6 Best Oscar Best Original Screenplay Winning Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 10, 2026

Original screenplays have to invent everything, and these did it boldly. Get Out has a young Black man uncovering his girlfriend’s family’s horrifying secret, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has a heartbroken man erasing his memories of an ex, and The Usual Suspects has a con man telling an elaborate story to a skeptical customs agent. American Beauty, Pulp Fiction and Network round out the six.

Get Out (2017)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 98% Metacritic 85

Jordan Peele's directorial debut turns a weekend meeting the girlfriend's parents into a nightmare.

Directed by Jordan Peele · 1h 44m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar154 wins & 214 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, FXNow, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 93% Metacritic 89

A heartbroken man undergoes a procedure to erase all memory of his former relationship.

Directed by Michel Gondry · 1h 48m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar73 wins & 111 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

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

The Usual Suspects (1995)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 87% Metacritic 76

A small-time con man recounts the twisted events leading up to a deadly heist and a mysterious crime lord.

Directed by Bryan Singer · 1h 46m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars37 wins & 17 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Pulp Fiction (1994)

IMDb ★ 8.8 RT 92% Metacritic 95

Two hitmen, a boxer and a gangster's wife weave through a nonlinear crime saga in Los Angeles.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino · 2h 34m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar69 wins & 72 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · 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

Network (1976)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 90% Metacritic 83

A failing network turns its unravelling anchor's on-air breakdown into a ratings sensation.

Directed by Sidney Lumet · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars20 wins & 27 nominations

Where to watch

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

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 Oscar Best Original Screenplay Winning Movies

Get Out (2017)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

American Beauty (1999)

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Network (1976)

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