10 Most Disturbing Oscar Best Picture Winners, Ranked

Since the Academy Awards began in 1929, its coveted Best Picture trophy has been given to films that belong to various genres. One can argue that these movies are awarded in part for how powerfully they make viewers feel certain emotions (probably more than one): sadness, joy, wonder, tense, etc. Sometimes that emotion is unsettled, which is not to be exclusively connected to the thriller and horror genres. A drama can make audiences feel deeply uncomfortable or leave dark impressions on the psyche that are difficult to shake off. It depends on what the movie is about, how it’s presented, and how truthfully it rings.

Spotlight is a drama that disturbs us with the real-life story of the Catholic Church scandal, which is heightened by taking the perspective of the journalists who slowly discovered just how widespread the problem was. Unforgiven is a western that disturbs us with its subversively dark take on the genre and lack of a hero. Similarly, the 10 most disturbing Best Picture winners immerse the viewers in stories that encompass a variety of genres and do so more skillfully than most other films. They successfully dig into the dark recesses of the human condition, challenge our conceptions of reality, use extremely discomforting imagery, or all of the above.

10

‘A Beautiful Mind’ (2001)

Directed by Ron Howard

A Beautiful Mind sees Russell Crowe play the brilliant mathematician John Nash, who in 1994 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his astounding work on game theory. This film, however, is more interested in his life in the 50s—during which time he struggled intensely with schizophrenia. The degree to which this impacted him is communicated well by a doctor played by Christopher Plummer: “Imagine if you had suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse: had never been. What kind of hell would that be?”

Along with Crowe’s powerful performance, for which he was nominated for Best Actor, the viewer can better understand this mental illness and the significant effects it can have on one’s day-to-day life. Having said that, the movie also demonstrates that one can overcome it and live a happy life if they receive the proper help. With director Ron Howard‘s empathetic style, this movie proves to be one of the best films about a troubled genius while immersing us in a paranoid mindset.

9

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

The Godfather has been known as one of the most essential movies about crime ever made (if not the most essential) for over fifty years now. But director Francis Ford Coppola had trouble convincing the producers that this movie would sell tickets, at least until they witnessed the film’s violence. Several of its iconic scenes are unflinching in their portrayal of blood, the most famous of which being the one where a guy wakes up with a horse’s head under his sheets. That was a real horse’s head, by the way.

The others are famous, too. Sonny (James Caan) getting riddled with bullets is one of the most enduring and relentlessly bloody scenes in the franchise, and the first movie’s portrayal of domestic violence is intense. Then there are smaller moments, like that close-up of Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) getting choked out and Carlo (Gianni Russo) getting choked out behind a windshield, which are also very effective at unsettling the audience and conveying the evils of the mobster lifestyle.

8

‘Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’ (2003)

Directed by Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson‘s acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy ended with Best Picture winner, Return of the King. Largely considered one of the most impressive fantasy films of the century, this final installment has plenty of unsettling features. The worst is probably when Frodo (Elijah Wood) gets captured by that giant spider and rolled up in webbing. Sam (Sean Astin) has to battle this monster to save his friend, a situation that is less than pleasant.

There’s also the Army of the Dead, a giant dragon (called the Nazgûl) ridden by the masked Witch-King of Angmar, orcs, and Gollum (a phenomenal Andy Serkis), which are all haunting just to look at. The violence could have been worse, as it was rated PG-13, but the overall aesthetic of this high fantasy world thrives in disturbing characters and images that don’t make the viewer very hungry.

7

‘Platoon’ (1986)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Platoon is a searing indictment of the Vietnam War told from the perspective of a man who volunteered to fight in the jungle. One of the best movies about the military, it’s actually based on writer-director Oliver Stone‘s personal experience as an infantry soldier. As such, it includes lots of jungle warfare, demonstrating how the enemy could appear invisible. The soldiers often feel surrounded while fighting in unfamiliar terrain, helping the viewer understand what combat in an infantry unit was like.

That’s disturbing enough as it is, but this movie also depicts a few of the atrocities that some American soldiers committed against Vietnamese civilians. This includes sexual assault and the burning of a village, which the film condemns and uses to criticize the lack of accountability and prejudice American soldiers had against the people they were supposedly there to help. Along with what Staff Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) does to Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe), this film is a highly disturbing portrayal of war.

6

‘The Deer Hunter’ (1978)

Directed by Michael Cimino

The Deer Hunter is a movie that is most famous for its depiction of Russian Roulette, a game where each participant takes turns pointing a partially filled revolver at their head and pulling the trigger. There are two separate occasions when this happens, and they’re both upsetting for different reasons. The first sequence of Russian Roulette takes place when the main characters are held by the Vietcong as prisoners of war. They are forced to play against each other, which is obviously traumatizing and sets up the film’s second half extremely effectively: that is, the characters’ inability to move on with their lives.

In a way, the second time Russian Roulette shows up is even more distressing. Nick (Christopher Walken in an Oscar-winning performance) has been voluntarily playing Russian Roulette in front of a crowd, and making a lot of money doing it. This prompts Mike (Robert De Niro) to go back to Vietnam and find him, but the only way to talk to his friend is to play against him. The viewer is struck by how much Nick’s psychological deterioration has affected his appearance, let alone his demeanor. Overall, this is among the most emotionally brutal Vietnam War movies ever made.

5

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Javier Bardem unleashes what might be his best performance as Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers‘ No Country for Old Men. This modern take on the Western genre has an early scene in which Chigurh chokes out a police officer, one of the most chilling murders in cinema. The way he calmly maneuvers himself in a position to kill the officer, the way the camera hovers over the strangulation, and the look on Bardem’s face make for a terrifying sequence.

The Coen Brothers tend to convey the world as violent and godless. Their stories, including this one, can end somewhat unresolved and in unconventional ways. No Country for Old Men is one of the best examples of that, as its narrative continues for a while after its main character is killed, ends with a sheriff talking about two dreams he had, and doesn’t even have music. Along with that coin that Chigurh keeps flipping before deciding to kill someone (like Harvey Two-Face), this villain can be interpreted as some manifestation of random, pointless death. Simply put, performance and direction work together to create one of the most disturbing Westerns ever made.

4

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Parasite is famous for its iconic plot twist about half-way through the movie, turning what felt like a darkly funny satire that takes place over weeks into a thriller that unfolds over the course of a day. This structure makes the narrative more intense, but, more importantly, the twist is straight-up shocking. All this time, the former housekeeper’s husband has been living in a secret bunker attached to the house. The passageway is behind a huge, fancy cabinet.

The tremendous execution of this plot twist helps make Parasite one of the most effective thrillers in decades, but it also leads to violence that adds to this stunning shift in tone. Director Bong Joon-ho does impeccable work here (as does his remarkable cast) at depicting how this opulent household is built on the hard work of the lower class. It also shows just how much people are willing to do to make a living, which casts a harrowing shadow on socio-economic structures today.

3

’12 Years a Slave’ (2013)

Directed by Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years a Slave is about a man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Based on Solomon Northup’s memoir of the same name, this movie is an unflinching depiction of American slavery in the mid-nineteenth century. Such a convincing portrayal of this country’s horrific pastime is highly disturbing, so it comes as no surprise that, besides winning Best Picture, this masterpiece was also nominated for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

The narrative itself contains many unsettling scenes, heightened by top-notch performances (three were nominated, with Lupita Nyong’o winning Best Supporting Actress). A few sequences that come to mind are when a woman’s children are sold into slavery right in front of her, when two men are hung as Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) walks past them, and when Solomon himself is hung just low enough to the ground that he can stand on his toes. 12 Years a Slave is a difficult watch, but it’s among the most brilliant biopics to win Best Picture for those who can handle it.

2

‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Schindler’s List is one of Steven Spielberg‘s masterpieces, telling the story of how Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson) saved the lives of over a thousand workers during the Holocaust. Despite the focus on this inspiring tale, the audience witnesses many, many people die along the way. That’s essential, since a subject as tragic and extensive as Hitler’s attempt to exterminate the Jews (and non-Aryans in general) must be handled in a way that recognizes the incalculable suffering it caused.

The script boldly makes half the movie take on the perspective of a high-ranking Nazi officer. Ralph Fiennes‘ turn as Amon Göth is one of Fiennes’ greatest achievements, as his depiction of this relentlessly immoral soul is nuanced and absolutely blood-curdling. There are long sequences where it feels like we’re surrounded by death and chaos, which is all the more difficult to watch because we know this is a historical drama. In light of the resurgence of Holocaust deniers, this movie is all the more disturbing now than it was in 1993.

1

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Directed by Jonathan Demme

Where to begin? The Silence of the Lambs is a horror movie with lots of blood, gore, and disgusting images that will make your stomach turn. It’s got a head in a jar, a disemboweled security guard, a cannibal (Anthony Hopkins) who at one point puts on someone else’s face, a serial killer (Ted Levine) who wears women’s skin as clothing, a woman stuck in a dark pit, a cadaver whose autopsy we catch a glimpse of, and more.

Even the part when a man shows the protagonist a photograph of what Hannibal Lector did to someone (without the audience seeing it themselves) is unsettling, thanks to Jodie Foster‘s Oscar-winning performance. Meanwhile, she plays an FBI agent in training who is surrounded by men, and director Jonathan Demme does a remarkable job of depicting the male gaze. This, along with the aspect ratio, gives the movie a very claustrophobic feel. This thriller is perfect from beginning to end, but the audience remains disturbed long after its runtime—making it the most disturbing Best Picture winner so far.

NEXT: ‘The 10 Worst Best Picture Winners, Ranked’