The article ranks four action thrillers that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, arguing that such victories are unusual because the Oscars have often favoured non-genre films.

– It criticises Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another despite its reported awards success, calling it financially disappointing but praising its cast.
– The Hurt Locker is presented as a tense Iraq war drama and psychological thriller, notable for Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first woman to win Best Director.
– The film won six Oscars at the 82nd Academy Awards, with Jeremy Renner’s performance highlighted as a breakthrough.
– The article contrasts these winners with prominent genre films it says were overlooked by the Academy.