Top 20 Worst Movies To Get Oscar Nominations

The Academy Awards are generally seen as the highest honor in filmmaking, recognizing the best movies of the year. However, voters occasionally surprise people by nominating films that critics and audiences didn’t like. This often happens in technical categories—like makeup or special effects—where a poorly-received movie might still showcase impressive skill. Here’s a list of twenty films that received Oscar nominations despite being unpopular and receiving low ratings.

‘Shark Tale’ (2004)

DreamWorks’ animated film centers around a fish named Oscar who lies about killing the son of a powerful shark. While the movie is packed with pop culture jokes and features a star-studded voice cast, critics felt it lacked a strong storyline. Many found the underwater-themed puns repetitive and the characters less visually appealing than those in other popular animated films. Despite being nominated for Best Animated Feature, it didn’t win, losing to another family-friendly superhero movie released that same year.

‘Mannequin’ (1987)

This romantic fantasy film tells the story of a window dresser who falls for a mannequin that magically comes to life whenever he’s alone with her. Starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall, the movie was criticized by many reviewers for being overly predictable and unbelievable. However, audiences appreciated its cheerful and fun nature, even though the story involving an ancient Egyptian spirit didn’t always make sense. The film’s popular and successful power ballad was even nominated for an award for Best Original Song.

‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)

In the movie, DC Comics villains are offered a deal: they complete risky, covert missions for a secret government organization in return for shorter prison sentences. The film’s production was troubled, leading to uneven editing and shifts in tone. Jared Leto played the Joker, a performance that received mixed reactions from both audiences and critics. Although critics generally disliked the story and speed of the movie, it did win an Academy Award for outstanding makeup and hairstyling.

‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (2009)

In the second installment, Sam Witwicky joins forces with the Autobots to battle a powerful, ancient Decepticon with a plan to destroy the sun. Directed by Michael Bay, the film is known for its over-the-top action and often silly humor. The movie’s script was rushed due to a writers’ strike, leaving many viewers confused by the storyline. Despite criticisms, it received an Academy Award nomination for its impressive sound design.

‘Hollow Man’ (2000)

In the movie, Kevin Bacon stars as a gifted scientist who agrees to be the first person tested with a serum that makes him invisible. However, the experiment causes him to lose his mind, and he begins attacking the other scientists he works with, all while trapped inside a secure building. While reviewers were impressed with the visual effects showing his invisibility, they felt the story became a typical slasher film. The team responsible for the effects was recognized with an Academy Award nomination for their innovative work on the digital representation of the main character’s body.

‘The Blue Lagoon’ (1980)

This film tells the story of two children who are stranded on a tropical island and raised without any adult supervision, forcing them to navigate growing up and discovering love on their own. While praised for its beautiful scenery – particularly the filming locations in Fiji, which earned Nestor Almendros an Oscar nomination – the movie was often criticized for its stilted dialogue and the inexperienced acting of stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins.

‘1941’ (1979)

Steven Spielberg’s period comedy depicts the widespread anxiety in Los Angeles after the attack on Pearl Harbor. While boasting a large cast and over-the-top physical comedy, the film received mixed reviews, with some critics finding it chaotic and not particularly funny. It didn’t perform as well at the box office as Spielberg’s earlier hits, such as his breakthrough shark movie. Despite this, it received three Academy Award nominations recognizing its technical achievements, including cinematography and visual effects.

‘Poltergeist II: The Other Side’ (1986)

When the Freeling family tries to start over by moving in with relatives, they’re once again haunted by terrifying supernatural events and a menacing demonic preacher. However, this follow-up film didn’t live up to the original’s chilling atmosphere or emotional impact. Many critics found the plot confusing, and felt that even impressive monster effects couldn’t rescue a weak story. Despite the script’s shortcomings, the visual effects team was nominated for an award for creating the film’s disturbingly memorable creatures.

‘Poseidon’ (2006)

On New Year’s Eve, a giant rogue wave flipped a luxurious ocean liner, leaving survivors scrambling to climb upwards through the overturned vessel. Director Wolfgang Petersen prioritized spectacular disaster scenes in this remake, sacrificing character depth. Critics found the dialogue awkward and the characters one-dimensional. Despite its flaws, the film received an Academy Award nomination for its impressive visual effects, particularly the realistic water and the ship’s destruction.

‘Blonde’ (2022)

This movie is a fictionalized story of Marilyn Monroe’s life, based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates. It sparked a lot of debate due to its explicit scenes and its heavy emphasis on the difficult and traumatic experiences Monroe faced. Some viewers felt the three-hour length was too long and that the film focused more on exploiting her pain than understanding it. Ana de Armas was nominated for an acting award for her remarkably accurate portrayal of the famous actress.

‘Batman Forever’ (1995)

Batman battles Two-Face and the Riddler in this film, also taking in a young acrobat who becomes Robin. Director Joel Schumacher changed the look of the series, moving away from the dark, gothic style of earlier movies to a brighter, more colorful and over-the-top approach. Although the film did well in theaters, many fans didn’t appreciate its cartoonish feel and abundance of puns. It was nominated for awards in Cinematography, Sound Editing, and Sound.

‘Endless Love’ (1981)

Okay, so this movie is…intense. It’s about a teenage guy who gets completely fixated on a girl and things spiral way out of control – he even resorts to arson trying to impress her parents! Honestly, it wasn’t a sweet romance at all. Critics at the time thought it was way too over-the-top and more disturbing than anything else. It’s mostly known now as the first movie role for a young Tom Cruise, which is kind of cool. But the real standout? The theme song by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie – it was huge and even got nominated for an Oscar. I always remember that song more than the movie itself, to be honest.

‘Beethoven’s 2nd’ (1993)

The sequel to the popular family comedy once again features the clumsy and endearing St. Bernard, who causes trouble for the Newton family after falling in love and having puppies. While it relies heavily on the same physical humor as the first movie—but with even more dogs—critics largely considered it an uninspired attempt to make money and not enjoyable for older audiences. Surprisingly, the song performed by Dolly Parton and James Ingram received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

‘102 Dalmatians’ (2000)

After being released from prison following therapy meant to curb her fur obsession, Cruella de Vil unfortunately reverts to her old ways. Glenn Close reprised her role with over-the-top energy in a sequel that largely retold the story of the first movie. Critics found the film too reliant on silly violence and lacking the magic of the original animated version, though Anthony Powell was nominated for an Oscar for the film’s elaborate costumes.

‘Junior’ (1994)

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a scientist who unexpectedly becomes pregnant in this comedy film, as part of a groundbreaking experiment. While it brings Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito back together, the movie doesn’t quite recapture the magic of their previous work. Critics felt the funny idea wasn’t developed enough and the humor became repetitive. The film’s song, performed by Patty Smyth, was nominated for an award.

‘Fifty Shades Darker’ (2017)

Anastasia Steele attempts to start a new life after her complicated romance with Christian Grey, but she’s soon pulled back into his luxurious and mysterious life. The movie received largely negative reviews, with many critics pointing out the lack of spark between the actors and a storyline that felt like an over-the-top soap opera. The attempts at suspense were considered weak, and the conversations sounded unrealistic. However, the song performed by Taylor Swift and Zayn Malik was nominated for an award.

‘The Swarm’ (1978)

American cities are under attack by a swarm of deadly bees in this disaster film. Starring Michael Caine and Henry Fonda, the movie pits a scientist against a general as they try to find a solution. Though filled with scientific errors and featuring poorly written dialogue, it’s become known for its unintentionally funny and over-the-top death scenes. Surprisingly, despite being a flop with critics and audiences, it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.

‘Heartbeeps’ (1981)

This quirky sci-fi comedy tells the story of two robots who fall in love and run away from the factory where they were made, hoping to build a life together. Starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters, the film initially confused viewers and critics alike. Though it wasn’t a commercial success and received criticism for being slow-paced and overly emotional, the special effects makeup – created by Stan Winston – earned an Academy Award nomination.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ (2015)

A college student studying literature interviews a wealthy businessman and unexpectedly becomes involved in his private world of BDSM. While the movie based on the popular book made a lot of money, it was widely criticized for its awkward performances and lack of believable intimacy. Reviewers generally found it boring and poorly made, giving it very low ratings. However, The Weeknd received an award nomination for a popular song he created for the film’s soundtrack.

‘Norbit’ (2007)

This comedy stars Eddie Murphy playing several different characters, including a gentle man unexpectedly married to the overbearing Rasputia. The film is known for its use of exaggerated fat suits and often relies on humor that many found harsh and insensitive. It was widely criticized and received multiple Golden Raspberry Awards for being poorly made, and is considered one of the least successful films of Eddie Murphy’s career. However, Rick Baker was nominated for an Academy Award for his excellent makeup work creating the film’s prosthetics.

2025-11-23 00:48