Ranking What Was Really The Best Film Of Every Year 1990-2021

Actually won: Gladiator.

The definition of a crowd pleaser, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a modern classic with a strong Russell Crowe at the helm and towering set pieces that still look marvelous.

For all its visual appeal, though, Gladiator also sports an annoyingly safe story, and is the kind of Best Picture winner that would be better remembered had it not won the award. None of this is the case with Ang Lee's martial arts masterclass Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

One of the greatest action movies ever, Lee's drama is beautifully choreographed with a timeless tale of duels and culture. It would take another 19 years for a foreign-language movie to win Best Picture, but Parasite shouldn't have been the first.