In the streaming era, it’s become common for box office flops to find new life by catching on with viewers at home. It’s easier for people to take a chance on something when all they have to do is push play from the comfort of their living room. But services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max aren’t just places where commercial bombs finally attract an audience. Films that have achieved a great deal of success in their initial runs are very sizable draws on streamers, as movie fans eagerly cue up some of their new favorites for a long overdue rewatch. That’s what’s happening on HBO Max right now, as a trio of critically acclaimed films have surged up the charts.
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According to FlixPatrol, Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Weapons are currently the top three movies on HBO Max, both globally and in the United States. Of course, all three of these titles have one notable thing in common. In addition to receiving enthusiastically positive reviews, they all won major awards at the Oscars this past weekend. One Battle After Another took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay; Sinners won Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor; Weapons received Best Supporting Actress. One Battle After Another and Sinners also won a handful of below-the-line Oscars.
Oscar Winners’ Streaming Success Highlights What’s Great About the Academy Awards
The Oscars aren’t without its fair share of problems; the horror genre had been long overdue for some proper recognition prior to this year, for starters. However, one thing that’s great about the awards show is that it raises awareness for the nominated films. Cinephiles who follow the ins and outs of award season knew about titles like Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent long before the Oscar nominations were announced in January, but more casual viewers purposely seek these kinds of movies out once the accolades start rolling in.
Granted, the trio of movies atop the HBO Max chart arguably didn’t need Oscar wins to get a boost in profile. Sinners and Weapons were box office hits. One Battle After Another underperformed commercially, but it’s still a Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle from one of the industry’s most respected directors. That said, the success these films had at the Academy Awards ensures viewers will continue to seek them out long after the initial window of hype has passed. Sinners wasn’t just a commercial hit over a random Easter weekend, it goes down in history as the horror movie that broke an incredible 34-year streak. One Battle After Another will forever be part of Best Picture winner marathons. Amy Madigan’s win for Weapons could make that film more enticing for those who don’t usually watch horror movies.
What’s even better about this particular group of titles doing so well is that all three of them were well-received amongst critics and audiences. Historically, the Oscars have made some baffling decisions that don’t age well, but this felt like a rare year where the general consensus about the winners was positive. Obviously, art is subjective, so everyone had their own pick for what should have won Best Picture, but there weren’t many complaints to be heard in the wake of the One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Weapons wins. This means, at least in 2026, the Oscars are steering more people to genuinely great films from creative directors that would be special with or without the awards.
Hopefully, this is a sign that the Oscars themselves are evolving, and there will be more winners like One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Weapons in the years to come. Revamping Academy membership seems to have had positive effects; it was only a few years ago the multiversal sci-fi action film Everything Everywhere All at Once steamrolled the competition to a Best Picture win. Time will tell what’s in the running for the 2027 Oscars, but ideally, it will be a crop just as strong as the one this year.
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Courtesy of Bones Film
