11 Oscar-winning films on Netflix that you really should see

And the Oscar goes to…

With the Academy Awards taking place this Sunday, it appears that La La Land is still the film to beat in the category of Best Picture.

As always, there are some magnificent films that will be vying for Oscars in their respective categories, but if you fancy a trip down memory lane, we highly recommend all of these Oscar-winning films that are currently available on Netflix.

The Fighter

Won the Oscar for: Best Actor and Best Actress

Plot: A look at the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid-1980s.

Watch it because: The performances are superb but David O. Russell’s stylish direction manages to breathe new life into the sub-genre of underdog sports films.

Network

Won the Oscar for: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Picture

Plot: A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor’s ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit.

Watch it because: It’s remarkable how eerily accurate this depiction of the media and politics is. Essential.

Good Will Hunting

Won the Oscar for: Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Screenplay

Plot: Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Watch it because: It’s a classic of the modern era and while every scene in it is perfect, this one from Robin Williams is an absolute masterclass.

Clip via – BiSONN16

Boyhood

Won the Oscar for: Best Supporting Actress

Plot: The life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.

Watch it because: While Birdman (also on Netflix) is a fine film, I’m confident in saying that in 20 years’ time, it won’t be as beloved or well-remembered as Linklater’s wonderful coming-of-age drama.

Boyhood felt real and universal; Birdman was an artist’s look at their art.

On the Waterfront

Won the Oscar for: Eight of them in total with the main accolades being Best Picture, Actress, Actor and Screenplay.

Plot: An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.

Watch it because: Have you ever heard of an actor being referred to the next Marlon Brando or a performance that was called Brando-esque? Yeah, they’re taking about this Brando.

Magnetic, charismatic and mysterious in every single frame.

Pan’s Labyrinth

Won the Oscar for: Cinematography, Art Direction and Makeup

Plot: In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Watch it because: If you’re firmly of the opinion that modern films are all cliched, unoriginal and brainless, this is the perfect antithesis.

There’s nothing quite like it as Del Toro returns to his gothic-fairytale roots.

The Big Short

Won the Oscar for: Best Adapted Screenplay

Plot: Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

Watch it because: If you’ve ever wondered why the property market and banking sectors are absolutely fu**ed, watch this.

Cinema Paradiso

Won the Oscar for: Best Foreign Language film

Plot: A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village’s theatre and formed a deep friendship with the theatre’s projectionist.

Watch it because: If you’re not moved by the end of the final credits, you must be made of stone.

The Lives of Others

Won the Oscar for: Best Foreign Language film

Plot: In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

Watch it because: Christ, there are tense scenes in films and then there’s what unfolds here. It’s a perfect thriller.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Won the Oscar for: Cinematography, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score and Song.

Plot: Two Western bank/train robbers flee to Bolivia when the law gets too close.

Watch it because: Aside from The Sting, this is Redford and Newman at their very best.

Fargo

Won the Oscar for: Best Screenplay and Best Actress

Plot: Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.

Watch it because: One of the best films from the Coen brothers, it’s a gem that manages to mix elements of comedy, drama and mild-horror. William H. Macy’s weaselly performance relly gets under your skin and it’s endlessly quotable.

If you’re in the mood for some other Oscar winners on Netflix, the following should also suffice; Birdman, Still Alice, Son of Saul, Annie Hall, The King’s Speech, Born Into Brothels.

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