Kamal Ghorui
The 98th Academy Awards gave us some real surprises, sure, and a few historic moments too. But let’s be honest, not every great film got the attention it deserved. While ‘Sinners’, ‘One Battle After Another’, and ‘Hamnet’ grabbed most of the headlines with their nominations, a whole lineup of fantastic, much-loved movies got flat-out ignored by Oscar voters this year. Some were bold romances, others political thrillers, a few were intimate dramas — all of them sparked conversation, but none made it onto the nominations list. Cinephiles across the globe are still talking about the snubs, and with good reason.So, let’s shine a light on 30 remarkable films that didn’t even land a single Oscar nod, like ‘Materialists’, ‘Die My Love’, ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’, ‘Eddington’, ‘Hedda’, ‘Roofman’, and plenty more, and why they mattered in a year packed with standout cinema.
Oscar’s favorites in 2026: The ones that made the cut
Before digging into the snubs, a quick shout-out to the movies the Academy actually celebrated this year:‘Sinners’: A wild, bluesy vampire movie that smashed records with 16 nominations. No film’s ever scored that many.‘One Battle After Another’: A heavy-hitting war drama that cleaned up in the big categories.‘Sentimental Value’: An international standout with nods all across the board.‘Frankenstein’: Guillermo del Toro pulled off a fresh, sweeping take on a classic and racked up nominations for both tech and creative work.‘Hamnet’: A rich, emotional period piece that took on Shakespeare’s legacy.These movies mixed artistry, guts, and some real storytelling chops. But with every Oscars season, there’s always a handful of big misses.
2026’s best movies that Oscar totally missed
Here’s a look at some of the most beloved and surprisingly ignored movies of the year:‘Materialists’: Celine Song directed this clever romantic comedy-drama set in New York. Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal star in a story about a successful matchmaker tangled up between her wealthy new client and her struggling ex. It’s sharp, funny, and skewers our obsession with money and status in all the right ways. The cast killed it, the box office numbers were strong — yet the Oscars didn’t even blink. Fans and critics weren’t pleased.‘Die My Love’: Lynne Ramsay went dark and daring with this psychological drama starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, and Sissy Spacek. The story follows a young mother in rural Montana battling postpartum psychosis. It’s raw, unsettling, and beautifully shot. Lawrence’s performance got major buzz at festivals, but the Academy left it out in the cold.‘The Testament of Ann Lee’: Amanda Seyfried shines as Ann Lee, the real founder of the Shakers, in this ambitious musical drama from Mona Fastvold. It’s got music, history, and a powerful look at faith and sacrifice. Seyfried picked up awards elsewhere, but the Oscars? Nothing. Given its scope and the critical love, that’s just baffling.‘Eddington’: Ari Aster took a sharp left turn from horror with this political satire-meets-neo-Western. Set in a fictional New Mexico town during the pandemic, Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal play rival leaders whose feud spirals into a dark, funny mirror of modern politics. It’s got bite, style, and plenty to say — but the Academy passed right over it.‘Hedda’: This one reworks Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler into 1950s England. The performances are tense, the psychological drama is tight, and both theater buffs and film fans ate it up. Still, not a single Oscar nod.‘Roofman’: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in this gritty true story about an Army vet who turns to crime to survive. It’s raw, emotional, and hits home for a lot of viewers. But somehow, it didn’t make the Academy’s cut either.And that’s just the start. Other big names left out include ‘28 Years Later’, ‘Black Bag’, ‘Lurker’, ‘Warfare’, ‘One of Them Days’, ‘Nouvelle Vague’, ‘Sorry Baby’, ‘Superman’, and a bunch more. In a year this packed, it’s wild to see how many gems the Oscars just missed paying attention to, or chose not to.
