You might not automatically associate Best Picture-winning movies with profanity, maybe because it’s easy to think of such films as classy, and movies with tons of profanity as being less classy. That is stereotyping, though,and it would be a less exciting world if awards contenders couldn’t indulge in a bit of filthy language, and if profane movies could only aspire to be popular among the unwashed masses (as it were).
In celebration of the Oscars, and of foul language, here’s a rundown of the Best Picture winners that have used the most F-bombs in their dialogue. Most of the examples here are more modern films, but that’s got a lot to do with the Hays Code restricting the sort of language found in motion pictures before 1970 (the movie version ofMAS*His held up as thefirst major American film to use the word).
10’Argo' (2012)
25 f-words
Because it’s botha biographical film and a thriller, there’s a decent amount of stress to be found inArgo; enough, in fact, that it using the F-word only 25 times is a little surprising. It’s enough for it to be one of the more profane Best Picture winners, sure, but it’s still somewhat restrained, also when taking into account howBen Affleck’sGone Baby GoneandThe Townare much more f-bomb-filled.
Quality over quantity is in full effect here, too, considering that “Argof**k yourself” is probably the most memorable linein the entire film. Overall, though, it’s a clean and efficient drama about a wild true story with a good amount of thrills. It might not be anyone’s favorite Best Picture winner, but you could do quite a bit worse.
9’Moonlight' (2016)
27 f-words
Movies about growing up aren’t always aimed at kids, though the issue of swearing earning some movies R-ratings despite the fact that kids can (and do) swear in real life is worth thinking about. WithMoonlight, though, it’snot just a coming-of-age moviein the traditional sense, seeing as it follows a central character from childhood in the first act, to being a teenager in the second act, and then becoming an adult in the third act.
Moonlightisconsidered a great filmbecause it’s grounded and quietly moving (among other reasons), andthe realism is partly achieved by having people use non-gratuitous profanity throughout. Swearing is a part of life, andMoonlightcaptures several parts of one person’s life, and the moderate dosage of F-bombs here checks out and feels fitting.
8’One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest' (1975)
36 f-words
One of the earliest movies to win Best Picture while having a decent amount of profanity,One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Neststill holds up immensely well in most ways. When you’vegotJack Nicholsonat his bestat the center, greatness usually follows, with Nicholson playing a man who fakes insanity and starts a rebellion of sorts inside a psychiatric hospital; a place he viewed as a favorable alternative to prison.
It’s another high-intensity movie, with emotions running highand parts ofOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestultimately proving devastating. Some things regarding mental health might date the film a bit, but the dramatic core – as well asthe skill with which the film was made– still shines bright, and ensures this deservedly continues to stand as a classic.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
7’The Hurt Locker' (2008)
59 f-words
Perhaps a little likeArgo,The Hurt Lockerisa movie that specializes in being intenseand having its primary characters in some agonizingly dangerous situations, so a lack of profanity here would probably stand out in a detrimental way. Essentially, it’s a film about bomb disposal set during the Iraq War, inevitably featuring scenes that revolve around people going “Holy f**k, which wire do we cut?”
No, that’s doingThe Hurt Lockera disservice. It’s got class and is more carefully made than that, andthough having almost 60 f-bombs sounds like a lot, the level of profanity here isn’t gratuitous. Also, beyond being a tense war movie,The Hurt Lockerhas interesting things to say regarding adrenaline and the rush of dangerous situations, unpacking the idea of war being a drug of sorts in a rather bleak and effectively uncomfortable fashion.
The Hurt Locker
6’The Deer Hunter' (1978)
94 f-words
Comfortably the most f-bomb-packed Best Picture winner of the 1970s,The Deer Hunterdoes admittedly have theadvantage of being about three hours long. So, mathematically, it has twice as much time to do everything – having its characters swear included – than a movie that hovers around the 90-minute mark would. And, like with fellow war movie Best Picture winnerThe Hurt Locker, the characters inThe Deer Hunterdefinitely have a lot to swear about.
Exploring a group of people before, during, and after serving in the Vietnam War,The Deer Hunterpulls few punches and continues to be devastating, which makes even more sensewhen you consider the levelofacting talent on display here. It’s far from an easy watch,but it remains an essential war movie, and utilizes its epic-length runtime exceptionally well(and, yes, you do need those extended pre-war scenes for everything else to hit as hard as it does).
The Deer Hunter
5’Crash' (2004)
100 f-words
You’re probably going to have more luck finding someone who considersCrashone ofthe worst movies in recent memorythan anyone who considers it one of the better Best Picture winners. It’sthe clunky movie about race to which all other clunky movies about race are (unfavorably) compared, withCrashindulging in non-stop clichésand persistently feeling insincere to the point where it almost feels like a parody of Oscar bait.
But here’s one rankingCrashcan enter, because there’s a good deal of bad language in this bad movie. Specifically, it cracks triple digits as far as f-words go, and is another one of those Best Picture winners that wants to be emotionally intense; that’s the reason for the profanity… it’s more “raw.” But emphasis on “wants to be,” becauseCrashsucks. Watchthe weirdDavid Cronenbergoneinstead. Next.
4’Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' (2014)
140 f-words
A movie thatfiguratively gives the superhero genre a spankingwhile more literally badmouthing the popularity of such movies (on account of all the bad words coming out of people’s mouths),Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)has a wonderfully profane script. It’s also a continually anxious movie, following an actor best known for playing a superhero trying to mount a comeback that will, ideally, make him seem like a more serious actor.
One of the most inventive parts ofBirdmanis the way it’s filmed to look like it was shot in one take, capturing a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes chaos in a Broadway setting, andwith tons of characters getting anxious and yelling at each other. Once more, it’s one of those films where a lack of profanity would just feel off or insincere, given the stakes and the emotions the movie is trying to elicit.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
3’Platoon' (1986)
159 f-words
Anotherwar movie that won Best Pictureat the Oscars,Platoontackles the Vietnam War in a very different way to the aforementionedThe Deer Hunter. Everything inPlatoonis about the conflict itself, showcasing the war through the eyes of a young soldier who sees many people he’s come to know die in horrific ways, prompting him to continually question the war he’s taking part in on a moral level.
There’s nothing subtle aboutPlatoon, as itwants to be a shock-and-awe kind of war movie. It’s gritty, violent, loud, and profane, with the approach working in making the war it explores look needless and savage, and effectively putting you in the shoes of the central character in the process. You might not be able to make out every single f-word over the sounds of explosions and gunfire, but there are a ton of them nonetheless.
2’The Departed' (2006)
213 f-words
Just over three decades on fromOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jack Nicholson starred in another Best Picture winner that had a good deal of profanity:The Departed. He was one ofmany great actors part of this film’s cast, and all relish the opportunity to yell, swear, and insult each other throughout (especially Nicholson,Leonardo DiCaprio, and an Oscar-nominatedMark Wahlberg).
The Departedearns the right to use the f-word more than 200 times. It doesn’t feel jarring because the movie is such an immensely stressful one, with the police infiltrating a dangerous gang of criminals at the same time said gang sends one of their own to infiltrate the police force.Tensions rise, insults are hurled, and people – before too long – also start dying violently. It’s awesome, and shines as an example of a remake done right (2002’sInfernal Affairs, the original, is worth watching too, though).
The Departed
1’Anora' (2024)
479 f-words
Anorais the movie to beat,when it comes to profanityin Best Picture winners. It’s a movie that’s shorter thanThe Departed, and includes almost twice as many f-words, making it rank among the most profane movies of all time and being swear-heavy enough thatone ofConan O’Brian’s jokesat the 2025 Oscars involved mentioning that it used the f-word 479 times.
Beyond being packed with swearing,Anorais also prettyextreme when it comes to its sexual content, but with a purpose; it’s about a stripper and a whirlwind romance initially defined by sex, after all.So much of the swearing heard inAnorais matter-of-fact and surprisingly natural, particularly when the film is at its most stressful and dramatic (thinkUncut Gems, but perhaps a little less grim).
NEXT:Every Comedy Movie That Won Best Picture at the Oscars, Ranked
