Stacker takes a look back at every Best Picture winner, from lowest rated to highest.
Oscar Best Picture winners from worst to first
Updated
Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes on the best and most influential films of the year. The Oscars are a reflection of excellence within all filmmaking crafts and departments of that year, with an Academy Award for Best Picture being the crowning achievement that every film aspires to win.
With the media and public opinion playing an increasing part in the broader discussion over the Academy Awards in recent years, the nominees and eventual winners undergo a significant amount of scrutiny. The Best Picture trophy, in particular, receives the most attention and controversy. The Best Picture winner of each ceremony can be seen as a reflection of where the national conversation is at a given time. These are motion pictures that tackle issues of race and class and include movies ranging from epic period pieces to modern-day crime dramas. Some of these films, particularly the older ones, may not resonate with modern audiences.
As the Oscars shifted from including films of all genres to focusing on prestige arthouse dramas in the major categories, a backlash from audiences stemmed from a perceived snubbing of “The Dark Knight” in 2008 led to an expansion of the Best Picture category from five nominees to 10, at most. Since then, animated films and genre pictures have been recognized in this prestigious category.
Stacker utilized IMDb to rank all 90-plus Oscar Best Picture-winning movies. The movies are ranked according to their IMDb user rating, with ties broken by the number of votes each movie received. Ratings are up to date as of March 26, 2022. Please note that the years listed for each movie refer to the years they were released, which occasionally differ from the years in which they received Oscars.
Keep reading to see each of these Best Picture winners, and learn more about how they have stood the test of time.
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#93. The Broadway Melody (1929)
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- Director: Harry Beaumont
- IMDb user rating: 5.7
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 100 minutes
The musical film “The Broadway Melody” was monumental in many respects: It was the first sound film, the first film with a Technicolor sequence, and the first musical film to win Best Picture. The film, which focused on a pair of vaudeville sisters trying to make it big on Broadway, was the top-grossing film of 1929 and is considered the first “complete” Hollywood musical. However, many contemporary critics and movie-watchers consider “The Broadway Melody” to be highly derivative and clichéd.
#90. Tom Jones (1963)
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- Director: Tony Richardson
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 129 minutes
Based on a novel by Henry Fielding, “Tom Jones” was one of the most acclaimed comedies of its time. Starring Albert Finney as the eponymous character, the film takes place in 18th-century England and the exploits of a lively and womanizing man. Even beating out the epic film “Cleopatra,” “Tom Jones” was an unusual film for its time, featuring a silent film-like opening and constant fourth-wall-breaking.
#89. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
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- Director: Cecil B. DeMille
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 152 minutes
Cecil B. DeMille’s 2 1/2-hour film centers around the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, featuring Charlton Heston as the circus manager and James Stewart as a clown who never removes his makeup. The film also featured the real-life circus troupe, showcasing over a thousand people and hundreds of animals, making this movie a logistical triumph. However, the film was thought in later decades to be overstuffed, bloated, and dull.
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#86. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
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- Directors: Michael Anderson, John Farrow
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 175 minutes
The Jules Verne novel “Around the World in Eighty Days” received its most successful adaptation in 1956, with an epic adventure-comedy film that ultimately won five Academy Awards. The film tells the classic tale of Phineas Hogg (David Niven) and his valet Passepartout (Mexican comedian Cantinflas), who has made a bet that a person can travel the entire globe in just 80 days. The film was praised as funny, although it is also thought to be long-winding.
#85. Going My Way (1944)
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- Director: Leo McCarey
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 126 minutes
Bing Crosby established himself in Hollywood as a massive box-office draw with “Going My Way,” a light-hearted musical starring Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, and Risë Stevens. Crosby plays Father Chuck O’Malley, a priest who is transferred to a church in New York City. The church is failing financially, but O’Malley’s unconventional style leads to success and inspires his older superior. The film is best known for introducing the song “Swinging on a Star,” which also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
#84. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
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- Director: John Madden
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 123 minutes
This film imagined an affair between playwright William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and a woman (Gwyneth Paltrow), with “Shakespeare in Love” featuring several moments and characters meant to allude to Shakespeare’s most famous plays, and which culminates in Shakespeare’s work in “Twelfth Night.” Now-disgraced Harvey Weinstein was one of the producers behind the film, with his Oscars campaign being infamously aggressive. The film controversially beat out Steven Spielberg’s World War II film “Saving Private Ryan” for the coveted Best Picture award.
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#83. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
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- Director: William Dieterle
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Nineteenth-century French author Émile Zola is the subject of this biographical film that explores her role in the political scandal known as the Dreyfus affair. However, the film mostly failed in exploring antisemitic injustice in 19th-century France—due to being produced during the Great Depression, the Nazi rise to power in Germany, and a period of censorship and timidity in Hollywood.
#82. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
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- Director: Elia Kazan
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 118 minutes
Gregory Peck stars in “Gentleman’s Agreement” as a journalist who poses as a Jew to research antisemitic behavior in affluent neighborhoods and areas in New York City and Connecticut. The film was praised in its time for its depiction of prejudice, although some still considered the protagonist to be naive. Still, the film was declared historically significant and selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2017.
#80. Chariots of Fire (1981)
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- Director: Hugh Hudson
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 125 minutes
Depicting two athletes who competed in the 1924 Olympics, “Chariots of Fire” stars Ben Cross and Ian Charleson as athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, respectively. Liddell is a devout Christian running for the “glory of God,” while Abrahams is a Jewish man trying to overcome antisemitism and prejudice. Perhaps the most famous aspect of the film is its soundtrack, as the theme and the famous beach-running scene are continually referenced in pop culture.
#79. Out of Africa (1985)
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- Director: Sydney Pollack
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 161 minutes
“Out of Africa” contained plenty of prestige, having been directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Loosely based on the autobiography of the same name by Karen Blixen, written under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen, the film takes place in colonial Kenya, with Streep playing Blixen, a Danish baroness, and Redford as a game hunter with whom Blixen has a passionate love affair. The film received lukewarm reviews on release for its length and slow pace, with its Best Picture win coming as a surprise.
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#78. Chicago (2002)
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- Director: Rob Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 113 minutes
“Chicago” is based on the musical of the same name, which originally debuted on Broadway in 1975. The film retells the story of a couple of murderesses who find themselves imprisoned and preparing for trial in 1920s Chicago. The film switches between “real-life” scenes and imaginative vaudeville musical numbers in the characters’ heads. Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly star in the film that beat out “The Hours,” “The Pianist,” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” for Best Picture.
#77. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
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- Director: Bruce Beresford
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 99 minutes
Based on Alfred Uhry’s play of the same name, “Driving Miss Daisy” explores racial relations between Miss Daisy, a 72-year-old Jewish woman portrayed by Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Tandy, and an African American chauffeur named Hoke (Morgan Freeman). The two bond as they both experience different kinds of prejudices. The film received the Best Picture trophy over contenders such as “My Left Foot” and “Dead Poets Society,” yet, unusually, didn’t garner a Best Director nomination.
#76. Nomadland (2020)
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- Director: Chloé Zhao
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 107 minutes
Chloé Zhao took home her first Oscar for Best Director for “Nomadland,” a film that follows Fern (Frances McDormand) as she packs her life up and hits the road in her van following the death of her husband. Based on the nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century,” the film explores transience and how community can form even amongst people who don’t put down roots. McDormand won her third Best Actress Oscar for her role in the movie.
#72. Terms of Endearment (1983)
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- Director: James L. Brooks
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 79
- Runtime: 132 minutes
James L. Brooks won three Academy Awards for his roles in writing, producing, and directing “Terms of Endearment,” a family comedy-drama. The film focuses on a mother-daughter duo (Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger) and their relationship as their individual lives change over the course of 30 years. The film, which also starred Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, and John Lithgow, is still regarded as a classic “tearjerker” with memorable acting performances.
#71. The English Patient (1996)
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- Director: Anthony Minghella
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 162 minutes
Taking place during World War II, “The English Patient” tells the story of four individuals who each move into an abandoned Italian villa in the final days of the war. The titular English patient has suffered burns and is unrecognizable. He tells his story to the nurse who treats him and reveals his life story and identity from before the war began. While the film is lengthy and complex, the emotional power fronted by actors Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas led the film to Best Picture success.
#70. Moonlight (2016)
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- Director: Barry Jenkins
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 99
- Runtime: 111 minutes
“Moonlight” made history as the first film with an all-Black cast and with LGBTQ+ themes to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. This coming-of-age drama was based on an unpublished play that follows the character of Chiron Harris in three different stages of his life, with three different actors portraying him at three different ages. The film explores masculinity, father figures (through Mahershala Ali’s Oscar-winning supporting role), and sexual identity.
#69. Wings (1927)
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- Directors: William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 144 minutes
The first-ever winner of the Best Picture award is “Wings,” a silent romantic war film that takes place during the First World War. The film had an elaborate production, with several realistic aviation sequences and hundreds of actors and pilots involved with the shoot. The film, which has since been preserved, set a standard in American film production for its realism and use of avant-garde filming techniques.
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#67. West Side Story (1961)
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- Directors: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 153 minutes
The 1957 Broadway musical “West Side Story” received new life as a 1961 film, co-directed by choreographer Jerome Robbins and film director Robert Wise. A reimagining of “Romeo and Juliet,” the film depicts a gang war between the Italian Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks and the forbidden love affair between a former Jet and the sister of the Sharks’ leader. The film won 10 of the 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated and still contains several memorable musical numbers like “Cool,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty,” and many more.
#66. The Hurt Locker (2008)
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- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 95
- Runtime: 131 minutes
Iraq War thriller “The Hurt Locker” also won Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win the top directing prize. The film does not have an antagonist and is told through an episodic structure to depict the psyches of Iraq War soldiers. Jeremy Renner portrays the new leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in Iraq after the previous one is killed. While the independent film was highly praised, Army veterans criticized inaccuracies throughout the film and the attitude of Renner’s character.
#65. Hamlet (1948)
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- Director: Laurence Olivier
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 154 minutes
Sir Laurence Olivier, who directed multiple Shakespearean adaptations, found awards success with his film adaptation of “Hamlet,” with Olivier taking the eponymous role. As in the original play, “Hamlet” centers on a young prince whose father was usurped by his brother, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. The film cut some political elements from the original play for the sake of time. Nevertheless, the film was well received enough to win Best Picture and Best Actor.
#64. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
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- Director: William Wyler
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 134 minutes
“Mrs. Miniver” had a unique place in history, being shot during and also taking place and focusing on World War II. The titular Mrs. Miniver is a British housewife who finds herself affected by the war. As the film was in pre-production before the United States’ entry into the war, the script and many of the scenes underwent many changes to reflect the country’s pro-war stance, with speeches and scenes essentially acting as propaganda. The melodrama is still considered an influential and significant film.
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#63. From Here to Eternity (1953)
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- Director: Fred Zinnemann
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 118 minutes
Three U.S. Army soldiers are the focus of “From Here to Eternity,” a novel-based film that takes place in Hawaii in the months leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese. The three soldiers are portrayed by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Frank Sinatra, all of whom undergo different tribulations. The film received instant acclaim from critics and audiences for its performances, although the Army did not take too kindly to how the military was depicted.
#62. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
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- Director: Frank Lloyd
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 132 minutes
The mutiny on the HMS Bounty has been depicted in a number of different films and documentaries. However, the Best Picture-winning “Mutiny on the Bounty” is considered the greatest of these films. The tyrannical ship captain attempts to act revenge on his mutineers in a film that is considered to be historically inaccurate but is still said to be thrilling and gripping.
#61. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
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- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 118 minutes
Director John Ford, usually known for making Western films, directed a film that focused on a working-class Welsh mining family. The stern father and gentle mother work tirelessly to ensure their children will have a better life, with Ford’s style and the cast lifting the film up. However, the film is probably most infamous for beating out classics “Citizen Kane” and “The Maltese Falcon” in the Best Picture category.
#60. Marty (1955)
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- Director: Delbert Mann
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 90 minutes
Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky expanded on his teleplay “Marty” with the Ernest Borgnine-starring 1955 film adaptation. The titular Marty is an unmarried butcher who has given up on love but ends up connecting with a school teacher (Betsy Blair) he meets at a dance and begins to fall for. The film features strong performances and robust dialogue, with purposely “ordinary” and relatable characters.
#58. Ordinary People (1980)
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- Director: Robert Redford
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 124 minutes
Actor Robert Redford made his directorial debut with “Ordinary People,” which starred Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore as a married couple whose son dies accidentally and whose other son attempts suicide, straining the relationships between all of the family members. The film cast Moore against type, along with invigorating the careers of actors Judd Hirsch and Elizabeth McGovern. To the ire of some movie enthusiasts, the film beat out “Raging Bull” and “The Elephant Man” for Best Picture.
#57. The Last Emperor (1987)
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- Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 163 minutes
Puyi, the last Emperor of China, is the subject of “The Last Emperor,” an epic historical film based on the Emperor’s autobiography. The nearly three-hour film stars John Lone as the adult Puyi and covers his entire life. The film is vast and dense, requiring 19,000 extras. “The Last Emperor” beat out “Fatal Attraction,” “Broadcast News,” and “Moonstruck” for the top prize at the Oscars.
#56. The French Connection (1971)
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- Director: William Friedkin
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Gene Hackman stars in the action crime thriller “The French Connection,” which came from famed director William Friedkin. Hackman portrays police detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, who stumbles onto a heroin-smuggling job with a French connection. With suspense, an iconic car chase scene, and breakneck pace, “The French Connection” is undoubtedly a classic that also won Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
#55. Crash (2004)
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- Director: Paul Haggis
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 112 minutes
The ensemble film “Crash” explores racial and social tension in the city of Los Angeles, following several people whose lives intertwine and collide literally and metaphorically. The ensemble includes Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, and Terrence Howard, among others. The film had an upset win at the Oscars, beating “Capote,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Munich,” and the frontrunner, “Brokeback Mountain,” and garnered criticism for its tone-deaf and oversimplified understanding of racism.
#53. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
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- Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 119 minutes
A meta-tale starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up Hollywood actor, “Birdman” was shot and edited to give the illusion of one long, continuous take. Keaton portrays fictional actor Riggan Thomson, former star of the “Birdman” superhero films (a clear analogy to Keaton’s stint as Batman), who attempts to adapt a Raymond Carver short story for Broadway. Thomson imagines his former franchise character as his unraveling psyche. The film pulled an upset win against “Boyhood,” with other nominated films including “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Selma.”
#52. My Fair Lady (1964)
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- Director: George Cukor
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 95
- Runtime: 170 minutes
The stage musical “My Fair Lady” turned into a popular and successful feature film, with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in the lead roles. The film, as does the original musical and play, has Professor Henry Higgins (Harrison) make a bet regarding a flower girl’s (Hepburn) ability to become presentable to higher society. The film has been rereleased multiple times and is still considered to be a lively and intelligent musical film.
#51. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
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- Director: John Schlesinger
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 79
- Runtime: 113 minutes
“Midnight Cowboy” is a buddy film with several iconic scenes and lines, depicting the unlikely friendship between a male prostitute (Jon Voight) and a street hustler (Dustin Hoffman). Originally released with an X rating, the film instantly won praise for its pair of actors, also producing quotable phrases like “I’m walkin’ here!” The film beat out “Hello, Dolly!” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” for Best Picture.
#50. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
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- Director: Robert Benton
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 105 minutes
Divorce is at the center of “Kramer vs. Kramer,” which depicts a married couple (Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep) undergoing a tumultuous custody battle over their son. As the proceedings continue, both parents deepen the wounds started by the separation, while also learning more about themselves as parents. The film was acclaimed as thoughtful and well-acted, with both Hoffman and Streep winning Oscars for their respective performances. The film even beat out the Francis Ford Coppola classic “Apocalypse Now” for Best Picture.
#49. Titanic (1997)
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- Director: James Cameron
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 194 minutes
At one point the top-grossing film of all time, James Cameron’s “Titanic” featured a fictional romance against the real, tragic sinking of the passenger ship Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet portray passengers from different social classes who fall for each other before the ship’s fateful collision with an iceberg. The film spawned the phrase “I’m king of the world,” and the Celine Dion song, “My Heart Will Go On.”
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#48. You Can’t Take It with You (1938)
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- Director: Frank Capra
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 126 minutes
The highly influential director Frank Capra found success yet again with “You Can’t Take It with You,” a romantic comedy based on a stage play with the same name. In this movie, a man who comes from money becomes engaged to a woman with an eccentric family. While thought to be dated today as part of the screwball comedy genre, the film was vastly appealing upon release.
#47. The Lost Weekend (1945)
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- Director: Billy Wilder
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 101 minutes
Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote “The Lost Weekend,” which was based on a 1944 novel of the same name and explored alcoholism. Actor Ray Milland portrayed the protagonist, who “loses” a weekend during a four-day drinking binge. The film mixed film noir style with a sense of gritty realism in depicting the main character’s state of mind.
#46. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
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- Director: Norman Jewison
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 110 minutes
Sidney Poitier first played the iconic police detective Virgil Tibbs in “In the Heat of the Night,” a mystery drama based on a novel by John Ball. Known for his famous line “They call me Mister Tibbs!,” Tibbs is investigating a murder in a racist Southern town. The film was intense and is still thought to have relevance today for its depiction of racism and racial tensions.
#45. Patton (1970)
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- Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 91
- Runtime: 172 minutes
George C. Scott’s most iconic film role would have to be that of George S. Patton for the biographical war film “Patton.” The general fought in World War II, with the film depicting his struggles and his time in the North African and European theaters of the war. Scott won the Academy Award for Best Actor but famously declined it, stating his distaste for the voting process of such awards.
#44. The Artist (2011)
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- Director: Michel Hazanavicius
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 100 minutes
French director Michel Hazanavicius created a throwback to the silent film era with “The Artist,” a film that depicted the transition to sound films, or “talkies.” Jean Dujardin portrays a famous silent movie actor who struggles during the transition, with a woman he helps to become famous overcoming him in success. The film was praised as delightful and the visuals as creative, beating out other 2011 films such as “The Descendants,” “Midnight in Paris,” and “Moneyball.”
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#42. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
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- Director: William Wyler
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 170 minutes
Three United States servicemen attempt to readjust to normal civilian life after World War II in “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Their return to small-town America turns out to be difficult, as they find that their families are quite different from how they left them. The film’s ensemble was enthusiastically endorsed by critics, and audiences made the film a large box-office hit.
#41. The Sound of Music (1965)
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- Director: Robert Wise
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 172 minutes
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The Sound of Music” went on to become a hit film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Directed by “West Side Story” co-director Robert Wise, “The Sound of Music” told the tale of a woman (Andrews) who leaves a convent and becomes a governess to the children of a naval officer and widower. This story of the von Trapp Family not only won Best Picture but became one of the most financially successful films of its time.
#39. Dances with Wolves (1990)
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- Director: Kevin Costner
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 181 minutes
Actor Kevin Costner directed and starred in “Dances with Wolves,” which author Michael Blake adapted from his own novel of the same name. Costner portrays a Union Army lieutenant who goes to a remote western outpost and ends up befriending wolves and the Indigenous people. The film’s epic filmmaking and cinematography were highly lauded, although the film was criticized for having a “white savior” narrative. The film beat out “The Godfather: Part III” and “Goodfellas” for Best Picture.
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#38. Annie Hall (1977)
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- Director: Woody Allen
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 92
- Runtime: 93 minutes
The most famous film from Woody Allen’s lengthy career in filmmaking is “Annie Hall,” a romantic comedy that stars Allen as a comedian recalling his failed relationship with the titular character (Diane Keaton). The film is an exploration of love and sexuality, as well as another showcase of New York City and Allen’s own infamously neurotic behavior. Allen generally declines to attend the Academy Awards ceremonies, though his film even managed to beat out the original “Star Wars” for Best Picture.
#37. Rain Man (1988)
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- Director: Barry Levinson
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 133 minutes
Dustin Hoffman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing an autistic savant in “Rain Man,” which also stars Tom Cruise. Cruise portrays a selfish car dealer who learns that not only has his father passed away, but his multimillion-dollar estate has been bequeathed to his brother (Hoffman), whose existence he was unaware of. The road film was carried by the two lead actors, which much praise doled out for how they portrayed the growing relationship between the brothers.
#36. The King’s Speech (2010)
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- Director: Tom Hooper
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 118 minutes
King George VI suffered from a stammer, and “The King’s Speech” depicts his speech therapy as he finds himself as an important voice after Britain declares war on Germany at the onset of World War II. Colin Firth won his first Oscar in the role of King George VI, supported by Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Queen Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist. The film overtook “Black Swan,” “Inception,” and “The Social Network” for Best Picture.
#35. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
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- Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 120 minutes
A young man (Dev Patel) who had his upbringing in the slums of India finds himself in a position to win big, being a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” The energetic Danny Boyle-directed film flashes back to his life with his love interest Latika (Frieda Pinto) and his older brother being important figures in his life. The film was a phenomenon upon its release, as was its original song “Jai Ho.”
#34. It Happened One Night (1934)
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- Director: Frank Capra
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 105 minutes
Frank Capra directed several iconic and famous films, but “It Happened One Night” took home the most Oscar gold of all of them. Starring Clark Gable as a reporter and Claudette Colbert as a socialite who falls in love with him, this film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was well-liked for its lightheartedness, and its simple but effective plot created the template for the entire “cold then hot” romantic comedy genre.
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#33. Rebecca (1940)
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- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Despite his extensive and industrious career, Alfred Hitchcock only made one film that won the Best Picture Oscar with “Rebecca.” A romantic psychological thriller, “Rebecca” stars Laurence Olivier as an aristocratic widower, whose new marriage is deeply affected by his memories of his first marriage. The film was described as haunting and suspenseful.
#32. On the Waterfront (1954)
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- Director: Elia Kazan
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 91
- Runtime: 108 minutes
One of Marlon Brando’s highly regarded roles was in “On the Waterfront,” which depicts corruption and union violence on the waterfronts of New Jersey. Brando portrays an ex-boxer who must stand up to his corrupt union bosses. “On the Waterfront” is continuously cited as a landmark movie for Brando’s performance.
#31. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
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- Director: David Lean
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 161 minutes
“The Bridge on the River Kwai” depicted the Japanese theater of World War II, with the titular bridge being built by Allied prisoners of war by their Japanese captors. The film stars William Holden and Alec Guinness, with Guinness winning an Academy Award for his performance. The film presents challenging moral scenarios, and thus was highly praised for its thought-provoking nature.
#29. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Updated
- Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 97
- Runtime: 238 minutes
Arguably one of the most famous films ever made, “Gone with the Wind” also holds the distinction of the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusting for inflation. The film follows Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), the daughter of a plantation owner against the backdrop of the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The film has a number of iconic lines—such as “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”—still quoted to this day.
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#28. The Deer Hunter (1978)
Updated
- Director: Michael Cimino
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 183 minutes
“The Deer Hunter” features a masterclass cast, with Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage portraying three steelworkers whose lives are changed after participating in the Vietnam War. John Cazale (in his last film role before his death) and Meryl Streep star in supporting roles. The film features a stressful and controversial scene in which the main characters, prisoners of war to the Vietcong, are forced to play a game of Russian roulette. The film was praised as the best American drama since “The Godfather.”
#27. Platoon (1986)
Updated
- Director: Oliver Stone
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 92
- Runtime: 120 minutes
Oliver Stone is known for making politically charged films, and “Platoon” was no exception. Based on his own experiences in the Vietnam War, the film centers on an Army soldier (Charlie Sheen) and his squabbling superiors (Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe). The film’s cinematography and realistic battle sequences are often cited as the high points of this Best Picture winner.
#25. Rocky (1976)
Updated
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 120 minutes
“Rocky” was written by its star Sylvester Stallone. Rocky Balboa is an underdog boxer and a working-class debt collector based in Philadelphia, who gets the opportunity to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and falls in love with pet store owner Adrian (Talia Shire). The film elevated Stallone to stardom, produced iconic scenes like the library steps run, and spawned several sequels and spin-off films.
#24. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Updated
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 132 minutes
Clint Eastwood portrayed an elderly and gruff boxing trainer who takes in a determined and aspiring boxer portrayed by Hilary Swank; Morgan Freeman also co-starred as Eastwood’s character’s gym assistant. Eastwood made a film that critics thought was heartfelt and avoided narrative cliches, despite having a dire and tragic ending. The film beat out other ambitious movies like “The Aviator” and “Finding Neverland” for the Best Picture award.
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#23. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Updated
- Director: Steve McQueen
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 96
- Runtime: 134 minutes
Solomon Northup’s slave memoir “12 Years a Slave” was brought to the big screen by English director Steve McQueen, with Chiwetel Ejiofor portraying Northup. A free and educated man, Northup is kidnapped and sold into slavery, going through a harrowing time where he also meets an enslaved woman named Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o). The film edged out “Gravity,” which had won many technical Academy Awards the same night.
#21. All About Eve (1950)
Updated
- Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 98
- Runtime: 138 minutes
Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is a fading Broadway star who suddenly finds her career threatened by an ambitious fan named Eve (Anne Baxter). “All About Eve,” which was praised for its cast and music, was nominated for a record number of 14 Academy Award nominations and is still thought to be a smart and sophisticated classic.
#20. Unforgiven (1992)
Updated
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Clint Eastwood reenergized the Western genre in the early 1990s with “Unforgiven,” which stars Eastwood himself against Gene Hackman. Eastwood portrays an aging outlaw, while Hackman plays the violent local sheriff. The film was a mature take on the Western, featuring themes of age, violence, and heroism.
#19. Green Book (2018)
Updated
- Director: Peter Farrelly
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Often compared to “Driving Miss Daisy,” the most recent Best Picture winner stars Viggo Mortensen as Italian American bouncer Frank Vallelonga who becomes the driver and bodyguard for classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali). The film explores racism as the pair travels through the South. The film was produced by Vallelonga’s son, although Shirley’s family disputes the accuracy of the film. Regardless, the film beat out “Roma,” “A Star Is Born,” and “Black Panther.”
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#18. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Updated
- Director: Ron Howard
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 135 minutes
A beautiful mind is the story of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and delusions, which affect his relationships with friends and loved ones. The film was criticized for not being accurate with some parts of Nash’s life, but Russell Crowe’s performance of Nash still garnered significant critical praise. The film beat out “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” in the same year for Best Picture.
#17. The Apartment (1960)
Updated
- Director: Billy Wilder
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 125 minutes
A premise controversial for its time was the center of “The Apartment,” which starred Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Lemmon portrayed an insurance clerk, who, in his attempts to move up in the company, begins to allow his superiors to have affairs in his apartment. The film was comedic and light-hearted, winning critics and audiences alike.
#16. The Sting (1973)
Updated
- Director: George Roy Hill
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 129 minutes
Robert Redford and Paul Newman co-star in “The Sting.” The movie is a caper film that follows two grifters (Newman and Redford) that work to con a mob boss. The film was and is still considered to be a stylish masterpiece and ended up being a box office smash. It beat out close contenders such as “American Graffiti” and “The Exorcist.”
#15. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Updated
- Director: David Lean
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 100
- Runtime: 228 minutes
One of the most influential films of all time stars Peter O’Toole as T.E. Lawrence, the British army officer and writer. The epic film was shot on location and featured several stunning shots, with the story involving Lawrence uniting the different Arab tribes to fight against the Turks. The visual style has since been emulated by many contemporary filmmakers, including Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese.
#14. Amadeus (1984)
Updated
- Director: Milos Forman
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 160 minutes
The biographical drama film “Amadeus” revolved around composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) but was truly the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The epic focused on Salieri’s fictional rivalry with the younger Mozart, with Salieri confessing to murdering Mozart. The film was thought to be an achievement in period filmmaking, even with its alterations to history.
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#13. Braveheart (1995)
Updated
- Director: Mel Gibson
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 178 minutes
Mel Gibson crafted and starred in “Braveheart,” an epic war film that has Gibson in the role of Scottish warrior William Wallace. The film depicts Wallace’s leadership of the Scots against England in the 13th century, featuring large-scale battles and plenty of inspirational speeches. The film beat out “Babe,” “Sense and Sensibility,” and “Apollo 13” in the top Oscar award.
#12. American Beauty (1999)
Updated
- Director: Sam Mendes
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 122 minutes
Kevin Spacey portrays Lester Burnham, a white-collar advertising executive dissatisfied with his place in life and society. Lester becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s best friend, while his insecure daughter bonds with their strange neighbor. “American Beauty” was overwhelmingly thought to be the best film of 1999, though more contemporary reviews of the film are less kind.
#11. Casablanca (1942)
Updated
- Director: Michael Curtiz
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 100
- Runtime: 102 minutes
“Here’s looking at you, kid” is only one of many iconic moments and lines in “Casablanca,” a film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Taking place during World War II, the film stars Bogart as an American expatriate who reaches a crossroads between his love for a former flame and whether or not to help her and her husband escape French Morocco. “Casablanca” is still highly influential and is often included in any list or conversation about the best film of all time.
#10. The Departed (2006)
Updated
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 151 minutes
Martin Scorsese finally won big at the Academy Awards with “The Departed,” an American version of the Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs.” This adaptation has a Boston touch, depicting a mob mole within the Boston police, all the while the police have an undercover cop infiltrating the same criminal organization. The film, which features Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, is full of shocking surprises and twists.
#8. Parasite (2019)
Updated
- Director: Bong Joon Ho
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: 96
- Runtime: 132 minutes
Korean master Bong Joon Ho crafts a thrilling story of a wealthy family steadily infiltrated by a poor family, who exploit the guilelessness of the well-off to secure servant and tutor positions. With wild tone swings from drama to comedy to something close to horror, “Parasite” is grounded by a stellar cast and a plot that thoughtfully examines what Korea’s poor must do to scrape by a living, while the country’s wealthy live a very different life, literally above the poor in the landscape of the city. “Parasite” won the Palm D’Or at Cannes as well as becoming the first foreign film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
#7. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Updated
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 118 minutes
The Hannibal Lecter film that most think of first is likely to be “The Silence of the Lambs,” based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his role as Lecter, a psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who provides advice for FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster, who also won an Oscar for her performance), who is seeking another killer. Those who consider the film to be a horror film also think it to be the first horror to win the coveted Best Picture award.
#6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Updated
- Director: Milos Forman
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 133 minutes
Ken Kesey’s classic novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” came to the big screen in 1975, with Jack Nicholson playing the lead role of troublemaker Randle McMurphy. McMurphy is the newcomer in a mental institution, causing discord and rebellion in the hospital run by the tyrannical Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Balancing comedy and tragedy, the film received substantial critical acclaim, particularly for Nicholson and Fletcher, both winning Oscars for their acting.
#5. Forrest Gump (1994)
Updated
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 142 minutes
Tom Hanks has played many culturally relevant characters throughout his career, but perhaps none as prolific as Forrest Gump. The film, based on the novel of the same name, features a slow-witted but extraordinarily kind man stumbling his way through American history, participating in the Vietnam War, and falling in love with his childhood friend (Robin Wright) who becomes a political and countercultural activist. Along with being funny and having several quotable moments, the film, which beat out “Pulp Fiction” at the Oscars, was a technical achievement in inserting Hanks in many historical moments and pieces of footage.
#2. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Updated
- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
- IMDb user rating: 9.0
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 202 minutes
A rare sequel thought to be not only as good but possibly better than the original film is “The Godfather: Part II.” Coppola’s epic crime film tells two stories: one focusing on Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) attempting to keep order as the new Don of the family, and another flashing back to his father Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) from his Sicilian childhood to his arrival in America. The film is thought to be the finest work from Coppola, Pacino, and De Niro, with De Niro and Coppola winning Oscars for their roles. It is the first sequel to win the Best Picture award.
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