Beautiful makeup in movies: 9 films with award-winning transformations
Nine movies famous for their makeup, from An American Werewolf in London, Beetlejuice and Mrs. Doubtfire to The Return of the King, Pan's Labyrinth, Star Trek, Darkest Hour and The Whale.
Makeup can turn an actor into a monster, an old man or a whole new person. This list gathers nine movies whose makeup won the Oscar, in release order, with posters and the directors.
How we chose
We chose films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup (or Makeup and Hairstyling) for transformations that became famous. This is not a numbered ranking of the films themselves.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Directed by John Landis. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Star Trek (2009)
Directed by J. J. Abrams. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Darkest Hour (2017)
Directed by Joe Wright. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
The Whale (2022)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Use the posters above to decide what to watch first, and come back to rate the ones you have already seen. Share this list with friends and compare which films each of you would put first.
Frequently asked questions
Which movies have the best makeup?
Frequently praised are An American Werewolf in London, Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire, Pan's Labyrinth, Darkest Hour and The Whale.
Which was the first movie to win the Oscar for Best Makeup?
An American Werewolf in London won at the ceremony that introduced the award, with effects by Rick Baker.
Which movie had the most dramatic transformation?
Darkest Hour, which turned Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill, and The Whale, with its major physical transformation, are often named.
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Sources: official studio releases, filmographies and public records.
