10 Movies You Forgot Won Oscars (Even Though They Deserved Them)

As the 2025 awards season gets into full swing, many movies will soon receive Academy Awards at the annual Oscars ceremony. Over the course of the awards show’s 96-year history, prestigious and critically acclaimed titles have taken home enormous hauls on Hollywood’s biggest night. In 2024, Oppenheimer led all films with seven awards, with Poor Things coming in second with eight. But while some winners have remained household names, there have also been unexpected winners and unlikely victors in different categories. Not all of these 10 Oscar winners are bad movies, but their status as Academy Award winners is too often forgotten.

Men in Black

The 1997 Men in Black movie won the Academy Award for for Best Makeup at the 1998 Oscars. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, and Vincent D’Onofrio, the iconic action film was also nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Music – Original Musical or Comedy Score. Men in Black is currently streaming on Peacock.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Even though awards season arrives on the heels of the holiday season, the Oscars doesn’t typically celebrate Christmas movies. However, 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas remains an exception to the rule, as director Ron Howard and star Jim Carrey’s film won in the category of Best Makeup in 2001. How the Grinch Stole Christmas additionally earned nods for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

Pearl Harbor

The 2001 World War II movie Pearl Harbor received mixed reactions from critics and audiences, making its Oscar win all the more surprising. Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett, Alec Baldwin, and Jennifer Garner were featured in the Michael Bay movie, which followed multiple fictional characters during the devastating attack in 1941. Pearl Harbor took home the award for Best Sound Editing at the 2002 Oscars, while it was also nominated for Best Original Song, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. Pearl Harbor is available to stream on Hulu.

Spider-Man 2

Very few Marvel movies have emerged victorious at the Academy Awards over the last 25 years, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 stands as one of the few winners. The 2004 superhero classic, starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man with Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, and James Franco in support, won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 2005. The film also earned nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. Spider-Man 2 is available to stream on Disney+.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Makeup. Directed by Andrew Adamson, the 2005 film adapted C.S. Lewis’ novel and included James McAvoy, Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, and Skandar Keynes in its cast. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe‘s other Oscar nominations include Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. Neither of the movie’s two sequels, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, recorded any Oscar nominations or wins. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is available to stream on Disney+.

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum amassed three victories at the following year’s Oscars. Winning in the categories of Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing, the Paul Greengrass-directed movie remains the only one in Matt Damon’s Bourne franchise to secure an Academy Award. The Bourne Ultimatum is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

The Golden Compass

Based on the first book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials book series, 2007’s The Golden Compass was far from a hit. Despite featuring performances from Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellan, Christopher Lee, and Kathy Bates, the film received only average reviews. Still, The Golden Compass took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 2008. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction. The Golden Compass is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

Star Trek

The J.J. Abrams-directed 2009 Star Trek movie won the 2010 Oscar for Best Achievement in Makeup. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Karle Urban, Zoe Saldaña, and more starred in the film, which was based on the original 1960s TV series. Even though Star Trek was highly praised, its triumph came as a pleasant surprise considering the Academy’s underappreciation of science fiction titles. Star Trek also earned nods for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount+.

Ex Machina

Another unlikely win for an excellent sci-fi film, Ex Machina took home the award for Best Visual Effects in 2016. Director Alex Garland’s movie, about the development of an advanced A.I. humanoid, starred Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sonoya Mizuno. Ex Machina additionally received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Ex Machina can be rented on Amazon Prime Video.

Suicide Squad

DC movies have succeeded at the Oscars before, but Suicide Squad‘s 2017 win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling was a surprise given the film’s bad reviews. Helmed by David Ayer, Suicide Squad showcased a star-studded lineup including Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jared Leto’s Joker, Will Smith’s Deadshot, Ezra Miller’s Flash, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, Jai Courtney’s Boomerang, Common’s Monster T, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and more. Suicide Squad is available to stream on Max.