The 2012 Academy Awards honored films released in the previous year, 2011. Films that could have been considered for Best Picture, but weren't, included I Am Number Four, Bad Teacher, Footlooseand The Change-UpThose films didn't receive much praise from the Academy or any awards in the 2012 season.

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The films that did receive recognition, praise and a nomination for Best Picture were: The Descendants, The Artist, which won the award, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris, War Horse, The Tree of Life, Hugo, and The HelpWith such a big list of nominees, this year's Best Picture category probably has a few that the Academy wishes they could re-vote on.

Should Have Been: Contagion

No one knew how timely this film would eventually become in 2011 and how many people would have seen this film by 2020. The film boasts a very impressive ensemble cast and tells a terrifying story of what could happen to the world in a deadly pandemic.

Despite having so many stars and being such an interesting story, the film wasn't nominated for any of the major award shows in the year it was eligible, including the Academy Awards.

Should Have Been: Another Earth

Another Earth

This independent feature was written by and stars the brilliant female filmmaker, Brit Marling. The film examines what life would be like if there were two earths in the universe and people existed in both of them.

The dark science fiction film was very well received by critics and made the circuit around independent film festivals. The film is also responsible for putting Brit Marling on the map, yet it received no praise from the Academy.

Nominated: The Descendants

Matt King standing in a beach, smiling and looking at something in the distance

This is one of those nominations that hasn't aged well in recent years given that it's writer, director, and producer, Alexander Payne, made headlines during the rise of the MeToo movement with some pretty terrible allegations made against him.

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The film itself received decent reviews, but from most critics' perspectives, it wasn't a film that was a frontrunner for award season anyways.

Should Have Been: Crazy, Stupid Love

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone meeting the parents in Crazy, Stupid, Love

This romantic comedy starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore, was written by Dan Fogelman and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The film is told in a really fun way that gives the audience a surprise twist ending.

Most people assumed this would be just your average date night movie, but it's gone on to be a classic for its clever storytelling. Like most movie-goers, the Academy seemed to judge a book by its cover with this film and overlooked it for any major awards in the year it was eligible.

Nominated: War Horse

War Horse is an epic war drama directed by Steven Spielberg. The film, based on the novel by the same name and adapted from the original play, takes place before and during World War I. The film stars Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, and Jeremy Irvine.

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None of the performances received any award nominations from the Academy, but the film as a whole did, however this film took home none of the awards they were nominated for, which makes fans wonder if it was a waste of a nomination.

Should Have Been: Cabin In The Woods

chris hemsworth and the cabin in the woods cast

This horror feature film was written by the brilliant Joss Whedon and like most of the things this writer makes, it's unconventional in the best way possible.

The film initially seems completely ridiculous in tone, but as things play out, viewers become enamored with the storyline and the surprise twist at the end. This film really broke the mold for how horror stories are told, yet was completely overlooked by award show voters.

Nominated: Midnight In Paris

Salvador Dali gestures with hand and gazes off into the distance as he speaks in Midnight in Paris

This is another nomination from 2011 that didn't age well because of the filmmaker behind the project who has sense been repeatedly called out by the MeToo movement.

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Woody Allen was considered to be an incredibly brilliant filmmaker and this film, starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, was no exception, but the man behind that brilliance has become very problematic over the years, making this a nomination that wasn't so well deserved all things considered.

Should Have Been: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Lisbeth looks up in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

This crime thriller is based on the novel by the same name, which had previously been adapted into a film in Sweden. The American film stars Rooney Mara in her career-making role and Daniel Craig.

Upon its premiere, the film had great box office numbers and critics were raving about the film. The film was nominated in several categories at the 2012 Academy Awards, including a nomination for Best Actress for Mara, but the film was left out of most of the other major categories that night.

Should Have Been: Drive

Ryan Gosling waiting in a car in Drive

This action film stars Ryan Gosling as a stunt driver who has a part time gig as a getaway driver for people committing crimes. The film was a massive box office success and critics seemed to love the film, assuming it would definitely be up for the coveted Best Picture award.

The film was not nominated in any major categories during award season, however. It did receive one nomination from the Academy for Best Sound Editing.

Should Have Been: Martha Marcy May Marlene

This independent thriller stars Elizabeth Olson, who became a very sought-after talent after this film's release. The film also stars John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy, and was written and directed by Sean Durkin.

After its premiere at Sundance, the film gained a lot of traction and received overwhelming positive reviews from both fans and critics alike, however it was completely left off the nominations list for every major award show that year, including the Academy Awards.

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