Oscars: Every Best Picture Winner Ever Ranked From Worst To Best

16. Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca 1940
United Artists

Rebecca is Alfred Hitchcock's single Best Picture winner and the last Best Picture victor to do so without winning a single acting, directing or writing award, despite all three elements being absolutely magnificent.

Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier are a force to be reckoned with in this chilling, sublimely directed gothic psychological thriller, which prevailed against the hefty might of The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Dictator and The Philadelphia Story.

With a tightly-wound mystery and some of Hitchcock's best-ever direction, it's a shame he didn't scoop the Best Director Oscar here (which he never won), but it's also hard to fight too much against John Ford taking the statue home either.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.