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The 2020s have seen some fabulously wet competitor at theOscars , but there has been edition in the years when there was an obvious Best Picture winner and an improbably close call . go into the most recent Oscars ceremonial , there may have still been some debate left , but at some point in the evening it became clear thatAnorawould sweep and win Best Picture . This was similarly the case with the two Best Picture winners before it , which win in several major categories before going home with the top prize .
The early 2020s perhaps see more disappointing and controversial winnings , and the industry come out of the COVID-19 pandemic likely affected this . Thebiggest surprises and snubs of the 2025 Oscarscannot compare to some of the shocking turns in late year . On the other bridge player , all these moving-picture show were force by their performance , as there is a definitive connectedness between the Best Picture winner and the acting categories . However , each Best Picture winner in the past five years has offered something different in terms of the organic evolution of cinema , impacting which report are tell and how .
5Nomadland (2020)
Other Wins: Best Director (Chloé Zhao), Best Actress (Frances McDormand)
The 93rd Academy Awards was a weaker year , with several very practiced moving-picture show but none that emerge as the powerhouse that would take everything . The result was thatNomadlandwon , the offer with undeniably the most unconventional glide path , with a old Oscar succeeder in the lead role . Frances McDormand succeed Best Actress in a Leading Role for the second time in less than five years , after her undeniably stronger call on inThree Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouri . McDormand was also a producer ofNomandland , meaning she also won the Best Picture award itself .
Chloé Zhao is one of only three cleaning woman to gain Best Director and deserves extolment for being able to draw such a loose premise with unpredictable filming conditions into a ordered story that showcases the exemption and community find in her primary persona ’s journey.
Nomadlandis a slower watch and somewhat improvised as McDormand interacted with real multitude live a nomadic lifestyle to be shoot for the story . Chloé Zhao is one of only three cleaning lady to win Best Director and merit praise for being able to pull such a loose premiss with irregular filming conditions into a coherent narrative that showcases the freedom and community institute in her master character ’s journey . The movie also touches upon themes of individuality and economic struggles through the reasons Fern ( McDormand ) determine to bump off the road and the things she shares with fellow nomads .
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There are some beautiful displays of the rural areas Fern traverses , earning the moving picture a nominating address for Best Cinematography . Nomadlandis a layered but ethereal movie that can be rewarding to those who take the time to pick it aside , but may still be frustratingly sluggish to many . Ultimately , it probably won because there were n’t any obvious alternatives post-2020 , but doubtlessly some choices that were more engaging .
4CODA (2021)
Other Wins: Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur), Best Adapted Screenplay (Sian Heder)
CODAis sweet and to the point , depicting a classic coming - of - age story with a glad termination of the heroine following her dream . It covers a lot of solid ground in a very compact format : the main character being an ill-chosen and bullied teenager coming into her own ; the disconnect between her and her family when they do n’t ( initially ) see her esthetic passion as worthwhile ; the struggles of a small business build on a generational trade against corporations and regulation ; and the realities for a family almost totally made up of indifferent individual .
All are important topics , and they issue forth together seamlessly in an underrated spirit - good movie . CODAwas an upset and slightly ire - chevvy win in its time , mostly because it did not reign the Oscars the way its co - victor have . It was never set up to be the Best Picture winner that swept all the major categories and is also a smaller - scale level than some of the monumental titles that feel like the be - all , end - all offer of their twelvemonth . It was only nominated in three categories , all three of which it won .
There have been some amazing Best Picture Academy Award winners from all throughout history and these are the good .
CODAis just a act absent compared to some of the ground - shatter juggernauts of the 2020s , which are show up off in every technical category and career - defining performance . The characters inCODAare more down - to - globe , resulting in few acting nominations , although Troy Kotsur still advance Best Supporting Actor . However , it is an all - around satisfying movie , with an important taradiddle that is well put together .
3Anora (2024)
Other Wins: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison)
Anora , at human face value , may not seem like the case of motion-picture show to bring home the bacon Best Picture , and theBest Actress Award should perhaps have gone to Demi Moorerather than Mikey Madison . However , it is a riot from start to ( almost ) destination , progress upon the motif of Sean Baker ’s previous workplace in a breakdown of the Cinderella taradiddle . Madison is a powerhouse as Anora " Ani,“carrying the whole thing with her magical look and relentless determination to hold on to her new life , snarky and confident when anyone tries to talk down to her .
The nominees for Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards are all well - made films , but some of them stand out as actual highlight of 2024 ’s film slate .
Anoracaptures some visuals of Brooklyn and Las Vegas that highlight everything from neon lighting to derelict theme parks to ostentatious luxury , produce more character reference for every shot that the story finds itself in . Anorais also very singular for most of its runtime , with Ani stuck with a trio of oaf working for her married man ’s fellowship that she systematically undermines with her sarcastic position . However , the tint of the taradiddle and operation does a unadulterated 180 when it have toAnora ’s now - famous net fit , and the trauma of what Ani has been through finally get to the surface .
Anoradoesn’t quite populate up to some of the bigger - scale Best Picture winnersof the 2020s . Its logistics are more contained and Madison is the only true force of nature among the hurl — while Yura Borisov is delightful , he does n’t equate to Robert Downey Jr. or Ke Huy Quan ’s substantiate operation . YetAnorais joyous , heartrending , visually stunning , and tightly paced , absolutely enamor a narrative that is ultimately all about one woman , a tough survivor , and her will to live and daydream .
2Oppenheimer (2023)
Other Wins: Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Score
Oppenheimeris a wholesale historic epic that might be called Oscar bait , if not for the fact that everyone loves it . Fans who spend twelvemonth waiting for the great director to win an Oscar finally visualise it happen withChristopher Nolan ’s best movie . Nolan expertly plays with different visuals and styles between timeline and options to take this movie beyond being a basic biopic . The theater director knows how to make a motion-picture show feel big , and this one was the mop up of everything else he had done , specially yield his former experience in the war and sci - fi genre .
Yet while this movie is grand and visually stunning , it dextrously handles all the most important melodic theme surrounding this historic narrative , of both the cerebral rewards and the fearsome consequences of scientific instauration .
Yet while this moving-picture show is deluxe and visually sensational , it deftly handles all the most important radical surrounding this historical narrative , of both the intellectual reward and the tremendous upshot of scientific innovation . All the while , the historical character ' alternative are bear upon by the realities of World War II , and the movie go back and off between this being a legitimate justification and enable more repugnance . Of of course , the functioning , namely the one given by Cillian Murphy , capture the complex psyches of the people involved with the advent of the nuclear bomb .
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The one mark againstOppenheimeris that it is a bit long and a bit demanding , and it can be well-fixed to get lost in the whole matter , especially if one is find out it at nursing home when it was arguably mean to be seen in the in full immersive environment of a moving-picture show theater . However , few moving picture in the twenty-first century are this larger-than-life or this impactful , ending on a scarey note of what has been done and the cycle of power taking thing beyond the only citizenry who seemingly understand what ’s at interest .
1Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Other Wins: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay (The Daniels), Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Editing
Everything Everywhere All at Oncestill seems like an insufferable occurrent , for a movie so wild and so different to pull together numerous vastly underappreciated artist , present an out - of - this - world but deeply resonating floor , and go all the style to the biggest award in Hollywood . EEAAOdistinctly avoids being at all like the sound off - about Oscars motion picture that are just long and slow , with a really entertaining assumption that takes the hearing through the multiverse and keeps them hooked for even the two - hr and 19 - instant runtime . Much telling editing and camerawork rifle into all the multiverse shenanigans , as well as just clever conceptualization .
EEAAOalso swept with its performances , taking home three out of four of the acting awards(with two nominee in Best Supporting Actress ) , thanks to all the role player delivering bonkers yet nuanced portrayals that bond all the different versions of their character throughout the multiverse together into a rum electric discharge . Many moments became right away iconic in the weirdest style possible , like Jobu Topaki ’s arrival in Elvis costume and " Just be a rock . " Yet , perhaps even more amazing , all the movie ’s angry imaginings are in service of a oecumenical message .
The Daniels ' Everything Everywhere All At Once shows cryptic understanding of philosophy , the multiverse , and what it think to live a life worth survive .
The point of The Daniels ' one - in - a - million flick is to apprize every moment , to make meaning of your own life , and to love those that have been fall in to you . Everything Everywhere All at Oncefeatures such rightfully staggering affair to find in a Best Picture winner , while at its nub being about family and self - acceptance . The 2020s have seen some unbelievable movies come to theOscarsand will for the next five years , but nothing is probable to be as dazzling as this .
