10 Best Picture Oscar Winners That Are Indisputable

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The Academy Awards, or Oscars, frequently cause lively discussion, but many of the films chosen as Best Picture are widely considered deserving winners. Since the first ceremony in 1929, the award for Best Picture (originally called Outstanding Picture) has always been a central part of the show. It’s natural that choosing the ‘best’ movie of the year would be a topic of debate.

The Academy Awards aren’t always perfect, and some past Best Picture winners aren’t remembered as classics today. Award shows generally overlook movies in genres like sci-fi or horror, meaning many excellent films get missed each year. This often results in surprising wins, particularly in years when strong genre films were released.

As much as I love to critique the Oscars, they do get it right sometimes. There are films that have swept the awards and truly deserved every bit of praise they received. ‘Best Picture’ is always going to be a matter of opinion, of course, but certain winners were just undeniable in their year. They weren’t just worthy of the win, it often felt like there wasn’t a real challenger in sight!

Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s film, Parasite, was a major success in 2019 and significantly changed how the Oscars viewed international films. The darkly comedic thriller received six Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Director. It made history as the first Korean film and the first non-English language film to win the coveted Best Picture award.

Despite strong competition from films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and 1917, Parasite‘s Best Picture win remains significant. The film’s compelling story and its impact on cinema worldwide cemented its place in history, and its legacy continues to grow even today. Oscar wins are often about long-term importance, and Parasite clearly achieved that.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

Big-budget fantasy movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King often aren’t recognized by major award shows, but Peter Jackson’s film was an exception. It concluded Frodo’s incredible adventure as the strongest installment in the trilogy and achieved a rare feat: winning all 11 Oscars it was nominated for.

Despite strong competition from films like Lost in Translation, The Return of the King was the clear winner. It truly represented the best of big-budget Hollywood filmmaking, making its Best Picture win well-deserved. Even now, over 20 years later, the film remains impressive and enjoyable.

Schindler’s List (1993)

I remember when Schindler’s List came out – Steven Spielberg had already made so many amazing films, but this one felt different. It was truly his masterpiece, a beautiful and heartbreaking story of hope and courage. Honestly, it felt like a movie made to win awards, and it absolutely deserved the seven it took home out of twelve nominations. It was just that powerful.

While Philadelphia might have been a contender, Schindler’s List was the clear favorite to win Best Picture. Its powerful and important story about the Holocaust made it almost certain to win, and it was a well-deserved victory. The film remains significant today, and its win feels even more justified with time.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Horror films are often overlooked by major award ceremonies, and The Silence of the Lambs blurred the lines between horror and thriller genres. Despite this, Jonathan Demme’s film was a significant success at the Academy Awards, receiving seven nominations. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster both won leading actor awards, along with several other accolades.

Although Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was a strong contender for Best Picture, the Academy chose the live-action film instead. Looking back, this was the correct decision, as The Silence of the Lambs paved the way for more unconventional films to be recognized. It’s now widely considered a classic of the horror and thriller genres.

The Godfather (1972)

Widely hailed as one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather was a strong frontrunner for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was both a huge commercial success and a critical darling, earning 10 nominations and ultimately winning three awards.

While many excellent films were up for the award, The Godfather clearly stood out as the best. More than 50 years later, it remains incredibly influential, especially within the gangster film genre. The Academy Awards don’t always get it right, but awarding The Godfather was the obvious choice.

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Many consider Lawrence of Arabia to be the greatest historical epic ever made, and it represents the peak of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Released just before a period of decline for the industry, David Lean’s nearly four-hour film was a grand-scale story focused on compelling characters. The film received widespread recognition, earning 10 Academy Award nominations.

The 35th Academy Awards featured many now-classic films, and the competition for Best Picture was especially strong. While films like To Kill a Mockingbird were nominated, Lawrence of Arabia deservedly won. The film’s lasting impact is undeniable, and its grand scale and lavish production values perfectly represent the golden age of Hollywood.

Ben-Hur (1959)

As a movie fan, I’ve always been amazed by how huge film productions became in the late 50s and early 60s. Ben-Hur really stands out as a prime example of that era. It perfectly blended exciting action and adventure with a classic biblical story, and it absolutely swept the Oscars with a record-breaking 11 wins out of 12 nominations!

While most Best Picture winners face strong competition, Ben-Hur didn’t have much at the 1960 Academy Awards. Though Some Like it Hot is now considered a classic film from that time, it wasn’t recognized by the Oscars. Nevertheless, Ben-Hur‘s win was well-deserved, as it perfectly demonstrated the incredible progress that had been made in filmmaking over the preceding decades.

On The Waterfront (1954)

In the mid-1950s, Marlon Brando led a shift away from traditional Hollywood filmmaking with his naturalistic acting. His film, On the Waterfront, told a raw and complex story of morality and violence, earning an impressive 10 Academy Award nominations and ultimately winning eight. A remarkable aspect of the film was that three of its actors were nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The film On the Waterfront exposed a harsher side of the seemingly perfect 1950s, and that’s why it rightfully won Best Picture. The 27th Academy Awards overlooked many deserving films – neither Sabrina nor Rear Window were even nominated for the top prize. Still, On the Waterfront was probably a stronger choice than those other great movies.

Casablanca (1942)

In the Academy Awards’ early years, the winners weren’t always the best, but Casablanca was a clear success. This sweeping, romantic film starring Humphrey Bogart perfectly captured the magic of classic Hollywood, and it deservedly won Best Picture along with two other awards.

Ten films were up for Best Picture at the 16th Academy Awards, but Casablanca was the clear winner. Although some of the other nominees are still remembered today, none have had the same lasting impact or popularity as Casablanca. Given that it’s one of the most famous movies of all time, the Academy’s decision feels perfect.

It Happened One Night (1934)

Released during a pivotal moment in cinematic history, It Happened One Night was a groundbreaking Best Picture winner that significantly changed how stories were told on film. The charming romantic comedy launched Clark Gable to stardom and challenged conventional filmmaking just before the enforcement of strict censorship rules. The film achieved a perfect sweep at the Oscars, winning all five awards for which it was nominated, including Best Actor and Best Actress.

When It Happened One Night came out, its playful depiction of romance and suggestive humor were surprisingly bold for the time. The film has continued to resonate with audiences, and it’s now considered a classic. It’s one of the most beloved and well-deserved winners of the Academy Award from the early days of talking pictures.

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2025-12-08 01:31