The 98th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 15, will see the stars of the movie world gather for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Has Timothée Chalamet dreamed big enough to nab a golden statuette? Will One Battle After Another gather up wins like the film did at the Golden Globes—or will Sinners sweep? Ryan Coogler’s horror film is leading the pack as the most Oscar-nominated film of all time with 16 nods, after all, the record previously held by La La Land (2016), Titanic (1997), and All About Eve (1950).
There’s so much excitement about predicting the Oscar winners and waiting to see who stuns on the red carpet that it’s easy to forget that the breadth of this year’s talent isn’t limited to those nominated in the Dolby Theatre. Many cinematic gems were shut out of nominations and haven’t gotten the flowers they deserve. In no particular order, here are ten films overlooked by the Academy that deserve your attention:
Hedda
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Where to watch: Prime Video
It’s a real shame that the Academy didn’t recognize writer-director Nia DaCosta for the electric, anti-heroine drama Hedda. Not only is this taut adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's seductive play expertly crafted through DaCosta’s lens, but the performances of both Tessa Thompson (as the titular unfulfilled Hedda) and Nina Hoss (as Hedda’s ex-lover) were worthy of a nod.
Left-Handed Girl
Directed by: Tsou Shih-Ching
Where to watch: Netflix
Selected as the Taiwanese entry for Best International Feature Film, Tsou Shih-Ching’s solo directorial debut orbits four generations of Taiwanese women in the glowing city of Taipei, seen through the eyes of a sweet five-year-old girl (Nina Ye). The intimate drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Critics' Week Grand Prix and won the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. Sadly, that didn’t translate into high-profile U.S. awards, despite Anora Oscar winner Sean Baker serving as co-writer, co-producer, and editor.
Mickey 17
Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
Where to watch: HBO Max
Following his historic Parasite Best Picture win, Bong Joon Ho missed out on a 2026 nomination for Mickey 17. Perhaps the early release date doomed the film’s Oscar chances, or the sci-fi film’s particular brand of black comedy was too outlandish for voters. Still, Bong’s film was surprisingly shunned even in the Best Visual Effects category. The film follows an expendable clone (Robert Pattinson) regenerated with his memories intact, but when the 17th and 18th iterations exist simultaneously, chaos ensues.
No Other Choice
Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Where to watch: Apple TV+
After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the buzz around Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice made it seem an easy bet for Best International Feature contention. Like his 2023 drama Decision to Leave, No Other Choice was South Korea's entry for International Feature Film, but failed to secure a nomination. However, this dark thriller about a man so desperate for work that he’ll kill off his competition got recognition at the Golden Globes with a trio of nominations: Best Motion Picture in the Musical or Comedy category, Best Actor, and Best Non-English Language Film.
Nouvelle Vague
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Where to watch: Netflix
On paper, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is an Academy voter's perfect film: a love letter to the cinematic darling Jean-Luc Godard, chronicling the making of the seminal 1959 French New Wave film Breathless. If that wasn’t enough for the cinephiles, it’s shot on black-and-white 35mm film. Despite being nominated for the coveted Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes and picking up two wins at the Lumière Awards (the French Golden Globes), Linklater’s film was still shut out from an Oscar nomination.
Peter Hujar's Day
Directed by: Ira Sachs
Where to watch: The Criterion Channel
We know the Academy voters love a biopic, so it’s a real surprise that Peter Hujar's Day, which felt like perfect awards bait, missed out on recognition. Grounded by two rich performances from Ben Whishaw as photographer Peter Hujar and Rebecca Hall as writer Linda Rosenkrantz, Sachs’s drama is a verbatim retelling of 24 hours in Hujar’s life. This snapshot of 1970s New York may have picked up five Independent Spirit Awards, but the Oscars overlooked this East Coast treasure.
Sorry, Baby
Directed by: Eva Victor
Where to watch: HBO Max
Indie gem Sorry, Baby is one of this year’s most egregious Oscar snubs. Eva Victor has established themselves as one to watch with her directorial debut, a piercing comedy-drama following a literature professor recovering from a deep-seated trauma. Following its Sundance premiere, the film sparked a bidding war (A24 won) and went on to earn nominations at the Gotham Awards, Golden Globes, and Spirit Awards. Somehow, even a shout-out from Julia Roberts at the Globes (“Eva Victor, who is my hero. Sorry, Baby, if you have not seen it, see it”) was not enough to push the film over the line for a nomination.
The Testament of Ann Lee
Directed by: Mona Fastvold
Where to watch: Coming soon to Disney+
Though the Academy failed to recognise the striking brilliance of The Testament of Ann Lee, audiences will be sure to remember Amanda Seyfried’s daring performance. Seyfried’s Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe nominations made an Oscar nod seem likely for her audacious and fervent turn as the founder of the Shaker movement. Alas, that was not the case. Furthermore, Daniel Blumburg’s hypnotic score and Małgorzata Karpiuk’s 18th-century costume design were also noticeable snubs. Still, The Testament of Ann Lee is certainly a must-watch.
The President's Cake
Directed by: Hasan Hadi
Where to watch: Returning to theatres February 6
Despite winning the Directors' Fortnight Audience Award and the Caméra d'Or (best first feature film) at the Cannes Film Festival, The President's Cake is another feature that missed out on a nomination in the Oscars’ stacked Best International Feature category. However, Hasan Hadi’s drama made history as the first-ever Iraq submission to be shortlisted. The film follows 9-year-old Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), accompanied by her pet chicken, when she’s selected to bake a cake for President Saddam Hussein’s birthday, which kickstarts an odyssey across war-torn 1990s Iraq.
Twinless
Directed by: James Sweeney
Where to watch: Disney+
Sundance Audience Award winner Twinless quickly became a festival standout for its unexpectedly dark but comedic exploration of grief as two men bond over the loss of their respective twin brothers. Actor, writer, and director James Sweeney proves he’s a cinematic triple threat in the film, and Dylan O'Brien offers a career-best performance, which won him the Special Jury Award for Acting at Sundance. Though O’Brien’s sex scenes initially dominated the conversation around Twinless, his portrayal of lingering grief in a heartbreaking monologue would have been a perfect Oscars clip.
