6 Best Oscar Best Picture Winners of the 1940s

By Vlad Zakh · June 16, 2026

The 1940s Best Picture winners were shaped by wartime resilience and psychological drama. Casablanca has an expatriate choosing between his own happiness and helping his former lover’s husband, The Best Years of Our Lives follows three veterans readjusting to civilian life, and Hamlet takes on Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy. All the King’s Men, Mrs. Miniver and Rebecca round out the six.

All the King's Men (1949)

TMDB ★ 7.2

An idealistic politician rises to power and becomes the kind of tyrant he once opposed.

Directed by Robert Rossen · 1h 49m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hamlet (1948)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A Danish prince seeks revenge on his uncle for murdering his father and seizing the throne.

Directed by Laurence Olivier · 2h 33m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97% Metacritic 93

Three Second World War veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life when they return home.

Directed by William Wyler · 2h 51m · Rated NR

Won 7 Oscars25 wins & 4 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Casablanca (1943)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 99% Metacritic 100

A cynical nightclub owner in Vichy-controlled Morocco must choose between love and helping the resistance.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 42m · Rated PG

Won 3 Oscars18 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · 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

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

TMDB ★ 7.1

An English family endures the hardships and dangers of the Second World War on the home front.

Directed by William Wyler · 2h 14m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon 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

Rebecca (1940)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A young bride is haunted by the lingering presence of her husband's dead first wife.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 2h 10m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, Brew

▶ 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 Picture Winners of the 1940s

All the King's Men (1949)

Hamlet (1948)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Casablanca (1943)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Rebecca (1940)

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