Listen, there’s a lot going on right now, and it may feel indulgent to get excited about something frivolous like the Academy Awards. But watching movies is self-care, and trying to catch up on the nominees before the ceremony on Sunday, March 2 will definitely be a good distraction. (The show, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will air on ABC but also stream on Oscars.com and its associated digital platforms—whichever ones still exist by March).
To help you prepare, I’ve rounded up all the nominees and done the work to figure out where they’re available to watch on streaming—though some are still only in theaters as of this writing, I’ll keep it updated as more things drop on digital platforms.
Biggies that you can’t yet watch at home include The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, I’m Still Here, Sing Sing, Nickel Boys, September 5. Then there’s the documentary No Other Land, which doesn’t even have a formal distribution deal in the U.S. as yet. Still, you already have quite a bit to catch up on (even before you branch out to would-be contenders like Challengers, Queer, and The Last Showgirl). Happy disassociating!
Emilia Pérez
Despite being, shall we say: not universally loved by queer audiences, Spanish-language musical crime drama Emilia Pérez managed to net a whopping 13 nominations, the most ever for a movie not in English. Among those is Karla Sofía Gascó for Best Actress, Oscar’s first nod to an openly trans actress.You can stream Emilia Pérez on Netflix.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), Directing (Jacques Audiard), Adapted Screenplay, International Feature, Cinematography, Original Score, Original Song x 2 (El Mal AND Mi Camino), Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound
Wicked
Next up in the nomination tally is Wicked, the movie that dominated the end-of-year zeitgeist and the box office—it’s tied for noms with The Brutalist, which isn’t yet streaming. And it’s another musical! No directing nomination for Jon M. Chu, which is always interesting for a film with this many nominations. Being the first of a planned two parter, Academy voters could be holding off until next year to send some witchy love Chu’s way. You can rent Wicked from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects
The Brutalist
You might not have heard of the epic immigrant drama The Brutalist, as it’s a limited release that has not done terribly well at the box office. Nonetheless, it includes a big-name cast including Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce, all of whom received nominations. Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to America to start a new life. At more than three-and-a-half hours (it plays with an intermission in theaters!) it earns its artsy rep, but it’s less intimidating a watch than it might sound. You can watch The Brutalist in theaters right now.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actor (Adrien Brody), Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Directing (Brady Corbet), Original Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Original Score
Conclave
Juicy, Vatican-based political thriller Conclave scored eight nominations—not bad for the kind of straight-down-the-middle grownup movie that is rarely made these days. The nomination for Rossellini marks a first-ever Oscar nod for the actress, a surprise given her impressive career. You can stream Conclave on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score
A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet is the latest actor to take on the role of Bob Dylan in an off-center biopic. This one focuses on, and builds to, the moment when Dylan blew people’s minds by using electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. It’s hard to do a musical biopic after Walk Hard eviscerated the tropes of the genre, but this one does a good job of being massively entertaining. You can watch A Complete Unknown in theaters right now.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actor (Timothée Chalamet), Supporting Actor (Edward Norton), Supporting Actress (Monica Barbaro), Directing (James Mangold), Adapted Screenplay), Costume Design, Sound
Anora
Director Sean Baker has created a string of critically acclaimed films (Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket) that haven’t broken through in terms of Oscar love. His latest, a comedy-drama following the troubled marriage between sex worker Ani and the son of a Russian oligarch, has earned six nominations this year, including four nods for Barker (Best Picture, directing, writing, and editing). I haven’t seen it yet myself, but I’m a huge fan of his other films. You can rent Anora from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Mikey Madison), Actor (Yura Borisov), Directing (Sean Baker), Original Screenplay, Editing
Dune: Part Two
Five nominations definitely isn’t bad, but it feels a little like Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic got lost in the shuffle this year. Still, a Best Picture nomination and a massive box office haul are no small consolation prizes. You can stream Dune: Part Two on Max and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Cinematography, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects
The Substance
I can’t think of many (any?) body horror pictures that have made it to the top-tier of Oscar hierarchy (Best Picture and Best Director nominations!) but the lion’s share of attention for this one comes down to Demi Moore. She’s received her first ever Oscar nomination here, and it’s about time. You can stream The Substance on Mubi or rent to from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Demi Moore), Directing (Coralie Fargeat), Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling
Nosferatu
Robert Eggers’ lush, chilly vampire remake was polarizing to audiences (I loved it), but it managed good box office and did even better with critics. The movie’s four nominations are all down to its striking visuals. You can rent Nosferatu from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling
The Wild Robot
A service robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is shipwrecked on an island where she learns to make new relationships and adopts an orphaned goose. The poignant animated movie earned three nominations. You can rent The Wild Robot from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Animated Feature Film, Original Score, Sound
I’m Still Here
Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries, On the Road) directs this adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir about a mother and activist dealing with the forced disappearance of her dissident politician husband during the military dictatorship in Brazil. A surprise contender in the Best Picture race, it has drawn particular attention for Fernanda Torres’ performance as Marcelo’s mother, Eunice. You can watch I’m Still Here in theaters right now.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Actress (Fernanda Torres), International Feature Film
Sing Sing
Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Prison, this drama stars professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci working alongside a number of actual program alumni. You can rent Sing Sing from Prime Video and other digital services right now.
Nominations for: Actor (Colman Domingo), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Like A Bird”)
A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs, and co-stars (with Kieran Culkin) in this sweet, sad road-trip movie about a couple of mismatched Jewish America cousins who travel to Poland to honor their late grandmother. Each of the leads picked up nominations: Culkin for acting and Eisenberg for his screenplay. You can stream A Real Pain on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Supporting Actor (Kieran Culkin), Original Screenplay
Nickel Boys
Director RaMell Ross previously earned an Oscar nomination for his documentary, Hale County This Morning, This Evening. Here, he adapts the Colson Whitehead novel, itself based on a true story, about two African-American boys sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. Somehow the film wasn’t nominated for its cinematography, despite a daring conceit that sees every shot filmed from the direct point of view of one of the characters. You can watch Nickel Boys in theaters right now.
Nominations for: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay
Flow
A gorgeously animated saga about a cat displaced by a flood, this Latvian film has been picking up awards left and right—despite being dialogue-free and having been animated using open-source software. You can rent Flow from Prime Video.
Nominations for: International Feature, Animated Feature
The Apprentice
The discussion around this Donald Trump biopic had more to do with various legal actions by the Trump campaign, and the movie sunk at the box office following mixed reviews. Nevertheless: two acting nominations ain’t bad. You can rent The Apprentice from Prime Video.
Nominations for: Actor (Sebastian Stan), Supporting Actor (Jeremy Strong)
Inside Out 2
The rather delightful Inside Out sequel made well over $1.5 billion at the box office, and might also get an Oscar for the trouble. You can stream Inside Out 2 on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Nomination for: Animated Feature
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
A new Wallace & Gromit adventure is always a cause for celebration, awards or no. You can stream Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl on Netflix.
Nomination for: Animated Feature
Black Box Diaries
This searing documentary, directed and produced by journalist and filmmaker Shiori Itō, follows her investigation and analysis of her own sexual assault case, one that takes her to the highest levels of Japanese media and government. You can stream Black Box Diaries on Paramount+ with Showtime.
September 5
Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch star in this historical thriller set in and around the events of the terror attacks at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The focus here is on the ABC Sports crew on hand to cover the news. You can watch September 5 in theaters right now.
Nomination for: Original Screenplay
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