- 2021-: Bafta Best Pictures -1947

The 2010s started with a catastrophe: The King’s Speech (2011) winning over The Social Network . That was BAFTA at its most fusty, favoring royal stuttering over digital revolution. However, they corrected course with Argo (2013) and Boyhood (2015)—the latter a genuinely brave pick for a slow, 12-year project.

By the 1970s, BAFTA began to mirror the Academy Awards, but with better taste. The Godfather (1970? Actually The Godfather won in 1973) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976) are undeniable masterpieces. However, the real revelation is how often BAFTA chose the better film over the Oscar winner. In 1982, they awarded Chariots of Fire —a quintessentially British victory. But in 1986, while the Oscars went with Out of Africa , BAFTA chose Hannah and Her Sisters —a sharper, more intelligent pick. BAFTA Best Pictures -1947 - 2021-

(Inconsistent, but the high notes— The Apartment , Hannah and Her Sisters , Roma —are untouchable.) The 2010s started with a catastrophe: The King’s