6 Best BAFTA Best Director Winning Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 14, 2026

This is a list of BAFTA-honoured films that are as varied as they are ambitious. La La Land is a bright musical about two dreamers, Gravity strands two astronauts in orbit, and The King’s Speech watches a reluctant king face his stammer. Schindler’s List, The Last Emperor and American Beauty round out a lineup that covers more ground than you’d expect.

La La Land (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 91% Metacritic 94

A jazz pianist and an aspiring actress's romance is tested by the very ambitions that brought them together.

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

An astronaut stranded after a debris strike has to find her own way back to Earth alone.

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 works with an unconventional speech therapist to overcome a stammer before wartime.

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 upends his family when he becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend.

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

Essential and difficult, and still one of the most important films ever made.

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. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're 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)

You might also like

8 Best Movies of 2016

8 Best Movies of 1999

8 Best Movies of 1993

8 Best Movies of 1987

250 Best Movies of All Time

6 Best Oscar Best Actor Winners of the 2010s