8. Wicked

Wicked is fun. Wicked made a lot of money. Wicked has inspired people who can’t sing to try and hit high notes only certain vocal chords in human existence can hit. With all of that said, Wicked is not winning an Oscar for Best Picture. The theatrical adaption of the legendary Broadway play is a clever and heartfelt exploration into how two very different witches—Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), born with green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the socially adept “good witch” from The Wizard of Oz—become unlikely friends before fate steers their paths in opposite directions.

Unfortunately, Wicked might suffer from what held Barbie back from Oscar gold, since The Academy usually rewards films with more dramatic examinations of the human condition (Oppenheimer, Moonlight, Parasite) and fewer singalongs. That could explain why a musical hasn’t won the top honor at the Oscars since Chicago did so 22 years ago. Maybe the undeniable charm and on-screen chemistry of Grande and Erivo will be enough to sway voters to cast their votes for this fun yet complex film that became the face of 2024 cinema. But don’t count on it.