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Oscar Best Picture Winners, Ranked

Every Academy Award Best Picture winner in our library, ranked by our composite canon score rather than by ceremony year, with the also-nominated films below.

Award results are facts and are listed in full. The score chip is our composite canon score.

  1. 1
    The Godfather1972 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States / Italy · crime, drama, thriller
    9.75

    Empire 500 (2008) #1 · Oscar Best Picture winner 1972 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #3

  2. 2
    Lawrence of Arabia1962 · David Lean · United Kingdom / United States · war, biography, drama
    7.40

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1962 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1963 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1963 #1

  3. 3
    Schindler's List1993 · Steven Spielberg · United States · war, biography, drama
    6.12

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1993 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1994 · AFI 100 (2007) #8

  4. 4
    All About Eve1950 · Joseph L. Mankiewicz · United States · drama, comedy
    5.87

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1950 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1951 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1951 #1

  5. 5
    Parasite2019 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · comedy, drama, thriller
    5.72

    Palme d'Or winner 2019 · Oscar Best Picture winner 2019 · Film Comment year-end poll 2019 #1

  6. 6
    Annie Hall1977 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    5.55

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1977 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1978 · Siskel's annual top 10 1977 #1

  7. 7
    The Godfather Part II1974 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · drama, crime, thriller
    5.37

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1974 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #26 · Letterboxd Top 250 #8

  8. 8
    Casablanca1942 · Michael Curtiz · United States · romance, war, drama
    5.29

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1943 · AFI 100 (2007) #3 · AFI 100 (1998) #2

  9. 9
    Unforgiven1992 · Clint Eastwood · United States · western, drama, crime
    4.96

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1992 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1992 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #1

  10. 10
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975 · Miloš Forman · United States · comedy, drama
    4.63

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1975 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1977 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1976 #2

  11. 11
    Midnight Cowboy1969 · John Schlesinger · United States · drama
    4.62

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1969 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1970 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1969 #2

  12. 12
    The Bridge on the River Kwai1957 · David Lean · United Kingdom / United States · drama, war
    4.61

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1957 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1958 · BFI Top 100 British films #11

  13. 13
    The Apartment1960 · Billy Wilder · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    4.38

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1960 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1961 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #54

  14. 14
    Amadeus1984 · Miloš Forman · United States · biography, musical, drama
    4.33

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1984 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1984 #1

  15. 15
    The Best Years of Our Lives1946 · William Wyler · United States · war, drama
    4.31

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1946 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1948 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1948 #2

  16. 16
    On the Waterfront1954 · Elia Kazan · United States · drama, crime, thriller
    4.30

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1954 · AFI 100 (1998) #8 · AFI 100 (2007) #19

  17. 17
    The Silence of the Lambs1991 · Jonathan Demme · United States · thriller, horror, crime
    4.23

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1991 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #2 · AFI 100 (2007) #74

  18. 18
    No Country for Old Men2007 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · drama, thriller, western
    4.20

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2007 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2008 #1

  19. 19
    The Deer Hunter1978 · Michael Cimino · United States · war, drama
    4.15

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1978 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1979 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #211

  20. 20
    Moonlight2016 · Barry Jenkins · United States · drama
    4.15

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2016 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #3 · Film Comment year-end poll 2016 #2

  21. 21
    Platoon1986 · Oliver Stone · United States / Philippines · war, drama, action
    4.09

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1986 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1987 #2 · Ebert's annual top 10 1986 #1

  22. 22
    The Hurt Locker2008 · Kathryn Bigelow · United States · action, thriller, war
    3.95

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2009 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2010 · Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #1

  23. 23
    The Last Emperor1987 · Bernardo Bertolucci · China / France / United Kingdom · drama, biography
    3.94

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1987 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1989 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1988 #1

  24. 24
    Shakespeare in Love1998 · John Madden · United Kingdom / United States · comedy, romance, drama
    3.77

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1998 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1999 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1999 #1

  25. 25
    Titanic1997 · James Cameron · United States · drama, romance
    3.72

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1997 · Kehr's annual top 10 1997 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1998 #4

  26. 26
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003 · Peter Jackson · New Zealand / United States · fantasy, adventure
    3.69

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2003 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2004 · Letterboxd Top 250 #11

  27. 27
    Gone with the Wind1939 · Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood · United States · romance, drama, war
    3.68

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1939 · AFI 100 (2007) #6 · AFI 100 (1998) #4

  28. 28
    Rocky1976 · John G. Avildsen · United States · drama, action
    3.65

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1976 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1977 #1 · AFI 100 (2007) #57

  29. 29
    Ben-Hur1959 · William Wyler · United States · drama, action
    3.61

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1959 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1960 · AFI 100 (2007) #100

  30. 30
    Dances with Wolves1990 · Kevin Costner · United States · drama, war, western
    3.59

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1990 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1990 #3

  31. 31
    Chariots of Fire1981 · Hugh Hudson · United Kingdom / Australia · biography, drama
    3.55

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1981 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1982 · TIFF People's Choice winner 1981

  32. 32
    The English Patient1996 · Anthony Minghella · United Kingdom / United States · romance, war, drama
    3.54

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1996 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1997 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1997 #5

  33. 33
    A Man for All Seasons1966 · Fred Zinnemann · United Kingdom · biography, drama
    3.51

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1966 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1968 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #4

  34. 34
    One Battle After Another2025 · Paul Thomas Anderson · United States · drama, thriller, action
    3.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2025 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2026 · Film Comment year-end poll 2025 #1

  35. 35
    Forrest Gump1994 · Robert Zemeckis · United States · comedy, drama, romance
    3.45

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1994 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1995 #4 · AFI 100 (2007) #76

  36. 36
    The French Connection1971 · William Friedkin · United States · crime, action, thriller
    3.44

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1971 · AFI 100 (2007) #93 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #10

  37. 37
    The Departed2006 · Martin Scorsese · United States / Hong Kong, China · drama, thriller, crime
    3.41

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2006 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 2006 #1

  38. 38
    Gandhi1982 · Richard Attenborough · United Kingdom / India · biography, drama
    3.37

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1982 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1983 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1983 #3

  39. 39
    It Happened One Night1934 · Frank Capra · United States · comedy, romance
    3.27

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1934 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1934 #5 · AFI 100 (2007) #46

  40. 40
    All Quiet on the Western Front1930 · Lewis Milestone · United States · war, drama
    3.26

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1929 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1930 #1 · AFI 100 (1998) #54

  41. 41
    Oppenheimer2023 · Christopher Nolan · United States / United Kingdom · biography, thriller, drama
    3.23

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2023 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2024 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2024 #1

  42. 42
    West Side Story1961 · Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins · United States · musical, romance, drama
    3.20

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1961 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1961 #4 · AFI 100 (2007) #51

  43. 43
    Kramer vs. Kramer1979 · Robert Benton · United States · drama
    3.17

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1979 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1980 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1979 #1

  44. 44
    12 Years a Slave2013 · Steve McQueen · United Kingdom / United States · drama, biography
    3.14

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2013 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2014 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2013

  45. 45
    In the Heat of the Night1967 · Norman Jewison · United States · crime, drama, mystery
    3.12

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1967 · AFI 100 (2007) #75 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #8

  46. 46
    Anora2024 · Sean Baker · United States · comedy, drama
    3.08

    Palme d'Or winner 2024 · Oscar Best Picture winner 2024 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2025 #2

  47. 47
    Argo2012 · Ben Affleck · United States · thriller, drama, biography
    3.07

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2012 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2013 · Ebert's annual top 10 2012 #1

  48. 48
    The Sound of Music1965 · Robert Wise · United States · musical, biography, drama
    3.02

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1965 · AFI 100 (2007) #40 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1965 #9

  49. 49
    Hamlet1948 · Laurence Olivier · United Kingdom · drama
    3.00

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1948 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1949 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1949 #4

  50. 50
    Million Dollar Baby2004 · Clint Eastwood · United States · drama
    3.00

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2004 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2005 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 2004 #1

  51. 51
    Nomadland2020 · Chloé Zhao · United States · drama
    3.00

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2020 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2021 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2021 #1

  52. 52
    Tom Jones1963 · Tony Richardson · United Kingdom · comedy, adventure, drama
    2.91

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1963 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1964 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1964 #8

  53. 53
    Going My Way1944 · Leo McCarey · United States · comedy, drama, romance
    2.89

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1944 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1946 #1 · National Film Registry (inducted 2004)

  54. 54
    The Lost Weekend1945 · Billy Wilder · United States · drama, film-noir
    2.82

    Palme d'Or winner 1946 · Oscar Best Picture winner 1945 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1948 #8

  55. 55
    The King's Speech2010 · Tom Hooper · United Kingdom · biography, drama
    2.82

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2010 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2011 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2010

  56. 56
    Ordinary People1980 · Robert Redford · United States · drama
    2.80

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1980 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1981 #3 · Siskel's annual top 10 1980 #2

  57. 57
    The Shape of Water2017 · Guillermo del Toro · United States / Mexico · thriller, fantasy, drama
    2.77

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2017 · Venice Golden Lion winner 2017 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2018 #3

  58. 58
    Rain Man1988 · Barry Levinson · United States · drama, comedy
    2.77

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1988 · Berlin Golden Bear winner 1989 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1989 #4

  59. 59
    My Fair Lady1964 · George Cukor · United States · musical, romance, drama
    2.76

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1964 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1966 · AFI 100 (1998) #91

  60. 60
    American Beauty1999 · Sam Mendes · United States · comedy, drama
    2.74

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1999 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2000 · TIFF People's Choice winner 1999

  61. 61
    Terms of Endearment1983 · James L. Brooks · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.73

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1983 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1984 #4 · Ebert's annual top 10 1983 #2

  62. 62
    Marty1955 · Delbert Mann · United States · drama, romance
    2.73

    Palme d'Or winner 1955 · Oscar Best Picture winner 1955 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1955 #7

  63. 63
    Slumdog Millionaire2008 · Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan · United Kingdom · romance, drama, crime
    2.65

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2008 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2009 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2008

  64. 64
    Gladiator2000 · Ridley Scott · United Kingdom / United States · drama, action, adventure
    2.52

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2000 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2001 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2000 #8

  65. 65
    Crash2004 · Paul Haggis · Germany / United States · drama, crime
    2.48

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2005 · Ebert's annual top 10 2005 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2006 #8

  66. 66
    Patton1970 · Franklin J. Schaffner · United States · biography, war, drama
    2.47

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1970 · AFI 100 (1998) #89 · National Film Registry (inducted 2003)

  67. 67
    How Green Was My Valley1941 · John Ford · United States · drama
    2.39

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1941 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1951 #3 · National Film Registry (inducted 1990)

  68. 68
    Green Book2018 · Peter Farrelly · United States · comedy, drama, biography
    2.39

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2018 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2018 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2019 #5

  69. 69
    The Sting1973 · George Roy Hill · United States · crime, comedy, drama
    2.37

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1973 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1974 #4 · National Film Registry (inducted 2005)

  70. 70
    Birdman2014 · Alejandro González Iñárritu · United States · comedy, drama
    2.36

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2014 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2015 #4 · Film Comment year-end poll 2014 #8

  71. 71
    CODA2021 · Siân Héder · United States / France / Canada · comedy, drama, musical
    2.36

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2021 · Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner 2021 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2022 #6

  72. 72
    The Artist2011 · Michel Hazanavicius · France / Belgium · comedy, romance, drama
    2.35

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2011 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2012 · César Best Film winner 2012

  73. 73
    Rebecca1940 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, drama, romance
    2.35

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1940 · National Film Registry (inducted 2018) · Empire 500 (2008) #318

  74. 74
    An American in Paris1951 · Vincente Minnelli · United States · musical
    2.25

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1951 · AFI 100 (1998) #68 · National Film Registry (inducted 1993)

  75. 75
    Grand Hotel1932 · Edmund Goulding · United States · drama, romance
    2.19

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1931 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1933 #9 · National Film Registry (inducted 2007)

  76. 76
    Spotlight2015 · Tom McCarthy · United States · drama, biography
    2.17

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2015 · Film Comment year-end poll 2015 #7 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2016 #7

  77. 77
    From Here to Eternity1953 · Fred Zinnemann · United States · romance, war, drama
    2.15

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1953 · AFI 100 (1998) #52 · National Film Registry (inducted 2002)

  78. 78
    Driving Miss Daisy1989 · Bruce Beresford · United States · comedy, drama
    2.13

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1989 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1990 #8 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  79. 79
    Wings1927 · William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast · United States · war, romance, drama
    2.11

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1928 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1928 #5 · National Film Registry (inducted 1997)

  80. 80
    Everything Everywhere All at Once2022 · Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert · United States · sci-fi, action, comedy
    2.10

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2022 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2023 #9 · Letterboxd Top 250 #244

  81. 81
    Mrs. Miniver1942 · William Wyler · United States · war, drama, romance
    2.00

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1942 · National Film Registry (inducted 2009) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  82. 82
    Gigi1958 · Vincente Minnelli, Charles Walters · United States · comedy, romance, musical
    2.00

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1958 · National Film Registry (inducted 1991) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  83. 83
    Chicago2002 · Rob Marshall · United States / Canada / Germany · musical, comedy, drama
    1.98

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2002 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2003 #8 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  84. 84
    You Can't Take It With You1938 · Frank Capra · United States · comedy, romance
    1.93

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1938 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1939 #4

  85. 85
    Oliver!1968 · Carol Reed · United Kingdom · musical, drama, crime
    1.91

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1968 · BFI Top 100 British films #77 · Ebert's annual top 10 1968 #7

  86. 86
    Mutiny on the Bounty1935 · Frank Lloyd · United States · adventure
    1.90

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1935 · AFI 100 (1998) #86 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  87. 87
    The Life of Emile Zola1937 · William Dieterle · United States · drama, biography
    1.89

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1937 · National Film Registry (inducted 2000) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  88. 88
    All the King's Men1950 · Robert Rossen · United States · drama, film-noir
    1.89

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1949 · National Film Registry (inducted 2001) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  89. 89
    A Beautiful Mind2001 · Ron Howard · United States · biography, drama
    1.84

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2001 · Sarris's annual top 10 2001 #5 · Ebert's annual top 10 2001 #9

  90. 90
    Gentleman's Agreement1947 · Elia Kazan · United States · drama
    1.73

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1947 · National Film Registry (inducted 2017)

  91. 91
    Braveheart1995 · Mel Gibson · United States · biography, drama, war
    1.68

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1995 · Empire 500 (2008) #320

  92. 92
    Cavalcade1933 · Frank Lloyd · United States · drama, war
    1.67

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1933 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  93. 93
    The Greatest Show on Earth1952 · Cecil B. DeMille · United States · drama
    1.67

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1952 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  94. 94
    The Broadway Melody1929 · Harry Beaumont · United States · musical, romance
    1.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1929

  95. 95
    Cimarron1931 · Wesley Ruggles · United States · western, drama
    1.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1930

  96. 96
    The Great Ziegfeld1936 · Robert Z. Leonard · United States · biography, musical, drama
    1.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1936

  97. 97
    Around the World in 80 Days1956 · Michael Anderson, John Farrow · United Kingdom / United States / Italy · adventure, comedy, action
    1.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1956

  98. 98
    Out of Africa1985 · Sydney Pollack · United States · biography, drama, romance
    1.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1985

Also nominated

#FilmYearDirectorScore
1Citizen Kane1941Orson Welles9.21
2Apocalypse Now1979Francis Ford Coppola6.84
3Taxi Driver1976Martin Scorsese6.73
4Goodfellas1990Martin Scorsese6.33
5Pulp Fiction1994Quentin Tarantino5.76
6Raging Bull1980Martin Scorsese5.70
712 Angry Men1957Sidney Lumet5.25
8The Piano1993Jane Campion4.99
9Dr. Strangelove1964Stanley Kubrick4.66
10Secrets & Lies1996Mike Leigh4.58
11Sunset Boulevard1950Billy Wilder4.54
12Chinatown1974Roman Polanski4.33
13There Will Be Blood2007Paul Thomas Anderson4.26
14The Tree of Life2011Terrence Malick4.26
15MASH1970Robert Altman4.25
16E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial1982Steven Spielberg4.17
17Barry Lyndon1975Stanley Kubrick3.95
18The Graduate1967Mike Nichols3.92
19The Pianist2002Roman Polanski3.86
20Bonnie and Clyde1967Arthur Penn3.82
21The Conversation1974Francis Ford Coppola3.76
22Boyhood2014Richard Linklater3.66
23Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope1977George Lucas3.58
24The Shawshank Redemption1994Frank Darabont3.55
25It's a Wonderful Life1946Frank Capra3.52
26Jaws1975Steven Spielberg3.52
27Brokeback Mountain2005Ang Lee3.49
28Raiders of the Lost Ark1981Steven Spielberg3.47
29The Thin Red Line1998Terrence Malick3.46
30Nashville1975Robert Altman3.41
31The Red Shoes1948Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell3.41
32Network1976Sidney Lumet3.39
33Amour2012Michael Haneke3.39
34The Last Picture Show1971Peter Bogdanovich3.35
35The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001Peter Jackson3.35
36Anatomy of a Fall2023Justine Triet3.33
37All That Jazz1979Bob Fosse3.28
38Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid1969George Roy Hill3.27
39Roma2018Alfonso Cuarón3.24
40The Wizard of Oz1939Victor Fleming, King Vidor3.17
41Drive My Car2021Ryusuke Hamaguchi3.17
42Double Indemnity1944Billy Wilder3.11
43Sense and Sensibility1995Ang Lee3.08
44A Clockwork Orange1971Stanley Kubrick3.06
45Fargo1996Joel Coen, Ethan Coen3.02
46Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri2017Martin McDonagh3.00
47Cabaret1972Bob Fosse2.98
48Mad Max: Fury Road2015George Miller2.96
49Lost in Translation2003Sofia Coppola2.95
50Atlantic City1980Louis Malle2.92
51L.A. Confidential1997Curtis Hanson2.82
52A Room with a View1986James Ivory2.81
53Life Is Beautiful1997Roberto Benigni2.80
54Joker2019Todd Phillips2.75
55Tootsie1982Sydney Pollack2.74
56The Hustler1961Robert Rossen2.72
57Z1969Costa-Gavras2.72
58The Killing Fields1984Roland Joffé2.70
59La Grande Illusion1937Jean Renoir2.69
60The Zone of Interest2023Jonathan Glazer2.68
61The Social Network2010David Fincher2.68
62Howards End1992James Ivory2.66
63Saving Private Ryan1998Steven Spielberg2.66
64Cries and Whispers1972Ingmar Bergman2.64
65The Right Stuff1983Philip Kaufman2.64
66The Full Monty1997Peter Cattaneo2.62
67All the President's Men1976Alan J. Pakula2.60
68The Elephant Man1980David Lynch2.56
69Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966Mike Nichols2.54
70The Treasure of the Sierra Madre1948John Huston2.53
71The Grapes of Wrath1940John Ford2.47
72The Great Dictator1940Charlie Chaplin2.46
73Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon2000Ang Lee2.44
74Friendly Persuasion1956William Wyler2.42
75Room at the Top1959Jack Clayton2.38
76Inglourious Basterds2009Quentin Tarantino2.36
77The Irishman2019Martin Scorsese2.33
78America America1963Elia Kazan2.31
79Precious2009Lee Daniels2.29
80La La Land2016Damien Chazelle2.29
81The Power of the Dog2021Jane Campion2.28
82Five Easy Pieces1970Bob Rafelson2.28
83Missing1982Costa-Gavras2.28
84Traffic2000Steven Soderbergh2.28
85The Fabelmans2022Steven Spielberg2.27
86The Queen2006Stephen Frears2.27
87Stagecoach1939John Ford2.24
88Sideways2004Alexander Payne2.23
89Crossfire1947Edward Dmytryk2.23
90Shane1953George Stevens2.22
91Get Out2017Jordan Peele2.21
92Poor Things2023Yorgos Lanthimos2.18
93The Mission1986Roland Joffé2.17
94Whiplash2014Damien Chazelle2.16
95Atonement2007Joe Wright2.14
96Henry V1944Laurence Olivier2.13
97The Maltese Falcon1941John Huston2.11
98Triangle of Sadness2022Ruben Östlund2.11
99Hannah and Her Sisters1986Woody Allen2.11
100Four Weddings and a Funeral1994Mike Newell2.10
101The Crying Game1992Neil Jordan2.10
102Julia1977Fred Zinnemann2.08
103The Big Chill1983Lawrence Kasdan2.08
104The Aviator2004Martin Scorsese2.06
105Once Upon a Time in Hollywood2019Quentin Tarantino2.06
106Dog Day Afternoon1975Sidney Lumet2.04
107American Graffiti1973George Lucas2.03
108A Streetcar Named Desire1951Elia Kazan2.02
109Tess1979Roman Polanski2.01
110Tár2022Todd Field2.00
111Winter's Bone2010Debra Granik1.98
112Gravity2013Alfonso Cuarón1.96
113The Grand Budapest Hotel2014Wes Anderson1.96
114Mystic River2003Clint Eastwood1.95
115Licorice Pizza2021Paul Thomas Anderson1.95
116An Unmarried Woman1978Paul Mazursky1.94
117Phantom Thread2017Paul Thomas Anderson1.92
118Gosford Park2001Robert Altman1.89
119The Exorcist1973William Friedkin1.87
12019172019Sam Mendes1.86
121JFK1991Oliver Stone1.86
122Suspicion1941Alfred Hitchcock1.84
123The Philadelphia Story1940George Cukor1.82
124Seventh Heaven1927Frank Borzage1.79
125To Kill a Mockingbird1962Robert Mulligan1.76
126The Color Purple1985Steven Spielberg1.75
127Judgment at Nuremberg1961Stanley Kramer1.70
128The Awful Truth1937Leo McCarey1.69
129Romeo and Juliet1968Franco Zeffirelli1.69
130Dead Poets Society1989Peter Weir1.67
131High Noon1952Fred Zinnemann1.67
132Field of Dreams1989Phil Alden Robinson1.66
133A Place in the Sun1951George Stevens1.66
134Shine1996Scott Hicks1.63
135Il Postino: The Postman1994Michael Radford1.62
136Beasts of the Southern Wild2012Benh Zeitlin1.61
137Lincoln2012Steven Spielberg1.59
138Places in the Heart1984Robert Benton1.58
139Manchester by the Sea2016Kenneth Lonergan1.57
140Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939Frank Capra1.57
141Reds1981Warren Beatty1.56
142Emilia Pérez2024Jacques Audiard1.56
143Prizzi's Honor1985John Huston1.55
144The Secret Agent2025Kleber Mendonça Filho1.54
145Dodsworth1936William Wyler1.54
146The Hours2002Stephen Daldry1.54
147Belfast2021Kenneth Branagh1.53
148The Magnificent Ambersons1942Orson Welles1.53
149Broadcast News1987James L. Brooks1.51
150Doctor Zhivago1965David Lean1.51
151Yankee Doodle Dandy1942Michael Curtiz1.50
152Great Expectations1946David Lean1.49
153Room2015Lenny Abrahamson1.49
154The Sixth Sense1999M. Night Shyamalan1.48
155Good Will Hunting1997Gus Van Sant1.48
156Letters from Iwo Jima2006Clint Eastwood1.47
157Ninotchka1939Ernst Lubitsch1.47
158Hugo2011Martin Scorsese1.47
159Apollo 131995Ron Howard1.46
160Beauty and the Beast1991Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise1.46
161In the Name of the Father1993Jim Sheridan1.45
162The Revenant2015Alejandro González Iñárritu1.45
163All Quiet on the Western Front2022Edward Berger1.45
164The Post2017Steven Spielberg1.44
165Silver Linings Playbook2012David O. Russell1.44
166Capote2005Bennett Miller1.43
167BlacKkKlansman2018Spike Lee1.43
168Coal Miner's Daughter1980Michael Apted1.40
169The Verdict1982Sidney Lumet1.40
170Moonstruck1987Norman Jewison1.39
171A Serious Man2009Ethan Coen, Joel Coen1.39
172Roman Holiday1953William Wyler1.39
173Born on the Fourth of July1989Oliver Stone1.37
174The Nun's Story1959Fred Zinnemann1.37
175The Godfather Part III1990Francis Ford Coppola1.37
176The Emigrants1971Jan Troell1.36
177Sentimental Value2025Joachim Trier1.36
178Hope and Glory1987John Boorman1.35
179The Remains of the Day1993James Ivory1.34
180Midnight in Paris2011Woody Allen1.34
181Breaking Away1979Peter Yates1.31
182Anatomy of a Murder1959Otto Preminger1.31
183Witness1985Peter Weir1.30
184Darling1965John Schlesinger1.30
185Life of Pi2012Ang Lee1.30
186The Heiress1949William Wyler1.29
187Kiss of the Spider Woman1985Héctor Babenco1.28
188The Thin Man1934W. S. Van Dyke, Lesley Selander1.26
189Elizabeth1998Shekhar Kapur1.26
190Ruggles of Red Gap1935Leo McCarey1.26
191Inception2010Christopher Nolan1.25
192Picnic1955Joshua Logan1.25
193The Reader2008Stephen Daldry1.25
194District 92009Neill Blomkamp1.25
195The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers2002Peter Jackson1.24
196The Informer1935John Ford1.23
197Mary Poppins1964Robert Stevenson1.23
198The Imitation Game2014Morten Tyldum1.20
199Jojo Rabbit2019Taika Waititi1.20
200Minari2020Lee Isaac Chung1.20
201The Quiet Man1952John Ford1.20
202Black Swan2010Darren Aronofsky1.20
203The Love Parade1929Ernst Lubitsch1.19
204Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World2003Peter Weir1.18
205In the Bedroom2001Todd Field1.18
206Bridge of Spies2015Steven Spielberg1.18
207The Front Page1931Lewis Milestone1.18
208Gangs of New York2002Martin Scorsese1.16
209Lenny1974Bob Fosse1.15
210Toy Story 32010Lee Unkrich1.15
211Babel2006Alejandro González Iñárritu1.12
212Juno2007Jason Reitman1.12
213Mr. Deeds Goes to Town1936Frank Capra1.12
214A Letter to Three Wives1949Joseph L. Mankiewicz1.12
215Top Hat1935Mark Sandrich1.09
216The Adventures of Robin Hood1938Michael Curtiz, William Keighley1.09
217Wuthering Heights1939William Wyler1.08
218One Hundred Men and a Girl1937Henry Koster1.08
219American Sniper2014Clint Eastwood1.08
220Top Gun: Maverick2022Joseph Kosinski1.08
221Giant1956George Stevens1.08
222The Accidental Tourist1988Lawrence Kasdan1.05
223The Wolf of Wall Street2013Martin Scorsese1.05
224The Insider1999Michael Mann1.05
225Her2013Spike Jonze1.05
226Lady Bird2017Greta Gerwig1.04
227Good Night, and Good Luck.2005George Clooney1.04
228The Father2020Florian Zeller1.04
229I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang1932Mervyn LeRoy1.03
230Elmer Gantry1960Richard Brooks1.03
231Seven Brides for Seven Brothers1954Stanley Donen1.01
232Funny Girl1968William Wyler1.00
233A Star Is Born1937William A. Wellman1.00
234Dead End1937William Wyler1.00
235Django Unchained2012Quentin Tarantino1.00
236Moneyball2011Bennett Miller1.00
237Dunkirk2017Christopher Nolan0.99
238Brooklyn2015John Crowley0.99
239Nickel Boys2024RaMell Ross0.98
240Sounder1972Martin Ritt0.98
241Jerry Maguire1996Cameron Crowe0.97
242I'm Still Here2024Walter Salles0.96
243Deliverance1972John Boorman0.95
244Michael Clayton2007Tony Gilroy0.95
245The Good Earth1937Sidney Franklin, Victor Fleming, Gustav Machatý0.95
246Random Harvest1942Mervyn LeRoy0.95
247The Goodbye Girl1977Herbert Ross0.95
248Mississippi Burning1988Alan Parker0.95
249Promising Young Woman2020Emerald Fennell0.95
250Quiz Show1994Robert Redford0.95
251Munich2005Steven Spielberg0.94
252Selma2014Ava DuVernay0.94
253As Good as It Gets1997James L. Brooks0.93
254Bound for Glory1976Hal Ashby0.92
255The Dresser1983Peter Yates0.92
256A Passage to India1984David Lean0.92
257The Defiant Ones1958Stanley Kramer, Paul Helmick0.92
258An Education2009Lone Scherfig0.92
259Moulin Rouge!2001Baz Luhrmann0.91
260The Little Foxes1941William Wyler0.91
261The Rose Tattoo1955Daniel Mann0.91
262Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967Stanley Kramer0.90
263Tender Mercies1983Bruce Beresford0.90
264Marriage Story2019Noah Baumbach0.89
265Love Affair1939Leo McCarey0.89
266Milk2008Gus Van Sant0.88
267The Human Comedy1943Clarence Brown0.88
268On Golden Pond1982Mark Rydell0.88
269Little Women2019Greta Gerwig0.88
270My Left Foot1979Jim Sheridan0.86
271Goodbye, Mr. Chips1939Sam Wood0.86
272The Kids Are All Right2010Lisa Cholodenko0.85
273The Fugitive1993Andrew Davis0.84
274Erin Brockovich2000Steven Soderbergh0.84
275State Fair1933Henry King0.84
276Lost Horizon1937Frank Capra, Andrew Marton0.84
277Sergeant York1941Howard Hawks0.84
278The Pride of the Yankees1942Sam Wood0.84
279The Ox-Bow Incident1943William A. Wellman, James Tinling0.84
280Gaslight1944George Cukor0.84
281Miracle on 34th Street1947George Seaton0.84
282Twelve O'Clock High1949Henry King0.84
283Born Yesterday1950George Cukor0.84
284The Ten Commandments1956Cecil B. DeMille0.84
285Norma Rae1979Martin Ritt0.84
286In Which We Serve1942Noël Coward, David Lean0.84
287Imitation of Life1934John M. Stahl0.84
288Mildred Pierce1945Michael Curtiz0.84
289Bohemian Rhapsody2018Bryan Singer0.84
290The Substance2024Coralie Fargeat0.84
291Little Women1933George Cukor0.84
292Foreign Correspondent1940Alfred Hitchcock0.83
293The Descendants2011Alexander Payne0.83
294The Green Mile1999Frank Darabont0.83
295Up in the Air2009Jason Reitman0.81
296A Farewell to Arms1932Frank Borzage0.81
297Fiddler on the Roof1971Norman Jewison0.81
298The Turning Point1977Herbert Ross0.81
299The Curious Case of Benjamin Button2008David Fincher0.81
300The Banshees of Inisherin2022Martin McDonagh0.81
301Fatal Attraction1987Adrian Lyne0.80
30242nd Street1933Lloyd Bacon0.79
303Coming Home1978Hal Ashby0.78
304The Story of Louis Pasteur1936William Dieterle0.78
305Zorba the Greek1964Michalis Cacoyannis0.78
306True Grit2010Ethan Coen, Joel Coen0.78
307War Horse2011Steven Spielberg0.78
308Ford v Ferrari2019James Mangold0.78
309Frost/Nixon2008Ron Howard0.78
310Pygmalion1938Anthony Asquith, Leslie Howard0.78
311Here Comes Mr. Jordan1941Alexander Hall0.78
312Spellbound1945Alfred Hitchcock0.78
313Working Girl1988Mike Nichols0.77
314The Lion in Winter1968Anthony Harvey0.77
315Seabiscuit2003Gary Ross0.77
316Hidden Figures2016Theodore Melfi0.77
317West Side Story2021Steven Spielberg0.77
318The Smiling Lieutenant1931Ernst Lubitsch0.75
319The Yearling1946Clarence Brown0.75
320Alfie1966Lewis Gilbert0.74
321Zero Dark Thirty2012Kathryn Bigelow0.74
322Women Talking2022Sarah Polley0.74
323One Hour with You1932Ernst Lubitsch, George Cukor0.73
324The Long Voyage Home1940John Ford0.73
325Father of the Bride1950Vincente Minnelli0.73
32649th Parallel1941Michael Powell0.72
327Heaven Can Wait1943Ernst Lubitsch0.72
328Black Panther2018Ryan Coogler0.71
329Past Lives2023Celine Song0.71
330Witness for the Prosecution1957Billy Wilder0.71
331Call Me by Your Name2017Luca Guadagnino0.71
332Ray2004Taylor Hackford0.70
333Nebraska2013Alexander Payne0.69
334American Hustle2013David O. Russell0.68
335The Favourite2018Yorgos Lanthimos0.68
336She Done Him Wrong1933Lowell Sherman0.68
337Naughty Marietta1935Robert Z. Leonard, W. S. Van Dyke0.68
338Jezebel1938William Wyler0.68
339How the West Was Won1962John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall0.68
340The Music Man1962Morton DaCosta0.68
341Lilies of the Field1963Ralph Nelson0.68
342Up2009Pete Docter, Bob Peterson0.67
343Babe1995Chris Noonan0.67
344Dallas Buyers Club2013Jean-Marc Vallée0.63
345Captain Phillips2013Paul Greengrass0.63
346Disraeli1929Alfred Edward Green0.62
347The Private Life of Henry VIII1933Alexander Korda0.62
348One Night of Love1934Victor Schertzinger0.62
349David Copperfield1935George Cukor0.62
350Les Misérables1935Richard Boleslawski0.62
351The Lives of a Bengal Lancer1935Henry Hathaway0.62
352Romeo and Juliet1936George Cukor0.62
353Captains Courageous1937Victor Fleming0.62
354Stage Door1937Gregory La Cava0.62
355The Citadel1938King Vidor0.62
356Dark Victory1939Edmund Goulding0.62
357Of Mice and Men1939Lewis Milestone0.62
358Our Town1940Sam Wood0.62
359One Foot in Heaven1941Irving Rapper0.62
360For Whom the Bell Tolls1942Sam Wood0.62
361The More the Merrier1943George Stevens0.62
362Watch on the Rhine1943Herman Shumlin, Hal Mohr0.62
363Wilson1944Henry King0.62
364The Snake Pit1948Anatole Litvak0.62
365Moulin Rouge1952John Huston0.62
366The Caine Mutiny1954Edward Dmytryk0.62
367The Country Girl1954George Seaton0.62
368Mister Roberts1955John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, Joshua Logan0.62
369The King and I1956Walter Lang0.62
370Sayonara1957Joshua Logan0.62
371Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958Richard Brooks0.62
372The Longest Day1962Ken Annakin, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck, Gerd Oswald0.62
373Ship of Fools1965Stanley Kramer0.62
374Dangerous Liaisons1988Stephen Frears0.62
375The Cider House Rules1999Lasse Hallström0.62
376Shanghai Express1932Josef von Sternberg0.61
377Captain Blood1935Michael Curtiz0.61
378The Prince of Tides1991Barbra Streisand0.61
379Sound of Metal2019Darius Marder0.61
380Nightmare Alley2021Guillermo del Toro0.61
381Children of a Lesser God1986Randa Haines0.61
382Awakenings1990Penny Marshall, Alain Cuniot0.61
383The Diary of Anne Frank1959George Stevens0.60
384Rachel, Rachel1968Paul Newman0.60
385The Champ1931King Vidor0.56
386Cleopatra1934Cecil B. DeMille0.56
387The Gay Divorcee1934Mark Sandrich0.56
388The Guns of Navarone1961J. Lee Thompson0.56
389Arrival2016Denis Villeneuve0.56
390Hell or High Water2016David Mackenzie0.56
391In Old Arizona1928Raoul Walsh, Irving Cummings0.45
392The Patriot1928Ernst Lubitsch0.45
393The Racket1928Lewis Milestone0.45
394Alibi1929Roland West0.45
395The Hollywood Revue of 19291929Charles Reisner0.45
396The Big House1930George W. Hill0.45
397The Divorcee1930Robert Z. Leonard0.45
398Arrowsmith1931John Ford0.45
399Bad Girl1931Frank Borzage0.45
400East Lynne1931Frank Lloyd0.45
401Five Star Final1931Mervyn LeRoy0.45
402Skippy1931Norman Taurog0.45
403Trader Horn1931W. S. Van Dyke0.45
404Smilin' Through1932Sidney Franklin0.45
405Lady for a Day1933Frank Capra0.45
406Flirtation Walk1934Frank Borzage, Bobby Connelly0.45
407Here Comes the Navy1934Lloyd Bacon0.45
408The Barretts of Wimpole Street1934Sidney Franklin0.45
409The House of Rothschild1934Alfred L. Werker, Sidney Lanfield0.45
410The White Parade1934Irving Cummings0.45
411Viva Villa!1934Howard Hawks, Jack Conway, John Waters, William A. Wellman0.45
412A Midsummer Night's Dream1935Max Reinhardt, William Dieterle0.45
413A Tale of Two Cities1935Jack Conway, Robert Z. Leonard0.45
414Alice Adams1935George Stevens0.45
415Broadway Melody of 19361935Roy Del Ruth, W. S. Van Dyke0.45
416Anthony Adverse1936Mervyn LeRoy, Michael Curtiz0.45
417Libeled Lady1936Jack Conway0.45
418San Francisco1936D. W. Griffith, W. S. Van Dyke0.45
419Three Smart Girls1936Henry Koster0.45
420In Old Chicago1937Henry King, Robert D. Webb0.45
421Alexander's Ragtime Band1938Henry King0.45
422Boys Town1938Norman Taurog0.45
423Four Daughters1938Michael Curtiz0.45
424Test Pilot1938Victor Fleming0.45
425All This, and Heaven Too1940Anatole Litvak0.45
426Kitty Foyle1940Sam Wood0.45
427The Letter1940William Wyler0.45
428Blossoms in the Dust1941Mervyn LeRoy0.45
429Hold Back the Dawn1941Mitchell Leisen0.45
430Kings Row1942Sam Wood0.45
431The Pied Piper1942Irving Pichel, Percy Stow0.45
432The Talk of the Town1942George Stevens0.45
433Wake Island1942John Farrow0.45
434Madame Curie1943Mervyn LeRoy0.45
435The Song of Bernadette1943Henry King0.45
436Since You Went Away1944John Cromwell, David O. Selznick, Edward F. Cline, Tay Garnett0.45
437Anchors Aweigh1945George Sidney0.45
438The Bells of St. Mary's1945Leo McCarey0.45
439The Razor's Edge1946Edmund Goulding0.45
440The Bishop's Wife1947Henry Koster0.45
441Johnny Belinda1948Jean Negulesco0.45
442Battleground1950William A. Wellman0.45
443King Solomon's Mines1950Compton Bennett, Andrew Marton0.45
444Decision Before Dawn1951Anatole Litvak0.45
445Quo Vadis1951Mervyn LeRoy0.45
446Ivanhoe1952Richard Thorpe0.45
447Julius Caesar1953Joseph L. Mankiewicz0.45
448The Robe1953Henry Koster0.45
449Three Coins in the Fountain1954Jean Negulesco0.45
450Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955Henry King0.45
451Peyton Place1957Mark Robson0.45
452Auntie Mame1958Morton DaCosta0.45
453Separate Tables1958Delbert Mann0.45
454Sons and Lovers1960Jack Cardiff0.45
455The Alamo1960John Wayne0.45
456The Sundowners1960Fred Zinnemann0.45
457Fanny1961Joshua Logan0.45
458Mutiny on the Bounty1962Lewis Milestone, Carol Reed0.45
459Cleopatra1963Joseph L. Mankiewicz0.45
460Becket1964Peter Glenville0.45
461A Thousand Clowns1965Fred Coe0.45
462The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming1966Norman Jewison0.45
463The Sand Pebbles1966Robert Wise0.45
464Doctor Dolittle1967Richard Fleischer0.45
465Anne of the Thousand Days1969Charles Jarrott0.45
466Hello, Dolly!1969Gene Kelly0.45
467Airport1970George Seaton0.45
468Love Story1970Arthur Hiller0.45
469Nicholas and Alexandra1971Franklin J. Schaffner0.45
470A Touch of Class1973Melvin Frank0.45
471The Towering Inferno1974John Guillermin0.45
472Heaven Can Wait1978Warren Beatty, Buck Henry0.45
473Midnight Express1978Alan Parker0.45
474A Soldier's Story1984Norman Jewison0.45
475Ghost1990Jerry Zucker0.45
476Bugsy1991Barry Levinson0.45
477A Few Good Men1992Rob Reiner0.45
478Scent of a Woman1992Martin Brest0.45
479Chocolat2000Lasse Hallström0.45
480Finding Neverland2004Marc Forster0.45
481Avatar2009James Cameron0.45
482The Blind Side2009John Lee Hancock0.45
483127 Hours2010Danny Boyle0.45
484The Fighter2010David O. Russell0.45
485Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close2011Stephen Daldry0.45
486The Help2011Tate Taylor0.45
487Les Misérables2012Tom Hooper0.45
488Philomena2013Stephen Frears0.45
489The Theory of Everything2014James Marsh0.45
490Lion2015Garth Davis0.45
491The Big Short2015Adam McKay0.45
492The Martian2015Ridley Scott0.45
493Fences2016Denzel Washington0.45
494Hacksaw Ridge2016Mel Gibson0.45
495Darkest Hour2017Joe Wright0.45
496A Star Is Born2018Bradley Cooper0.45
497Vice2018Adam McKay0.45
498Mank2020David Fincher0.45
499The Trial of the Chicago 72020Aaron Sorkin0.45
500Don't Look Up2021Adam McKay0.45
501Dune2021Denis Villeneuve0.45
502Judas and the Black Messiah2021Shaka King0.45
503King Richard2021Reinaldo Marcus Green0.45
504Avatar: The Way of Water2022James Cameron0.45
505Elvis2022Baz Luhrmann0.45
506Barbie2023Greta Gerwig0.45
507The Brutalist2024Brady Corbet0.45

What Best Picture actually measures

The Academy Award for Best Picture is the most famous prize in film, and the most systematically misread. It is not a critics' award: it is a vote of several thousand industry professionals about their own field, taken months after release, under campaign conditions. That makes it an irreplaceable historical record — what Hollywood believed about itself, year by year, since 1929 — and an unreliable predictor of canonical standing. Both properties are visible in the ranked list on this page, where each winner carries our composite score: some years the industry and the eventual canon agree perfectly (Casablanca, The Godfather, Parasite); other years the score column quietly registers a famous mistake.

The mistakes have patterns. The Academy has historically over-rewarded scale and consensus respectability, and under-rewarded genre, comedy and formal risk — which is how Citizen Kane lost 1941 to How Green Was My Valley, Vertigo wasn't even nominated, and Goodfellas lost 1990 to Dances with Wolves while going on to outrank it on nearly every retrospective list. Voting mechanics matter too: since 2009 the category uses a preferential ballot across an expanded field, which favors broadly acceptable films over polarizing ones — a structural fact worth remembering when reading recent winners.

The record is still the spine

For all its noise, the Best Picture line is the single most complete institutional dataset in film history — an unbroken annual measurement by the industry's own electorate, spanning nearly a century of taste, politics and self-image. Its inflection points are real history: the first sound-era winners consolidating the studio system; the 1970s run (The Godfather twice, Cuckoo's Nest's big-five sweep) marking New Hollywood's institutional capture; The Silence of the Lambs (1991) proving genre could sweep; and the 2017–2024 stretch — Moonlight, The Shape of Water, Parasite, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Oppenheimer — recording the Academy's deliberate internationalization and generational turnover after #OscarsSoWhite forced a membership overhaul. In our composite score, a win contributes at full source weight and a nomination at a fraction; the full arithmetic is on the methodology page.