“Citizen Kane,” often hailed as the greatest film of all time, managed to secure just one Academy Award—exactly the same as the widely criticized “Suicide Squad.”

These examples reflect the unique and occasionally perplexing nature of the Oscars, which honors the best films each year. While blockbusters like “Titanic,” “Ben-Hur,” and the original “West Side Story” received multiple awards, the Academy has overlooked several timeless classics. The reasons might range from strong competition to the preferences of that year’s voting body, but there are indeed major films that walked away empty-handed.

Here are ten notable films that were nominated but deserved far more recognition:

1. ‘The Great Dictator’ (1940)

Charlie Chaplin, a silent film star and director, made his first sound film with this brilliant political satire, in which he portrays both an antisemitic dictator and his Jewish barber doppelgänger. Despite its brilliance, it lost the best picture award to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” and saw Jimmy Stewart take home best actor honors for “The Philadelphia Story,” all happening just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

2. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)

Frank Capra’s beloved Christmas classic features Jimmy Stewart as a man on the verge of suicide who discovers the impact of his existence. However, the Academy wasn’t fond of it, as it lost four out of five categories it was nominated in, including best picture, actor, and director to “The Best Years of Our Lives,” which is not nearly as festive.
 

3. ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)

This influential film by Akira Kurosawa is a cornerstone of cinema, inspiring works like “The Magnificent Seven” and “Star Wars” through its themes and storytelling. At the 1957 Oscars, it lost its chances for black-and-white art direction and costume design and was also overlooked for the best foreign-language film, even though it was the first year for that category.

4. ’12 Angry Men’ (1957)

Similar to “A Few Good Men,” the Oscars overlooked this crucial courtroom drama featuring stellar performances by Henry Fonda and others as jurors deliberating the fate of a young murder suspect. It lost in all three of its nominated categories – best picture, director, and adapted screenplay – to the war film “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” which, to be fair, was also quite impressive.

5. ‘Psycho’ (1960)

The Academy may have been unsettled by the legendary shower scene or felt nostalgic about mothers. Alfred Hitchcock’s masterfully crafted psychological thriller received only four nominations, including best director and best supporting actress for Janet Leigh’s unforgettable role. It wasn’t until three decades later that a horror film would finally win best picture with “The Silence of the Lambs.”

6. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)

Stanley Kubrick’s films could easily fill a separate section of Oscar snubs: “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Shining” also went home empty-handed. Given that “A Clockwork Orange” received an X rating for its graphic content, simply receiving a nomination for best picture was remarkable and reflected its cultural relevance at the time.

7. ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976)

“You talking to me?” is what comes to mind when recalling Martin Scorsese’s gritty masterpiece featuring Robert De Niro as a disturbingly lonely New York cab driver. Unfortunately, it lost best picture to “Rocky,” while De Niro and supporting actress Jodie Foster were also defeated by “Network” stars Peter Finch and Beatrice Straight.

8. ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)

Although science fiction has often struggled to gain Oscar attention, it’s worth noting that Spielberg’s “E.T.” won four Academy Awards the same year as Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” which snagged nominations for best visual effects and art direction. Despite losing out then, “Blade Runner” has since solidified its status as a cult classic.

9. ‘Field of Dreams’ (1989)

This personal favorite of mine celebrates baseball, family bonds, dreams (of course), and beloved specters in a cornfield. Unfortunately, the Kevin Costner film lost out on three Oscars, including best picture, which instead went to “Driving Miss Daisy” in a perplexing year where notable contenders like “Do the Right Thing” and “Glory” were entirely snubbed.

10. ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)

Based on a novella by Stephen King, this highly regarded prison drama featuring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins left the Oscars empty-handed, with “Forrest Gump” winning best picture and Tom Hanks taking home best actor over Freeman. Despite its Oscar loss, “Shawshank Redemption” has emerged as a beloved classic over time, particularly on cable television.