Top Oscar-winning films to watch right now

There are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself at home, from cracking open a book to playing some of your favourite video games. But if you really want to pull the household together, then a few pastimes will do the job, as well as gathering around a good film. Thanks to streaming services and quick online deliveries for DVDs, you’ll find no shortage of great films – but picking one to watch can be hard.

There are many films over the years that have won Academy Awards or even multiple ones – Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) currently all hold eleven Oscars each. So what exactly are the odds of an average person winning an Oscar? If you want to know, then you can find out with this new What Are The Chances? quiz that tests your knowledge on all sorts of interesting trivia. For your next watch session, here’s a round-up of some of the recent Adcademy Award winners that you should add to your watchlist.

Joker (2019)

Released last year, Joker is an exciting film full of drama and masterful acting that might potentially bring about a new era of comic-book-based films. Comic book films have been popular for some time now, but Joker helped to break the limits on what could be achieved in the genre. This is the film that took an iconic Batman villain and transformed him from a one-dimensional bad guy into the subject of a gripping, emotional drama, without a single cape in sight. Joaquin Phoenix won the Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his portrayal of Arthur Fleck, a put-upon and sympathetic man who, piece by piece, is transformed into the terrifying Joker. The film’s atmospheric soundtrack also won an Oscar for Best Original Music Score.

Rocketman (2019)

Rocketman is a biopic like no other, taking Elton John’s life and career and turning it into a story that is sometimes funny, glamorous and heart-breaking. The film is staged as a musical with a touch of fantasy to it and John’s greatest hits are conveyed through dreamlike sequences that help shed light on the tumultuous events of his life. John recorded a new number specifically for the film, (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, which won an Oscar for Original Song.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Although this may be seen as a children’s film, this animated re-imagining of the Marvel superhero has plenty to offer for all ages. The movie is a celebration of Spider-Man in all of his incarnations, and during the film, audiences see a gang of different Spider-Men (and Spider-Women) teaming up to face a common foe. A stylistic delight, this movie gives each character a distinctive animation style, paying homage to everything from 1950s film noir to Japanese anime. It’s no wonder that during the awards season, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Just behind The Dark Knight (2008) at number one, Games Radar also ranks this film at number two on the list of 25 best superhero movies of all time.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

If you’re looking for a visual cinematic masterpiece to watch right now, then Blade Runner 2049 is a great option. This sequel to the Ridley Scott 1982 sci-fi classic achieves a lot in its cinematography. Starring Ryan Reynolds, this is a world where android “replicants” like the main character K rub shoulders with humans, and even holograms like K’s girlfriend Joi. All of this makes for a tense and dazzling thriller as K clears up the mysteries from the original film. The film’s depiction of its futuristic world earned two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. Blade Runner 2049 is one visually pioneering and epic film to watch from 2017.

Darkest Hour (2017)

This fictionalised account of Winston Churchill’s entry into World War II transformed Gary Oldman into the very image of the legendary statesman, and did such a thorough job that it was rewarded with Oscars for Best Actor and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The film as a whole is gripping, but Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill is the main selling point. If you’re interested in learning more about Churchill and the difficult decisions that he made during WWII, then this is a gripping drama for you to check out.        

Moonlight (2016)

A searing portrayal of the struggles with sexuality, adolescence, and adulthood, Moonlight won the Oscar for Best Picture with its story of an African-American named Chiron as he tackles his identity. Chiron grows up over the course of the film and is played by three actors, although it is Mahershala Ali’s performance as Chiron’s mentor Juan who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Although nominated for eight awards in total, Moonlight earned three awards at the 2017 awards ceremony including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Motion Picture of the Year.

La La Land (2016)

Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, La La Land from 2016 is the film that helped to revive musicals as a genre. If you’re into classic musicals, then this modern musical is one masterpiece to add to your watch list. Nominated for an incredible 14 awards, La La Land ended the awards evening with six Academy Award wins. Damien Chazelle won Best Director, Emma Stone took the prize for Best Actress, and the film also took Oscars for Best Original Music Score, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.

The editorial unit