4 Oscar-Winning Movies to Stream on Hulu Right Now

Key Takeaways

• Sentimental Value, Norway's first Best International Feature winner, is now streaming on Hulu via Neon's distribution deal
• Avatar earned three Oscars in 2010 and remains a technical achievement worth revisiting
• Brokeback Mountain's 2006 Best Picture loss to Crash still sparks debate among film enthusiasts

The 2026 Oscars crowned One Battle After Another as Best Picture, but the night's most historic moment came earlier. Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film, marking Norway's first-ever Academy Award in that category.

Because Neon acquired North American distribution rights, Sentimental Value is now streaming on Hulu. It joins a solid lineup of Oscar winners already on the platform. Here are four worth watching today.

Sentimental Value (2025)

Trier's film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Grand Prix. The story explores family reconciliation and the blurred lines between art and life, featuring an ensemble cast including Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, and Elle Fanning.

“All adults are responsible for all children.”

— Joachim Trier, Director, during his 2026 Oscar acceptance speech

The film earned 9 Oscar nominations at the 2026 ceremony, including Best Picture and Best Director. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Film communities on Reddit and Letterboxd have praised what many call a "virtuoso ensemble performance" and the film's balance of humor and tragedy.

Avatar (2009)

James Cameron had been thinking about Avatar since 1994 but waited for the technology to catch up. The heavy use of motion capture and CGI pushed the budget past $235 million. The result was a technical landmark that still holds up.

Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a former Marine who lost the use of his legs and joins the Avatar program on the moon Pandora. His mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi and convince them to allow mining operations. Instead, he falls in love with a Na'vi warrior named Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldaña.

At the 2010 Oscars, Avatar received 9 nominations and won three: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. The film's themes of colonialism and environmentalism remain relevant, and Cameron's visual approach still impresses.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Based on Annie Proulx's 1997 short story, Ang Lee's film follows Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two cowboys hired to herd sheep in 1963 Wyoming. On Brokeback Mountain, they begin a romantic relationship that spans decades.

The film is often remembered for what it didn't win. At the 2006 Oscars, Brokeback Mountain lost Best Picture to Crash in what remains one of the most debated outcomes in Academy history. It did win three awards: Best Director for Lee, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

Twenty years later, the film's reputation has only grown. Ledger and Gyllenhaal's performances are widely considered career-defining.

What Makes These Worth Watching

Each of these films earned Academy recognition for different reasons. Avatar pushed technical boundaries. Brokeback Mountain broke cultural ones. Sentimental Value represents a new milestone for international cinema at the Oscars.

They're also films that reward attention. Cameron built a world worth examining in detail. Lee captured emotional complexity that reveals more on repeat viewings. Trier's film, fresh off its Oscar win, has already drawn comparisons to the director's earlier work like The Worst Person in the World.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sentimental Value streaming on Hulu in the US?

Yes. Neon acquired North American distribution rights, making the 2026 Best International Feature winner available on Hulu for US subscribers.

How many Oscars did Avatar win?

Avatar won three Oscars at the 2010 ceremony: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. It received 9 nominations total.

Why is Brokeback Mountain's Oscar loss controversial?

Brokeback Mountain was widely expected to win Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars but lost to Crash. Many critics and viewers still consider it an upset, and the debate continues in 2026.

What country won Best International Feature with Sentimental Value?

Norway won its first-ever Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category with Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value at the 2026 Oscars.

Source: How-To Geek