The Academy Awards reward the best and the brightest in films every year, creating the gold standard of quality cinema. Luckily for us, Netflix has a bountiful assortment of Oscar-winning films in a variety of genres, from thrillers to comedies. The platform has something for everyone, whether you enjoy animated films, horror flicks, or heartwarming family stories. Here are the best Oscar winning movies on Netflix that you can watch right now.
For those who can’t get enough twisty narratives, American classics like The Departed and No Country for Old Men provide unforgettable performances and top-notch direction. If you like movies based on more extraordinary true stories, movies like The King’s Speech and Schindler’s List act as testaments of strength and bravery.
Animation lovers can revel in exquisite Oscar winning animated movies on Netflix, such as Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which delivers a new spin on a beloved classic. Sci-fi and fantasy fans can feast on visually stunning Oscar winners like Inception or The Shape of Water. Fans of comedy aren’t neglected either, with options both clever and feel-good in The Artist or Forrest Gump.
If you’re after something spine-chilling, Oscar winning horror movies on Netflix like Get Out offers both thrills and social commentary. So whether it’s something classic or contemporary, Netflix’s haul of Oscar-winning goodness will make for an unforgettable watching experience and plenty of award-winning storytelling and cinematic brilliance.
Roma, a cinematic masterpiece directed by Alfonso Cuarón, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three, including Best Director. Set in 1970s Mexico, this poignant drama depicts the life of a domestic worker in a middle-class family.
This is one of the best Oscar winning movies on Netflix, and the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and intense emotional undercurrents prove why. If you like considerate, slow movies that provide both a great visual experience and a compelling story, Roma will not disappoint.
Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster movie, The Irishman, follows the decades-spanning life of a mob hitman (Robert De Niro) in a sprawling saga. Nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, The Irishman didn’t take home the top prize, but it’s still one of the best movies to ever win an Oscar. It is among the best Oscar winning movies on Netflix thanks to its brilliant direction and performances by De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.
Never mind the woes about its convoluted plot — it finally comes to Netflix after its digital-only release due to the pandemic. The fresh (not to mention de-aged) film of the iconic filmmaker and his extraordinary stable of actors is a must for anyone who admires a good crime film.
If you’re into intimate character-driven dramas, then here is your Marriage Story. This brilliant, devastating story about a couple navigating a divorce, directed by Noah Baumbach, won Laura Dern an Oscar for best supporting actress. The film received several nominations, including best picture. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver’s performances alone elevate this family drama—one of the most compelling Oscar-winning family movies you can find on Netflix.
Need read-aloud material for the whole family? While the first film took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, the sequel is also a critically beloved success that also earned a nomination in the same category. Its dazzling animated visuals, fun action sequences and the heartwarming story also make it a standout amongst Oscar-winning animated movies on Netflix. The superhero hijinks of the Parr family provide shared entertainment for children and adults.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, this version of the classic tale won 2023’s Oscar for best-animated feature. Its stop-motion animation is stunning, and the film explores themes of identity, loss, and love. This is far more emotionally complicated than most animated features, making it one of the best Oscar-winning animated films on Netflix for adults and children alike. It is an exquisitely wrought movie overflowing with del Toro’s trademark visual panache.
A Netflix original thriller for horror fans, Bird Box earned positive feedback for its direction and Sandra Bullock in the role of lead. If nothing about the film is Oscar-friendly, its premise is thrilling, and its performances are all strong; in seeking to fight off that January malaise, it has made itself one of Netflix’s most-watched titles.
Bird Box is a tense post-apocalyptic thriller in which unseen entities plunge humans into insanity. One of the five Oscar-winning horror movies to land on Netflix, this intense, suspense-fueled ride will keep you a little on edge.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s survival epic The Revenant finally gave Leonardo DiCaprio that long-awaited Best Actor Oscar. The film recounts the harrowing tale of a frontiersman’s struggle for survival after being abandoned and left for dead by his crew.
It’s one of the best Oscar winning movies on Netflix right now, with lyricism as much as brutality, thanks to gorgeous cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki and an early-signature pummeling performance from DiCaprio. This is just ideal for action-packed gameplay lovers.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a historical courtroom drama that revolves around anti-Vietnam War protesters who were put on trial in 1969. The film, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, features an all-star cast led by Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, and Mark Rylance.
It didn’t come home with Best Picture. However, it got plenty of nominations and still holds its own as one of the best Oscar winning movies on Netflix. Pick it if you’re in the mood for historical dramas that come true as thinly veiled versions of American society, with sharp dialogue and razor-sharp wit.
Damien Chazelle’s contemporary musical went viral, racking up six Academy Awards, including Best Director. Even if it lost the Best Picture title due to a mix-up, La La Land is probably one of the most acclaimed of all Oscar-winning romantic movies now on Netflix. The movie follows the love story between a jazz musician and an aspiring actress in Los Angeles, combining old-school Hollywood glamour with modern-day sensibility.
Martin Scorsese's other classic, The Departed, finally won the legendary director his first Oscar for best director. This Boston crime thriller features Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson in a story of undercover cops and gangsters. With a gripping plot, phenomenal performances, and almost unbearable tension, The Departed is one of the best Oscar-winning thriller movies on Netflix.
This dark comedy, directed by Taika Waititi, and winner of an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Set in World War II, it’s about a young boy whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. Swinging between poignant and silly, Jojo Rabbit ranks among the more shouldering Oscar-winning comedies on Netflix as an unorthodox take on war, love, and family. It’s a nice balance of comedy and drama with its satirical edge and heartwarming moments.
Although it received its accolades in the television category, The Queen's Gambit deserves mention as one of Netflix's most critically acclaimed productions. It won multiple awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series and an Emmy.
This compelling miniseries about a chess prodigy, who is played by Anya Taylor-Joy, lingers as an outlier in Netflix’s corner of Oscar winning movies on Netflix. If not an Oscar winner in the technical sense, it embodies quirky award-winning excellence.
From tender romances to edge-of-your-seat action movies, Netflix has built an incredible library of Oscar-winning films that span genres and decades. Whether you’re in the mood for a moving drama, a taut crime epic, or a whole-family animated film, there’s no shortage of Oscar winning movies on Netflix. So get cozy with one of these beloved gems available from home, and experience the greatest in cinema from the comfort of your couch.
This content was created by AI