Oscar victories have a tremendous influence on how movie buffs perceive and understand movies. Fans debate about Academy Award winners that were overshadowed by those that were snubbed, while they also celebrate and lament the Oscar victories or losses of their favorite filmmakers and actors.
With the 93rd Academy Awards around the corner, here is a look at some of the best Oscar-winning movies streaming on Netflix. All the following have, in their own ways, altered filmmaking and redefined genre limitations, and have dedicated fan followings with some even earning the status of being classics.
Arrival – 94%
Better known for the Academy’s snub of Amy Adams’ performance than for its Oscar win, this Best Sound Editing winner is a grand visual treat from master director Denis Villeneuve.
The slow-burn thriller follows a linguist, portrayed by Amy Adams, and her team, as they embark to find a way to communicate with aliens who land on Earth. The movie features Villeneuve’s trademark cinematography choices and digs deep to explore themes like the influence of language on human life. Propelled by the stellar performance from Amy Adams, it earns a place among other classics of the genre, like Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Call Me By Your Name – 94%
Directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, this coming of age romantic drama was a welcome addition to queer cinema. Featuring exemplary performances from Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer, the period drama, set in Italy of the 1980s, grabbed the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, nominations for Best Picture, and Best Actor for Chalamet.
The film also received praise for its production design and costumes, which successfully brought life to the Italian summer shown in the picture.
Her – 94%
This heartwarming movie tells the story of the romance between a lonely, depressed man and an AI virtual assistant. The flick, which earned a Best Original Screenplay Award for Spike Jonze in his debut solo writing endeavor, transcends the limitations of the sci-fi genre to offer a deep, philosophical commentary on the social relationships of a generation closely associated with modern technology.
Boasting top-notch performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Amy Adams, and incredible voice acting from Scarlet Johanson, the movie elevates itself with the gorgeous cinematography of Hoyte van Hoytema.
Roma – 95%
An extremely personal and semi-autobiographical work from Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuaron,who gave fans cinematic wonders like Gravity and Children of Men, this movie tells the story of a live-in domestic helper in Mexico city of the 1970s.
The Best Foreign Feature winner, which also earned Cuaron Oscars for Direction and Cinematography, is told from the point of view of the maid and it offers a commentary on class relations and the political turbulence in Mexico of the 1970s.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – 95%
This stop motion clay-animated comedy movie, which is a parody of classic monster movies, grabbed the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards. It tells the tale of a pest controller duo, Wallace – an inventor, and Gromit – his dog, as they attempt to solve the mystery of the Were-Rabbit, a gigantic beast terrorizing vegetable farmers.
The movie reverses the man-dog relationship in a lovable manner and provides genuine laughs while using very little CGI.
Rosemary’s Baby – 96%
This horror picture, which won Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon and earned a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for Roman Polanski, marked the Chinatown director’s first stint in Hollywood.
The flick revolves around a young pregnant woman and her suspicions of her neighbors and their satanic cult, as well as their intentions with her own baby. It is considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time and has a character-driven plot that unsettles the audience and makes them empathize with the suspicions of the protagonist on screen.
The Social Network – 96%
2010 was a great year for movies, with flicks like Black Swan, Inception, and The Fighter all competing for Best Picture. But it was The Social Network that stood out from the rest because of the pop culture phenomenon that it was.
This riveting modern masterpiece, which tells the story behind social media giant Facebook and its creator, is a must-watch for all cinephiles, as it accommodates both Sorkin’s clever dialogue and Fincher’s distinct visual storytelling. The movie received eight nominations at the 83rd Academy Awards and won three, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.
Sense And Sensibility – 97%
This adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel by ace filmmaker Ang Lee and actress Emma Thompson grabbed the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 68th Academy Awards. The movie, which also marked Thompson’s screenwriting debut, earned her a nomination for Best Actress.
It is an emotionally moving portrait of family life, romance, and marriage in the English country of the 18th century. Thompson also finds a knack for unearthing the comedy in the story and the movie features stellar performances from Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman.
Spirited Away – 97%
The winner of Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, this Japanese fantasy film tells the tale of a 10-year-old girl and her adventures with spirits, witches, and dragons after getting lost in a supernatural world.
It features a storyline that is absorbing and made more engaging by non-cliche characters and surreal events. The flick also contains rich animation with meticulous detail in every part of the frame.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon – 97%
This Chinese martial arts movie from Ang Lee is a cinematic wonder in every sense of the word, earning nine nominations and winning four, including Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.
Featuring strong feministic undertones, the movie is known for revitalizing the Chinese wuxia genre and for popularizing the genre among western moviegoers. The Oscar-winning cinematography of Peter Pau, combined with the gorgeous choreography of Woo-Ping Yuen, provides the audience with some of the most breathtaking action scenes in cinematic history.
