25 Oscar Best Picture winners, ranked from good to amazing
The Oscar for Best Picture is undoubtedly the highest honor a film can win. But according to critics, some movies named the “best” the year they came out are better than others.
Metacritic has run the numbers and ranked the top 25 Oscar Best Picture winners of all time, based on its “Metascores” averaging critics’ ratings. Can you guess which film was named number one?
24 (TIE). "Dances With Wolves" (Metascore: 72)
The 1990 film won six other Academy Awards, and was the second of only three Westerns to ever win best picture.
24 (TIE). "A Beautiful Mind" (Metascore: 72)
Based on the life of mathematician John Nash, the 2001 film received glowing reviews, partly due to Russell Crowe’s powerful portrayal of Nash.
23. "Titanic" (Metascore: 74)
Critics lauded the 1997 film for its special effects and strong performances by lead actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
22. "The Last Emperor" (Metascore: 76)
The 1997 film about the last emperor of China was called “a feast for the eyes” in one review.
21. "Driving Miss Daisy" (Metascore: 81)
Critics raved about Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy’s performances in the 1989 film, which explored the topic of different types of prejudice.
18 (TIE). "Unforgiven" (Metascore: 82)
The 1992 film, directed by Clint Eastwood, was also listed as the fourth-best American film in the Western genre on the American Film Institute’s “Top 10” list.
18 (TIE). "Forrest Gump" (Metascore: 82)
The 1994 film was nominated for 13 Oscars and won six: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks), Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
18 (TIE). "Chicago" (Metascore: 82)
The Academy recognized “Chicago” for its music, acting and cinematography. The 2002 film, starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, was the first musical to win Best Picture in more than three decades.
17. "The Silence of the Lambs" (Metascore: 84)
The 1991 film won the “Big Five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was only the third film in history to earn all five awards.
16. "The Departed" (Metascore: 85)
The 2006 crime drama, directed by Martin Scorsese, had a huge A-list cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin.
12 (TIE). "American Beauty" (Metascore: 86)
Kevin Spacey received glowing reviews for his performance in the 1999 film. The press also praised director Sam Mendes and writer Alan Ball for the film’s success.
12 (TIE). "Million Dollar Baby" (Metascore: 86)
Clint Eastwood, who directed the 2004 film, also won the Academy Award for Best Director. Hilary Swank took home the Best Actress award for her performance and Morgan Freeman won Best Supporting Actor for his.
12 (TIE). "Slumdog Millionaire" (Metascore: 86)
The 2009 film, starring Dev Patel in his first feature film, won eight out of ten Academy Awards that it was nominated for.
12 (TIE). "Argo" (Metascore: 86)
Critics enjoyed many aspects of the 2012 historical drama, including acting by Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman. Reviewers also praised the film’s screenplay and score.
10 (TIE). "The English Patient" (Metascore: 87)
The 1996 romantic drama, based on a book by the same name, was the third most-awarded film in Oscars history, with nine Academy Awards.
10 (TIE). "Shakespeare in Love" (Metascore: 87)
The 1998 romantic comedy-drama, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, was nominated for a dozen other Academy Awards.
8 (TIE). "The King's Speech" (Metascore: 88)
Colin Firth’s performance was the highlight of the 2010 biographical drama, according to critics.
8 (TIE). "Birdman" (Metascore: 88)
Reviews praised the performances of Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone in this 2014 dark comedy.
7. "The Artist" (Metascore: 89)
The 2011 French film was only the second “silent” Best Picture winner in Oscar history.
6. "No Country for Old Men" (Metascore: 91)
The 2007 film’s directors, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (the Coen brothers), were only the second duo directing team to win the Best Director award in Oscars history.
5. "Schindler's List" (Metascore: 93)
Director Steven Spielberg also won Best Director for the 1993 historical drama.
3 (TIE). "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (Metascore: 94)
The 2003 film, which was the final installment of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, was the first fantasy film to win Best Picture.
3 (TIE). "The Hurt Locker" (Metascore: 94)
Director Kathryn Bigelow also won the Oscar for Best Director for the 2008 film, becoming the first woman in history to win the award.
2. "12 Years a Slave" (Metascore: 96)
The 2013 film adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir of the same name marked the first time a film directed by a black director won Best Picture. The film’s director, Steve McQueen, did not win the Best Director award (it went to David O. Russell for “American Hustle” instead).
1. “Moonlight” (Metascore: 99)
The film, which explored topics of race and sexuality, also won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Adapted Screenplay during the 2017 Academy Awards.
“Moonlight” beat out “La La Land,” which was originally announced as Best Picture in a shocking mistake during the live show.