The Best Oscar Winning Movies On Netflix, Ranked

Ranker Streaming
Updated September 1, 2023 4.6K votes 545 voters 39.0K views
Over 500 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Oscar Winning Movies On Netflix, Ranked
Voting Rules
Only Netflix-streaming movies that have won an Academy Award.

If you're looking for critically-acclaimed films to watch, here are the best Oscar-winning movies on Netflix. Featuring Best Picture winners and some of the greatest films of all time, this list of Oscar winners streaming now on Netflix is updated regularly with newly added and popular movies. 

Vote up the best Academy Award-winning films on Netflix, and add your favorite Oscar winners if they're missing from the list. 

Most divisive: Howards End
Ranked by
  • Saving Private Ryan
    1

    Saving Private Ryan

    Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore
    73 votes
    • Released: 1998
    • Directed by: Steven Spielberg
    Saving Private Ryan, a war film directed by Steven Spielberg, is a harrowing depiction of World War II. Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks), a hardened yet compassionate soldier, leads a group of eight men from the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the United States Army through enemy lines. Their mission? Find and safely return paratrooper Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Set against the backdrop of the brutal Normandy invasion, this gripping tale won five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Spielberg. It explores themes of sacrifice and duty, leaving its mark as an unforgettable cinematic experience.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • Fiddler on the Roof
    2

    Fiddler on the Roof

    Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey
    51 votes
    • Released: 1971
    • Directed by: Norman Jewison
    A lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia.

    Available On:

    subscription

    free

  • The Dark Knight
    3

    The Dark Knight

    Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
    79 votes
    • Released: 2008
    • Directed by: Christopher Nolan

    Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Editing

    In The Dark Knight, Gotham City's vigilante, Batman (Christian Bale), faces his greatest adversary yet - the Joker (Heath Ledger), a criminal mastermind with a twisted sense of humor. Under the guidance of mentor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and ally Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Batman navigates a web of chaos spun by the Joker. The Christopher Nolan directed crime drama won two Academy Awards, including one for Ledger's posthumous performance. Brimming with high-stakes action scenes and moral dilemmas, this second installment in Nolan's Batman trilogy is a captivating exploration of heroism in times of anarchy.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • The Departed
    4

    The Departed

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
    98 votes
    • Released: 2006
    • Directed by: Martin Scorsese

    Best Director, Best Picture, Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing

    In the gritty crime thriller, The Departed, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young undercover cop in Boston who infiltrates an Irish mob run by the ruthless Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Simultaneously, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a criminal planted within the state police, climbs the ranks. As both sides become deeply entrenched in their disguises, they grapple with divided loyalties and deadly stakes. Directed by Martin Scorsese, this intense cat-and-mouse game won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The movie's layered plot mirrors a complex labyrinth of deception and betrayal.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • Cool Hand Luke
    5

    Cool Hand Luke

    Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon
    58 votes
    • Released: 1967
    • Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg

    Best Supporting Actor

    When petty criminal Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play by the rules of either the sadistic warden (Strother Martin) or the yard's resident heavy, Dragline (George Kennedy), who ends up admiring the new guy's unbreakable will. Luke's bravado, even in the face of repeated stints in the prison's dreaded solitary confinement cell, "the box," make him a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and a thorn in the side of the prison officers.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    6

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
    48 votes
    • Released: 2011
    • Directed by: David Fincher
    In the gripping thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a disgraced journalist seeking redemption. He's hired to solve a decades-old disappearance by wealthy businessman Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). Assisting him is Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a brilliant but troubled hacker with her own set of mysteries. Set in frigid Sweden, this film weaves complex narratives and chilling suspense. It garnered Rooney Mara an Academy Award nomination for her striking performance. This adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestseller marks David Fincher's exquisite direction, known for its unflinching realism and atmospheric tension.