After the 2025Academy Awards, this critically acclaimed film from 2017 is a must-watch. During awards season every year, several movies emerge as the best of their respective years. This year, films likeAnora,The Brutalist,Wicked, andThe Substancetook the spotlight. These films were among the group nominated for the top prize at the Oscars, andAnoraended up winning Best Picture. For fans of film, the Best Picture nominees also work as a reminder to watch standout movies from previous years.
For example, this year,The Brutalistwas a reminder to watchThe Pianist, which also stars Adrien Brody and shares many similar themes. However, for the sake of this article, I instead want to focus onAnora. TheSean Baker-directed moviewas the clear winner of the 2025 Academy Awards, winning five Oscars, including Best Director, Best Actress, and the aforementioned Best Picture. AfterAnora’sBest Picture win,fans of the film should watch a 2017 movie that was also directed by Baker.
The Florida Project Is A Must Watch After Anora’s Best Picture Win
The Florida Project Is Currently Streaming On Max
Even thoughThe Florida Projectdidn’t receive as much attention from the Academy after it was released in 2017, it’s just as good asAnora. In fact,The Florida Projectactually has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score thanAnora, and currently sits at an impressive 96% (viaRotten Tomatoes). The story ofThe Florida Projectfollows a mother and her six-year-old daughter who live in a rundown motel just outside of Walt Disney World. In the film, Moonee stirs up trouble around the motel with her friends while her mom, Halley, encourages her bad behavior.
Meanwhile, Bobby, who is played by Willem Dafoe, tries to manage the motel as best as he can.Dafoe actually received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role inThe Florida Project, but this was unfortunately the only Oscar nomination that the film received. I firmly believeThe Florida Projectis one of the best movies of 2017, and should have been nominated for Best Picture, as well. Since it was not, it is great that Baker is finally getting well-deserved praise for his newest movie,Anora.
Max Also Has Another Sean Baker Movie You Should Watch
Tangerine Was Shot On An iPhone
The Florida Projectis not the only one of Baker’s movies that is currently streaming on Max. Additionally, his 2015 filmTangerineis also available to watch on the streaming service. In the film, after getting out of jail, Sin-Dee discovers that her boyfriend cheated on her, which leads to her and her friend, Alexandra, wildly going around Los Angeles looking for him.Tangerineis an especially interesting movie to watch since it had a shockingly low budget of just $100,000and was shot entirely on an iPhone.
These two films, as well asAnora, prove how talented of a filmmaker Baker is.
Just likeThe Florida Project,Tangerinealso has a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes (viaRotten Tomatoes). These two films, as well asAnora, prove how talented of a filmmaker Baker is. Fans ofAnorawill be happy to see Karen Karagulyan, who plays Toros in the Best Picture winner, in bothThe Florida ProjectandTangerine. While he has a very minor role inThe Florida Project, he is one of the main characters inTangerine. Therefore, afterAnora’sbig win at theAcademy Awards, fans of the film would enjoy both of these movies.
The Florida Project
Cast
The Florida Project is a drama film that follows a six-year-old girl named Moone and her mother, Halley, as they attempt to enjoy life to their fullest and make ends meet in the Disney-dominated county of Kissimmee, Florida. Halley and Moonee’s lives are fraught with distress while living in a motel. However, Moonee befriends another child in the motel while her mother struggles to keep them above water and hold on to her daughter as the risk of protective services taking her grows ever larger.
Tangerine
Tangerine, directed by Sean Baker, follows transgender sex worker Sin-Dee Rella, fresh out of jail on Christmas Eve, as she scours the streets of Los Angeles to track down her unfaithful pimp boyfriend. The film stands out for its raw and vibrant portrayal of marginalized communities, capturing the unique dynamics and resilience of its characters. Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez star in this groundbreaking, iPhone-shot drama.
