15 Best Best Picture Winners (1990-2020)

By Vlad Zakh · March 30, 2026

United States Drama thought provoking

The Shawshank Redemption famously lost its year and is still the most beloved film on this list, while Parasite closed out the era by becoming the first non-English-language Best Picture winner. In Schindler’s List (1993): Essential and difficult, and still one of the most important films ever made. Don’t overlook The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Still the only horror film to ever win Best Picture, and it earns it.

Argo (2012)

01

Argo (2012)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A hostage-rescue story told with real, sustained procedural tension.

Directed by Ben Affleck · 2h 00m · Rated R

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

Gladiator (2000)

02

Gladiator (2000)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 80% Metacritic 67

Are you not entertained, and two decades later the answer is still yes.

Directed by Ridley Scott · 2h 35m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars61 wins & 105 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Kanopy, YouTube TV · 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

American Beauty (1999)

03

American Beauty (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 87% Metacritic 84

A midlife crisis that somehow made suburban dissatisfaction feel cinematic.

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

Birdman (2014)

04

Birdman (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A meta, technically dazzling look at fame and self-worth.

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu · 2h 00m · Rated R

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

Spotlight (2015)

05

Spotlight (2015)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97% Metacritic 93

A quiet, procedural journalism drama that never oversells its urgency.

Directed by Tom McCarthy · 2h 09m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars124 wins & 146 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV · 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 Hurt Locker (2008)

06

The Hurt Locker (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Tense and internal, built around the psychology of defusing bombs.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow · 2h 11m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

07

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A rags-to-riches structure told through game-show trivia.

Directed by Danny Boyle · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Apple TV Store

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

08

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 90% Metacritic 86

A boxing movie that becomes something much heavier by the final act.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 2h 12m · Rated PG-13

Won 4 Oscars68 wins & 86 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

09

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 95% Metacritic 86

Still the only horror film to ever win Best Picture, and it earns it.

Directed by Jonathan Demme · 1h 59m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars71 wins & 50 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus · 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

Moonlight (2016)

10

Moonlight (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 98% Metacritic 99

A quiet, three-part coming-of-age story told with real restraint.

Directed by Barry Jenkins · 1h 52m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars237 wins & 315 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Hulu, Netflix Standard with Ads · 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

12 Years a Slave (2013)

11

12 Years a Slave (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 95% Metacritic 96

Essential, difficult, and unflinching in a way few films attempt.

Directed by Steve McQueen · 2h 14m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars244 wins & 338 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

Schindler's List (1993)

12

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 Departed (2006)

13

The Departed (2006)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 91% Metacritic 85

A remake that somehow out-tenses its own already-tense source material.

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 31m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars100 wins & 141 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, 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

No Country for Old Men (2007)

14

No Country for Old Men (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 93% Metacritic 92

A chase movie that refuses every genre convention it sets up.

Directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars165 wins & 139 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium Plus · 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

Parasite (2019)

15

Parasite (2019)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 99% Metacritic 97

A class-divide thriller-drama hybrid that earned every bit of its Best Picture win.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 13m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars309 wins & 261 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, FlixFling · 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, 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.