Celebrate the big screen on your small screen with the best Oscar-winning you can stream on Netflix right now!
The Academy Awards is an annual celebration of movies, their craft and the stars that make them. Hosted in March at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, thanks to famed streaming service Netflix, you can now watch some of history’s most awarded movies from the comfort of your own couch.
With dozens of award-winning dramas, comedies and documentaries, there’s plenty to pick and choose from. So, grab some snacks, sit back and enjoy the world of cinema from the comfort of your couch with our list of the 10 best Oscar-winning movies to watch on Netflix Australia now.
Her, 2013
What does it mean to fall in love with a computer? That is one of the central ideas explored in Her (2013), the sci-fi romance masterpiece. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely office drone who develops feelings for his personal assistant AI, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Nabbing an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Her is a fascinating and human exploration into our conception of love, isolation, and the limits of control, all wrapped within a well-acted sci-fi piece of filmmaking. Don’t miss out on director Spike Jonze’s magnum opus, now streaming on Netflix!
Pulp Fiction, 1994
There’s an argument to be made that Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is one of the most influential movies ever released on silver screens. Released in 1994, Pulp Fiction shocked audiences with its razor-sharp dialogue, unique plot structure, captivating performances from John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman to create the modern landscape of independent cinema. That trail-blazing was awarded by the Academy Awards, winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Thankfully, this cinematic masterpiece and award-winning movie can be watched on Netflix now!
The Power of the Dog, 2021
If you’re in search of a recent Oscar-winning movie, after a 12-year hiatus from feature filmmaking, New Zealand trailblazer Jane Campion (The Piano) came back to challenge the Western genre with her captivating film The Power of the Dog (2021). Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst lead an all-star cast in this modern Western psychological drama, offering a powerful character study of repression and gender against the background of the American West. Teaming up with Netflix, Campion goes on to win an award for Best Director, cementing her legacy as one of the best female directors of all time. Stream this understated Western triumph on Netflix today.
Get Out, 2017
Known for his stand-up and sketch comedy accolades, Jordan Peele took one of the most unique career pivots by establishing himself as a horror icon with his filmmaking debut, Get Out (2017). One of the best horror movies of all time, Get Out tells the story of Chris Washington, a black photographer from New York, who takes a trip to meet the family of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage. This innocent visit goes down a deep rabbit hole, as Peele uses horror to explore racial prejudice in contemporary America. Winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, don’t get out of watching this thrilling and profound modern horror classic.
The Godfather, 1972
One of the most iconic and praised movies of all time, The Godfather (1972), is on Netflix so you can finally get around to watching it (cue people’s horror: “What do you mean you’ve never seen The Godfather?!”). The historic performances of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino saw the creation of the mafia movie to end all mafia movies. In fact, The Godfather won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Brando, which he refused to accept due to his objection to the depiction of Native Americans on screen and television. One of the best Oscar movies on Netflix right now, The Godfather proved its excellence by later becoming part of a trilogy and is well worth the watch.
Marriage Story, 2019
Marriage Story (2019) was heavily nominated throughout the awards season, and rightly so, seeing Laura Dern take home the statue for Best Supporting Actress. Featuring career-best performances from leads Scarlett Johannson and Adam Driver, this character-driven film truly lives up to the hype. The film focuses on the pair, an actress and a theatre director, during the ins and outs of their messy, bi-coastal divorce proceedings. Noah Baumbach’s sensational piece of cinema is funny, cutting and heartbreaking all at once, taking you through a rollercoaster of emotion. Watch one of the best romantic dramas of all time, only on Netflix.
La La Land, 2016
La La Land (2016) is a visually stunning and emotionally arresting piece of film that effortlessly blends the tension between modern relationships and careers with a glamorous old Hollywood feel. The film collected a myriad of awards including the Oscar for Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Original Song. And, who can forget the Best Picture Gaff which saw La La Land mistakenly announced as Best Picture, instead of Moonlight. La La Land is the perfect movie to settle in and be whisked away all from the comfort of your own home.
Roma, 2018
Alfonso Cuarón’s most moving and personal film to date, Roma (2018), is an emotional, semi-autobiographical drama following a middle-class family and their live-in housekeeper in Mexico City. This heavily Oscar-nominated movie made the shortlist for a total of 10 Academy Awards, taking home the statues for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film. Covering a range of societal and familial issues, Roma is heartfelt and visually beautiful, shot in black and white. Also making our list of the Best Foreign Language Movies on Netflix, be swept away by Roma’s immense beauty right now on Netflix.
Spotlight, 2015
Taking home the award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, Spotlight (2015) covers very heavy source material with grace. Following the real-life story of how the Boston Globe’s investigative journalism team exposed the widespread and systemic child abuse in the Boston area by Roman Catholic priests, Spotlight shines the light on decades of abuse and secrecy. Featuring performances from Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams — who were both nominated for their performances — Spotlight shows audiences the risks and challenges of investigative reporters trying to reveal the truth. One of the best journalist films of all time, Spotlight is engaging without sensationalising, focusing on the important journalism that helped uncover crimes and coverups by the church.
I, Tonya, 2017
I, Tonya (2017) is riveting from start to finish following the controversial story of Tonya Harding’s success in her youth. Using a mockumentary style where characters ‘in the present day’ give interviews, Craig Gillespie directed the film to break the fourth wall throughout. While it has come under fire for being too sympathetic to Harding over the infamous 1994 incident, it makes for great cinema. The always brilliant Allison Janney plays her overbearing and abusive mother, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, whilst Margot Robbie received a nomination. An excellent Oscar-winning movie you can watch on Netflix Australia now!
After streaming your way through these Oscar-Winning Movies on Netflix Australia, travel the world some more with Australia’s 10 Best Foreign Movies on Netflix. Or, laugh your way through these Top 10 Romantic Comedy Movies to Watch on Netflix Australia Now.
