Ranking the 2025 Best Picture Nominees

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — No matter how good the Oscar Best Picture lineup ends up being, each one will always have at least a few detractors complaining, “This movie doesn’t deserve to win an Oscar! It’s not even good!” There’s also that one nominee that people love to dogpile on, whether it deserves it or not. For the most part, I think any movie that finds itself in this category is there for a good reason.

This year does feel different, though, with this particular crop of Best Picture nominees being oddly inconsistent compared to most. Usually, I find myself liking all of the nominees to some extent, perhaps with an outlier here or there that I thought was just satisfactory. This year was different. There are some true masterpieces on this list, but some movies I just didn’t get the hype for, and one that downright left a disgusting taste in my mouth.

So, without further ado, my ranking of the 2025 Best Picture nominees from worst to best:

10. Emilia Pérez

Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Pérez in Emilia Pérez.(Shanna Besson/PAGE 114 - WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - PATHÉ FILMS - FRANCE 2 CINÉMA)

Emilia Pérez is one of those movies that I absolutely hate, but I completely understand why it got nominated for Best Picture and 12 other awards. Some significant filmmakers, filmmakers who have made great movies, mind you, have praised the film as “audacious, bold, daring, original,” and many other expressions. While those words aptly describe Emilia Pérez, it’s also insultingly out of touch, offensive, and just all out poorly made. Mutual exclusion need not apply.

9. A Complete Unknown

Edward Norton and Timothée Chalamet in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN.(Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.)

Easily the blandest and safest film of the Best Picture lineup. I’m positive the only reason A Complete Unknown is even considered is because it’s about Bob Dylan. Timotheé Chalamet and the entire cast are fantastic, but if this wasn’t about one of the most iconic musicians of all time, people would have rightfully overlooked this movie for the incredibly uninspired and uninteresting film it is.

8. Anora

When I first watched Anora and found myself underwhelmed, I mentioned that I got why it’s so highly acclaimed amongst people, but it just didn’t work for me. Well, three months later and almost to the Oscars, I think I’ve come to the conclusion that, yeah, I actually don’t get what the big deal is. Mikey Madison is undoubtedly deserving of her accolades, but beyond that, it was... fine? I like Sean Baker, but besides the performances, I don’t find anything Best Picture-worthy about Anora.

7. Conclave

Carlos Diehz stars as Cardinal Benitez in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a Focus Features... — Carlos Diehz stars as Cardinal Benitez in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release.(Courtesy of Focus Features.)

Conclave is another one of those safe Best Picture nominees, but unlike A Complete Unknown, it’s anything but bland. On paper, Conclave may not have the most exciting premise, but the execution is stellar, with a phenomenal cast and gorgeous, atmospheric direction. It’s one of those rare films centered around organized religion yet has a broad and universal appeal to just about everyone. Who knew electing a new Pope could be so exciting?

6. Nickel Boys

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor stars as Hattie in director RaMell Ross’s NICKEL BOYS, from Orion Pictures.(Courtesy of Orion Pictures)

Nickel Boys is an impressive film and only one on that list that actually attempts to push the filmmaking medium forward. In fact, it’s more deserving of all of those words thrown around for Emilia Pérez. Telling your entire drama film through a first-person perspective was quite the risk, but director RaMell Ross executed it with great confidence and artistic vision.

5. Wicked

L to R: Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Granda is Glinda in WICKED, directed by Jon M. Chu(Universal Pictures)

There’s something comforting to me whenever a musical is nominated for Best Picture. It feels so charmingly evocative of “old Hollywood,” reminding us all of how dominant the genre used to be back in the day. It all feels even more fitting, considering Wicked is based off one of the most iconic Hollywood films of all time, and since it was also an adaptation of a hit Broadway musical, it had a lot of hype to live up to. Well, the entire cast and crew knocked it out of the park, bringing popularity back to the musical genre, hopefully for a long time. Will the second part, Wicked: For Good, make the Best Picture cut next year? I guess we’ll see.

4. I’m Still Here

SELTON MELLO as Rubens, FERNANDA TORRES as Eunice in ‘I’m Still Here’(Alile Onawale)

I’m Still Here has been the dark horse of the season. It unexpectedly squeezed into the Best Picture conversation at seemingly the final hour, becoming the other international film, along with Emelia Pérez, to get a nomination. I didn’t see it before the nominations were announced, but after watching it, it was no surprise why it got nominated. It’s an incredible true story about human resilience and never giving up the fight for the justice you seek, all led by Fernanda Torres, putting on one of the greatest film performances of the decade. Fingers crossed that resilience ends up toppling Emelia Pérez for Best International Feature Film.

3. Dune: Part Two

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action... — TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.(Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films are the closest thing we’ve gotten to a new Lord of the Rings type of epic. They’re immaculately crafted cinematic experiences based on a legendary literary work that comes as close as something possibly can to transporting you to a completely different universe. Dune: Part One set the stage and created millions of new fans, including myself, and Dune: Part Two delivered on bringing it all to an epic conclusion. There are more Dune projects planned, and you know what I say to that? Keep that spice flowing!

2. The Brutalist

(L-R) Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones(Courtesy of A24)

Probably the most “Oscary” movies out of all of these, The Brutalist is similar to Dune in where it’s the resurgence of the type of film we haven’t seen in so long: the classic American epic. The Brutalist is definitely a different type of “epic” than Dune, but it’s still an epic in its own way, being very reminiscent of classics like The Godfather and Once Upon a Time in America. It’s an artistic passion project through and through, and an incredibly long one at that, but you know what? Give me as many hours of movies like this as you can because we don’t get them very often.

1. The Substance

Margaret Qualley as Sue in MUBI's THE SUBSTANCE.(Christine Tamalet)

The Substance is a movie that seems like it was scientifically created in a laboratory to specifically appeal to me, so of course, I was elated when it received a Best Picture nomination, as well as many deserved others. Its nomination surprised a few people as the Academy voters have often shunned horror films. Still, it goes beyond being just a gross-out body horror flick and has genuine thematic content voters can relate to and empathize with. Not to mention the career-defining performances. Will The Substance actually win, though? That’s another question.

Unfortunately, I don’t see it taking home the top prize (see my prediction here), but the fact that it’s getting recognition like this at all is a win in my book. A win not just for me and other fans of it but for the entire horror genre as a whole. If Coralie Fargeat doesn’t get her dues on Sunday night, then it’ll only be a matter of time.

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