12 Hugely Iconic Movies That Shockingly Didn't Win A Single Academy Award

2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Nominated For: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Adapted Screenplay. IMDB Ranking: #7 Rotten Tomatoes: 100% Many movies are adapted from the theatre, but 12 Angry Men sticks much closer to its inspiration than most. Other than at the very start (in the courtroom) and the very end (outside on the courthouse's steps), the entire film takes place in the jury room, as the twelve supposedly irate men argue over the fate of the defendant, whose freedom lies solely in their hands. It is quite extraordinary that a film comprised predominantly of one prolonged, ninety-minute scene, with twelve unnamed characters talking about a person and a case that the audience knows absolutely nothing about, can be so compelling, and that it has been re-imagined and parodied on numerous occasions is a testament to its great influence on modern storytelling. 12 Angry Men was actually recognised by the Academy, being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 30th Academy Awards, but lost in all three categories to The Bridge on the River Kwai. Nevertheless, it remains a classic to this day, widely regarded as one of the best movies ever produced, and a fine representation of the powers of human morality and rapport.