25 best movies that never won an Oscar

17. Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino’s first major film is a bloody mix of tension, crackling dialogue and bravado-turned-paranoia. Reservoir Dogs was the world’s first taste of the tricks and tropes that would come to define Tarantino’s cinematic sensibilities. Unsurprisingly, the Academy wasn’t ready for the particular voice and aesthetic of his first effort.

It’s still a bit startling to realize that Reservoir Dogs didn’t earn a single nomination for the 1993 Oscars. One would think that even if the Academy didn’t entirely “get” what Tarantino was going for they would at least recognize his artistry and reward him thusly. Alas, the film that earned Tarantino entrance into the proverbial A-List directors’ club was entirely overlooked.

The 1993 Academy Awards were mostly dominated by Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, but there was room for a bit of Tarantino love. If nothing else, it’s a bit surprising that he wasn’t nominated for Original Screenplay. That category went to The Crying Game, which is hard to argue with. But there’s no reason Reservoir Dogs couldn’t have at least been given a nod.

Luckily for Tarantino, he only had to wait two years for the Academy to take notice of his skills after the release of a little movie called Pulp Fiction. It was nominated for five Oscars and took home one for Original Screenplay.

The lesson here: If at first you don’t succeed, write Pulp Fiction.