Each of the estimated 5,783 cinematically acclaimed Academy members have meticulously ranked what they consider to be the best films of the year, imaginably losing hours of sleep over such a critical decision. After all, the Oscars, which air Sunday, Feb. 22, are to a true movie lover what the Superbowl is to a football fanatic.

With loss of sleep, consequently, comes overlooked details – and in some cases, total recklessness. As the distraught Academy members crawled to their computers and mailboxes in a daze and submitted their final film rankings, they seemed to have forgotten some great Best Picture Oscar-worthy masterpieces.

It’s the only explanation.

While there used to be only five nominees total for Best Picture, there can now be up to 10. Last year’s Best Picture list sported nine films. On Jan. 15, the Academy announced eight films that made this year’s cut.

The nominated films get all the attention. You could work your way down the list of Best Picture contenders until you’ve watched every one in the days leading up to the big event. But don’t just take the Academy’s word for the year’s best movies. The following films may have been picked last in gym, they still could have (and should have) made the team. After the Oscar festivities end and the red carpet is rolled away, it won’t matter who was nominated. These are still among the best movies of the year worthy of adding to your watch list:

Interstellar

While snubbed for Best Picture, Interstellar is nominated for five additional categories. The nominations are for more artistic elements of filmmaking including: best sound, visual effects and original score. While the film had incredible visual and technical qualities, it was also a truly one-of-a kind and absolutely fascinating storyline. One that made you feel small, in the good way. The film brought wonder and gave a profound sense of life. I love leaving a movie and feeling as if I’ve gained a new perspective, giving up a few hours of my life for something that inspires me or makes me question something. Stunning visuals, booming sound, innovative writing and touching performances from Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Mackenzie Foy made this a clear choice.

Gone Girl

One of the year’s most anticipated book-to-movie adaptations, Gone Girl flawlessly portrays the disturbing relationship of Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike: Nominated for Best Actress in the film, and rightfully so.) The order and flow of events is everything in this movie – like putting a puzzle together in perfect sequence. From Amy’s disappearance to the very end, it was a complex and satisfying spin on a somewhat ordinary tale of “cheating husband” and “revenge-plotting wife.” Gillian Flynn’s best-seller couldn’t have been better brought to life by director David Fincher and our two main characters, who successfully depicted how a marriage based on lies brought out the true darkness inside them both. It was a worthy contender.

Nightcrawler

Not only was Nightcrawler worthy of a nomination for Best Picture, Jake Gyllenhaal more than deserved to be a candidate for Best Actor. While the film is up for Best Original Screenplay (meaning best script not based on previously published material), the single nomination simply doesn’t do the film justice. It is the kind of movie that explores how a certain kind of human being can make us feel all kinds of uncomfortable, yet intensely mesmerized. Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is the archetype for entitlement and sociopathic behavior and the audience realizes this through stellar writing and even better camera-work. Not seeing more of this film at the Oscars will be thoroughly disappointing.

Foxcatcher

Also nominated five times in prominent categories such as: Best Director (Bennett Miller), Best Actor (Steve Carell) and Best Original Screenplay, Foxcatcher was sadly left out of the running for the coveted Best Picture golden statuette. Everyone loves a true story, and this one is remarkably twisted. The story of Olympic Gold-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), his illustrious brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) and wealthy heir John du Pont (Carell) depict just how self-esteem and desperation for approval can lead to a very dark path. With all the additional nominations – especially Best Director – the film is not likely to miss a nomination for Best Picture. It is unclear what went wrong.

The Babadook

It seems to be a rare feat for a horror movie to receive Oscar recognition – and for that reason it is not surprising that The Babadook was neglected, perhaps merely for its genre. Described by The Exorcist director William Friedkin as “nothing shy of the most terrifying film ever made,” the film definitely received the recognition it deserved by those who can appreciate as fastidious a category as “horror.” The Australian film explores the world of a struggling widow and mother, Amelia (Essie Davis) and her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman), who has a crippling fear of monsters and a violent form of coping. The movie is just the right kind of disturbing and frightening that a great horror movie should be – and that is hard to come by.