The top Oscar-winning films are, quite frankly, some of the greatest films of all time. Every year, Hollywood’s finest stars gather in one celebrity event to honor their crowning achievement.
Of course, we’re referring to the Academy Awards, in which the best are honored.
They serve as an excellent benchmark for distinguishing between good and bad films, as intended. Selecting the top Oscar-winning films of all time, on the other hand, is a difficult task.
Since the award’s introduction, there have been around 100 ceremonies, each of which honors a few dozen films.
So, exactly did this list come to be? Only the films that received the renowned Best Picture award were considered, and our favorites were chosen from that list.
So, without any further thought or care, here are the films you must see before you leave this world.
1. The Deer Hunter
What a collection of gloomy achievements is a
Michael Cimino’s Vietnam drama isn’t exactly upbeat, but that’s part of why it appealed to the Academy.
It’s a remarkable work of cinema that swings between the excitement of American troops enrolling or the horrors they confront while they’re at war. It’s one of just a few films to explicitly address the impacts of the war.
The Deer Hunter is a chilling epic with a brilliant cast, lead by Robert De Niro at the height of his acting talent, and the Russian roulette moment to finish all Russian roulette sequences.
2. West Side Story
Is West Side Story the all-time greatest musical? Many rivals have emerged since the film’s release, but the sheer intensity of the film is contagious. The tale of Romeo & Juliet is portrayed through singing and dancing on New York City’s west side, and it’s as entertaining as you’d imagine.
Consider Grease, but with a lot more subtle collar-popping.
Plus, you’ll be unable to hit pause your fingers and encourage others to “just be cool” once you’ve finished.
It’s no surprise that Steven Spielberg wants to redo this film.
3. Unforgiven
You’re familiar with the situation. On his last day, a cop on the eve of retirement gets drawn into a life-changing case. Unforgiven, a 1992 western directed by Clint Eastwood, takes that concept and runs it through the mud and muck of Big Whisky, a little town that has experienced some horrible acts.
Eastwood provides one of his finest works as the grizzled – is he ever any others? – at the top of the game, either in front and behind the camera.
William Munny is a renegade bandit who returns to complete one more heist. It’s still surprising that such a grim, violent tale won an Academy Award.
4. Moonlight
Few films are as heartbreaking as Moonlight, which is divided into three acts, each focusing on a different stage in the lead character’s life.
This might have been a tonal disaster with three separate performers representing Chiron/Black/Little. But, thanks to Barry Jenkins’ brilliant touch, they all operate in perfect harmony.
As a result, the film is arguably one of the most dramatic Oscar winners of the twenty-first century. It’s agonizing to watch Chiron grow up while attempting to understand his own sexuality.
Then there’s his tense connection with his mother, which is expertly portrayed by Naomie Harris. Prepare tissues ahead of time.
5. Amadeus
The tiny problem of accuracy is still lurking over Milos Forman’s film. What happened among Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with his well foes?
Was it really that melodramatic? It’s hardly the first biography to toy with the truth, but that shouldn’t matter when the film itself is such a magnificent experience.
Tom Hulce takes on the role of the classical composer with great restraint, especially given Mozart’s image as a larger-than-life figure.
Milo Forman’s direction is likewise superb, making this nearly three-hour film fly by.
6. The Hurt Locker
Before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner starred as William James in Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq film The Hurt Locker.
Renner’s Sergeant First Grade leads an elite special forces unit in Baghdad as a combat veteran, inevitably going off-mission to take retribution for the murder of a little kid.
The film’s main issue, how conflict genuinely impacts soldiers, is explored through his unconventional and often risky tactics. It’s also the first time a woman has directed a Best Picture winner.
