The 7 Oscar-winning films that would never win in 2025

There have been several controversial Oscar winners over the years (Picture: Shutterstock)

One of the biggest nights in the film calendar is right around the corner as we prepare for the 2025 Oscars.

There have been various surprises among this year’s nominations, with gory body horror The Substance up for five awards while there were some shocking snubs among the bunch.

Up for Best Picture this year is Conclave, The Brutalist, Anora, A Complete Unknown, The Substance, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, Wicked, Dune: Part Two, and Emilia Perez.

Netflix film Emilia Perez is up for a whopping 13 awards, breaking the record for the number of nominations for any one film.

But the hit has been dogged with controversy in the run-up to the ceremony, from Mexican people criticising the representation within the film, to lead actor Karla Sofia Gascon’s offensive resurfaced tweets.

The posts saw many calls for the film’s Oscar nominations to be rescinded, with some people thinking back to other movies that garnered controversy and would never be nominated for an Academy Award now.

Here, we take a look at seven Oscar-winning films that likely wouldn’t be in the running for an accolade in 2025…

Crash (2004) The public reaction to Crash has changed wildly over the last 20 years (Picture: Lions Gate/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Not to be confused with David Cronenberg’s 1996 masterpiece, which received the special jury prize at Cannes, Paul Haggis’ Crash took home three Oscars in 2016 – Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

Starring Jennifer Esposito, Michael Pena, Thandiwe Newton, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, and Sandra Bullock, the film follows various strangers in Los Angeles following the 9/11 terror attacks whose stories all revolve around race, class, and gender.

Its Best Picture win proved controversial at the time when it took the accolade over Brokeback Mountain, garnering accusations of homophobia among the Academy at the time.

In the years since its release, Crash has been reappraised with many condemning its representation of racial discrimination as shallow.

Critic Ta-Nehisi Coates went as far as naming it ‘the worst film of the decade’ in 2009, adding: ‘The film goes about making this very dubious point in the most ham-fisted ways imaginable.’

He continued in The Atlantic: ‘I don’t think there’s a single human being in Crash. Instead you have arguments and propaganda violently bumping into each other, impressed with their own quirkiness. (“Hey look, I’m a black carjacker who resents being stereotyped.”)

‘But more than a bad film, Crash, which won an Oscar (!), is the apotheosis of a kind of unthinking, incurious, nihilistic, multiculturalism. To be blunt, nothing tempers my extremism more than watching a fellow liberal exhort the virtues of Crash.’

The film was also criticized for its depiction of Persian shopkeeper Farhad (Shaun Toub) as paranoid and mentally unwell.

Suicide Squad (2016)

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You may be surprised to learn Suicide Squad won an Oscar in 2017, but it did indeed scoop the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Based on the DC comics of the same name, Suicide Squad follows a group of supervillains released from prison to execute a dangerous black ops mission and save the world.

It featured an all-star cast including Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis among many others.

Despite high expectations, Suicide Squad was widely panned by critics and holds just a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes right now.

And yet it was still nominated for, and won, an Oscar, a feat which was met with confusion by many.

The Verge wrote at the time: ‘It’s unusual for a movie like Suicide Squad, which many critics found messy, if not disastrous, to be recognized at the Academy Awards, but this award often goes to the most obvious choice.

‘And Jared Leto’s Joker was nothing if not wearing makeup.’

The film was also nominated for two Razzies – Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor for Leto – but did not take home either.

Green Book (2018)

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Green Book was nominated for five Oscars at the 91st Academy Awards and it won three- Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali.

Directed by Peter Farrelly, it is based on the true story of Dr Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world-class African-American pianist who hires caucasian Italian-American Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) as a driver and for protection.

Controversy surrounded the film even before its win, with Mortensen using a racial slur in a post-screening Q&A before delivering a lacklustre apology.

He said: ‘I have no right to even imagine the hurt that is caused by hearing that word in any context, especially from a white man.

‘I do not use the word in private or in public. I am very sorry that I did use the full word last night, and will not utter it again.’

The Shirley family also criticised the film as ‘a symphony of lies’ which exaggerated Vallelonga’s relationship with his employer.

Many viewers at the time criticised the film for its use of the white saviour trope and argued that it allows its white characters to relinquish any responsibility in the face of racial discrimination.

At the ceremony it won over Roma, which was deemed favourite to win, as well as Black Panther, A Star Is Born, and The Favourite.

Following the Oscars, Farrelly faced accusations of sexual misconduct for exposing his penis to colleagues in the late 1990s.

In a statement, he said: ‘True. I was an idiot.

‘I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I’m embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I’m deeply sorry.’

Comment nowWhich films do you think would not be nominated for an Oscar now?Comment Now The Help (2011) Several stars of Te Help have since criticised the film (Picture: Film Frame)

Octavia Spencer won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 2011 drama The Help, while the film was nominated for four awards altogether.

Based on the 2009 novel of the same name, The Help tells the story of Black maids Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Spencer), during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi.

The film has been criticised for trivialising racism, with Ida E Jones from the Association of Black Women Historians saying in a statement at the time: ‘Despite efforts to market the book and the film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the experiences of black domestic workers.’

She added: ‘The Association of Black Women Historians finds it unacceptable for either this book or this film to strip black women’s lives of historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment.’

Davis has since expressed regret over starring in the film, saying she ‘betrayed herself and her people’ and that it was ‘created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism.’

She continued to Vanity Fair that the film was ‘invested in the idea of what it means to be Black’ but catered ‘to the white audience.’

Bryce Dallas Howard, who also stars in the film, said The Help is ‘told through the perspective of a white character and was created by predominantly white storytellers’ in a scathing Facebook post.

The Pianist (2002) The Pianist saw Adrien Brody win his first Oscar (Picture: Guy Ferrandis/Focus Features/Studio Canal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

The Brutalist star Adrien Brody won his first Oscar in 2002 for drama film The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.

It follows the true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman (Brody), a Polish Jewish radio station pianist who is separated from his family in World War II and forced into the Warsaw Ghetto.

The Pianist won three Oscars – Best Actor for Brody, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director for Polanski.

Though Brody did garner controversy for forcefully kissing Halle Berry at the ceremony, it was Polanski’s nomination and win that caused the most backlash after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1977.

Since then, he fled the country to live in Europe as he is considered a fugitive in the US.

When The Pianist was nominated, many asked why The Academy continued to hail Polanski despite his conviction and called for his awards to be stripped from him.

Eventually, in 2018, he was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Brody recently said that questions over whether he would work with Polanski again are ‘too complex’ after he experienced fierce backlash for working with him in the first place.

Back in 2016 during an interview with Sirius XM, he said: ‘Life is very complicated. I look to collaborate with artistic people and to go into an endeavour without judgement and to hopefully be treated with the same.

‘It’s an artistic pursuit, and Polanski for instance had a very complicated and difficult life. It would be unfair of me to delve into something as complicated as the past that was brought up in the media.’

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

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While it didn’t take the Best Picture award which it was nominated for, the 2013 drama Dallas Buyers Club won Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto, and Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey.

Based on a true story, Jean-Marc Vallée’s film follows Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) who is diagnosed with AIDs and joins forces with fellow patient Rayon (Leto) to sell treatments to the growing number of people who are struggling to access the drugs they need.

Leto’s nomination and win as Rayon sparked controversy with many criticising a cisgender actor playing the role of a transgender character over selecting a trans actor.

Katie Glover, the founder of The Gender Society, told The Independent: ‘When we first heard about Dallas Buyer’s Club, we were quite pleased because the character Rayon, could be one of the first transgender protagonists.

‘Transgender people need more visibility so this is a good move. The more we are seen, the more normal we appear and the easier it will be for transgender people to fit into the world.

‘However, within the transgender community there is also much controversy surrounding that character. Firstly there’s the fact that she seems to reinforce the stereotypical idea that all trans people must be gay and/or sex workers and/or drug users. That has angered many trans people who have seen this movie.

‘Okay, some are gay but apparently, no more than within the wider population and maybe some trans people use drugs but being transgender does not make you want to take drugs or make you gay. Don’t get me wrong here – there’s nothing wrong with being gay – it’s just that most transgender people are not gay.

‘Most non-TG people think being transgender is about sexuality but we know it’s about gender identity, which is a completely different thing.

‘As well as that there is some anger about the casting of Jared Leto in a transgender role. Why couldn’t they have cast a real transgender actor?

‘Some say it’s akin to casting a white actor in a black role and asking him to black up for it. If that happened today, it would be deeply offensive to the black community and likewise, the use of Jared Leto as Rayon is viewed by many in much the same way.’

Leto faced further backlash on accepting his award and not using his platform to speak about or pay tribute to the transgender community after playing a trans character.

Dallas Buyers Club was also slammed for how it dealt with the subject of the AIDs crisis, with HuffPost writing at the time: ‘This is a film in which the true hero of the AIDS movement is a straight bigot who helps educate all of the queer people he once despised about how to treat themselves and fight the system.

‘In its haste to canonize Ron Woodroof, McConaughey’s character, it almost entirely erases the real saints of the AIDS movement: the men and women of the LGBT community who saved their own lives.’

Annie Hall (1977) Annie Hall’s legacy has been marred by its creator and lead star (Picture: Rollins-Joffe/United Artists/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

In 1978, Woody Allen’s satirical rom-com Annie Hall won four Oscars – Best Picture, Best Actress for Diane Keaton, and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Allen.

The film focuses on comedian Alvy Singer (Allen) and nightclub singer Annie Hall (Keaton) who strike up a relationship, following the ups and downs of their meeting and falling in love.

It was controversial at the time of its Best Picture win after beating out Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

Annie Hall also caused fierce debate for its representation of Jewish people, with some arguing it perpetuates offensive stereotypes while others praised it for dealing with themes of anti-semitism.

In the years since Allen has become one of the most reviled figures in cinema after facing multiple sexual abuse allegations.

Notably, the director has been accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow when she was as young as seven, allegations of which featured in the HBO documentary Allen v Farrow. 

Dylan first made the allegations in 1992 and wrote an open letter to Allen in The New York Times’ website, though no charges have been brought against him.

The sexual abuse is alleged to have taken place after ex-partner Mia Farrow learned Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, whom she adopted with her former husband André Previn, had begun a sexual relationship with Allen.

Full list of Oscars 2025 nominations Best Picture

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys

The Substance

Wicked

Best Director

Sean Baker, Anora

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

Best Actor

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Best Supporting Actor

Yura Borisov, Anora

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress

Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Original Screenplay

Anora

The Brutalist

A Real Pain

September 5

The Substance

Best Adapted Screenplay

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

Best Animated Feature

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir Of A Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best International Feature Film

I’m Still Here (Brazil)

The Girl With The Needle (Denmark)

Emilia Pérez (France)

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (Germany)

Flow (Latvia)

Best Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land

Porcelain War

Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat

Sugarcane

Best Original Score

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Best Original Song

‘El Mal’, Emilia Pérez

‘The Journey’, The Six Triple Eight

‘Like A Bird’, Sing Sing

‘Mi Camino’, Emilia Pérez

‘Never Too Late’, Elton John: Never Too Late

Best Cinematography

The Brutalist

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Maria

Nosferatu

Best Editing

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

Best Sound

A Complete Unknown

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Best Production Design

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nosferatu

Wicked

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

A Different Man

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

The Substance

Wicked

Best Costume Design

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Gladiator II

Nosferatu

Wicked

Best Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus

Better Man

Dune: Part Two

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

Wicked 

Best Documentary Short Film

Death By Numbers

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident

Instruments Of A Beating Heart

The Only Girl In The Orchestra

Best Live-Action Short Film

A Lien

Anuja

I’m Not A Robot

The Last Ranger

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Best Animated Short Film

Beautiful Men

In The Shadow Of The Cypress

Magic Candies

Wander To Wonder

Yuck!

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