Oscars: Every Best Picture Nominee Of The 2010s - Ranked Worst To Best

78. Tree Of Life

I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that The Tree of Life is the reason a lot of people instantly turn their face up at any movie described as an "art film" or "arthouse" in general. Terrence Malick's "epic" is indulgent to the point of parody, meandering around through time and space in a way that seems profound if you squint, but mostly just ends up amounting to close to three hours of the director being so pleased with itself.

There have been plenty of similar films that revel in the same kind of grandiosity and attempt to tackle similar lofty, inherently human topics that The Tree of Life also approaches, but with purpose and clarity and without half of the self-importance. It's bold and ambitious for sure, but surprisingly impenetrable, and unforgivably cold considering its subject matter.

Josh Brown

77. The Imitation Game - James

The Imitation Game isn't an outright terrible film, not least because of Benedict Cumberbatch's strong performance in the lead role. It's a fine movie to have in on the background of a lazy Sunday afternoon, which is its biggest problem. It feels like a TV movie, rather than the kind of account someone as fascinating and important as Alan Turing.

The formulaic plotting and the drab cinematography do little to capture the imagination, so while Cumberbatch deserved a Best Actor nod, it's hard to see why this was in the Best Picture race. Compared to the compelling true story of Turing, this is just a pale imitation.

James Hunt

76. American Sniper

Neither historically accurate nor particularly spectacular (at least by Clint Eastwood's high standards), American Sniper often feels too much like an exercise in jingoistic flag-waving rather than focusing on the more interesting subject of the real toll of a job like sniping on the front-line.

It's not a bad film per se (and it could have been a lot less accomplished in another director's hands), but there isn't enough focus on the background of the Iraq war and there's a little too much wilful propagation of the ideas of locals in a foreign warzone being somehow less developed. There's also very little depth in anyone other than Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle, so it's hard to call it a real Best Film contender.

SG

75. Vice

Smug, self-satisfied, and condescending, Vice doubles-down on Adam McKay's worst filmmaking impulses displayed in the better The Big Short. Completely over-edited, it tries to force the life of Dick Cheney to be fascinating in a way it just isn't, and yet often leaves the most interesting elements in the pieces of text that appear on screen.

It's boosted by some strong performances, not least from a transformed Christian Bale, which help make it watchable, but the way it thinks it's so smart and talks down to its audience is shockingly bad. Watch the new Fast and the Furious movie instead. It's lit.

JH