With the conclusion of the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, it is time to look at the last 10 Best Picture winners.
Which ones have aged well, and which have aged poorly? This list will answer those questions as we rank each film from worst to best.
No. 10: “Green Book” (2018)
"Green Book" is inspired by the true story of African-American pianist Dr. Don Shirley and his driver Tony Lip, traversing the American South in 1962. This Best Picture winner has already developed a reputation as one of the worst films to take home the most prestigious prize in Hollywood. The film tackles issues of racism in the most elementary way possible, with its main lesson being as surface-level as “Why can’t we just be nice to each other?”
Defeating far more deserving films such as “Roma” and “The Favourite,” it is incredibly disappointing that the academy would vote for such a hollow film with nothing substantial to say over some genuinely excellent movies.
No. 9: “CODA” (2021)
"CODA" is a mildly entertaining crowd-pleaser about 17-year-old Ruby, the child of deaf adults (hence the film's acronymic title). Ruby struggles to balance school and her passions with caring for her parents. Her commitment to helping her family’s business interferes with her love for singing, as her teacher frequently chastises her for being tardy, not realizing her situation at home.
The film is quite touching and may even bring a tear to the audience’s eyes by the time the credits roll. Despite this, there isn’t anything particularly excellent about this film, making it an underwhelming winner when compared to other nominees such as “Drive My Car” and “The Power of the Dog.”
No. 8: “Nomadland” (2020)
Possibly the most plotless film to win Best Picture, “Nomadland” tells the story of Fern, a widow who purchases a van and travels around America as a nomad following the Great Recession. Outside of lead actress Frances McDormand, the cast is almost entirely comprised of real-life nomads whom the crew met while filming. The result is a loose narrative structure containing unscripted interactions between McDormand and these nomads.
While this storytelling approach is a commendable way of exploring the struggles of a woman forced to a nomadic lifestyle due to capitalism, it is ultimately one that many will walk away respecting rather than loving.
No. 7: “Spotlight” (2015)
In “Spotlight,” journalists from The Boston Globe attempt to unearth a cover-up of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church in Boston. This harrowing true story will keep audiences on the edge of their seat as the characters uncover increasingly shocking information about this corrupt system as the film goes on.
While it may lack a strong visual style, “Spotlight” is still a film many will love. Its strong writing and ensemble cast make "Spotlight" the first entry on this list that most will agree was a deserving Best Picture winner.
No. 6: “The Shape of Water” (2017)
“The Shape of Water” is a dazzling film about Elisa, a mute cleaning lady who works at a secret government laboratory. While there, she encounters a top-secret scaled creature that the lab is hiding. Those who run the lab keep the creature trapped while experimenting on it. Due to their shared isolation from the outside world, Elisa and the creature begin to form a bond.
Guillermo del Toro’s storytelling and entrancing direction make the film feel like a fairy tale come to life. Despite being among the most unorthodox Best Picture winners ever, “The Shape of Water” is deserving due to the sheer ambition on display throughout its running time.
No. 5: “Anora” (2024)
“Anora” is director Sean Baker’s latest film about telling authentic and human stories about impoverished sex workers, breaking the stigma that so frequently surrounds them. This story follows Ani, a stripper who marries a wealthy Russian client. Thinking she will live happily ever after, her Cinderella story soon comes crumbling down after her husband's family pushes to get the marriage annulled.
Having just won five Oscars, including Best Picture on March 2, it is impossible to gauge just how well this win will age. For now, though, “Anora” is a film deserving of cinema’s highest honor due to its masterful blend of tones, providing humor, tension and heartbreak for the viewers.
No. 4: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022)
One of the wildest films to win Best Picture, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” follows Evelyn Wang, who runs a laundromat and becomes an unlikely hero in the face of an interdimensional rupture, bringing the chaos of the multiverse to her world. That is a lot of words to describe a film that, at its core, is a story about a broken family and the lengths that Evelyn will go to repair her relationships with her husband and daughter.
The film’s ability to balance over-the-top insanity with such a moving story that captures the audience’s hearts is nothing short of remarkable. Daring and bold, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” made its mark on cinema in 2022 and will continue to be celebrated as one of the best films of the 21st century.
No. 3: “Moonlight” (2016)
A truly beautiful film in every way, “Moonlight” looks at three chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up surrounded by poverty in Miami. The slow-paced film feels like poetry in motion while watching as it explores queer identity and toxic masculinity in this young boy’s upbringing and how his surroundings repress his inner feelings and shape who he becomes.
“Moonlight” will tear out the audience's hearts, allowing them to connect with Chiron on the deepest, most emotional level possible. Despite facing technical juggernauts such as “La La Land” and “Arrival,” this low-budget indie film deserved its Best Picture victory and will stand the test of time as one of the best and most meaningful Oscar wins ever.
No. 2: “Oppenheimer” (2023)
Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, “Oppenheimer,” follows physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who oversees the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. This 3-hour, sweeping epic has all the grandiose trademarks that audiences have come to expect from Nolan. This time, however, he accomplishes this grandiosity through a profoundly moving, internal look at the life of one brilliant man.
Paired with an incredibly restrained performance from Cillian Murphy, Nolan tells a staggering, complex story in a way we have never seen before in his filmography. Featuring masterful direction, pitch-perfect performances, a goosebumps-inducing score and beautiful cinematography, "Oppenheimer" has everything one could want in a film, marking a career-best for Nolan.
No. 1: “Parasite” (2019)
In Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” a working-class family struggling under the weight of poverty begins to integrate themselves into the lives of a wealthy family, going to work for them one by one. The differences between the comedic first half and the pulse-pounding second half are as stark as the divide between rich and poor.
Becoming the first foreign language film to win Best Picture, “Parasite” is also one of the best. Cinema is subjective, and definitive terms such as “perfection” can never be honestly used to describe a film. However, this film comes as close to that label as possible with its skillful writing and direction, pairing unique tonal shifts and blistering social commentary. Because of this, "Parasite" will forever be remembered among the all-time greats of this art form.
Despite a few disappointing selections, the last 10 years have featured many great Best Picture winners, some of which will be considered among cinema’s greatest.