Best Oscar Movies on Netflix Right Now
Forrest Gump (1994) Forrest Gump was the biggest movie of 1994, and its cultural legacy is still hotly debated today. IsRobert Zemeckis’ version of modern political history a celebration of American exceptionalism, or is it a satire of patriotism and capitalism? Forrest Gump is a lot more interesting than it’s given credit for, but on a more foundational level, it remains a captivating experience.
Still Alice (2014) Based on the 2007 novel by Lisa Genova, Still Alice stars Julianne Moore as the titular character: a linguistics professor who’s diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Moore is phenomenal in her role, earning the Best Actress trophy at the Oscars, and she’s surrounded by an equally formidable cast that includes Alec Baldwin as her husband and Kristen Stewart as one of her daughters.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) Winner of three Oscars including Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score (and it should have won Best Picture), Brokeback Mountain remains a towering, tragic romantic drama. Based on the novel of the same name by Annie Proulx, the film stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two strangers who meet in 1963 when they’re hired to herd sheep through the summer.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) This drama/romance from 2018 features some tough situations and themes. Tish, played by KiKi Layne, discovers she is pregnant, but her beau, Fonny, played by Stephan James, is soon wrongly accused of rape and incarcerated. The quest for justice soon begins to help her love and the life they were building together.
My Octopus Teacher (2020) My Octopus Teacher is a fascinating documentary set in the South African kelp forest that explores the beauty and realities of life in the ocean through the impassioned eyes of Craig Foster, the founder of Sea Change Project. Setting My Octopus Teacher from other nature documentaries is the uniquely personal approach filmmakers Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed take with their subjects — both Foster and the octopus friends he makes.
Les Misérables (2012) Based on Victor Hugo's seminal novel of the same name, Les Misérablesis an epic period musical and arguably one of the best movies ever in its genre. It tells the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a convict who breaks away from his downtrodden life and strives to live in the grace of God.
Power of the Dog (2021) Based on the novel by Thomas Savage, Power of the Dog stars Benedict Cumberbatch(Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) in a gritty western that reveals overlooked stories of abuse, toxic masculinity, and human sexuality.
Phantom Thread (2017) Phantom Thread is a historical drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis (in his last film role before his retirement) as an obsessive high-end dressmaker. Through a series of circumstances, he falls in love with a young waitress who becomes his model and muse. It's a strange tale with complex characters who take unpredictable steps to further their desires.
Marriage Story (2019) Fair warning: Marriage Story will wreck you. But it’s also not just one of the best films of 2019, it’s the best film Noah Baumbach has ever made. Nominated for six Oscars, the story chronicles the process of divorce from separation to finalization, with Adam Driver playing the successful theater director husband and Scarlett Johansson playing the successful actress wife.
Darkest Hour (2017) A historical war drama, Darkest Hour earned Gary Oldman his first Oscar for his performance as Winston Churchill. Set during his early days as Prime Minister, the movie narrates how Churchill navigated the political landscape of his time, refusing to negotiate a peace treaty with the Nazis despite seemingly insurmountable odds.