When the Oscars go wild...

Whether a film merits an Academy Award is always a matter of opinion, but some are clearly undeserving. Time to name and shame, writes Jacob Stolworthy. And the winners are...

- Jacob Stolworthy

Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years. While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions - trophies handed to the right people for the right films - more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.

The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But this does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.

With the 2025 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 15 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.

15. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

How many did it win: Eight

This might be a controversial one, but it’s sometimes good to hold your hands up and admit that a film is nowhere near as good as you recall. Sadly, Best picture winner Slumdog Millionaire is one of those. While the Danny Boyle film’s win no doubt put smiles on the faces of commuters reading the morning papers the next day, the shine wears off its success with every rewatch. The rightful winner – The Dark Knight– wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture, an omission that led to the Academy increasing the number of nominees in that category.

14. The Imitation Game (2014)

How many did it win: One

There are many reasons why