Every year, Netflix seems to inch closer and closer to scooping the top prize at the Oscars. In 2019, it was with Alfonso Cuarón’s black-and-white heavyweight Roma; in 2020, with Martin Scorsese’s elegiac The Irishman and Noah Baumbach’s heartrending Marriage Story; in 2021, with David Fincher’s critical darling Mank and Aaron Sorkin’s zippy courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7; and in 2022, with Jane Campion’s ravishing The Power of the Dog. This time around, the streaming giant has yet another ace up its sleeve: the newly minted seven-time-BAFTA-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, which is currently surging in the Best Picture race.
So, how many statuettes will the company secure on Oscar night? And will it finally clinch the award that has so far eluded it? Ahead of the ceremony, we look back on 11 incredible Netflix films that caught the industry’s eye in previous years, were rightfully rewarded, and paved the way for this new contender.
1. What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
In mining the life and legacy of Nina Simone, Liz Garbus uncovered a deliberately provocative and fiercely political musical genius and earned a Best Documentary Oscar nomination in the process. It’s impossible not to be swept away by the power of her songs and the strength of her character.
2. 13th (2016)
Activist Angela Davis, author Jelani Cobb and civil rights advocate Michelle Alexander are just some of the luminaries that provide insight in Ava DuVernay’s alarming exposé on historic racism in the US criminal justice system. Expansive and meticulous, it was nominated for Best Documentary.
3. Icarus (2017)
Jaw-dropping doesn’t even begin to describe Bryan Fogel’s Oscar-winning documentary in which he meets a loveable whistleblower (Grigory Rodchenkov) and inadvertently stumbles upon the Russian doping scandal. As they unpick the vast conspiracy, two of his associates are found dead.
4. Mudbound (2017)
Dee Rees became the first Black woman to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Rachel Morrison the first woman for Best Cinematography with this evocative period piece. Mary J Blige got nods too, for her chameleonic supporting role and the soul-stirring original song Mighty River.
5. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Six whimsical tales of the American frontier — encompassing shoot-outs, botched robberies and a gold-mining expedition — make up Joel and Ethan Coen’s crowdpleaser. It was nominated for its sly script, intricate costumes and the mournful ballad When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings.
6. Roma (2018)
The closest the streaming giant has so far come to winning Best Picture was with Alfonso Cuarón’s monochrome masterpiece about a live-in maid in Mexico City. It left with three statuettes from its staggering 10 nods: for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film.
7. The Edge of Democracy (2019)
With impassive aerial shots, startling archival footage and poetic narration, Petra Costa’s operatic Oscar-nominated documentary chronicles the downfall of two Brazilian presidents and the rise of populism. Flitting from corruption investigations to taped calls, it’s an urgent and unnerving watch.
8. American Factory (2019)
Years after a General Motors plant closes in Ohio, a Chinese billionaire brings new jobs to the area. In Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar’s nuanced study of what follows, for which they scooped the Best Documentary Oscar, cultures clash, friendships are forged and the future remains uncertain.
9. The Irishman (2019)
Unjustly, this ruminative mob thriller went home empty-handed despite its 10 nominations: for Martin Scorsese’s faultless direction, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci’s magnetic performances, and the gamechanging visual effects that de-aged their faces, among others. It’s an extraordinary feat.
10. Marriage Story (2019)
Expertly written and infinitely memeable, Noah Baumbach’s affecting account of a relationship in crisis landed Laura Dern an Oscar and received nods in five other categories, including for Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson’s goosebump-inducing turns, and Randy Newman’s gentle score.
11. The Two Popes (2019)
A riveting, revelatory depiction of a recent transfer of power, Fernando Meirelles’ cloistered drama casts Anthony Hopkins as the grizzled Pope Benedict and Jonathan Pryce as his idealistic successor, Pope Francis. Both were Oscar-nominated, alongside Anthony McCarten for his joyous screenplay.