10 Worst Oscar-Winning Movies of All Time, Ranked

Since 1929, the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have been rewarding what they contemplate the very best cinematic choices of a given 12 months with what at the moment are often called the Oscars. These have turn into essentially the most prestigious and coveted awards not simply in Hollywood, however in your entire movie business. Nevertheless, that does not imply that each Oscar-winning movie is nice. In truth, some aren’t even good.

Although, as a rule, movies which are rewarded with an Academy Award are serviceable on the very least, there are quite a lot of Oscar winners that vary from lackluster to utterly abysmal. From trendy failed blockbusters to a few of the pretentious slop that the Academy beloved to reward again within the ’30s, once they have been nonetheless discovering their footing, these are the worst of the worst on the subject of Oscar winners.

10

‘The Iron Woman’ (2011)

Gained: Greatest Main Actress (Meryl Streep) and Greatest Make-up

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, talking in 'The Iron Lady' — Picture by way of twentieth Century Studios

Margaret Thatcher is, to say the least, probably the most divisive — if not downright despised — public figures in British historical past, so it in all probability wasn’t the very best thought to make a movie that celebrated her as a flawed hero. However, that is exactly what The Iron Woman went forward and did. It is a biopic about an aged Thatcher speaking to the imagined presence of her recently-deceased husband, grappling along with his demise whereas scenes from her previous life intervene.

The film ended up profitable two Academy Awards. One for its make-up work (a effectively deserved victory, frankly), and the opposite for Meryl Streep‘s efficiency as Thatcher (a a lot much less deserving win). What, from the premise alone, may have ended up being probably the most distinctive biopics of the 2010s as a substitute ended up doing the blandest, least politically vital job it presumably may have. Its Oscar wins weren’t travesties, all issues thought of, however additionally they do not make it any higher a movie.

The Iron Woman

Launch Date: January 6, 2012
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Runtime: 105minutes
Writers: Phyllida Lloyd

9

‘The Nutty Professor’ (1996)

Gained: Greatest Make-up

Eddie Murphy and Jada Pinkett Smith in The Nutty Professor — Picture by way of Common Photos

Eddie Murphy was one of many largest comedic stars of ’80s cinema, which made it even sadder when the standard of his work began to fall off through the mid-’90s. By the point The Nutty Professor got here round, it was clear that one thing concerning the actor’s profession selections had modified. It is about an chubby but good-hearted professor who takes a particular chemical that turns him into the slim however obnoxious Buddy Love.

All in all, Murphy does a fairly strong job with the fabric he is given, attending to play a shocking variety of characters in all types of spectacular make-up and prosthetics. It was exactly a Greatest Make-up award that the movie ended up getting, and though some may contemplate this one of many least-liked Oscar wins purely as a result of it makes it in order that such a bafflingly infantile and foolish film might be referred to as “Oscar-winning,” the make-up is one thing that undoubtedly cannot be criticized.

The Nutty Professor

Launch Date: June 28, 1996
Director: Tom Shadyac
Solid: Eddie Murphy
, Jada Pinkett Smith
, James Coburn
, Larry Miller
, Dave Chapelle
, John Ales
, Patricia Wilson
, Jamal Mixon
Runtime: 95 minutes

8

‘Earthquake’ (1974)

Gained: Greatest Sound and Particular Achievement Award for Visible Results

Charlton Heston and other people swimming in the sewers in 'Earthquake' (1974) — Picture by way of Common Photos

One of many worst catastrophe motion pictures of the twentieth century, Earthquake is a big ensemble movie that includes actors of the stature of Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and George Kennedy. It is a darkish comedy about varied interconnected tales of individuals struggling to outlive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles.

The units are nice and the visible results (which earned the film a Particular Achievement Oscar) are even higher, however technical excellence is just about the one factor that Earthquake has going for it. There’s not a lot appeal in watching these big stars enjoying clichéd characters strolling round destroyed units, servicing a horribly melodramatic narrative. Every little thing is one-note, which instantly renders the stakes pointless.

Launch Date: November 15, 1974
Director: Mark Robson
Solid: Charlton Heston
, Ava Gardner
, George Kennedy
, Lorne Greene
, Geneviève Bujold
, Richard Roundtree
, Marjoe Gortner
, Barry Sullivan
, Lloyd Nolan
, Victoria Principal
, Walter Matthau
, Monica Lewis
, Gabriel Dell
, Pedro Armendariz Jr.
, Lloyd Gough
, John Randolph
, Kip Niven
, Scott Hylands
, Tiger Williams
, Donald Moffat
, Jesse Vint
Runtime: 123 Minutes
Writers: Mario Puzo
, George Fox

7

‘Military of the Useless’ (2021)

Gained: Oscars Fan Favourite

Dave Bautista as Scott Ward in Army of the Dead — Picture by way of Netflix

For the 2022 Oscars, the Academy launched a Fan Favourite class the place followers may vote on social media for his or her favourite movie of the 12 months. The truth that the class by no means got here again (and maybe by no means will) is fairly telling. The winner ended up being Zack Snyder‘s Military of the Useless, a zombie heist movie the place, following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a bunch of mercenaries enterprise into the quarantine zone to tug of the best theft in historical past.

Zack Snyder undoubtedly has worse motion pictures, however that does not in any respect imply that Military of the Useless is something lower than mediocre. Terribly overlong, missing in creativity, and an assault on the senses with its CGI-heavy motion, it has loads of enjoyable moments and funky style twists going for it, however the cons considerably outweigh the professionals. There was greater than sufficient backlash in opposition to the Fan Favourite class making Military of the Useless an Oscar winner that the Academy canceled the class for 2023.

Military of the Useless

Launch Date: Might 21, 2021
Director: Zack Snyder
Solid: Ana de la Reguera
, Samantha Win
, Tig Notaro
, Matthias Schweighöfer
, Huma Qureshi
, Omari Hardwick
, Michael Cassidy
, Theo Rossi
, Ella Purnell
, Raul Castillo
, Hiroyuki Sanada
, Garret Dillahunt
, Richard Cetrone
, Dave Bautista
, Nora Arnezeder
Runtime: 139 minutes
Writers: Zack Snyder
, Shay Hatten
, Joby Harold
Price range: $70-90 Million

6

‘In Previous Arizona’ (1928)

Gained: Greatest Main Actor (Warner Baxter)

Warner Baxter as The Cisco Kid and Edmund Lowe as Dunn in In Old Arizona — Picture by way of Fox Movie Company

The second-ever Academy Awards had loads of questionable winners, however few have aged worse than the Western drama In Previous Arizona. It is a couple of charming, happy-go-lucky bandit from Arizona enjoying cat-and-mouse with the sheriff that is making an attempt to catch him, all whereas he romances an area magnificence. The film’s sole Oscar win got here for Warner Baxter’s brownface efficiency because the protagonist, the Mexican outlaw Cisco Child.

In response to Letterboxd, this is without doubt one of the worst motion pictures which have ever gained an Academy Award. Except for Baxter’s campy efficiency getting older like milk, In Previous Arizona presents just about all the issues that quite a lot of early talkies had: It will possibly’t fairly work out find out how to execute its style with sound, the performing is a cringey relic of the previous, and every thing concerning the story feels pretend and over-the-top.

In Previous Arizona

Launch Date: December 25, 1928
Director: Irving Cummings
Solid: Edmund Lowe
, Warner Baxter
, Dorothy Burgess
, Henry Armetta
, James Bradbury Jr.
, Joe Brown
, Frank Campeau
, Alphonse Ethier
, John Webb Dillion
, Jim Farley
, Soledad Jiménez
, Ivan Linow
, Tom London
, Helen Lynch
, J. Farrell MacDonald
, Evelyn Selbie
Runtime: 95 minutes
Writers: O. Henry

Lease on Apple TV

5

‘Cavalcade’ (1933)

Gained: Greatest Image, Greatest Director (Frank Lloyd), and Greatest Artwork Course

'Cavalcade' (1933) 1-1 — Picture by way of Fox Movie Company

Because the Academy was simply determining the Oscars’ guidelines and what sorts of creative advantage they needed to reward, the ’30s had quite a lot of Oscar winners that have been, to be sort, fairly dangerous. This contains Greatest Image recipients like Cavalcade, a drama portraying the triumphs and tragedies of two English households from totally different social lessons between 1899 and 1933.

Cavalcade is painfully boring, uncomfortably mawkish, and actually poorly paced and written.

One of many worst Greatest Image winners of all time, Cavalcade is painfully boring, uncomfortably mawkish, and actually poorly paced and written. There’s some advantage in its solid, its visuals (it additionally gained Artwork Course), and even in Frank Lloyd‘s course right here and there (he gained Greatest Director), however the themes are so infantilizing and on-the-nose, the drama is so exaggerated, and the characters are so uninteresting that every one of its strengths pale compared to its weaknesses.

Cavalcade

Launch Date: April 15, 1933
Director: Frank Lloyd
Solid: Una O’Connor
, Herbert Mundin
Runtime: 112

Lease on Amazon

4

‘Coquette’ (1929)

Gained: Greatest Main Actress (Mary Pickford)

A young woman sitting on a man's lap, another man watching them — Picture by way of United Artists

Mary Pickford, probably the most legendary actresses of the period of silent cinema, was one of many 36 founding members of AMPAS. Her energy and affect in Hollywood on the time was evidently super. So, is it actually shocking that she gained the 2nd-ever Greatest Main Actress Oscar for her first-ever talkie efficiency? It was in Coquette, a romantic drama a couple of flirtatious Southern belle changing into compromised with considered one of her suitors.

Pickford was able to some really beautiful performing, nevertheless it’s clear that she wasn’t made for talkies. Her efficiency in Coquette is dodgy, over-the-top, and characterised by terrible line supply. Certainly, Pickford would go on to star in solely 4 talkies extra after this one. The subject at hand is the movie itself, although, and… It is not a lot better. It is method too dialogue-heavy, the tone and story are utterly lifeless, and the characters haven’t got significantly fascinating arcs. It is the sort of movie that you just watch as soon as after which utterly neglect a few weeks later.

Coquette

Launch Date: March 30, 1929
Director: Sam Taylor
Solid: Johnny Mack Brown
, Mary Pickford
, Matt Moore
, John St. Polis
, William Janney
, Henry Kolker
, George Irving
, Louise Beavers
, Phyllis Crane
, Joseph Depew
, Robert Homans
, Vera Lewis
, Craig Reynolds
Runtime: 76 minutes

Coquette is presently not accessible to stream, hire, or buy within the U.S.

3

‘Cimarron’ (1931)

Gained: Greatest Image, Greatest Adaptation Writing, and Greatest Artwork Course

Irene Dunne as Sabra and Richard Dix as Yancey in Cimarron (1931) — Picture by way of RKO Radio Photos

There has solely ever been one Greatest Image winner worse than Cimarron. This Nineteen Thirties catastrophe is a Western a couple of newspaper editor who settles in an Oklahoma growth city along with his reluctant spouse on the finish of the nineteenth century. Its big scope and admirable manufacturing qualities are nonetheless improbable, however every thing else about it has aged horribly.

It is the worst Greatest Image winner of the ’30s, filled with blatant misogyny and racial stereotypes that will be laborious to not discover offensive. Even setting apart how poorly this type of content material has aged, although, it isn’t an excellent movie in any respect. It is uninteresting, lifeless, overlong, and terribly boring, with little or no in the best way of creativity or originality and a sluggish tempo that makes the entire thing laborious to bear.

Cimarron

Launch Date: February 9, 1931
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Solid: Richard Dix
, Irene Dunne
, Estelle Taylor
, Nance O’Neil
Runtime: 123 minutes
Writers: Edna Ferber
, Howard Estabrook
, Louis Sarecky

Lease on Apple TV

2

‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929)

Gained: Greatest Image

A song and dance routine from The Broadway Melody — Picture by way of Warner Bros. Photos

Regardless of all of it, there’s one film that also reigns supreme because the worst of the worst on the subject of Oscar-winning movies: The second winner of Greatest Image ever, The Broadway Melody. It is a romantic musical a couple of pair of sisters from the vaudeville circuit making an attempt to make it large on Broadway. Nevertheless, issues of the center get in the best way and complicate their ambitions.

As a historic doc, The Broadway Melody is fascinating sufficient. It was one of many first musicals ever made — the issue is which you can clearly inform. One of many worst within the style from the twentieth century, it was made at some extent of talkies’ infancy the place administrators nonetheless did not know find out how to make the style work on the massive display. The story is tedious, the performing is poor, and the musical numbers are badly shot, choreographed, and edited. For anybody who’s not a movie historian or a hardcore Oscars completionist, The Broadway Melody is healthier off prevented.

The Broadway Melody

Launch Date: June 6, 1929
Director: Harry Beaumont
Solid: Charles King
, Anita Web page
, Bessie Love
, Eddie Kane
Runtime: 100 minutes
Writers: Edmund Goulding
, Norman Houston
, James Gleason
, Earl Baldwin

1

‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)

Gained: Greatest Make-up & Hairstyling

Deadshot looking ahead sternly in 'Suicide Squad' (2016) — Picture by way of Warner Bros. Photos

Whereas it did not win Greatest Image (and thank the Heavens for that), David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad is worse than Cimarron and The Broadway Melody mixed. This darkly comedic DCEU catastrophe is a couple of secret authorities company recruiting a few of the world’s most harmful incarcerated supervillains to kind a defensive job drive. Their mission? To save lots of the world from the apocalypse like some sort of Suicide Squad.

The story? A multitude. The dialogue? Laughable. The characters? A humiliation. The pacing and modifying? Horrendous. One of many few redeemable issues about Suicide Squad is the make-up work, and if something from it was going to win an Academy Award, yeah: it would as effectively have been that. Even nonetheless, most individuals would agree that the world can be a happier and extra harmonious place if the label “Oscar-winning” could not be utilized to this horrible superhero movie.