It's certainly shaping up to be a competitive Oscars race, but there are a few films which are very much dominating the conversation so far. Sinners, One Battle After Another and Hamnet have emerged as the big three – with the ultimate Best Picture winner looking very likely to come from that trio – while there's also been plenty of love for the likes of Marty Supreme, Frankenstein and Sentimental Value.
But as with every year, there are also countless equally deserving movies that have somewhat fallen by the wayside. Several brilliant films have picked up stray nominations here or there in certain categories but have otherwise largely been ignored, while others seem to have been almost entirely left out of the conversation.
And while there have been some welcome changes regarding what's considered as an "Oscars-friendly" film in recent years – it's thankfully now vanishingly rare to see a list without any foreign-language films, for example, while the Academy has also began to embrace genre films more fully than ever – there are still certain types of movie, including comedy and horror, that seem to have to do more to be worthy of consideration.
With the nominations almost upon us, we've taken the chance to spotlight some of the films that have largely been ignored by awards ceremonies so far – whether they're too bold, too small, or perhaps just don't fit into the still too narrow parameters of what is considered awards fare. Read on for our picks.
1. The Testament of Ann Lee
Despite a welcome Golden Globe nomination for Seyfried's magnificent lead performance, Ann Lee has been otherwise mostly shut out – completely absent from the BAFTA lists and failing to make any appearance in the Oscar long lists for the technical categories. That's despite having some of the most striking cinematography of the year and amongst the best use of music in any film this decade (in addition to its many, many other merits.)
It's especially bizarre when we consider that the same creative team – Fastvold and her partner Brady Corbert – were behind last year's historical epic The Brutalist, which proved a hit with Oscar voters. It's a real shame Ann Lee hasn't had the same love.
2. Die My Love
It's a visceral, almost formless drama that counts as one of the most immersive films of recent years, truly putting you in the frenzied, complex headspace of its lead character and bringing moments of both uncomfortable horror and darkly hilarious humour. Meanwhile, from a technical standpoint it's almost faultless, Ramsey's offbeat music choices superbly accompanying the visually arresting images.
It's almost certainly a case of this film being too abrasive for the Academy: Die My Love is not an especially likeable film, nor one that is particularly easy to digest. But that's what makes it such a powerful piece of cinema. Don't be fooled by the lack of awards – this is an original, uncompromising film that will truly make you feel something.
3. The Mastermind
At almost every turn, the film rejects the conventions of the heist genre and instead serves for the most part as a portrait of O'Connor's protagonist James Mooney, a middle class man with a fragile ego whose life slowly unravels as a result of his own hubris.
Alas, despite all those merits, it's likely that Reichardt's work will always be considered a little too lowkey for Oscars voters, who tend to favour more overtly dramatic works to this sort of subtle filmmaking.
4. Sorry, Baby
The film emerged as something of a festival favourite after premiering at last year's Sundance and going on to play at a number of other festivals on the circuit – notably including Cannes – and has performed very well with critics almost everywhere it's played.
It's not true to say this one has been entirely ignored by Awards bodies: Victor got a Critics' Choice nomination for their screenplay in addition to a Best Actress nod at the Globes, while it's also up for several categories at the Independent Spirit Awards. But it still seems relatively unlikely to crop up in many categories at the Oscars, and it seems that its status as a more outsider indie film has seen it suffer in comparison to some of the biggest titles.
5. Left-Handed Girl
The film explores the lives of a single mother and her two daughters as they face various upheavals after relocating to Taipei and opening a night market noodle stand. The drama patiently unfolds as we get to know and care for each of these remarkably well-drawn characters, while the vivid, lively atmosphere of Taipei brought to life with real skill by Tsou's first-rate direction
What's especially interesting is that Left-Handed Girl was co-written by Anora's Sean Baker, who famously won four Oscars at last year's ceremony, so it's a shame this effort couldn't get the same momentum behind it as his previous film. It's definitely not a case of the film lacking in quality, but it could again be a victim of it's more low-key approach.
6. Horror films
That's continued into this year, with several horror – or at least horror inflected – films becoming a major part of the awards conversation, especially Sinners but also Weapons and Frankenstein.
And so while horror has been embraced by the Academy, it's so far only a partial embrace: of the many terrific horror films released every year, it seems only a handful are considered worthy of Oscar consideration.
7. Comedy films
The Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson proved better than just about anyone was expecting, while for those after something a little more offbeat, the unique comedic presence of Tim Robinson was out in full force in Friendship. Meanwhile, 2025, also saw the best new British comedy film in quite some time in the shape of The Ballad of Wallis Island, starring Tim Key, Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan, which admittedly has fared well with both BAFTA voters and at last year's British Independent Film Awards.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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