Since 1929, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been honoring the best filmmakers in the world with the highest honor you can receive in that industry, an Oscar. While winning in any category is a massive feat, one in particular stands above the rest: Best Picture. Here is a list of best pictures (starting in the '30s) from each decade that you should really watch.
It Happened One Night (1934)
Let's kick this list off with one of my favorite movies of all time, not just the 30's. It Happened One Night is the story of a spoiled socialite who tries to get out from under her father's thumb and falls in love with a roguish reporter. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are wonderfully cute in this funny and charming movie directed by the legendary Frank Capra.
Casablanca (1943)
I know, I know, it seems like the obvious choice but how could I not pick Casablanca? Humphry Bogart stars as Rick, a club owner in World War 2 who's former lover makes a sudden appearance in his bar. It's got action, suspense, drama, and if you like romance, it has that in spades. There's a reason it's one of the most well know classic movies of all time.
Ben Hur (1959)
Ben Hur is an Epic historical drama about betrayal and revenge that is filled to the brim with inspiration and spectacle. Everything about this film is larger than life with the biggest budget and biggest sets ever created at the time. If you need more convincing, not only did it win the best picture category but is also took home an additional ten Oscars.
West Side Story (1961)
We all know the classic story of Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers who find themselves on opposite sides of a feud and struggle to find a way to be together. Now take that story, place it in 1950's Manhattan, add some catchy tunes and some elegant dance numbers and you've got West Side Story. Musicals don't get much better than this.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Get ready to seeth with rage and hate. No, not at the movie which is an absolute masterpiece about McMurphy, a man who fakes insanity in order to escape a prison sentence, and no, not at the main character who is played wonderfully by Jack Nicholson at the top of his game. You will hate, with every fiber of your being, the dreadful, the deplorable, Nurse Ratched.
Platoon (1986)
Some people claim that no war movie can by truly anti-war. Whenever I hear someone say this, I always point to Platoon. The film is about a platoon of American soldiers dealing with the horrors of war, the immorality of their superiors, and the conflicting duality of man. As Gripping and powerful now, as it was in 1986.
Schindler's List (1993)
The '90s are packed with Oscar winners that everyone should see from Silence of the Lambs to American Beauty but if there is one film from that decade that you absolutely, positively must see, it's Schindler's List. It isn't an easy watch by any means, gruesome and nightmarish imagery will tear your emotions to ribbons but the movie is also as beautiful as it is important. If you somehow haven't seen it yet, remedy that.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers direct another gem with No Country For Old Men. When a hunter finds two million dollars in the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, he is pursued by a psychopathic killer who wants the money. There are so many reasons to watch this movie including its gripping and poetic plot and genre-breaking tropes but the stand-out is without a doubt Javier Bardem's pitch-perfect performance as Anton Chigurh.
Parasite (2019)
The 2010s are another decade of fantastic Oscar winners but the most recent winner, Parasite, is the clear frontrunner (I promise you, it really is that good). Also taking home Oscars for the screenplay and directing, it is a revelation in masterful storytelling. The twisting story will have you guessing the whole way through and I recommend not watching a trailer (which is why I didn't include one), just jump right in!
You can find some of these films on various streaming services but if they aren't on there you can rent all of them from Youtube for a couple of bucks.
Featured image courtesy of Engin Akyurt via Pexels.com
