20 Genre Films From 2023 That Should Have Received Oscar Nominations

2023 was packed with some amazing films. And now that the Oscar nominations have been unveiled, it’s become apparent that the Oscars got it right. Every Best Picture nominee deserves it, and that applies to the majority of the other awards as well. But, a given year has a ton of great films, and like any other, 2023 had too many to be included in the nominations list.

The Academy tends to have favorite genres, particularly dramas and movies based on true stories. This means that many genre films, those that tend to relate to sci-fi, horror, action, superheroes, and comedy, are often overlooked. This year, in particular, many great genre films were even shut out of technical categories. They are normally a sure bet. These are the films from 2023 that have an argument in their corner. What argument? They should have been nominated for an Academy Award. Note that some of these films did receive nominations; it’s just that there was either one more they should have received or a different one they received. Either way, at least The Color Purple and Godzilla: Minus One got noms.

20 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, but that is a category Marvel movies tend always to get nominated for. Yet there were so many great elements of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn’s final film for Marvel, and the concluding chapter for this team incarnation that went underappreciated. Most notably, the film’s makeup.

Why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Should Have Been Nominated for Makeup and Hairstyling.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features some truly impressive makeup. For multiple films, the filmmakers have perfected characters like Drax, Gamora, Nebula, and Mantis, but this third chapter features even more impressive alien creatures brought to life. From Adam Warlock to the Ani-Men of Counter-Earth to the truly impressive work of the High Evolutionary himself, it is shocking that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did not get a Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar nomination while Maestro did when the films use of a prosthetic nose generated so much controversy.

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19 The Color Purple

Some have said that, like Mean Girls, the musical remake of Stephen Spielberg’s The Color Purple wasn’t fully necessary. But, it certainly did well with critics and even made some cash at the box office (especially on its opening day: Christmas). And, to be fair, Danielle Brooks did receive a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Why Should The Color Purple Have Been Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay?

Brooks’ nomination was well-deserved, but so too was a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. 2023’s The Color Purple was based on the stage musical adaptation, which was based on the 1982 novel. Spielberg’s film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay after all, even if it lost in that category and all others. This nom could have been a bit of redemption for the 1985 classic.

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Related: Oprah Winfrey Responds to Criticisms of The Color Purple Working Conditions

18 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

While James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn’t quite the effective crowdpleaser the first film was, but it has merit nonetheless. For one, the chemistry between Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson remains sterling. Two, the dynamic between protagonist and antagonist is as strong in the second film as it is in the first, as Black Manta is allowed to become a fully-fleshed, convoluted character.

Why Should Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Been Nominated for Best Visual Effects

Box office success can often have a sway on a movie’s potential during awards season. It’s just that the awards are minor like Best Visual Effects, which is something Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom should have been nominated for, for expensive and obvious reasons. Whatever faults someone has with the narrative, they have to admit it’s gorgeous, and it was undoubtedly the only 2023 DCEU film to do anything besides embarrass itself at the box office.

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17 Renfield

As a whole, Renfield is fun, but it’s not exactly fueled by the best script. However, it is fueled by a great performance. And, alongside that performance, Awkwafina and Nicholas Hoult aren’t half bad, either. Yet the breakout star of the film is of course, Nicolas Cage who gives one of the best performances of his career and if the movie can be said to work at all, it is all resting on his shoulders.

Why Should Renfield Have Been Nominated for Best Supporting Actor

But, even if he doesn’t have much screen time, Renfield is very much Nicolas Cage’s movie. It was a notable comeback. Not in terms of the film’s box office receipts or critical reception, but in terms of just how much fun the man blatantly has playing Count Dracula. His Dracula is so great because it works in the comedic world of the film but one could see it working just as well in a more straightforward adaptation.

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16 The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Another Dracula movie from Universal Pictures. The Last Voyage of the Demeter was a notable box office bomb that was delayed multiple times. Despite the intriguing premise and clever spin on adapting one section of the classic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, audiences just certainly were not interested. Period piece horror has often struggled at the box office, yet they tend to do well at the Academy Awards in technical categories, which makes The Last Voyage of Demeter‘s snub so notable.

Why The Last Voyage of the Demeter Should Have Been Nominated for Best Makeup

The Dracula seen in The Last Voyage of the Demeter is much more of a monster than audiences are used to. This is not a sexy vampire but instead a true monster, one that looks like a bat with some truly impressive practical makeup. Gothic horror films like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Wolfman won Best Makeup Oscars in the past, so The Last Voyage of the Demeter at least deserved to be there for consideration.

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15 The Super Mario Bros. Movie

A showcase for gorgeous animation as much as it is further proof of Anya Taylor-Joy’s range, The Super Mario Bros. Movie ended up being one of 2023’s biggest financial hits. It also was an example of a cinematic video game adaptation that could soar with not only general audiences but critics as well. And, to the latter point, it’s more than a little surprising The Super Mario Bros. didn’t get one nomination in particular (not to mention any at all).

Why Should The Super Mario Bros. Movie Have Been Nominated for Best Animated Feature

It’s hard to say with sincerity that a video game adaptation should have received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The five entries that are there are solid enough, but could Pixar’s utterly lackluster Elemental not have been swapped out for Mario. One was a bonafide hit, the other wasn’t. Did Elemental receive better reviews? Yes, but not by a margin that even really means anything.

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14 Blue Beetle

2023 was a very rough year for DC films. Certainly, we won’t argue that The Flash deserved a Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination. Yet one film that sadly got overlooked by both audiences and the Academy was Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle features some very impressive production design, and considering how this almost was going to be a straight-to-streaming Max film, it looks incredible with half of the budget that bigger superhero movies have.

Blue Beetle Should Have Been Nominated for Costume Design

Superhero movies often get overlooked for costume design, often in favor of period pieces or contemporary dramas. Yet, there is something truly special about bringing an image from the page of a comic to life on the big screen. While The Marvels certainly had some impressive costume design, if any superhero movie of 2023 deserved recognition in the category, it was Blue Beetle. The entire movie is based on the Blue Beetle suit, and the filmmakers brought it to life wonderfully, making it look both functional and fantastical.

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13 The Little Mermaid

Disney has made a few live-action remakes by now. And while they rarely outright flop critically or commercially (e.g. Dumbo), they never exactly soar either. The same goes for The Little Mermaid, but there were definitely a few things critics and fans agreed upon. This is especially true of two of the performances.

Why Should The Little Mermaid Have Been Nominated for Production Design

Halle Bailey had her star rise significantly due to The Little Mermaid, and it’s easy to see why. She’s charming and dominates the screen and combined with her role in The Color Purple, 2023 truly was her breakout year. The most breathtaking part of the movie is the gorgeous production design, both for the underwater kingdom and Eric’s surface kingdom.

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12 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Francis Lawrence returned to the IP he’d helmed three times already with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. As visually engrossing and well-acted as the films that preceded it, Songbirds & Snakes is a worthy addition to the overarching Hunger Games cinematic universe. And, somewhat surprisingly, it experienced dips, not drops, weekend after weekend at the box office. Ultimately, it was a hit, but still a minor one.

Why Should The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Have Been Nominated for Best Costume Design

Again, Songbirds & Snakes is visually alluring, quite possibly the best-looking film of its franchise. It’s also arguably the deepest of the films, and when a film is an all-around solid total package, that makes its Oscar prospects more notable. But that hasn’t been the case for this prequel, which should have, at the very least, received a nom for Best Costume Design. The biggest issue is of course the songs for the movie should have been a lock for Best Original song, but since they originated from the book they do not qualify.

Rent The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on Amazon Video

11 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Continuing Bumblebee‘s path of course correction, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a relatively tightly constructed, well-cast blockbuster. It’s not quite up to the level of the Hailee Steinfeld-led film that preceded it, but it’s another step in the right, character-focused direction nonetheless. This was never going to be a traditional Oscar winner in the top categories, but the technical categories seemed like where it could excel.

Why Should Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Have Been Nominated for Best Visual Effects

The original Transformers was nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. Of course, that’s because there was a novelty in 2007 that no longer exists after seven live-action films. But, Rise of the Beasts did feature some truly impressive visuals and sound design that it is odd it went overlooked. Maybe people are just so used to seeing Transformers on screen the novelty is gone.

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10 Bottoms

Bottoms

Release Date

August 25, 2023

Director

Emma Seligman

Cast

Ayo Edebiri , Dagmara Dominczyk , Nicholas Galitzine , Rachel Sennott , Kaia Gerber , Ruby Cruz

While most people associate “genre movie” with sci-fi, horror, and action, comedies and satires are very much a part of that formula, and there was no better comedic satire in 2023 than Bottoms. The film was a follow-up of the teenage comedies of the 1980s and ’90s (even produced by favorite 80s studio Orion). Bottoms has an incredibly clever script and a talented cast of stars that bring the movie to life with some laugh-out-loud improv moments. It features some strong action direction from Emma Seligman. Yet the best part of the movie is the supporting actress, Rachel Sennott.

Why Bottoms Deserved a Best Supporting Actress Nomination

Bottoms has two leads, Ayo Edebari and Rachel Sennott. Ayo Edebari had an incredible year in 2023 leading into 2024 with multiple award wins, and many people have forgotten about Rachel Sennott’s incredibly funny performance in Bottoms. While the two are co-leads, Sennott can be said to be the supporting player, and she delivers some of the film’s best jokes and moments. The Academy rarely recognizes comedic performances and Sennott delivers an incredibly funny performance worthy of Oscar consideration.

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9 Creed III

Creed III

Release Date

March 3, 2023

Main Genre

sport

While the absence of Sylvester Stallone had some Rocky fans worried, it’s a good thing for Creed III. Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut. This is the Jonathan Majors show as much as it’s a proving ground for Jordan. That said, as was the case with the other two, Jordan is incredible as Adonis Creed in the third (and probably not final) installment of the Rocky spinoff saga.

Why Should Creed III Have Been Nominated for Best Director

Name one other franchise that’s been spun off of better than Rocky. There isn’t one. And there isn’t one because each of the Creed films tells a decidedly different story. Even if they’re all still framed around boxing, they manage to feel like separate entities. This applies to Creed III, a deeper film than the second and comparable to the first. It’s an impressive directorial debut, one focused on a complicated relationship between two slightly similar men, though it wouldn’t be quite as worthy of some Oscar consideration without the contributions of the legally troubled Majors.

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8 Scream VI

Scream VI hit theaters in early 2023 as a box office success and a critically-appreciated one at that. Then, by the end of the year, all of that success seemed to be reversed. Melissa Barrera was (in a truly baffling decision) fired for advocating for peace. Then, though it’s never been confirmed that it was related, Jenna Ortega dropped out. Then, the director. And it was all coated in “Oh, they had a contract for two movies.”

Why Scream VI Should Have Been Nominated for Best Song

An argument could be made that the Academy needs to get over its genre bias because both Barrera and Ortega give really great performances in both Scream VI and its predecessor that go beyond genre convention. The big prize Scream VI should have been up for is the song “Still Alive” by Demi Lovato. The song plays over the film’s end credits, and featuring an original song for a slasher film is a great homage to cult song hits like “The Dream Warriors” by Dokken for Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors or “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask” by Alice Cooper for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Live. Obviously, those songs never got Oscar nominations, but their legacy has endured, and the gothic pop song from Scream VI would have been a nice change of pace from what usually gets nominated.

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7 Evil Dead Rise

Evil Dead Rise

Release Date

April 21, 2023

Cast

Alyssa Sutherland , Lily Sullivan , Morgan Davies , Nell Fisher

A brilliant reinvention of the IP, Evil Dead Rise deserves all the credit in the world. It took a franchise where a big part of the appeal was the cabin in the woods vibe and put it in a high rise. That’s somehow even more creative than putting Ash back in the Middle Ages in Army of Darkness.

Why Should Evil Dead Rise Have Been Nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar

In a way, Evil Dead Rise is an adaptation of The Evil Dead‘s screenplay. It’s just a massive alteration of a pre-existing formula. And, considering how it’s as focused on a family dynamic as it is on gruesome scenes, it should have at least been in the conversation for some kind of award, Oscar or otherwise.

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Related: 10 Actors That Keep Getting Snubbed at the Academy Awards

6 Cocaine Bear

Elizabeth Banks’ terrific Cocaine Bear is far more of a no-politics piece of entertainment than an overbearing anti-drug message, but it’s still worthy of an Oscar. It’s silly as can be, yet there’s a ton of focus on character, and while it’s very subtle, this is not a pro-drug movie. It also takes a true story and turns it into a bonkers creature feature, which leads us to the Oscar.

Why Should Cocaine Bear Have Been Nominated for Best Original Screenplay

An original screenplay is a work not adapted from pre-existing material. This is no longer applicable when what’s being adapted is a real-world situation. Like The Pianist, Schindler’s List, Zodiac, and The Imitation Game, Cocaine Bear is based on a real-world situation. What’s impressive is that it took a rather uneventful story (the bear didn’t last long, and certainly didn’t go on a comedic killing spree) and turned it into a compelling genre-blender. Should the Oscars ever get over their genre bias, something like Cocaine Bear could be a logical but super off-the-wall nom.

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5 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

A charming, surprisingly well-constructed adaptation of the classic game, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of 2023’s bigger surprises. After all, how’d the 2000 movie turn out? The one with Marlon Wayans and Jeremy Irons? Anyone? Well, though just about anybody could be fooled, that film exists. Unlike that first attempt (which was essentially the anti-Mortal Kombat, in terms of box office success), Honor Among Thieves actually managed to draw in some viewers. Not enough to make it a bonafide hit, but a minor hit even still. Part of the reason for that is the level of fun.

Why Dungeons & Dragons Should Have Been Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay

Honor Among Thieves is pure fun, and part of that is due to the wonderful script that perfectly captures the spirit of the tabletop game. Instead of going for the obvious framing device of the movie being a game being played, elements from the game are woven into the script organically, with characters making mistakes that can be seen as a player rolling a 1 or doing incredible feats that are a nat 20. It is just as impressive an accomplishment capturing the spirit of the game as Barbie did with the toy. The script for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was the secret to the film’s successes.

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4 John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is, like the other three, amazing. And a box office hit. It’s a great showcase for how Keanu Reeves can make a stoic, inherently dry character quite compelling. Think about it. What other actor could make John Wick work as a franchise? And, even if you did just come up with a replacement option, who could do it better than Reeves?

Why Should John Wick: Chapter 4 Have Been Nominated for Best Actor

One thing is for darn sure, without Reeves, Wick wouldn’t be a franchise, certainly not one that has (quite impressively) made more money with each subsequent installment. Reeves may not have the most range of all the actors on the planet, but he’s sure as hell likable, and it’s telling that he can make a ruthless assassin just as likable as he is as a human being on any given day of the week. Such a lovely man doesn’t deserve to have his acting constantly criticized. After all, people buy tickets for his movies. There must be something there. It’s time for people to appreciate the skills Reeves has, and to recognize that the character is a cinematic icon because of Keanu Reeves.

Stream John Wick: Chapter 4 on Starz

3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem injected life into a franchise that needed it. After the two critically trashed live-action films in the 2010s, the franchise got a new lease on life thanks to writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and an incredible cast of actors, most notably putting the “teenage” as the emphasis of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Mutant Mayhem very much did not give fans more of the same.

Why Mutant Mayhem Should Have Been Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film

If it wasn’t for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem would be the best American animated film of the year. It’s easily the best film of its IP. And, yet, in spite of glowing critical reviews, it was nominated for absolutely nothing. Animated Feature Film should have been a lock.

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2 Godzilla: Minus One

Godzilla Minus One

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Director

Takashi Yamazaki

Cast

Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Takayuki Yamada , Sakura Andou

The fact that Godzilla: Minus One was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects was both well deserved and a dream come true for G-fans across the globe. After all, it was made on a relatively low budget, and, watching it, one would never know. It’s also wish-fulfillment in that the film was not only well-received critically, but an absolute (comparative) smash commercially. While Japan did not submit the film for its selection for Best International Feature Film, the movie’s massive success should have generated it a Best Picture nomination.

Why Should Godzilla: Minus One Have Been Nominated for Best Picture

Godzilla: Minus One is a thoughtful, moving character piece that just happens to feature Godzilla. This is a movie that, if you removed the giant kaiju from the film, likely would be considered more traditional Oscar fare, as it focuses on a found family coming to terms in post-World War II Japan and building a life for oneself while also facing an uncertain future. Following Parasite dominating the 2020 Academy Awards, the idea of an international film taking home the top prize is no longer out of the realm of possibility. With how beloved Godzilla: Minus One turned out to be it is one of the rare genre films, like Black Panther or Avatar, that easily should be considered for Best Picture alongside the conventional picks.

1 Wonka

Wonka

Release Date

December 15, 2023

Director

Paul King

There are a few awards Wonka should have been nominated for. And one only has to view the trailer to understand why they’re self-explanatory. A lot of work went into it, and a fair bit of that was not today’s typical (and exhausting) abundance of CGI. Regardless of how one feels about Chalamet’s divisive but mostly well-received performance or the film as a whole, it was easily worthy of Oscar nominations for Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and, most notably, Best Original Song.

Why Should Wonka Have Been Nominated for Best Costume Design

Wonka is a musical, even though the marketing tried to hide that fact. The film features some truly toe-tapping songs, many of which have become TikTok viral hits. The obvious pick is “A World of Your Own’ which is very much the film version of “Pure Imagination’ tapping into the childlike wonder of Willy Wonka’s story. Yet songs like ‘Hat Full of Dreams’, ‘For a Moment,’ and ‘Never Had Chocolate Like This’ all would have been worthy of nomination.

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Sometimes the Oscar for Best Picture does not always go down well in history, take a look at some picks that did not age well in this video.