decades. Though beloved, it lost five of seven nominations to 'Gone with the Wind' at the 12th Academy Awards, except for Robert Donat’s Best Actor triumph over Clark Gable.

#1. Z (1969)

  • Director: Costa-Gavras
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2
  • Metascore: 86
  • Runtime: 127 minutes

Auntie Mame is a comedic story revolving around Mame Dennis, a vivacious woman fostering her orphaned nephew. Though the film was hugely successful in 1958, earning six nominations, it didn't secure any Oscars, yet Rosalind Russell's portrayal remains memorable.