6 Best Venice Silver Lion Winning Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 29, 2026

Venice’s Silver Lion honors directorial achievement. Poor Things has a revived young woman exploring the world, Vera Drake has a kind mother’s secret practice exposed, and Vagabond pieces together a young drifter’s final days. Padre Padrone, 8 1/2 and The Wages of Fear round out the six.

Poor Things (2023)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A reanimated young woman embarks on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery across a fantastical Europe.

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos · 2h 21m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu · 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

Vagabond (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A young drifter's final days wandering the French countryside are pieced together after her death.

Directed by Agnès Varda · 1h 46m

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Vera Drake (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A devoted working-class mother's secret life performing illegal abortions is exposed in 1950s London.

Directed by Mike Leigh · 2h 05m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: BFI Player Amazon Channel

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Padre Padrone (1977)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A shepherd's son defies his brutal, illiterate father to pursue an education and a new life.

Directed by Paolo Taviani & Vittorio Taviani · 1h 54m

Where to watch

Stream: Cohen Media Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

8½ (1963)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A blocked director tries to square his private life with the film he is meant to be making.

Directed by Federico Fellini · 2h 19m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Wages of Fear (1953)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 100% Metacritic 85

Four desperate men agree to drive trucks of unstable nitroglycerin across treacherous South American terrain.

Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot · 2h 34m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 BAFTA Award6 wins & 1 nomination total

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · 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 Venice Silver Lion Winning Movies

Poor Things (2023)

Vagabond (1985)

Vera Drake (2004)

Padre Padrone (1977)

8½ (1963)

The Wages of Fear (1953)

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