6 Best BAFTA Best Director Winning Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 14, 2026

The BAFTA Award for Best Director has crowned some of cinema’s most masterfully crafted and visually ambitious films. In Schindler’s List (1993): A German businessman risks everything to save the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Another standout is American Beauty (1999): A suburban father’s midlife crisis and unexpected job loss trigger a radical reevaluation of his life.

La La Land (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 91% Metacritic 94

An aspiring actress and a dedicated jazz musician pursue their dreams while falling in love in Los Angeles.

Directed by Damien Chazelle · 2h 09m · Rated PG-13

Won 6 Oscars246 wins & 313 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Gravity (2013)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 96% Metacritic 96

Two astronauts stranded in orbit after a catastrophic accident fight to find a way back to Earth.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón · 1h 31m · Rated PG-13

Won 7 Oscars242 wins & 189 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The King's Speech (2010)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 94% Metacritic 88

A reluctant king overcomes a debilitating stammer with the help of an unconventional speech therapist.

Directed by Tom Hooper · 1h 58m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars109 wins & 206 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Britbox Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

American Beauty (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 87% Metacritic 84

A suburban father's midlife crisis and unexpected job loss trigger a radical reevaluation of his life.

Directed by Sam Mendes · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars112 wins & 102 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Schindler's List (1993)

IMDb ★ 9.0 RT 98% Metacritic 95

A German businessman risks everything to save the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

Directed by Steven Spielberg · 3h 15m · Rated R

Won 7 Oscars91 wins & 49 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Last Emperor (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.6

China's final emperor reflects on his extraordinary life, from the Forbidden City to a Communist prison.

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci · 2h 43m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best BAFTA Best Director Winning Movies

La La Land (2016)

Gravity (2013)

The King's Speech (2010)

American Beauty (1999)

Schindler's List (1993)

The Last Emperor (1987)

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