My Fair Lady (1964)
The acclaimed musical drama film, My Fair Lady, deserved all the awards it received. Starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, the performances were perfect in every aspect and the songs are catchy. The only gripe was Audrey Hepburn’s songs were dubbed over and gained a lot of criticism at the time.
Total Academy Awards: 8
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
While it might be absurd to pick out one movie of a trilogy that is so extensive and connected, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King deserves the spotlight. The extraordinary performance and action made the film win all of their nominations.
Total Academy Awards: 11
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
A24’s most experimental and overwhelming film, Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the box office at $143.4 million and won several other awards. Michelle Yeoh’s performance was one for the ages and her chemistry with Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan was outstanding. The movie will make you laugh, cry, and cheer at the same time.
Total Academy Awards: 7
Forrest Gump (1994)
Who still quotes “Run, Forrest, run!” whenever you see a friend or someone else running? Forrest Gump made us cry our eyes out at the heartfelt scenes but it is argued that, if it were released today, we may not feel the same. The particular way Forrest Gump is portrayed by Tom Hanks is questionable. However, it’s still an inspiring movie worth watching.
Total Academy Awards: 6
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Dev Patel killed it in his debut film as Jamal Malik. Slumdog Millionaire opened the eyes of people around the world towards the state of poverty and its consequences in India. However, the Indian audience found the film more offensive and enforcing stereotypes.
Total Academy Awards: 8
Moonlight (2016)
We can still feel the aftershocks of the impact of Moonlight’s story as well as their sweep at the Oscars. It explores the life of Chiron in three stages, all played by 3 different actors. It’s an intense yet beautiful film and a realistic depiction of the cultures represented. It has been named one of the best films of the 21st century and of all time.
Total Academy Awards: 3
Schindler’s List (1993)
The tragic Holocaust film revolves around the real-life figure Oskar Schindler (portrayed by Liam Neeson) and how he saved more than 1,000 Jewish people, most of them of Polish origin, by employing them in his factory. It is a must for those interested in Holocaust history.
Total Academy Awards: 7
The Last Emperor (1987)
The Last Emperor is a biographical film that tells the life of Puyi (John Lone), the final Emperor of China. The epic film has a booming soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Byrne. However, the film’s history accuracy was questioned.
Total Academy Awards: 9 (all nominations)
West Side Story (1961)
A classic romance musical about star-crossed lovers, West Side Story is still garnering adaptations. Although nobody could ever top Rita Moreno’s performance as Anita, it’s exciting to musicals being revived. The story of Maria and Tony is a tale as old as time and its cultural significance in the musical industry remains strong.
Total Academy Awards: 10
Parasite (2019)
Parasite is a South Korean dark comedy, and thriller film around the themes of social class, wealth disparity and inequality. The brilliance behind every aspect of the film’s creation and characterisation will leave you in awe. It’s also the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards and the first South Korean entry.
Total Academy Awards: 4
Avatar (2009)
With its expansion in more recent years, Avatar is one of the highest-grossing films to win an Oscar. The visual effects and worldbuilding were the best at the time of release and still hold up to this day. It can be a bit dragged out but the action and anticipation of the result are worth it. Not to mention, Zoe Saldana does an incredible job at portraying Neytiri with the motion capture tech back then.
Total Academy Awards: 3
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Based on the 1853 slave memoir by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave recalls the story of the author’s experience after being kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. The actor for Solomon Northup, Chiwetel Ejiofor, won a BAFTA Award for his performance. Doing justice to the brutal journey Northup had been through must have been quite the feat.
Total Academy Awards: 3
Oppenheimer (2023)
This had to be included on the list. Oppenheimer was the biggest film of 2023 and for all the right reasons. This is arguably the best work by Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy nailed his performance. The movie is garnering criticism from Japan for its incompetence in expressing remorse towards the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings of 1945.
Total Academy Awards: 7
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Silence of the Lambs is the only horror film, to date, to receive Best Picture. The iconic performance by Anthony Hopkins as Dr Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling cemented their names in the horror genre. Hopkins’ ability to bring Lecter’s menacing and intuitive nature to life is well-respected amongst horror fans.
Total Academy Awards: 5 (All major categories)
Nomadland (2020)
The authenticity of Nomadland shook people to their core. A poetic commentary on lives affected by the economic recession, the film portrays the lives of nomads realistically and genuinely. The film also features some real-life nomads as fictional versions of themselves, namely–Charlene Swankie, Linda May, and Bob Wells. Chloé Zhao is also the first Asian woman and second woman to win Best Director.
Total Academy Awards: 3
The Sound of Music (1965)
The Sound of Music is a fictional retelling of Maria von Trapp’s introduction to the Trapp Family as a governess to the children and her eventual marriage to Georg von Trapp. It’s an emotional journey with cheesy tones and unforgettable music sung to this day.
Total Academy Awards: 5
Ex Machina (2014)
The science fiction film has cemented its influence on the discourse around androids and AI. Ex Machina follows Nathan Bateman, played by Oscar Isaac, who invites a programmer to administer the Turing Test to their prototype humanoid robot. I’m sure you can guess the rest. It shows the intricacies of the Turing Test and the deadliness behind humanoid tech.
Total Academy Awards: 1
Life of Pi
Filmed in 3 different locations, Life of Pi depicts the intriguing journey of Pi Patel as he navigates the seas after surviving a shipwreck with an untamed Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. It delivers a powerful message and has a powerful quote you will never forget, said by the adult version of Pi (Irrfan Khan): “I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”
Total Academy Awards: 4
