The 91st Academy Awards Ceremony is almost upon us! In celebration of the biggest night of the year in Hollywood, we’ve compiled a list of the best and all of the Oscar-winning titles on Netflix.
The Oscars are the most prestigious award in Hollywood a film can receive. From Best Picture to Best Makeup and Hair, each award earned is a testament to the cast and crews commitment to their craft. While an Academy Award is not the be all and end all of the making, to earn such an award immortalizes your role and influence in the industry. In the list below we’ve slected especially some of our favourite Oscar winning films currently streaming on Netflix!
Please note: The list below has been taken from the US Netflix library.
The Graduate (1967)
1 Oscar Won: Best Director (Mike Nichols)
The Graduate director Mike Nichols won best director for the Rom-Com Classic. Even 50 years on The Graduate is still one of Dustin Hoffman’s most career-defining roles. Since the films release the premise of the movie has been used in many different iterations and most if not all don’t hold up against this classic story. While the film may have not been the first to use the ‘Man makes a grand romantic gesture by stopping the wedding’ it certainly popularised the troupe and has since been used as a cliche many times in Hollywood.
After finishing college, graduate Benjamin Braddock moves back in with his parents. While undecided what to do with his life, he catches the eye of Mrs. Robinson and is soon seduced by her. What began as a fun affair for the pair soon turns complicated when Benjamin begins to fall for Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine.
The King’s Speech (2010)
4 Oscars Won: Best Picture, Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Original Screenplay
There’s something about monarchs in films that the academy and thus audiences absolutely adore. There has been an incredible number of actors and actresses that have been nominated and won Oscars for their portrayals of monarchs. Colin Firth won the Oscar for best actor his portrayal of British Monarch King George VI, along with 3 other awards that included best director and picture the film won a total of 4 academy awards in 2011. A phenomenal showing, the film is a must watch and definitely should be added to your watch list.
Prince Albert the song of King George V is second in line to the throne. Responsibility as a royal was public speaking and yet public speaking was not Albert’s strength thus he always struggled with a speech impediment that had impaired him from speaking to the public. Seeking treatment, Albert is persuaded by his wife to seek out Lionel Logue a speech therapist. When his older brother abdicates the throne so he can be with his true love Wallace, Albert is next in line to become the King of Great Britain. With war with Germany imminent, He must address the nation so with Lionel’s help Albert must overcome his speech impairment and become the figurehead the nation needs.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
2 Oscar’s Won: Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Robin Williams)
Not only was the late Robin Williams a comedic genius but when it a serious role was presented to him he would smash it out of the park. With a magnificent amount of versatility in his acting range it’s astounding, he didn’t win more. Good Will Hunting was the fourth role that Williams had been nominated for an Academy Award to which he finally took home the gold for Best Supporting Actor. A young Matt Damon also starred and shone in this movie but it can’t be understated how brilliant Robin Williams was for his portrayal of psychologist Dr. Sean Maguire.
Professor Lambeau sets a challenge for his Math students to solve but when it is solved anonymously Lambeau sets an even more difficult challenge. While staying late at the university late at night Lambeau catches the person responsible for solving the difficult Math problems that he’d left behind. Much to his surprise, the culprit is the janitor Will Hunting, a 20-year-old self-taught genius. Professor Lambeau desperately wishes for Will to attend MIT and utilize his potential but instead, Will prefers to drink with his buddies. When Will is arrested for assaulting a police officer, Lambeau arranges a deal so that Will doesn’t serve jail time. Lambeau’s condition is that Will must come study Mathematics at the University and attend therapy with psychologist Dr. Sean Maguire.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
2 Oscars Won: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing
While one of the most visually compelling films of the 1970s and that of the 20th century, the film was also marred with controversy. Director Francis Ford Coppola invested huge amounts of money into the film, to which $30 Million of his own money was invested. Actors and the film crew put themselves through hell to ensure Coppola’s vision was complete. From exotic diseases to Martin Sheen’s heart attack, through blood, sweat and tears the film was eventually completed after 3 years. 2 years of which were in post-production which helped shape some of the most iconic moments in film history.
In the midst of the Vietnam War, Captain Millard is sent on a mission upriver to find and assassinate Colonel Kurtz. The former promising officer had reportedly gone mad and must be put down.
The Pianist (2002)
3 Oscars Won: Best Actor (Adrian Brody), Best Director (Roman Polanski), Best Writing Adapted Screenplay
Amidst great horror, you can also find great beauty. A harrowing tale based on real-life Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman’s experience of life during occupied Nazi-occupied Poland and thus the Holocaust. Controversial director Roman Polanski won the award for Best Director and was thoroughly deserved. Most notably Adrian Brody’s portrayal of Szpilam earned him an Oscar for Best Actor to which he became the youngest ever recipient of the award. Throwing himself into his work, to date this role was Brody’s most intense. His preparation for the role was overwhelmingly intense, even to the point where he was practicing piano 4 hours a day and could perfectly play music by Chopin.
Wladyslaw Szpilman was once a performer on the Polish Jewish radio station and would play the piano. But as the world enters the World War 2 it’s not long before Warsaw drastically changes for the worst as Nazi Germany invades. Forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, Szpilman is separated from his family when the Nazi enact Operation Reinhard. Escaping from the Nazi’s, Szpilman spends the rest of the war running and hiding from German’s that occupy the city. It’s not only Germans that are the danger but ravenous hunger and bitter cold endanger the life of Polish pianist.
The Departed (2006)
Oscars Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing
One of the best films of the noughties but still an underappreciated modern day classic. Considering the library of films produced by Martin Scorsese it’s easy to see how such an incredible film could get lost in the mix of equally other incredible films. For a film that won the prestigious awards of Best Picture and Best Director, it still comes as a massive surprise that a film with such incredible performances from the cast never won an award in the acting categories.
Boston Police officer Billy Costigan infiltrates the Boston Mob meanwhile Colin Sullivan working for the Mob infiltrates the Boston police department. Both the police and the mob know there are moles in each other’s organizations but it’s up to Billy and Colin to find each other In a dangerous game of cat and mouse,
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
4 Oscars Won: Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Director (Jonathan Demme)
Throughout the villains of Hollywood, there are few that can chill you to the bone the way that Hannibal Lecter can. A chilling and commanding performance from the astounding Anthony Hopkins definitely deserved his Oscar. Equally deserving of their award was actress Jodie Foster, while she had already been acting since she was a child, her role as FBI agent Clarice Starling earned her the Academy Award.
When a series of murders involving young attractive women become national news, the FBI steps up drastic measures to catch the killer. Sending top FBI student Clarice Starling to interview the violent and psychopathic Hannibal Lector. The brilliant and disturbed psychiatrist was arrested for murdering and eating his victims and has since been confined to life behind bars. Her superiors believing Lecter has insight into the case think that sending Clarice (a young and attractive woman) may be what the FBI needs to draw the killer out.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
1 Oscar Won: Best Original Screenplay
Never the conventional director and film creator, Quentin Tarantino’s classic title is considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time and deservedly so. A phenomenal comeback for actor John Travolta not to mention what could be argued as Samuel L. Jackson’s true breakout role in Hollywood. With a deconstructed and choppy narrative, each chapter are stories in themselves with each equally engaging and entertaining as the ones before. Pulp Fiction to date is still one of the best films created by Tarantino and that is a testament to his film making considering the other excellent titles from his collection.
In this multi-narrative story, we follow 2 hitmen with a knack for the philosophical conversation on the hunt for their boss’ stolen briefcase, a drug-loving wife of a mobster with a love for dancing and $5 shakes, a struggling boxer looking to escape the life of fixed matches and a pair of armed robbers that shoot up at diner.
Schindler’s List (1993)
7 Oscars Won: Best Picture, Best Original Music, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Writing Adapting Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design
Schindler’s List is the second film on this list based on the events that took place during the Holocaust. This film alongside The Pianist is certainly one of the most harrowing and iconic films in Hollywood. While it doesn’t glorify the events of the Holocaust it shines a light on a microscopic scale on the cruelty and horrors committed by the Nazi’s in WW2. Shot completely in black and white the film is also a visual masterpiece and thanks to the way it was shot when color was actually used it only expressed its somber message further. Winning a total of 7 Oscars, this was legendary director Steven Spielberg’s biggest haul. If you haven’t already watched Schindler’s list please don’t refrain and watch what can only be described as one of the best films in history.
In 1939 businessman Oskar Schindler arrives in Krakow to make his fortune from World War 2. Upon joining the Nazi party, Schindler bribes many Nazi officials so that he can have his factory to produce enamelware. With the help of a Jewish official, Schindler hires a from the Jewish community that has been overcrowded into the Ghetto of Krakow. Upon seeing the monstrous and inhumane acts the Nazis commit on the Jewish people changes Schindler from profiting from the war and instead tries to save as many lives as he can from it.
The Dark Knight (2008)
1 Oscar Won: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger)
The standard bearer for superhero titles in Hollywood belongs to Christopher Nolan and his title The Dark Knight. No superhero title made before and after has lived up to the quality and prestige this film exhumes. Most notably is the outstanding performance from the late Heath Ledger and his portrayal of the Joker. Earning himself the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, he had sadly passed away before the film even debuted in theatres. His performance will go down as one the best and exhilarant in Hollywood history.
In the height of Batman’s vigilantism in Gotham City, crime has drastically decreased thanks to the Bat. In an act of desperation, the remaining mobsters hire the psychotic Joker, that promises to kill the Batman. Using his own brand of chaos, the Joker wreaks havoc on the city of Gotham leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Only Batman and Gotham’s ‘White Knight’ Harvey Dent stand in his way. But when the Joker pushes Gotham to edge of despair he forces Batman and Harvey to walk the fine line between heroism and vigilantism.
| Title | Oscars Won | Year of Release | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyhood | 1 | 2014 | 7.9 |
| The Constant Gardener | 1 | 2005 | 7.4 |
| The Duchess | 1 | 2008 | 6.9 |
| Her | 1 | 2013 | 8 |
| Room | 1 | 2015 | 8.2 |
| The Hateful Eight | 1 | 2015 | 7.8 |
| The Theory of Everything | 1 | 2014 | 7.7 |
| Silver Linings Playbook | 1 | 2012 | 7.7 |
| Ex Machina | 1 | 2014 | 7.7 |
| Icarus Netflix Original | 1 | 2017 | 7.9 |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 1 | 2004 | 8.3 |
| Babel | 1 | 2006 | 7.5 |
| AMY | 1 | 2015 | 7.8 |
| Cold Mountain | 1 | 2003 | 7.2 |
| 20 Feet From Stardom | 1 | 2013 | 7.4 |
| Atonement | 1 | 2007 | 7.8 |
| Cool Hand Luke | 1 | 1967 | 8.1 |
| Pulp Fiction | 1 | 1994 | 8.9 |
| Undefeated | 1 | 2011 | 7.8 |
| The White Helmets | 1 | 2016 | 7.5 |
| Prelude to War | 1 | 1942 | 7.1 |
| The Third Man | 1 | 1949 | 8.2 |
| East of Eden | 1 | 1955 | 8 |
| The Graduate | 1 | 1967 | 8 |
| The Battle of Midway | 1 | 1942 | 6.2 |
| L.A. Confidential | 2 | 1997 | 8.3 |
| The Cider House Rules | 2 | 1999 | 7.4 |
| Lincoln | 2 | 2012 | 7.4 |
| MILK | 2 | 2008 | 7.6 |
| Good Will Hunting | 2 | 1997 | 8.3 |
| As Good As It Gets | 2 | 1997 | 7.7 |
| Black Hawk Down | 2 | 2001 | 7.7 |
| The Fighter | 2 | 2010 | 7.8 |
| The Dark Knight | 2 | 2008 | 9 |
| Apocalypse Now | 2 | 1979 | 8.5 |
| Dallas Buyers Club | 3 | 2013 | 8 |
| Howards End | 3 | 1992 | 7.5 |
| The Pianist | 3 | 2002 | 8.5 |
| Pan’s Labyrinth | 3 | 2006 | 8.2 |
| Jaws | 3 | 1975 | 8 |
| No Country for Old Men | 4 | 2007 | 8.1 |
| The King’s Speech | 4 | 2010 | 8 |
| The Departed | 4 | 2006 | 8.5 |
| Annie Hall | 4 | 1977 | 8 |
| Silence of the Lambs | 4 | 1991 | 8.6 |
| The Aviator | 5 | 2004 | 7.5 |
| Doctor Zhivago | 5 | 1965 | 8 |
| Schindler’s List | 7 | 1993 | 8.9 |
| Dances with Wolves | 7 | 1990 | 8 |
| The English Patient | 9 | 1996 | 7.4 |
| West Side Story | 10 | 1961 | 7.6 |
Which Oscar-winning titles will you be watching? Let us know in the comments below!
