Netflix offers a wide selection of “Oscar movies” for those who prefer a more prestigious viewing experience. Finding exactly what you’re searching for can be challenging, so we’ve compiled a list of the finest Oscar movies now available on Netflix.
This list was narrowed down to only include movies that took home at least one Oscar, thus even though Gangs of New York was nominated for a slew of awards, it didn’t end up winning anything. Still, there’s a wide range of films to choose from that were honored by the Academy Awards, from old favorites to mainstream smashes to obscure indies that somehow pulled off an upset. Without further ado, below is a list of the top Oscar-winning films now available on Netflix.
1- Forrest Gump (1994)
Run Time: 2 hr 22 min | Genre: Comedy Drama | Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Oscars Won: Picture, Actor in a Leading Role (Hanks), Director, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Visual Effects
Forrest Gump was the most successful film of 1994, and its impact on popular culture is currently being discussed widely. When it comes to modern political history, does Robert Zemeckis satirize American patriotism and capitalism, or does he celebrate American exceptionalism? Forrest Gump is far more intriguing than movie usually gets credit for, but even at its most basic, it’s still a fascinating watch. There was a good reason why Tom Hanks’ performance won an Oscar. Even the most stoic viewer is guaranteed to shed a tear or two at Forrest’s (Tom Hanks) and Jenny’s (Robin Wright) emotional reunion and at Sally Field’s (Mother) terrible death in Forrest Gump. -Liam G. Gaughan
2- Still Alice (2014)
Run Time: 1 hr 41 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland
Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth
Oscars Won: Best Actress (Moore)
Still Alice is a film starring Julianne Moore as the title character, a linguistics professor who develops Alzheimer’s disease. The novel it is based on was published in 2007 by Lisa Genova. Moore’s performance is so outstanding that she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and she’s joined by a supporting ensemble that includes Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart, who play the husband and daughter, respectively. The film has received high appreciation for its daring and nuanced storytelling, which portrays a fascinating woman’s tragic narrative in a nuanced and complicated manner. The Taylor Gates Ending
3- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Run Time: 2 hr 14 min | Genre: Romance Drama | Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
Oscars Won: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
Brokeback Mountain is a soaring, tragic love film that won three Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score (and it should have won Best Picture). The picture, adapted from Annie Proulx’s 1963 novel of the same name, stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two strangers who become summertime sheep herders together. They create a loving and passionate sexual relationship during their time together, but the complexities of their love for each other and themselves come back to haunt them later on. The performances by Ledger and Gyllenhaal, in particular, are so impressive that they will stay with you long after the film has ended. A Response to Adam Chitwood
4- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Run Time: 1 hr 59 min | Director: Barry Jenkins
Cast: Kiki Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo
Oscars Won: Supporting Actress (King)
This 2018 drama/romance deals with some heavy subject matter. Tish (KiKi Layne) finds out she is pregnant, but her boyfriend Fonny (Stephan James) is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison. Their relationship and the life they were built together began to improve as she began to seek justice. As Tish and Fonny persevere together toward a justice they may never get, this heartbreaking love story tugs at the heartstrings. If you’ve seen Barry Jenkins’s previous Best Picture winner, Moonlight, then you know how beautiful but painful his films can be.
5- My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Run Time: 1 hr 25 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed
Cast: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Oscars Won: Documentary Feature
In the captivating documentary My Octopus Teacher, Craig Foster, the founder of the Sea Change Project, passionately explores the beauty and realities of ocean life in South Africa’s kelp forest. The intimate connection that directors Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed build with their subjects (Foster and his new octopus pals) is what sets My Octopus Teacher apart from other wildlife films. My Octopus Teacher delves into how discovering the world can directly affect our emotional relationships inside the place we call home on land by allowing the octopus to expose the hidden mysteries of her underwater realm. Name: Yael Tygiel