Every Best Picture Oscar Winner Ranked Worst To Best
12. The Deer Hunter (1978)
Michael Cimino's epic Vietnam War drama constantly defies expectations, as it tells the haunting story of three Russian-American steel workers forever changed by the horrors of America's most controversial modern conflict.
Anchored by the heartbreaking performances of Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, and John Savage, The Deer Hunter is urgent but well paced, making each step of its story feel necessary and enriching to its themes of memory, grief, friendship, and masculinity.
Cimino would never reach these highs again, but The Deer Hunter is such a haunting, tender achievement that he probably could've retired here and not lost any sleep. It's truly a once in a lifetime masterpiece.