Every Best Picture Winner Since 2000 Ranked

I contemplated ranking every Best Picture winner, or at least starting from the 1960’s, but when going through the full list I realised I haven’t seen over half of the classics. But from the new millennium onwards I’m a lot more up to speed!

There have been twenty-three winners of the prestigious award since 2000 (the maths checks out …), and some films have been far more deserving than others. How would I rank them all?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Bad

23 – Crash

Should’ve Won: Brokeback Mountain

“Crash” regularly comes near the bottom of Best Picture winner rankings, and it’s the only film since 2000 that I feel absolutely didn’t deserve to win the award.

It’s pure Oscar-bait with muddied storytelling and boring characters, and there are some questionable morals on display too. Should’ve been “Brokeback Mountain” every day of the week … but I guess the Academy weren’t ready for that conversation just yet.

Meh

22 – Nomadland

Should’ve Won: Judas and the Black Messiah

“Nomadland” might be an interesting look at what it means to be human, but at the end of the day it’s just a woman wandering around for two hours.

21 – Green Book

Should’ve Won: Roma

One of the biggest Oscar upsets in recent years, “Green Book” was nobody’s favourite to win Best Picture but it beat out strong competition to claim the coveted award.

I like Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali as actors, and their performances are great, but the plot is pretty boring.

OK

20 – The Artist

Should’ve Won: Moneyball

The Academy love to praise these Hollywood-centric type films, and “The Artist” is as definitive a classic homage as you can get.

It’s not to my personal tastes, but I can see the appeal.

19 – The Shape of Water

Should’ve Won: Get Out

“The Shape of Water” is a passable Fantasy / Romance story, and Guillermo del Toro’s artistic vision is second to none, but “Get Out” not winning is a travesty.

Good

18 – Slumdog Millionaire

Should’ve Won: Milk

You don’t get many feel-good movies that take home the Best Picture Oscar, so I suppose credit has to be given to “Slumdog Millionaire” for warming the Academy’s cold, dead hearts.

It was fairly stand-out among a generally weak year for movies, but I don’t think it was the best film of 2008.

17 – CODA

Should’ve Won: The Power of the Dog

Not the most remarkable Best Picture winner, but “CODA” shines a light on an important topic in a genuine way.

16 – The King’s Speech

Should’ve Won: The Social Network

“The King’s Speech” is much maligned these days for beating the mighty “The Social Network”, but people forget that the film itself is decent.

The performances are good, the story is fairly interesting … but it clearly wasn’t the best film of that year.

15 – The Hurt Locker

Should’ve Won: Inglorious Basterds

There was a big battle between “The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar” for Best Picture, and I think the greater film of the two won … if we ignore “Inglorious Basterds” which was also on the nomination list.

It’s gritty and real, with some intense storytelling, action and direction.

14 – Million Dollar Baby

Should’ve Won: Million Dollar Baby

2004 was a pretty weak year for films, so “Million Dollar Baby” probably was the best film of the year.

Hillary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman give great performances, and the third act twist got a lot of people talking.

13 – Argo

Should’ve Won: Argo

Ben Affleck was on a bit of a losing streak in the 2000’s, but he corrected all of his wrongs with his acting-directing effort “Argo”.

The supporting cast are great, and the story isn’t afraid to show both the best and worst aspects of humanity.

Great

12 – A Beautiful Mind

Should’ve Won: The Fellowship of the Ring

Russell Crowe going from “Gladiator” one year to “A Beautiful Mind” the next, with both films sweeping up lots of awards in the process, has got to be one of Hollywood’s great one-two punches.

This is a fascinating insight at mental illness and how a man’s actions can tear a family apart … but c’mon, Academy – “The Fellowship of the Ring” was right there!

11 – Spotlight

Should’ve Won: Mad Max: Fury Road

“Spotlight” was exactly the film the world needed in 2015 – the way the writers, filmmakers and actors managed to shine a light on one of the modern scandals was as bold as it was compelling.

I’m always going to lean more towards bombastic action films like “Mad Max: Fury Road”, but I can respect the low-key, confined story that “Spotlight” was willing to tell.

10 – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Should’ve Won: Birdman

Like Russell Crowe before him, Michael Keaton had a hell of a one-two punch in 2014/15 with “Birdman” and “Spotlight” respectively. Also like with Crowe, I think Keaton’s first Best Picture winner was better than his second.

The one-take approach to “Birdman” is such an innovative filmmaking technique, and I love the acting performances and thematic resonance of the script.

9 – Chicago

Should’ve Won: The Two Towers

This might be a controversial opinion these days, but “Chicago” remains one of the great movie musicals.

Some of the choreography and directional choices still blow me away all these years later, and I love the emotional journey Reneé Zellweger is taken through. But again, in an ideal world The Lord of the Rings would’ve won every Oscar for three years straight.

8 – 12 Years a Slave

Should’ve Won: The Wolf of Wall Street

There have been historical films that shone a light on racial prejudices in the past, but few have been as visceral as “12 Years a Slave”.

The performances are incredible across the board, and if “The Wolf of Wall Street” didn’t exist it would easily have been the best film of that year.

7 – The Departed

Should’ve Won: The Departed

You pretty much know what you’re gonna get from a Martin Scorsese movie, but even so “The Departed” still manages to pull the rug out from under you on multiple occasions.

The cast is stacked with talent from head to toe, and you’re unlikely to see a movie with more shocking deaths and twists than this.

Amazing

6 – Gladiator

Should’ve Won: Gladiator

“Gladiator” is one of the most crowd-pleasing films on this list, and I’m a sucker for Maximus Decimus Meridius’s brutal story of vengeance.

Russell Crowe is awesome, Joaquin Phoenix is superb, Ridley Scott directs some incredible action sequences, and Hans Zimmer provides an all-timer on the soundtrack with “Now We Are Free”.

5 – Moonlight

Should’ve Won: La La Land

“Moonlight” is more remembered these days for the Oscar mix-up (I personally am more of a “La La Land” appreciator …), but the film stands on its own two feet as a modern classic.

The acting is once again incredible, and I love the three time periods explored in the plot.

4 – No Country for Old Men

Should’ve Won: No Country for Old Men

I hadn’t actually seen “No Country for Old Men” until earlier this year. Suffice it to say, I finally understand the hype.

The Coen brothers are masters of off-kilter storytelling that keeps you on your toes, and Anton Chigurh is a terrifying villain for the ages.

3 – Parasite

Should’ve Won: Parasite

People thought a foreign Best Picture winner would never be possible, but Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” managed to do more than just break down cinematic barriers.

It’s a masterclass in intensity within editing and direction, and the big twist has already gone down in movie folklore.

All-Time Great

2 – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Should’ve Won: Everything Everywhere All at Once

I’d heard many great things about “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, but it wasn’t until I actually experienced it that I realised what a gem it was.

The absurd action is as scintillating as it is gloriously silly, and the emotional core of the storytelling affected me far more than it had any right to.

1 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Should’ve Won: The Return of the King

After two false starts at the Oscars, “The Return of the King” – my personal favourite Lord of the Rings film – finally took home the coveted award.

It’s the greatest fantasy film of all time, and the sheer amount of depth in the visuals and storytelling still blows my mind two decades later. It’s over three hours long … and yet I still wish it was longer.

Aaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: