The Oscar-winning movies of 2020 are the films honoured at the 92nd Academy Awards, held on 9 February 2020 in Los Angeles. Parasite won Best Picture and four awards in all, while 1917, Joker, Ford v Ferrari, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story and Judy also took home trophies.
The ceremony at the Dolby Theatre had no host for the second year running, and Joker led the nominations with 11. Below is a refreshed guide to the nine winners worth watching, what each one won and why it still holds up. You can find more film lists in our entertainment section.
Oscar-winning movies of 2020: quick facts
| Film | Director | Oscars won |
|---|---|---|
| Parasite | Bong Joon-ho | 4 (Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, International Feature) |
| 1917 | Sam Mendes | 3 (Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects) |
| Joker | Todd Phillips | 2 (Actor, Original Score) |
| Ford v Ferrari | James Mangold | 2 (Film Editing, Sound Editing) |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Quentin Tarantino | 2 (Supporting Actor, Production Design) |
| Jojo Rabbit | Taika Waititi | 1 (Adapted Screenplay) |
| Little Women | Greta Gerwig | 1 (Costume Design) |
| Marriage Story | Noah Baumbach | 1 (Supporting Actress) |
| Judy | Rupert Goold | 1 (Actress) |
1. Parasite
Bong Joon-ho’s South Korean thriller follows the Kim family, who are short of money and work, as they slip one by one into jobs in the wealthy Park household. What starts as a sharp comedy about class turns into something darker in its second half.
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Parasite became the first film not in English to win Best Picture. Bong also won Best Director, and shared Best Original Screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film had already won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019.
2. 1917
Sam Mendes’s First World War drama follows two young British soldiers sent across enemy ground to deliver a message that could stop 1,600 men from walking into a trap. The film is staged to look like one long, unbroken shot, which keeps the viewer close to the two men throughout.
Roger Deakins won Best Cinematography for it, and the film also won for sound mixing and visual effects. It is a strong pick for anyone who wants a war film that feels immediate rather than heroic.
3. Joker
Todd Phillips’s film imagines the origin of the DC villain as Arthur Fleck, a struggling performer in Gotham City who is ignored and mistreated until he turns to violence. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for the role.
Icelandic composer Hildur Gudnadottir won Best Original Score, becoming the first woman to win that award for a dramatic score. The film is dark and violent, so it suits adult viewers. A sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, followed in 2024.
4. Ford v Ferrari
James Mangold’s racing drama tells the true story of car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), hired by Ford to beat Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Much of the tension comes from the fight with Ford’s own management rather than the track.
It won Oscars for Film Editing and Sound Editing. Even viewers with no interest in motorsport tend to enjoy it as a story about two friends and a stubborn company.
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film is set in Los Angeles in 1969. Leonardo DiCaprio plays fading TV actor Rick Dalton and Brad Pitt plays his stunt double, Cliff Booth, with Margot Robbie as actress Sharon Tate living next door.
Brad Pitt won Best Supporting Actor, his first acting Oscar, and the film also won Best Production Design for its detailed recreation of the period.
6. Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi’s satire follows a ten-year-old boy in the Hitler Youth whose imaginary friend is a foolish version of Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi himself. His world shifts when he finds that his mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl in their house.
Waititi won Best Adapted Screenplay. The film mixes comedy with grief and is often recommended as an anti-war film for older teenagers and adults.
7. Little Women
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel follows the four March sisters, with Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Florence Pugh as Amy. Gerwig moves between the sisters’ childhood and adult lives, which gives the familiar story a fresh shape.
Jacqueline Durran won Best Costume Design. Ronan and Pugh were both nominated for acting awards, and the film was nominated for Best Picture.
8. Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach’s drama follows a theatre director (Adam Driver) and an actress (Scarlett Johansson) going through a divorce that moves between New York and Los Angeles. It is careful to show both sides and avoids making either one the villain.
Laura Dern won Best Supporting Actress for her role as a sharp divorce lawyer. The film is a Netflix original, so it has stayed on Netflix.
9. Judy
Rupert Goold’s biographical drama follows singer and actress Judy Garland during her London concerts in the late 1960s, near the end of her life. Renee Zellweger won Best Actress for the role and did her own singing.
It is a quieter film than most on this list, and works best for viewers who enjoy performance-led biopics.
Other winners and one big miss
A few more films won at the same ceremony: Toy Story 4 (Animated Feature), American Factory (Documentary Feature), Rocketman (Original Song, for Elton John and Bernie Taupin) and Bombshell (Makeup and Hairstyling).
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, which appeared in an older version of this list, received 10 nominations but did not win any Oscar. It is still worth watching, but it does not belong on a list of winners.
What about films released in 2020?
Many readers searching for 2020 Oscar winners mean films that came out during 2020. Those were honoured at the 93rd Academy Awards in April 2021. Nomadland won Best Picture, Chloe Zhao won Best Director, Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for The Father and Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Nomadland.
Streaming rights for older films change often in India. A service like JustWatch, or the search bar of your own streaming apps, is the quickest way to check where each title is available right now. For more on how films and shows are released, see our infotainment section.
Further reading: Ford v Ferrari, Amazon Prime.
Frequently asked questions
Which movie won Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars?
Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, won Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards on 9 February 2020. It was the first film not in English to win the top award.
Which film won the most Oscars in 2020?
Parasite won the most, with four awards. 1917 followed with three, while Joker, Ford v Ferrari and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won two each.
Did The Irishman win any Oscar?
No. The Irishman was nominated in 10 categories at the 2020 ceremony but did not win any award.
Who won Best Actor and Best Actress at the 2020 Oscars?
Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker, and Renee Zellweger won Best Actress for Judy.
Sources: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Wikipedia: 92nd Academy Awards, Wikipedia: 93rd Academy Awards.
