The 2025 Academy Awards race is certainly one of the most contentious and unpredictable in recent memory. While in previous years a frontrunner like “Oppenheimer” or “Everything Everywhere All At Once” announced itself as the clear favorite early on in the award cycle, there is no indication as to what will pull ahead before the ceremony in March. While occasionally there is a firm horse race between two films, such as “The Power of the Dog” and “Coda,” or “Green Book” and “Roma,” there are multiple films this cycle that could end up taking home the top prize.
As with every year, the Academy Awards nominate a variety of films that reflect the state of the industry, some of which are better than others. There are also a great number of niche films that sadly were ignored by the Oscars entirely, such as “I Saw The TV Glow,” “Ghostlight,” “All We Imagine As Light,” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” Many of these nominees will age well as potential future classics, but others will be remembered as embarrassments that didn’t deserve to be regarded in such high esteem. Here is every film nominated for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards, ranked from worst to best.
10. Wicked
“Wicked” isn’t just a poorly constructed musical that fails to adequately adapt the material that it is based on, but fundamentally a film that does not tell a complete story; while individual entries in “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Godfather” franchises deserved Best Picture nominations because they told one chapter that had a self-contained narrative arc, “Wicked” deprives itself of any real emotional catharsis due to the fact that it is cut off at its climax. It’s very off putting to see a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” a film that was seen as the epitome of technicolor artistry, that is so dragged down by its bland visual style and computer-generated backdrops.
It isn’t entirely surprising that “Wicked” received so many technical nominations, but the film’s awkward blend of on-set performances with poorly calculated worldbuilding results in a haphazard experience. Musical numbers are used to convey major plot points that are not referred to, as director Jon M. Chu seemingly failed to understand that a musical film should make adaptive changes in order to appeal to an audience that was not familiar with the original source material. “Wicked” was a box office success that will certainly please musical buffs, but the nomination it received for Best Picture is one of the Oscars’ biggest recent blunders.
9. Emilia Pérez
“Emilia Pérez” is certainly worthy of admiration for just how bold and original it is, but unfortunately, it is a film that takes on too many ambitious goals, and doesn’t end up feeling like a complete package. Although evidently the film was intended to examine the complexity of Mexico’s current crime epidemic and the pressures put upon members of the transgender community, the attempts to make socially conscious points feels insincere at best, and blatantly offensive at worst. Perhaps these sins would have been forgivable had the musical numbers been well-executed, but the relentlessly obnoxious energy of the film deprives any of the songs of having any real lasting power. Despite its Best Original Song nomination, there isn’t much music in “Emilia Pérez” that will leave viewers humming to themselves after the credits wrap up.
If there is one saving grace in “Emilia Pérez” it is the terrific performance by Zoe Saldaña, who has emerged as the runaway favorite to take home the Best Supporting Actress prize. Even though Saldaña really deserves to be in the Best Actress category, as she has just as much screen time as the “lead” actress Karla Sofía Gascón, a trophy for her ability to merge sentimentality and superficiality would not be entirely undeserved.
8. The Substance
“The Substance” is an indication that the Academy Awards have truly evolved, as the Oscars have not traditionally been interested in awarding horror films. Although occasionally an “elevated” genre film like “Black Swan” or “Get Out” is able to break through, “The Substance” is a grotesque, stylized, and darkly amusing social satire that goes to some pretty extreme places in its shocking final act. That being said, the film also contains a message about aging and beauty standards for women that may have resonated with many voters who could find the story relatable.
“The Substance” is not particularly subtle in the themes that it is addressing, as there are points in which the film’s screenplay feels undercooked in conveying any depth. It’s also a quite long film that doesn’t always justify its length, but for the most part, “The Substance” is a blast, particularly due to the excellent comeback performance by Demi Moore. Moore has often been an actress that has not received as much credit as she deserves for taking on challenging projects, so it would certainly not be a surprise if her transformative performance in “The Substance” ended up earning her what would be a very well-deserved Best Actress award.
7. Conclave
“Conclave” may have seemed like a shameless piece of “awards bait” at the beginning of the season, but Edward Berger’s thrilling adaptation of the acclaimed novel of the same name is one of the most surprisingly entertaining films of the year. There’s a high probability that the film ends up taking home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as “Conclave” manages to merge the attention-to-detail within the Thomas Harris novel with relevant allusions to the anxieties that come during an election cycle, which are obviously relevant to American audiences.
“Conclave” is able to address the nuances of modernizing religious principles, but it’s also a highly entertaining caper that owes a lot to the work of Agatha Christie. Those who hadn’t read the novel beforehand may have been shocked by the film’s final twist, which manages to stay in line with the internal logic in order to feel earned. Allegations that the film is “campy” aren’t unfounded, but the excellent performances from Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, and Stanley Tucci among others give it an aura of prestige. “Conclave” would likely be viewed as an unusual Best Picture winner, but it is the exact type of populist entertainment that warrants a nomination.
6. Nickel Boys
“Nickel Boys” is a formally inventive analysis of generational trauma in the United States that tasks itself with examining infrastructural racism through the perspective of two young boys. Although director RaMell Ross had experience as a documentarian before embarking on his ambitious first narrative feature, “Nickel Boys” feels like the announcement of a future auteur due to the peculiar nature in which he frames his story. “Nickel Boys” is told in first person, allowing the viewer to experience the same confusion, fear, and horror as its protagonists do.
There is an ease in which “Nickel Boys” could have felt like a gimmick, but Ross is a savvy enough storyteller to know that anything both complete immersion would have felt disrespectful. The film openly attacks those that would criticize victims for not speaking up, showing how overwhelming it can be to realize that an entire system is built on fear and isolation. There are certainly times in which the pacing is dulled, as the transition between characters’ perspectives can be awkward, and the film is perhaps 20 minutes too long. Nonetheless, “Nickel Boys” is a distinctly American study in intersectionality, and proves to be just as artfully ambitious as it is important to cultural conversations.
5. A Complete Unknown
The Academy Awards have frequently nominated musical biopics like “Ray,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Elvis,” and “Maestro,” but “A Complete Unknown” does not seek to tell a standard life story about the enigmatic Bob Dylan. James Mangold instead chose to make an atmospheric character drama about how Dylan unexpectedly became an icon of American culture within a decade of change, and how his shift from traditional folk to electronically augmented performances ended up inciting controversy among his early supporters.
Timothee Chalamet is completely deserving of his Best Actor nomination, as he is able to capture the essence of Dylan without ever turning into a caricature; although there is much time in “A Complete Unknown” dedicated to showing just how thrilling it was to listen to Dylan play live, the film is also willing to admit that he was a bit of a jerk, and often kept the people closest to him at a distance. “A Complete Unknown” presents the facts of Dylan’s life whilst never trying to completely define him, and also does a great job at examining the other prominent musicians of the era. Edward Norton has certainly received the most attention for his performance as Pete Seeger, but also worthy of praise is Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, as well as Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.
4. I’m Still Here
“I’m Still Here” marks a welcome return to form for Walter Salles, a filmmaker whose work has often been celebrated by the Academy Awards, but never in the Best Picture category. Although much of the buzz for “I’m Still Here” was centered on the transcendent performance by Fernanda Torres, a nomination for Best Picture indicates that the Oscars could not deny a film that immediately has proven to be a classic of Brazilian cinema. Salles has always been an artist who has succeeded by honing in on the cultural specificity of his characters, and “I’m Still Here” takes this approach to the next level as it examines the oppressive nature of Brazil’s military dictatorship.
While it easily could have served as little more than a history lesson about one of the most ruthless regimes in modern history, “I’m Still Here” is a surprisingly celebratory family saga about the resilience of one woman that led her children to accept nothing less than justice. There is nothing toothless about the way in which Walles characterizes the lives these historical figures led, but there is a generosity in the way he shows the reasons that they were fighting so hard. Both personal and universal, “I’m Still Here” is about as perfect as political biopics can be.
3. Anora
“Anora” is surprisingly the first of Sean Baker’s films to get any serious attention from the Academy Awards, as he was denied nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for modern classics like “Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” and “Red Rocket.” “Anora” has the same affinity for underrepresented people and maniacal sense of humor as Baker’s early work, but it also has a universal story about the faults within the American dream that could resonate with Oscar voters.
“Anora” takes the standard Hollywood love story and flips it on its head, as it examines how much of someone’s reality is determined by the social and economic pressures that they are faced with. Although there may have initially been some concern that Baker’s subject would result in “Anora” not being taken seriously as an awards contender, the acclaim heaped upon the film since it earned the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival has indicated that it has entranced audiences. “Anora” may in some ways be a “career award” for someone like Baker, but it was certainly deserving to see a Best Actress nomination for Mikey Madison, whose incredibly brave breakthrough role is by far one of 2024’s most engaging protagonists.
2. Dune: Part Two
It isn’t surprising to see that “Dune: Part Two” made it into the Oscar race based on how well its predecessor did, but what is truly amazing is how much Denis Villeneuve’s sequel improved on the original. The first “Dune” was an extraordinary piece of world building that brought some of the most incredible concepts from Frank Hebert’s beloved science fiction novel, but “Dune: Part Two” crafted an alarming tragedy that unpacked the perils of some with heralding a charismatic revolutionary leader as a messiah.
Although it was disappointing to see that great performances in “Dune: Part Two” like Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler were overlooked, “Dune: Part Two” deserved every single technical nomination that it received. The imagination involved in crafting every aspect of the universe is simply astounding, as it is rare to see a “blockbuster” film produced on a studio level that feels like such a work of art. “Dune: Part Two” is unlikely to win Best Picture, as the only two sequels to take that prize were “The Godfather: Part II” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” However, “Dune: Part Two” certainly proved itself worthy of being in their company, and it’s safe to say that Villeneuve’s upcoming adaptation of “Dune: Messiah” will be considered a frontrunner if it lives up to the hype.
1. The Brutalist
“The Brutalist” was almost immediately recognized as a modern classic that is bound to stand the test of time, and at this point seems to be the frontrunner to take home the Best Picture award. Seeing any film that goes to such great lengths to define the word “epic” would be impressive, but the fact that Brady Corbet was able to turn his independent passion project into such an astutely intellectual work of art is simply awe-inspiring. “The Brutalist” is certainly inspired by Old Hollywood epics thanks to its novel intermission and act break, but it deals with an interrogation about the immigrant identity of America that feels decidedly modern, and at times very relevant.
There’s often a fear that the Oscars tend to overlook films that are so blatantly avant garden, but “The Brutalist” has a very timeless story about the fear every artist has about their work being hijacked. At the center of this tragic narrative is Adrien Brody in what may be the best performance of his entire career, and should be considered the frontrunner to take home Best Actor. If by some chance “The Brutalist” does not win the top prize, it could be considered a tragic miscarriage of awards justice comparable to the Best Picture losses of classics like “Citizen Kane,” “Goodfellas,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “The Social Network.”
