Netflix’s catalog is packed with award-winning titles, but Oscar winners always get a special spotlight. With awards season drawing close, it’s time to refresh your watch list with Academy Award winners that you might be missing out on.
Whether you’re in the mood for a bite-sized short film, informative documentary, or impactful film, Netflix’s collection of Academy Award winners offers plenty of standout choices. Here are five such films to check out this weekend.
All Quiet on the Western Front
One of the best award-winning foreign language movies to date, All Quiet on the Western Front is a grueling German anti-war drama that follows Paul Bäumer, a young German teenager who eagerly enlists in World War I, three years into the war. Believing promises of honor and legacy, he quickly realizes the reality when confronted with the horrors of trench warfare, from mud, hunger, and fear to the continuous violence that plagues every second. As Paul watches friends die, the gears of war and politics slowly turn in the background.
All Quiet on the Western Front received a whopping 14 nominations at the 76th British Academy Film Awards (winning seven, including Best Film) and nine at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won four, including Best International Feature Film.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s recreation of the story of Pinocchio (based on the Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio) is a thrilling celebration of animation that you will love if you’re a fan of unique retellings of classic stories. The dark fantasy musical, set in Fascist Italy, Pinocchio follows Geppetto, a woodcarver who lost his son in World War I. Geppetto carves Pinocchio, a wooden boy made of pine who causes trouble for his father. Geppetto gets to care for his new child with his fair share of struggle, in the midst of an unstable economy whose effects ripple through each day.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio uses stop-motion animation that is captivating to watch. The film won many accolades, notably the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2023.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Released as part of a four-part short anthology series, all based on Roald Dahl’s short stories, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a vivid and distinctive short film that tells one of Dahl’s best short stories.
Directed by Wes Anderson and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, and Ben Kingsley, this short film depicts the story of Henry Sugar, a wealthy man who sets out to learn the secret behind Imdad, a guru who can see with his eyes closed, so that he can use the power to gamble better. The eccentric story behind Imdad’s ability and how he acquired it, as well as Henry’s experience on this journey, make up the plot of the memorable film.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
The Elephant Whisperers
A quintessential nature documentary film to stream on Netflix is The Elephant Whisperers. This award-winning Indian documentary depicts the heartwarming tale of Raghu, an orphaned baby elephant, who is adopted by a couple in Mudumalai National Park (Tamil Nadu, South India). The elephant caretakers, belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe, nurse the injured calf to health and help him grow strong while their bond deepens. The crew working on the documentary spent almost five years living with the caretakers and Raghu. The documentary also explores the science of elephant rescue and care, as well as calf rearing.
This documentary stands out for its visuals and informative, persuasive storytelling. The Elephant Whisperers won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards, becoming the first Indian film to win in that category.
The Power of the Dog
One of the best western dramas you can find on Netflix is the decorated film The Power of the Dog, featuring a star-studded cast of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Set in 1920s Montana, The Power of the Dog follows rancher Phil Burbank, whose brother George marries an inn owner, Rose. Phil antagonizes Rose and her son, Peter, humiliating them both and causing them to spiral. The dynamics between Phil and Peter, along with Phil’s demons and struggle for power, drive the slow-burning psychological thriller as unexpected incidents begin to unravel.
The Power of the Dog received eight nominations at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, winning Best Direction and Best Film. It also won Jane Campion an award for Best Director at the Academy Awards and is the first film directed by a woman to receive more than ten Academy Award nominations.
To find more Oscar-winning films on Netflix, you can navigate to the “Oscars Spotlight” genre while searching or find the “Oscar Nominee” or “Academy Award Winner” tag in the title thumbnails.
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