The Academy Awards (aka the Oscars) have celebrated the best of cinema for decades, from breathtaking performances to groundbreaking storytelling. And I bet you don’t have the time to dig through every streaming platform to find those Oscar gems. Lucky for you, we’ve got you.
The Oscars, officially known as the Academy Awards, are the holy grail of the film industry. For over nine decades, they’ve stood as a symbol of cinematic excellence, celebrating the directors, actors, writers, and visionaries who push the boundaries of storytelling. Winning an Oscar isn’t just about prestige; it’s about being recognised as a part of film history, a testament to the art and craft of moviemaking at its finest.
For movie lovers, Oscar-winning films are more than entertainment; they’re a cultural experience. These movies don’t just tell stories, they redefine them, challenge norms, and spark conversations that transcend the screen. From heart-wrenching dramas to visually stunning epics and groundbreaking performances, these films are a masterclass in creativity and execution.
With a growing catalogue of Oscar winners available at your fingertips, some streamers offer the perfect opportunity to catch up on classics, revisit old favourites, or discover the magic for the first time.
Get Out
You should see this one immediately cos it’s leaving Netflix soon. Released in 2017, this psychological horror drama directed by Jordan Peele follows a young black man, who uncovers shocking secrets when he meets the family of his white girlfriend. Get Out won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Peele at the 90th Academy Awards, with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Kaluuya). The film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Catherine Keener and Betty Gabriel.
All Quiet on the Western Front
This 2022 German epic anti-war film is based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque. Co-written, directed and co-produced by Edward Berger, the film is set during World War I, and it follows the life of a young German soldier named Paul Bäumer. After enlisting in the German Army with his friends, Bäumer finds himself exposed to the realities of war, shattering his early hopes of becoming a hero as he does his best to survive. It stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl, Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, and Devid Striesow.
All Quiet on the Western Front, currently streaming on Netflix received nine nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won four: Best International Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design
Roma
This 2018 drama film was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Set in 1970 and 1971, Roma follows the life of a live-in indigenous (Mixteco) housekeeper of an upper-middle-class Mexican family. It is loosely based on Cuarón’s upbringing in Mexico City’s Colonia Roma neighbourhood. The film stars Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira. Currently streaming on Netflix Roma received several accolades, with ten nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, among them Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Aparicio) and Best Supporting Actress (de Tavira). It became the first Mexican entry to win Best Foreign Language Film, and also won Best Cinematography and Best Director, becoming the first foreign-language film to win in the last category.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
This 2020 American drama film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, is based on the 1982 play of the same name by August Wilson. Inspired by the career of Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer and the title character, the film dramatises a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago. The film stars Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts. The adaptation is currently streaming on Netflix. It received five nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Actor (for Boseman), and Best Actress (for Davis), and won two awards: Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume Design.
Mank
This American biographical film is about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his development of the screenplay for the 1941 film Citizen Kane. The film earned a leading ten nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Oldman), and Best Supporting Actress (Seyfried), and won for Best Production Design and Best Cinematography. It was directed by David Fincher and based on a screenplay by his late father Jack Fincher. Currently streaming on Netflix, Mank stars Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Sam Troughton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Burke, Joseph Cross, Jamie McShane, Toby Leonard Moore, Monika Gossman, and Charles Dance.
Titanic
This is a 1997 American epic romantic tragic film directed, written, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron. The film is loosely based on the historical accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star as members of different social classes who fall in love during the ship’s maiden voyage. The film also features an ensemble cast of Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner and Bill Paxton. It was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 11 of them, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Marriage Story
Marriage Story is a 2019 film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, it follows a couple going through a bi-coastal divorce complicated by custody issues surrounding their son. Other cast members include Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever. Currently streaming on Netflix, the film got six nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Driver), Best Actress (Johansson), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score. For her performance, Dern won the Academy Award.
