Can you feel a movie while watching it? Many award-winning films throughout the years have proved a point. They might not feel like a blockbuster hit, but they contain some quirky elements, visual details, symbolic stories, and great acting performances, which an average viewer usually neglects. However, if you are one of those people who watch a movie, not for entertainment but to grasp and absorb it thoroughly, you came to the right place. Here is a list of the 30 best award-winning movies, mainly the recent ones, which I feel will tickle your brain. I have added movies that have won numerous Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globe Awards, etc. So, without any further ado, here are the 30 best award winning movies to watch right now.

Before we begin, please note that the Rotten Tomatoes score in the list is in critics/audience format. You can also find additional details like IMDb rating, the cast, creators, and the movie’s runtime to make an informed decision before dedicating your time to it. At last, make sure you find the perfect genre for your watch. The list contains everything from romantic drama to Sci-Fi adventures. Take the help of the table below to navigate to a movie that quickly raises your excitement. 

  • Dune (2021)Coda (2021)Encanto (2021)King Richard (2021)Slumdog Millionaire (2008)A Beautiful Mind (2001)Argo (2012)Forrest Gump (1994)The Shape of Water (2017)Shakespeare in Love (1998)The Hurt Locker (2008)The Imitation Game (2014)Million Dollar Baby (2004)The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)Titanic (1997)No Country for Old Men (2007)Nomadland (2020)Parasite (2019)Silence of the Lambs (1991)Summer of Soul (2021)My Octopus Teacher (2020)Belfast (2021)Birdman (2014)Django Unchained (2012)Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)Soul (2020)The Father (2020)The Revenant (2015)Gravity (2013)Inception (2010)

1. Dune (2021)

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 83%/90%Director: Denis VilleneuveWriter: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric RothCast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan SkarsgårdRuntime: 2 hours, 36 minutes

Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film, a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. The movie is set in the far future. It follows Paul Atreides and his family, the noble House Atreides. Tension arises between multiple houses, which leads to a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis for a rare and valuable substance called “Spice,” which helps in interstellar travel. 

2. Coda (2021)

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 94%/92%Director: Sian HederWriter: Sian HederCast: Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-PeeloRuntime: 1 hour, 51 minutes

CODA is a 2021 coming-of-age comedy-drama film and a remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film La Famille Bélier. The film’s title, CODA, stands for children of deaf adults, which is the primary context of the plot. The movie follows Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), the only hearing member of a deaf family. She helps her family’s struggling fishing business while pursuing her own aspirations of being a singer.

  • IMDb: 7.3Rotten Tomatoes: 91%/93%Director: Jared Bush, Byron HowardWriter: Charise Castro Smith, Jared BushCast: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro CastilloRuntime: 1 hour, 49 minutes

Encanto is a 2021 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation. Encanto follows the Madrigals, a multigenerational Colombian family whose members receive magical gifts on their 5th birthday, except for Mirabel. When Mirabel learns that the family is losing their magic, she starts to find out what is happening to save her family and their magical house.

Watch Trailer here

  • IMDb: 7.5Rotten Tomatoes: 90%/98%Director: Reinaldo Marcus GreenWriter: Zach BaylinCast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi SingletonRuntime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

King Richard is a 2021 American biographical sports drama film. The movie stars Will Smith in the title role of  Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. The two tennis players are also the producer of the movie. The National Board of Review awarded Best Actor to Smith and Best Supporting Actress to Ellis for their breathtaking performances. Will Smith went on to win many more awards as the Best Actor for the movie, including the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award.

  • IMDb: 8.0Rotten Tomatoes: 91%/90%Director: Danny BoyleWriter: Simon BeaufoyCast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan KhanRuntime: 2 hours

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film loosely based on the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. The movie begins with 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai as a contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, an Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Everyone is surprised to see how Jamal is able to answer each question correctly. However, the police torture him before the last question on accusations of cheating. We then see the movie as Jamal’s flashbacks when he searches for the answers from his life experiences. 

  • IMDb: 8.2Rotten Tomatoes: 74%/93%Director: Ron HowardWriter: Akiva GoldsmanCast: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam GoldbergRuntime: 2 hours, 15 minutes

A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American biographical drama film based on the life of mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. The movie was inspired by the 1997 book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar. The story begins in John’s life as a graduate student at Princeton University. He begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes, which hardens his relationship with his wife Alicia and friends. The movie won four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress in the 74th Academy Awards. 

  • IMDb: 7.7Rotten Tomatoes: 96%/90%Director: Ben AffleckWriter: Chris TerrioCast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John GoodmanRuntime: 2 hours

Argo is a 2012 American historical drama-thriller film adapted from the 1999 book of the same name by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency operative Tony Mendez. The film shows the story of “Canadian Caper,” in which Mendez rescued six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, under the guise of filming a science fiction film during the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis. 

  • IMDb: 8.8Rotten Tomatoes: 70%/95%Director: Robert ZemeckisWriter: Eric RothCast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally FieldRuntime: 2 hours, 22 minutes

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 around a dim-witted and kindhearted man from Alabama. He witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States. 

  • IMDb: 7.3Rotten Tomatoes: 92%/72%Director: Guillermo del ToroWriter: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa TaylorCast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael StuhlbargRuntime: 2 hours, 3 minutes

If you are a fan of fantasy movies and find solace in romantic ones, The Shape of Water will fill you with plenty of emotions and introduce you to an uncommon world. This 2007 American romantic fantasy film is set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland. It follows a mute cleaner at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature. The protagonist then decides to help him escape from an evil colonel. 

The movie was screened at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the highest award of the ceremony. Critics and audiences acclaim the Shape of Water for the acting, screenplay, direction, visuals, production design, cinematography, and musical score. The film got thirteen nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.

  • IMDb: 7.1Rotten Tomatoes: 92%/80%Director: John MaddenWriter: Marc Norman, Tom StoppardCast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben AffleckRuntime: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 romantic period comedy-drama film talking about the fictional story of Shakespeare and his love life. It shows William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow) knowing each other while Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet. Many characters are based on historical figures. Meanwhile, a few characters, lines, and plots pay homage to Shakespeare’s plays. The movie won seven Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. 

  • IMDb: 7.6Rotten Tomatoes: 97%/84%Director: Kathryn BigelowWriter: Mark BoalCast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph FiennesRuntime: 2 hours, 11 minutes

Are you on the hunt for an 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 a palpable star cast led by Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty. The story is centered around the Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, which is on the hit list of insurgents. Find out their bravery and how they tackle huge challenges.

The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It also became the first Oscar-winning movie in the Best Picture category to be directed by a female director. 

  • IMDb: 8.0Rotten Tomatoes: 89%/91%Director: Morten TyldumWriter: Graham MooreCast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory KinnearRuntime: 1 hour, 54 minutes

Based on the 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Enigma, the Imitation game occurred during the second world war when Alan Turing deciphered the Enigma by creating a machine. It played a significant role in the U.S. winning the war. Alan is considered the father of artificial intelligence and 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. 

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 90%/90%Director: Clint EastwoodWriter: Paul Haggis, F.X. TooleCast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan FreemanRuntime: 2 hours, 12 minutes

If you find sports exciting, looking into the life of a sportsperson can be a huge motivation. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film based on short stories by F.X. Toole, pen name adapted by Jerry Boyd, a fight manager, and cutman. The film follows Margaret “Maggie” Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), an underdog amateur boxer helped by an underappreciated boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood) to achieve her dream of becoming a professional. The film bagged seven nominations at the 77th Academy Awards and won four in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Swank), and Best Supporting Actor (for Freeman).

  • IMDb: 8.9Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/86%Director: Peter JacksonWriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter JacksonCast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean AstinRuntime: 3 hours, 21 minutes

Boasting a fascinating story, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is an epic fantasy adventure movie. The award-winning Netflix film is directed by Peter Jackson 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.

  • IMDb: 7.9Rotten Tomatoes: 87%/69%Director: James CameronWriter: James CameronCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances FisherRuntime: 3 hours, 15 minutes

R.M.S. Titanic was the biggest ship at the time publicized as an unsinkable one. However, destiny took a wrong turn, and we all know what happened afterward; it sank. Well, on a good note, it gave director James Cameron an excellent film story. Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film casting Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead roles. They belong to different social classes and fall in love aboard the boat during its ill-fated maiden voyage. It was the most expensive film ever made at the time, with a production budget of $200 million.

After its release, Titanic achieved significant critical and commercial success. It was nominated for 14 Oscars, becoming the second film tied with All About Eve (1950) for the most Oscar nominations. It went on to win 11 Academy Awards in categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and more. The 2017 re-released 3D version of the movie is selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/86%Director: Joel Coen, Ethan CoenWriter: Joel Coen, Ethan CoenCast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh BrolinRuntime: 2 hours, 2 minutes

A neo-western crime thriller film like “No Country for Old Men” can seamlessly find a top spot in your watchlist. The movie is based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same name and stars Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin in pivotal roles.

17. Nomadland (2020)

  • IMDb: 7.3Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/82%Director: Chloé ZhaoWriter: Chloé ZhaoCast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, SwankieRuntime: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Nomadland is a 2020 American drama film based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. The movie follows a widow who leaves to travel around the United States in her van as a nomad. Several real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells. 

  • IMDb: 8.5Rotten Tomatoes: 98%/90%Director: Bong Joon-hoWriter: Bong Joon-ho, Han Jin-wonCast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-damRuntime: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Parasite, one of the most popular foreign films, is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller. The film follows a poor family who cleverly becomes employed by a wealthy family while posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals. The movie’s name suggests someone depending on another living thing for its benefit. The concept is brilliantly shown while using the economic gap in urban societies. 

  • IMDb: 8.5Rotten Tomatoes: 95%/95%Director: Jonathan DemmeWriter: Ted TallyCast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted LevineRuntime: 1 hour, 58 minutes

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror film adapted from Thomas Harris’s 1988 novel. The story follows a young F.B.I. trainee who is hunting a serial killer who skins his female victims. On her mission, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist, and cannibalistic serial killer. 

  • IMDb: 8.0Rotten Tomatoes: 99%/98%Director: Ahmir “Questlove” ThompsonCast: Dorinda Drake, Barbara Bland-Acosta, Darryl LewisRuntime: 1 hour, 58 minutes

Summer of Soul, A.K.A., …Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised is a 2021 American documentary film examining the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. It was held at Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in Harlem and lasted for six weeks. Despite having a large attendance and performers, the festival isn’t commonly known. Documentarians find this pop-culture phenomenon intriguing and usually investigate it.

Summer of Soul received praise for footage restoration and won several awards. The Oscar-winning documentary also bagged the Best Documentary award at the 75th British Academy Film Awards and became the Best Music Film at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/91%Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James ReedWriters: Pippa Ehrlich, James ReedCast: Craig Foster, Tom FosterRuntime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Bagging the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards, My Octopus Teacher documents the year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster as he forged 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. 

  • IMDb: 7.3Rotten Tomatoes: 86%/92%Director: Kenneth BranaghWriter: Kenneth BranaghCast: Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin MorganRuntime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Belfast is a 2021 British coming-of-age drama film starring newcomer Jude Hill. The movie shows a young boy and his working-class Belfast family experiencing the confusing late 1960s. The film received seven nominations at the 94th Academy Awards and won Best Original Screenplay. The movie received praise from critics for Branagh’s direction and screenplay, cinematography, and the performances of the cast. 

  • IMDb: 7.7Rotten Tomatoes: 91%/78%Director: Alejandro G. IñárrituWriter: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás GiacoboneCast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma StoneRuntime: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Birdman, A.K.A., The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is a 2014 American black comedy-drama film that appears as a single shot movie. The whole movie seems to be recorded in a single long shot and revolves around the period of previews leading to the play’s opening, establishing the effect of theater drama. It follows Riggan Thomson, a faded Hollywood actor best known for playing the superhero “Birdman.” The unpopularity takes a toll on his confidence, and he struggles to mount a Broadway adaptation of a short story by Raymond Carver.

  • IMDb: 8.5Rotten Tomatoes: 86%/92%Director: Quentin TarantinoWriter: Quentin TarantinoCast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton GogginsRuntime: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Django Unchained is a 2012 American Revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is famous for creating award-winning movies with a cult following. Set in the Old West, it is a highly-stylized homage to the Spaghetti Western style of movies. The plot follows Django, an enslaved Black person, who trains under a German bounty hunter. Django has the ultimate aim to find his long-lost wife. 

The movie grossed over $425 million worldwide against the $100 million budget. Thus, becoming Tarantino’s highest-grossing movie till now. Apart from a few controversies over the use of ill-mannered words, the movie won critical acclaim and viewers’ praise for its direction and screenplay. The movie won two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (for Christoph Waltz) at the 85th Academy Awards. Tarantino and Waltz also won awards for similar categories in Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

  • IMDb: 8.3Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/94%Director: Michel GondryWriter: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre BismuthCast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark RuffaloRuntime: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Should you wish to give a shot at a fascinating romantic science-fiction comedy-drama film, I would suggest you kickstart “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” straight away.

  • IMDb: 8.1Rotten Tomatoes: 95%/88%Director: Pete DocterWriter: Pete Docter, Mike Jones, Kemp PowersCast: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice BragaRuntime: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Soul is a 2020 American animated comedy-drama. The film revolves around a music teacher Joe Gardner excited about his big break as a jazz musician. However, an accident removes his soul from the body and seeks to reunite to continue his performance. The movie brilliantly portrays how human personalities and the concept of determinism came into being.

  • IMDb: 8.3Rotten Tomatoes: 98%/92%Director: Florian ZellerWriter: Florian Zeller, Christopher HamptonCast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen PootsRuntime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

The Father is a 2020 drama film based on Zeller’s 2012 play Le Père. The movie follows an aged man who refuses all assistance from his daughter in his old age. Meanwhile, he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances due to his medical condition of Dementia. Critics praised Hopkins and Colman’s performances, production values, and their portrayal of Dementia. Hopkins won Best Actor, and Zeller and Hampton won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards. 

  • IMDb: 8.0Rotten Tomatoes: 78%/84%Director: Alejandro G. IñárrituWriter: Mark L. Smith, Alejandro G. IñárrituCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will PoulterRuntime: 2 hours, 36 minutes

The Revenant is a 2015 American epic survival drama film based in part on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name. Set in the 1820s, Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role of a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition. He fights for survival after a bear injures him seriously, and his own hunting team leaves him to die. 

  • IMDb: 7.7Rotten Tomatoes: 96%/79%Director: Alfonso CuarónWriter: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás CuarónCast: Sandra Bullock, George ClooneyRuntime: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts. Both of them are stranded in space after the mid-orbit destruction of their Space Shuttle. Their continuous struggle to land back on Earth successfully makes this movie a survival drama as well. 

The movie was a huge success grossing $723 million against a production budget of around $100 million. It won seven Oscars, including Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects at the 86th Academy Awards. In addition, the movie also bagged six BAFTA Awards, seven Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

  • IMDb: 8.8Rotten Tomatoes: 87%/91%Director: Christopher NolanWriter: Christopher NolanCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian MurphyRuntime: 2 hours, 28 minutes

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by legendary Christopher Nolan. You can experience the details of scientific facts and time conception accurately in the movie. The movie follows a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating his target’s mind using a dream gadget. He is assigned the role of implanting an idea in a victim in exchange for clearing his criminal history. 

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