Ranking the Best Picture Oscar Winners of the 2010s: From Least to Most Acclaimed

In this decade, the Best Picture selections varied significantly in quality, with some choices stirring skepticism about their merit. Reviewing the winners from the 2010s uncovers a mix of surprising choices that sparked debate over whether they deserved even a nomination, let alone the win. Nonetheless, this period also showcased extraordinary films that transcended their time, solidifying their status as cinematic masterpieces and highlighting the peaks of a tumultuous era for the Oscars’ most prestigious award.

A prime example of this controversy is the film “Green Book,” which has been widely criticized for its simplistic approach to racial themes. The narrative follows the friendship between a pianist, played by Mahershala Ali, and his Italian-American driver, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen, set against the backdrop of the racially charged 1960s American South. The film’s visual aesthetic is criticized for being overly polished, a result of director Peter Farrelly’s early foray into digital filmmaking, leading to an image that lacks depth and character.

At the 2019 Academy Awards, “Green Book” won the Best Picture Oscar amidst a field of stronger contenders like “Roma” and “The Favourite.” Notably, other 2018 films such as “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Shoplifters” were not even nominated, despite arguably being more deserving. Ultimately, “Green Book” exemplifies a perplexing choice that underscores the sometimes contentious nature of the Academy’s decisions.

Worse, the script struggles making its stock characters feel believable. “Green Book” is stuck in a strange realm where everything is simultaneously too broad yet never so oversized that it becomes entertaining. Esteemed performer Mahershala Ali, who nabbed a supporting actor win for his performance, does what he can with the lackluster script, but few others leave an impression.

The middling film took home the best picture Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards, beating out vastly superior nominees like “Roma” and “The Favourite,” while 2018 films not even nominated, like “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Shoplifters,” would’ve been far worthier victors. Even beyond its inexplicable win, “Green Book” just doesn’t work.

• Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
• Director: Peter Farrelly
• Rating: PG-13
• Year: 2018
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

What a strange creative legacy “The Artist” left after winning best picture at the 84th Academy Awards. Writer-director Michel Hazanavicius returned to doing French films after this title, none of which broke through outside of France. This extended silent cinema homage failed to inspire further works mimicking F.W. Murnau and King Vidor. The film itself has barely been referenced in larger culture, save for its scene-stealing canine star scoring a cameo in the 2012 comedy “The Campaign.”

This legacy is emblematic of a movie that is little more than a fine mimic of the past. “The Artist” is a simulacrum of yesteryear devoid of either commentary on silent era filmmaking or the imaginative visuals characteristic of that era’s greatest auteurs. Lead stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo deliver strong work emulating classic silent cinema performances, while always-welcome supporting actors like John Goodman and James Cromwell are also a treat. 

Still, “The Artist” is a thin endeavor offering little lasting impact. Looking back on 2011’s superior offerings  (including “Pariah” and “A Separation”), it’s bewildering that Academy voters made so much noise for “The Artist.” 

• Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman
• Director: Michel Hazanavicius
• Rating: PG-13
• Year: 2011
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Where to Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel

If there was ever a movie that’s reputation would be much better had it never won best picture, it would be “The King’s Speech.” In a timeline where this profile of King George VI (Colin Firth) securing help for his stammer from speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) didn’t beat out “The Social Network” for that award, there’d be wider public discussion on “The King’s Speech’s” virtues. Its amusing verve and leads’ solid chemistry go a long way to making the production amiable.

Unfortunately, Oscar win or no Oscar win, “The King’s Speech” is still bound by the restrictions of “respectable” British cinema. This is a prim-and-proper enterprise that doesn’t dare entertain anything challenging or distinctly subversive. Its visual scheme is similarly paint-by-numbers, designed from the ground up not to alienate viewers. Despite Firth and Rush’s rapport being riddled with specificity, the film itself sticks to the tried and true in its narrative structure and imagery.

It’s no surprise that “The King’s Speech” winning best picture proved controversial. While not without its virtues, this project’s too formally timid to justify mounting a grand defense for its artistic merits.

• Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter
• Director: Tom Hooper
• Rating: R
• Year: 2010
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Where to Watch: The Roku Channel

Though Michael Keaton’s famous for his best moments as Batman, he’s also beloved for headlining Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2014 feature “Birdman.” This project deployed a staggering visual conceit: The whole film appears as one unbroken take. Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s realization of this concept is certainly impressive, even after 10+ years of movies and shows (“1917,” “Adolescence”) building upon the “single-take” idea. The shooting style conveys actor Riggan’s (Keaton) inability to escape his mind; thus, the camerawork and editing never release from the madness.

Unfortunately, “Birdman’s” less effective narratively. Astonishing set pieces like “Birdman’s” iconic Times Square scene are often followed by characters speaking in tin-eared sentences or stating the core themes in unimaginative verbiage. The contradiction of such audacious visuals and generic, didactic dialogue is a strange one. These two conflicting elements never quite reconcile, ensuring “Birdman” is less than the sum of its parts.

Still, some of those parts encapsulate Iñárritu’s impressive convictions as a visualist. Great performances from Keaton and Edward Norton further sweeten the deal. Unfortunately, their sublime turns make you wish that “Birdman’s weakest attributes weren’t so distracting. 

• Cast: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton
• Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
• Rating: R
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

In hindsight, it’s a little strange how zippy “Argo” is given the severity of its subject matter. After all, this film recalls the true story of six souls avoiding capture in Iran during a civilian uprising against American interference. Their only hope is for the CIA to send a fake film crew to Tehran to secretly save them. But despite the enormous stakes, director Ben Affleck and screenwriter Chris Terrio still make time for jokes about Golden Globe urinals or Statler and Waldorf references. 

In execution, that seemingly disparate aesthetic works much better than one might expect. After all, a little levity is fitting for a true event so rooted in the outlandish. The fun moments are well executed while Affleck (three movies into his directing career) assuredly realizes tension. Then there’s the ending of “Argo,” which includes an airport chase scene demonstrating the filmmaker’s skill in delivering suspense. 

Affleck’s performance as Tony Mendez, though, is less interesting. Some directorial choices, meanwhile, are frustratingly familiar for a movie spinning a yarn about a once-in-a-lifetime facade. While “Argo’s” surface-level pleasures make it far from 2012’s actual best picture, it nevertheless functions well as a thrilling two hours at the movies.

• Cast: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman
• Director: Ben Affleck
• Rating: R
• Year: 2012
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Where to Watch: Amazon

With “Widows,” “Occupied City”, and the “Small Axe” miniseries, director Steve McQueen’s recent works have greatly diversified. However, three of his early feature-length efforts comprise a spiritual trilogy of human beings enduring unspeakable agony. 2008’s “Hunger” chronicled a man on a hunger strike. 2011’s “Shame” followed a New York sex addict. Then there was “12 Years a Slave,” McQueen’s 2013 feature, which follows free New Yorker Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) getting kidnapped and sold under a new alias as a New Orleans slave, that won best picture at the 86th Academy Awards.

So begins 12 years of misery, as Thorup is forced to live a shackled existence under various white owners. McQueen’s instincts, which made “Hunger” and “Shame” such unflinching accounts of human misery, are sharpened for this harrowing true story. In the midst of all the anguish, though, is Ejiofor’s rich, unforgettable central performance. Even when silent or subservient around white figures, Ejiofor communicates vivid interiority within this tormented man. Lupita Nyong’o’s similarly transfixing work as Patsey won the performer a supporting actress trophy. 

Certain attributes, like elements of Hans Zimmer’s score, are too traditional for their own good. Mostly, though, “12 Years A Slave” exemplifies McQueen’s gift for unshakeable, grueling cinema.

• Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o
• Director: Steve McQueen
• Rating: R
• Year: 2013
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

At first glance, Tom McCarthy’s “Spotlight” might seem like a very rudimentary journalism thriller. While its visual aesthetic isn’t especially noteworthy, though, the overall production is stealthily compelling. This 2015 feature concerns Boston Globe reporters bringing to light child abuse in the Catholic Church. Unpacking all of this (and the extensive cover-ups) leads to countless obstacles for these working-class souls.

McCarthy’s streamlined execution imbues “Spotlight” with an appropriately ominous ambiance. This isn’t about grand triumphs solving everything in the blink of an eye. Instead, it concerns persistent, quiet lobs at a horrific status quo. Our protagonists aren’t framed in a hagiographic light, but rather as down-to-earth people bringing truth to power. Those subdued qualities inspire gripping drama, not to mention a wildly different aesthetic from the grandiose titles that usually win best picture.

McCarthy also gets stellar performances from his ensemble, with Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Liev Schreiber (the latter playing against type as a quiet editor) being the highlights. “Spotlight” didn’t change the cinematic game. However, there’s plenty to admire (thematically and formally) within these impactful, measured confines. 

• Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams
• Director: Tom McCarthy
• Rating: R
• Year: 2015
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon

The best movie romances are nothing short of sweeping, and “The Shape of Water” is soaring. It accomplishes that while depicting a highly unusual romance between mute cleaner Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) and “The Amphibian Man” (Doug Jones). These ’60s-era outcasts find solidarity, and then passionate attraction, in each other.

Writer-director Guillermo del Toro (who penned the script with Vanessa Taylor) realizes this story with nary a trace of irony. Everything from the cinematography reinforcing Esposito’s lovestruck point-of-view to Alexandre Desplat’s yearning-drenched score (often punctuated by lovely flourishes like accordion playing) conveys an infectious passion. It’s all intoxicatingly sweet without eschewing commentary on what constitutes a “monster” in American society.

Del Toro unearths deeply human performances from his cast, including Hawkins flourishing as Esposito and Richard Jenkins’ soulful turn as Giles. They’re all crucial to making “The Shape of Water” more than a gimmick where a lady sleeps with a fish monster. Instead, this moving fairy tale reminds audiences of the sweeping power of great cinematic romances.

• Cast: Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Richard Jenkins
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Rating: R
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 123 minutes
• Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

“Parasite” is a perfect movie. This Bong Joon-ho directorial effort is sensational on every front, whether functioning as a social satire, a gripping thriller, or a tragic story about how upward economic mobility is a myth in the modern world. Every component clicks into place and reflects Joon-ho’s tremendous creative sensibilities. Even the subtlest details, like the way the blocking vividly captures ever-shifting character dynamics, grip the imagination. A masterclass in entertainment and potent social critique, “Parasite’s” cultural legacy includes its momentous wins at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Among the Oscars that “Parasite” won included a best picture prize, rendering it the first ever foreign language film to take home the biggest Oscar trophy. That accomplishment broke new ground for what foreign releases could achieve in the U.S. market, but such victories aren’t why “Parasite” is remembered. Even if the Oscars had totally overlooked this project, it would still be a gripping, darkly funny exercise told with visual and narrative precision. The montage sequence alone, which contrasts how the rich and poor react to a horrible flooding, fires on all cylinders.

“Parasite’s” virtues have only grown with time. How glorious that the Oscars gave it the treasure trove it deserved.

• Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong
• Director: Bong Joon-ho
• Rating: R
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 132 minutes
• Where to Watch: Netflix

A young boy is lost. He’s hiding from bullies. Across this and the subsequent two segments comprising Barry Jenkins’s “Moonlight,” the young boy is always hiding, whether slinking into his chair in a classroom or presenting an external veneer of aggressive masculinity. Adapted from a story by Tarell Alvin McCraney, actors Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes realize a withdrawn, queer man, Chiron, across multiple phases of life with emotional prowess. Jenkins’s direction inspires heartache with the smallest details, like Juan (Mahershala Ali) urging a young Chiron to sit at the head of a table. 

Everyday life in Liberty City, Miami, is rendered with rich imagery, including a blue-tinted color palette and glorious shots where characters gaze directly into the camera. The vibrant visuals lend beauty to a life often erased and hidden. Such theatrical touches, largely provided by cinematographer James Laxton, also amplify temporary yet lastingly impactful bonds and moments, like Juan playing with Chiron in the water or teenage Chiron’s beachside rendezvous with his crush, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). It’s clear why Chiron clung to these memories forever.

“Moonlight” was the 89th movie to win the best picture Oscar. More importantly, it’s a masterpiece about an often-hidden individual you’ll never forget.

• Cast: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe
• Director: Barry Jenkins
• Rating: R
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon