Top 40 Award Winning Movies on Netflix You Should Watch
Though there are a lot of amazing movies on Netflix, but all movies are not created equal, and there are some that have earned critical acclaim, and have become classics. If you’re thinking of watching (or introducing someone to) the most well written, acted, directed movies out there, we’ve got you covered. Here are 40 award winning movies on Netflix that you should watch right now.
Best Award-Winning Movies on Netflix to Watch Right Now(2022)
To make things easier for our readers, we have divided this article into several sections based on genre. Below are the quick links to each section. You can click on the table below to quickly move to the section you find interesting.
Best Netflix Award-Winning Romantic Comedy/Drama Movies
I would like to kickstart this roundup by putting “As Good As It Gets” right at the top as it’s undoubtedly one of thebest comedy movies on Netflix. Oh yes, it also shows a great side of romance as Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt have performed exceedingly well and their chemistry looks fascinating.
In this flick, Nicholson has donned the role of a misanthropic novelist, while Hunt has played the role of a single mother of a chronically ill son. Thanks to the adorable acting, both Nicholson and Hunt have grabbed theAcademy Award for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.
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Check outAs Good As It Gets on Netflix
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is known for making award winning movies, Once Upon a time in Hollywood is a comedy-drama taking place in 1969 in Hollywood. The film followsa fading actor and his stunt double as they navigate the rapidly changing film industry. It received 10 nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards and won Best Supporting Actor (Pitt) and Best Production Design. Brad Pitt’s acting is truly breathtaking and you will fall in love with his performance. Even being a lengthy movie with a slow-paced storytelling, the movie consists of a quirky plot and entertains viewers throughout the movie.
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Check outOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood on Netflix
You will love Tom hanks in and as Forrest Gump. If you haven’t yet watched this movie, I must say you were missing out on one of the brightest gems of Hollywood cinema. Forrest Gump is loosely based on the 1986 novel by the same name and revolves arounda dim-witted and kindhearted man from Alabama. He witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States. Forrest Gump won six Oscars namely Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing in the 67th Academy Awards.
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Check outForrest Gump on Netflix
Fargo is a vintage black comedy that has won plenty of awards and nominations. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the movie also has an interesting mix of thriller elements. The movie is about Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), who is a pregnant Minnesota police chief. Gunderson is investigating roadside homicides.
The movie also stars William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, and Peter Stormare. It received both critical and commercial success. Moreover, itreceived seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. While McDormand won the Academy Award for Best Actress, Coens received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Another story takes place in the same fictional universe in the series Fargo released in 2014 winning similar critical success.
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Check outFargo on Netflix
Another award winning movie you can watch on Netflix is Marriage Story. Consisting of powerful acting performances, Marriage Story shows the life of a married couple, an actress (Johansson) and a theater director (Driver), going through a coast-to-coast divorce. It received critical acclaim, particularly for Director Baumbach’s screenplay and direction and the performances of Johansson, Driver and Dern. Laura Dern won the 92nd Academy Award for Best Supporting Role.
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Check outMarriage Story on Netflix
Loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a curious movie that was nominated for multiple Oscars, and won quite a few as well. The award winning romantic drama movie followsa man who was born as an older person and grows youngthroughout the movie. The plot focuses more on his extraordinary life and love story rather than his intriguing condition.
The movie’s concept was ready in the early 1990s but was finally released in 2008 after the shooting commenced in 2005. The movie was nominated for 13 Academy Awards out of which it bagged the Oscar for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects.
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Check outThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Netflix
Best Netflix Award-Winning Documentary Movies
Bagging the award for Best Documentary Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards, My Octopus Teacher documents the year spent by filmmakerCraig Foster as he forge a relationship with a wild common octopus. The movie provides a great insight into the world of Octopus. How they live, sleep, hunt, and more. Besides, the emotional bond between Foster and the wild octopus seems natural and lovable.
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Check outMy Octopus Teacher on Netflix
“Amy” is one of thebest documentary filmsI have ever watched. This documentary movie is about thelife and death of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. Directed by Asif Kapadia, the film shows Winehouse’s struggle and the unbearable abuse that she had to encounter both before and after her career peaked. It’s this traumatic abuse that eventually led to her shocking death.
Thanks to the superb direction and gripping story, this British documentary has won a whopping 30 film awards including Best European Documentary at the 28th European Film Awards and Best Documentary at the 69th British Academy Film Awards.
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Check outAmy on Netflix
Bryan Fogel’s Icarus has impressed me to no end. And I guess I’m not alone to have been left speechless by this one of the top award-winning films on Netflix. Itfollows Fogel who is on a mission to learn about performance-boosting drugs.
During his extensive research, he discovers a number of shocking things. Courtesy a thought-provoking story, Icarus has won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award and the Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature.
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Check outIcarus on Netflix
13th is a heart-touching documentary movie. The film puts light on justice, the intersection of race, and mass incarceration in the United States. Directed by Ava DuVernay, it asserts that slavery has existed since the end of the American Civil War through criminalizing behavior.
13th was highly acclaimed and also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards. Itwon the Primetime Emmy Awardfor Outstanding Documentary.
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Check out13th on Netflix
Produced by Gil Friesen and directed by Morgan Neville, 20 Feet from Stardom is a classy documentary movie that would easily win you over. The movie covers thebehind-the-scenes experiences of backup singers. It features Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega, and Jo Lawry.
20 Feet from Stardom received a lot of praise for its portrayal of the passion, talent, and the hard work of the backup singers. In addition, it also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards.
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Check out20 Feet from Stardom on Netflix
Netflix Award-Winning Biographical/Historical/Fantasy/Sports Drama Movies
If you adore an epic biographical drama, I would recommend you to watch “The Aviator”. The movie isbased on the 1993 non-fiction book Howard Hughes: The Secret Life(by Charles Higham) and features Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner.
It portraits the life of Howard Hughes who was the director of Hell’s Angels and also known as an aviation pioneer. The Aviator has got plenty of accolades and even won Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing.
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Check outThe Aviator on Netflix
As someone who has a liking for a biographical drama film, I have really enjoyed watching “Dallas Buyers Club”.Set in the mid-1980s when HIV/AIDS treatments were still a subject of research,the movie revolves around Ron Woodroof (played by Matthew McConaughey), who is an AIDS patient.
At the time when the disease was not understood and used to be highly stigmatized, Woodroof smuggled pharmaceutical drugs to not only treat his symptoms but also help other AIDS patients. Due largely to the superb acting and intriguing story, the movie has won multiple Oscars including Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey), Best Supporting Actor (Jared Leto), and Best Makeup.
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Check outDallas Buyers Club on Netflix
Based on the 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Enigma, the Imitation Game takes place during the second world war when Alan Turing deciphered the Enigma by creating a machine. It played a major role in the US winning the war. Alan is considered as thefather of artificial intelligenceand answered an important question of the time, “Can machines think?” Words are not enough to say how much Turing has helped humanity on the technological path we are headed. It won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay which shows you will love the movie and it will leave you thinking about the beginning of the new age we are living in currently.
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Check outThe Imitation Game on Netflix
Based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same title The Power of the Dog covers themes such as love, grief, resentment, jealousy, masculinity, and sexuality. The movie is acclaimed by critics and viewers for direction and screenplay, cinematography, score, and performance and won the 94th Academy Award for Best Director. The movie had a limited theatrical release in November 2021, and was released to stream worldwide on Netflix in December 2021.
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Check outThe Power of The Dog on Netflix
Very few biographical sports drama films have been as successful as The Fighter (2010). This boxing film is about areal-life boxer called Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg)who is trying to get out of the shadow of his older and more famous boxing brother “Dicky Eklund ” (Christian Bale) and achieve greater heights.
With an impressive story backed by the commendable acting of Wahlberg and Bale, the movie turns out to be a massive victor. Furthermore, The Fighter has also won the Academy Awards for both Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) and Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo).
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Check outThe Fighter on Netflix
“Good Will Hunting” is an excellent drama film in which you would love to catch up with your friends and loved ones.Written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie is about a 20-year-old boy “Will Hunting”(played by Matt Damon) who studies with a Harvard professor and a famous therapist to fight out his demons and become a successful person in life.
Moreover, this drama film has won a couple of Academy Awards like Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon.
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Check outGood Will Hunting on Netflix
Based on the novel of the same name (written by E. M. Forster and published in 1910),Howards End is a classy romantic drama film. Set in the early 20th century, the movie elegantly portraits the story of class relationships. Featuring noted actors including Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Helena Bonham Carter, the film was a massive hit at the box office.
What’s more, it also succeeded in winning three Academy Awards for Best Actress (Emma Thompson), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Art Direction.
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Check outHowards End on Netflix
The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film based on the book The Accidental Billionaires published in 2009. The story gives us insights about thefounding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits. None of the actual founders or staff from the tech company was involved in the film. However, Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders, provided significant details for the book. The movie won three Academy Awards out of the eight nominations in the categories Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.
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Check outThe Social Network on Netflix
As a historical drama, Lincoln is pure gold.Directed by Steven Spielberg,the movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The film focuses on the final four months of Lincoln’s life, including the grand endeavor to have the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives.
What’s more, the movie was highly praised and bagged the Academy Award for the Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Production Design.
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Check outLincoln on Netflix
When there is a debate on one of the most popular historical dramas, leaving out “The King’s Speech” would be a blunder. The movie has beendirected by Tom Hooper and Colin Firth as the future King George VI.
The king is faced with a big stammering problem which he wants to get rid of at all cost. The way he succeeds in overcoming the stammering problem is commendable. As for the awards, the film has got quite a few notable ones: Best Picture, Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Original Score.
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Check outThe King’s Speech on Netflix
I wouldn’t hesitate in calling “Milk” one of the most loved biographical films of all time.Based on the life of activist and politician Harvey Milk,who happened to be the first gay to be elected for the public office in California, the film features Sean Penn in the leading role.
The biggest highlight of this movie is Penn’s brilliant performance as Milk which won praise both from fans and critics. With impactful acting and emotional story to boot, Milk received Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Original Screenplay awards.
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Check outMilk on Netflix
When there is a desire to settle with nothing less than the very best, “The Pianist” should be a notable inclusion in the watchlist. This biographical drama has been directed by Roman Polanski and stars Adrien Brody as the protagonist.
The film isbased on the autobiographical book “The Pianist”which is a very popular Holocaust memoir by the Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman. In terms of awards, this biographic flick has won three Oscars: Best Director (Roman Polanski), Best Actor (Adrien Brody), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Check outThe Pianist on Netflix
If you are a fan of a dark fantasy drama film, you shouldn’t miss out on Pan’s Labyrinth. Set in the summer of 1944 in Spain, the plot iscentered around an abandoned labyrinth and a mysterious faun creature.Well, I have loved watching this flick intertwined with the mythical world.
And I bet it would succeed in winning your heart as well. A must for the movie-lovers who adore dark fantasy! Not to mention, Pan’s Labyrinth has also got three major awards: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup.
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Check outPan’s Labyrinth on Netflix
Let’s put it straight, “Roma” is a once in a generation drama film that should automatically find a safe place in your wishlist of the top award-winning movies on Netflix. This movie is loosely based on the autobiography ofCuarón’s upbringing in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.
The story is set around the life of a live-in housekeeper of a middle-class family and shows the enormous struggle that she has to encounter. Expectedly, this drama film has won quite a few Oscars: Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Cinematography.
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Check outRoma on Netflix
What a way to wrap up this awesome movie collection by adding Steven Spielberg’s masterclass – Schindler’s List! Yeah, this is the same movie that gave Spielberg his first Oscar.
Talking about the plot of this epic historical period drama, itrevolves around Oskar Schindler, Sudeten German businessman, who saved more than a thousand lives by employing them in his factory during the turbulent time of World War II. Do I need to say that this movie has bagged a ton of awards: seven Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and many more.
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Check outSchindler’s List on Netflix
Best Netflix Award-Winning Science-Fiction Movies
When we think of Aliens, we either think of a global attack beginning in the US, or something like Star Wars. However, if you ever wondered if the aliens may have a culture, civilization, and if you have curious questions related to their anatomy, language, and more, Arrival will provide a satisfactory answer. The movie revolves around a linguist enlisted by the United States Army to discoverhow to communicate with extraterrestrial alienswho have arrived on Earth. Otherwise, the tension might lead to war. The movie is praised by critics and viewers for its concept involving the exploration of communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Actress Amy Adams won numerous awards for her breathtaking role for the movie.
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Check outArrival on Netflix
Should you wish to give a shot at afascinating romantic science-fiction comedy-drama film, I would suggest you kickstart “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” straight away.
Featuring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in the prominent roles, the movie is set around an estranged couple who have completely thrown each other from their respective lives and even memories. But their romance gets an all-new start when they re-met. Beyond the story, the movie has won the Academy Award for the Best Original Screenplay.
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Check outEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Netflix
What I have liked most in “Her” is a unique story. The entire movie is centered aroundTheodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix)who gets emotionally attached to Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) – an artificially intelligent virtual assistant.
Watch this science-fiction romance film to find out different shades of love. Talking about the award the film has bagged, it has deservedly won the Academy Award for the Best Original Screenplay.
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Check outHer on Netflix
As a science-fiction psychological thriller film, Ex Machina excels in most aspects. The movie has been written and directed by Alex Garland. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac, it’s about a programmer who is given the responsibility to administer the Turing test to an intelligent humanoid robot.
Made on a budget of $15 million, Ex Machina amassed $36 million worldwide and was praised for Vikander’s performance, the screenplay, and editing. Furthermore, the science fiction movie won theAcademy Award for Best Visual Effectsat the 88th Academy Awards.
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Check outEx Machina on Netflix
Best Netflix Award-Winning Crime/Thriller Movies
No list about the best award winning movies on Netflix would be complete without this one. Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller based on the DC comics character of the same name. The movie is independently made by Todd Phillips and provides apossible origin story for the character. The plot follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who descends in nihilism and insanity raising a violent revolution in Gotham city. The movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards winning Best Actor for Phoenix and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir. Phoenix is highly praised for his performance by many film societies and audiences.
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Check outJoker on Netflix
This one is a must-have for the movie buffs who never seem to get enough of crime films. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson in the prominent roles, the movie is aremake of the critically acclaimed Hong Kong film called Infernal Affairs.
DiCaprio has looked convincing as an undercover state trooper ( William Billy) and if you are a fan of his acting, you shouldn’t give it a miss. Moreover, The Departed won four Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
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Check outThe Departed on Netflix
Mystic River is a 2003 American neo-noir psychological mystery crime drama film based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The movie follows the lives of three childhood friends who are shattered when one of them has a family tragedy. The movie won two Academy Awards in categories Best Actor for Sean Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Tim Robbins.
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Check outMystic River on Netflix
Set in the American West just after the Civil War, “The Hateful Eight” is an American western thriller film. The plot isset around a group of eight strangerswho desperately seek refuge from a blizzard. The film has a notable star cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
With plenty of intense scenes and thrilling moments, The Hateful Eight has got what it takes to liven up your showtime. Not to mention, it has also won an Academy Award for the Best Original Score.
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Check outThe Hateful Eight on Netflix
A neo-western crime thriller film like “No Country for Old Men” can seamlessly find a top spot in your watchlist. The movie isbased on Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same nameand stars Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin in the pivotal roles.
The plot revolves around a Texas welder in the desert landscape. With high-voltage thrilling scenes and engrossing storyline, the movie has got four prestigious Academy Awards like Best Picture, Best Director (Joel and Ethan Coen), Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem), and Best Adapted Screenplay. This is definitely one of the award winning movies on Netflix that you should check out.
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Check outNo Country for Old Men on Netflix
Best Netflix Award-Winning Epic War Movies
Are you on the hunt foran action-packed war epic film? If yes, give a chance to “The Hurt Locker” as it’s one of the most loved war-drama movies. It has an appreciable star cast led by Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty. The story is centered around the Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who is on the hit list of insurgents. Find out their bravery and how they tackle the huge challenges.
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Check outThe Hurt Locker on Netflix
The epic war movie that’s widely considered as the gold standard is Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. Written by Robert Rodat, the movie is set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. The graphic portrayal of war and the intensity of its second scene of 23 minutes which is an amazing depiction of the Omaha Beach assault during the Normandy landings stand out.
The story is about the United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad. It wasnominated for eleven Academy Awardsat the 71st Academy Awards and was able to win five awards including the Best Director and Best Film Editing.
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Check outSaving Private Ryan on Netflix
Best Netflix Award-Winning Action/Adventure Movies
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 Australian post-apocalyptic action film co-written and directed by George Miller. He came up with the idea for the fourth installment in the Mad max franchise in 1987. However, the movie was in development hell for almost two decades. The movie follows Max Rockatansky in the post-apocalyptic setting where water and petroleum is scarce. The movie bagged six Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing in the 88th Academy Awards, making it the movie with most awards in the ceremony.
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Check outMad Max Fury Road on Netflix
Boasting a fascinating story, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King isan epic fantasy adventure movie. Directed by Peter Jackson, the award-winning Netflix film is based on the third volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It’s the third installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, and Cate Blanchett.
The fantasy adventure received critical acclaim andgrossed $1.142 billionworldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2003 and the second highest-grossing film of all time. Moreover, it won all the eleven Academy Awards for which it had been nominated including best film editing, best picture, and best director.
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Check outLord of the Rings: Return of the King on Netflix
One of Christopher Nolan’s best works so far, the Dark Knight is the second installment in the The Dark Knight Trilogy written and directed by Nolan. The movie is popular for the portrayal of the villain Joker by Heath Ledger. He died months before the release of the movie and was critically acclaimed for one of his best acting performances.
The movie broke several records while screening and is considered one of the most influential movies of the decade. It won twoAcademy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor. The Dark Knight rises is preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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Check outThe Dark Knight on Netflix
Frequently Asked Questions
There are quite a few Oscar-nominated movies on Netflix 2022. For instance, The Irishman is nominated for 10 Oscars including best picture, Marriage Story is nominated for 6 Oscars including best picture and best actress (Scarlett Johansson), The Two Popes for 3 Oscars, and more.
Netflix boasts a huge library of Academy Award-Winning movies such as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Saving Private Ryan, No Country for Old Men, and more.
When it comes to having a large collection oftop-notch movies, Netflixis undoubtedly the best place. From Total Recall to The Hurt Locker to The Departed, it’s got you fully covered.
Set the Showtime on Fire with the Best Award Winning Movies on Netflix
Now is the time to set your showtime for a long video-streaming spree. So, bring on the popcorn and call the couch buddies for a fun-filled media watching. When you have a luxurious collection of the best Oscar winning Netflix movies at your disposal, even a long vacation seems to run out a bit faster, doesn’t it? Therefore, make it count to the fullest. By the way, let me know your favorite flicks and the things that make them stand out for you.
Beebom Staff
Bringing the latest in technology, gaming, and entertainment is our superhero team of staff writers. They have a keen eye for latest stories, happenings, and even memes for tech enthusiasts.
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