10 Best 2025 Movies With Zero Oscar Nominations, Ranked

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Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years.

With awards season fully underway and the 98th Academy Award nominations having just been announced, most conversation in the film world is surrounding the massive wins and great films recognized from 2025. Between Sinners' record-breaking nomination count and a myriad of other great films nominated, it's easy to look at this crop of films and see it as one of the best lineups of recent memory. However, even with so many great films nominated, there were still several films that were completely ignored by the Academy.

This goes even beyond films that, despite being snubbed in other categories, still managed to earn at least a single nomination, such as with It Was Just an Accident or If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, but films that weren't even able to get such luxury. With so many films vying and battling for the limited nomination slots, it's only inevitable that some great films wouldn't make the cut, yet it doesn't take away from the heartbreak of not seeing such effective films recognized for their outstanding qualities.

10 'Wicked: For Good'

Especially after last year's Wicked had a massive showing at the Academy Awards with 10 nominations and 2 Academy Award wins, it seemed all but inevitable that the sequel, Wicked: For Good, would continue the streak of success for the blockbuster musical. However, enthusiasm didn't just wane between entries, but the academy, by and large, completely ignored the film, even in categories that seemed impossible for it to miss.

From above-the-line categories, such as Ariana Grande for Best Supporting Actress and Cynthia Erivo for Best Actress, to craft categories like Best Makeup, Best Production Design, and Best Makeup/Hairstyling, it's jarring that not a single one of these elements was appreciated by the academy. The most shocking omission of all, however, is missing out on Best Original Song, despite having two great choices in "The Girl in the Bubble" and "No Place Like Home" to choose from.

9 'Jay Kelly'

George Clooney as the title role in Jay Kelly, looking down and smiling

A movie tackling the fading legacy and self-destructive tendencies of a widely celebrated Hollywood star, directed by Noah Baumbach, seems like it would be a smash hit for the Academy Awards; yet, Jay Kelly failed to generate enthusiasm by the time the awards rolled around. The film's biggest draw and notable strength come from a duo of central performances by George Clooney and Adam Sandler, who could have easily been nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

Even outside these performances, the film's original screenplay was certainly worthy of merit, as well as some effective editing and cinematography that was especially noticeable during its third-act forest phone-call conversation. However, due to Netflix's priorities slowly shifting more and more towards Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein this season, Jay Kelly was left out to dry amidst the fierce competition.

8 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'

Jennifer Lopez in Kiss-of-the-Spider-Woman

Movie musicals have always been an effective hit for the Academy Awards, especially in recent years, with the likes of Wicked, Emilia Perez, and West Side Story making a killing at the awards. However, despite Kiss of the Spider Woman arguably being one of the best musicals of the 2020s, its low box-office returns completely gutted its chances at Academy success. It's a genuine shame, as it has all of the pieces and quality to make for a massive Academy Award hit.

It's a remake of an already beloved crime drama from the past that was nominated for Best Picture; its musical elements prove to only amplify the style and messaging of the film. On top of this, director Bill Condon brings all his musical prowess from working on films like Dreamgirls and The Greatest Showman to make it an absolute blast. Most damning of all is that Jennifer Lopez gives an arguably career-best performance that deserved to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

7 '28 Years Later'

Jamie and Spike sneaking up with bow and arrows in 28 Years Later.

The Academy has certainly eased up on its long-standing distaste for the horror genre in recent years, not only with the massive nomination count from Sinners, but also the success of other recent films like Nosferatu and The Substance. However, this still sadly wasn't able to help the case for Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's well-crafted zombie reboot, 28 Years Later. While it was never going to be a player for the likes of Best Picture or other massive awards, it certainly deserved recognition in the tech and craft categories.

From its stylish cinematography and editing that utilizes its iPhone camera to make stylish circular movements around the action to a breathtaking, insightful screenplay that provides a sense of beauty to a barren and destroyed world, 28 Years Later is full of inherent strengths deserving of praise and recognition. The makeup and costumes used for the infected are also shockingly effective, with few other zombie films succeeding at creating a dirty, eroded look for the infected.

6 'The Life of Chuck'

A billboard of Tom Hiddleston as Chuck in The Life of Chuck

Once upon a time, The Life of Chuck seemed like the unexpected last-minute premiere that was taking the festival world by storm and setting itself up for massive Academy success. After its shocking win of the TIFF People's Choice Award in 2024, it seemed all but inevitable that the film would be nominated, yet people would have to wait a full year before its actual wide release. By the time it did release, the once last-minute surprise contender had become too late for the party, completely overshadowed due to its mid-summer release.

Distinctly different from any of Mike Flanagan's other projects, the film has an ingenious look at humanity through its wild, reverse anthology story. It goes for a wide variety of tones and styles, from impending fear and doom for the world to bombastic, feel-good dance scenes that make you truly feel alive. One would have hoped that the film's editing and effective pacing of these elements, alongside its adapted screenplay, could have been nominated, yet this simply wasn't in the cards with distributor NEON putting all its focus on various international films.

5 'Ne Zha 2'

International animated movies have had a surprisingly effective showing in recent years at the Academy Awards, with the two most recent winners being non-American animated films in The Boy and the Heron and Flow. However, even with a more global approach and perspective for animation sweeping the academy, it was always an uphill battle for the Chinese animated sequel Ne Zha 2 to get the recognition that it deserved.

Despite the high-energy action and effective messaging of toxic, power-hungry institutions, Ne Zha 2 simply couldn't overcome both the global barrier and the prospects of it being a sequel to find a niche with Academy voters. However, the film has clearly shown that it doesn't need the respect or appreciation of American awards bodies to find success, standing tall as the highest-grossing movie of 2025 and the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.

4 'Wake Up Dead Man'

Daniel Craig and Josh O'Connor sitting in a car in Wake Up Dead Man A Knives Out Mystery

The Knives Out franchise has proven to feature some of the most beloved and acclaimed whodunits of the modern era, with their infectious sense of charm and deconstruction of the genre making each of them a massive hit with audiences and critics alike. While the Academy has been quick to celebrate and respect previous entries in the franchise with screenplay nominations, Wake Up Dead Man was sadly looked over, despite arguably being the best-written of the trilogy.

From its intelligent pacing and cheeky murder mystery to its exceptional messaging and symbolic usage of faith and religious ideals as a part of its story, Wake Up Dead Man continues the exceptional stature of the previous entries and continues to cement the franchise as a truly special work of art. Sadly, with such a stacked category of screenplay contenders, there simply wasn't enough enthusiasm for celebrating the third film in the trilogy after the previous films were also solo-nominated.

3 'The Testament of Ann Lee'

Ann Lee crying, surrounded by her followers who are crying with her.

A sprawling, historical epic musical that blends genres and brings the same sense of finesse and craft that the filmmakers utilized for The Brutalist the year prior, The Testament of Ann Lee proved to be a massive case of simply not getting enough of the word out for the film's success. It had an extremely late release compared to every other contender, severely limited conversation and excitement towards a film that deserved to be awarded as much as the best films of the year.

The production and craft utilized for the film is an absolute sight to behold, with many of the original songs being highly entertaining and powerful, but above all else, Amanda Seyfried dominates the screen with easily her best performance to date and a glaring omission for Best Lead Actress. One would have hoped that, with it being Searchlight Pictures' only major contender, it would find a spot, yet its campaign simply wasn't enough to garner recognition from the Academy.

2 'Sorry, Baby'

Agnes (Eva Victor) holding up a kitten in Sorry, Baby

Easily standing as the indie darling of the year that will assuredly find success with its 4 nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, many people were hoping that Sorry, Baby's overwhelming praise would result in some success at the Academy Awards. Whether it be from Naomi Ackie's exceptional supporting performance, or more likely, the incredible original screenplay by Eva Victor, the film absolutely deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the year.

It's hard to see this omission as anything other than the academy simply not having seen the film, as its overwhelming quality is egregiously apparent to anyone who has experienced the film firsthand. It also seems likely that A24's campaigning efforts were more squarely focused on the likes of Marty Supreme and Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, with there not being enough room or attention to one of 2025's best movies.

1 'No Other Choice'

Lee Byung-hun raising a flowerpot in No Other Choice

The modern era of the Academy is more globally focused than ever before, with seemingly every year having one, if not two, different international nominees competing, not just in Best International Feature, but all the big awards, including Best Picture and beyond. However, with so many great international films receiving recognition this year, it feels like a genuine insult that Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice, one of the absolute best films of the year, was so brazenly ignored by the Academy.

It's one thing for the film to not be one of the acclaimed Best Picture-nominated international films, but the fact that it didn't even make it in to Best International Feature is genuine cause for uproar and confusion. Because his previous film, Decision to Leave, was similarly shortlisted and snubbed for an International Feature nomination, there must just be some disconnect between his masterful movies and the Academy's voters. Why there would even be a disconnect feels incomprehensible, as No Other Choice soars as a satirical force of brilliance that most definitely deserved to be Park Chan-wook's first Oscar nomination.