The Academy Award nominations are out, marking the end of one phase of aggressive campaigning and speculation, while simultaneously launching a second one. If the massive amount of great movies released in 2020 overwhelmed you, the nominations provide a concise list of films worth watching before your Zoom Oscar party. While many of these films are starting to play in select theaters again (and others debuted in theaters and on streaming platforms simultaneously), nobody could blame you for not wanting to leave the house. Fortunately, almost all of the nominees for Best Picture are available to stream while you wait for the Oscars (and your second vaccine). The multitude of streaming services, and the ever-shuffling roster of films on each one can be confusing, but it’s the reality of being a cinephile in 2021. We’ve done our best to make the process as simple as possible for you. If one or more of these movies is exclusive to a service you don’t subscribe to, this is a perfect time to rectify that. After all, many of these streaming services are beating traditional studios at their own game.
Regardless of which streaming services you have, it’s time to start filling out those Oscar ballots. Whether you’ve seen all eight nominees or are starting from scratch, it’s much easier to make predictions with the films fresh in your head. With such a competitive roster, this is not a year you can afford to watch just 75 percent of the nominees. You need to see them all. And once you’ve done that, it’s a safe bet to say you’ll probably want to view a few of them more than once. Check below for a comprehensive guide to streaming all of the 2021 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture.
Netflix
“Mank”
It wouldn’t be the Oscars without an excellent Hollywood biopic in the mix, would it? “Mank,” the continuation of David Fincher’s ongoing collaboration with Netflix, tells the story of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz played by Gary Oldman in a predictably stellar performance. The film follows the Hollywood screenwriter as he sets about crafting the screenplay for Orson Welles’ masterwork “Citizen Kane” after initially agreeing to remain anonymous. The screenplay was written by David Fincher’s late father, and the black and white opus is worth watching for the exquisite 1930s production design alone. With 10 Oscar nods, “Mank” is the most nominated film of the year, and streaming exclusively on Netflix.
A24
“Minari”
Searchlight
“Nomadland”
One of the year’s most unique films, “Nomadland” finds director Chloe Zhao blending fact and fiction as she adapted Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” into a film starring Frances McDormand. The book was a journalistic memoir about a subset of aging Americans who found their financial fortunes wiped out after the 2008 recession, and were forced to travel the country in vans looking for fleeting employment. Zhao cast many of the actual “nomads” that Bruder interviewed to play themselves, but created a fictional character played by McDormand to anchor the film. The groundbreaking film is nominated for six Oscars, including Zhao’s history-making moment as the first Asian-American woman to be nominated for Best Director. “Nomadland” is currently streaming on Hulu.
Focus Features
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
Netflix
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″
Aaron Sorkin’s follow-uup to “Molly’s Game” is this period courtroom drama about the legal persecution faced by a band of anti-war protestors following the tumultuous 1968 Democratic Convention. His script was in development for over a decade, with a multitude of stars and directors attached at various points, before Sorkin eventually stepped in to direct it himself. The sprawling film boasts a star-studded cast, but the biggest draw is likely a scene-stealing performance from Sacha Baron Cohen, (who had quite the 2020). In Sorkin’s competent hands, classic Hollywood subject matter still makes for a fresh, sophisticated film that earned five Oscar nominations. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is available to watch on Netflix.
Sony Pictures Classics
“The Father”
“The Father” finds playwright Florian Zeller adapting his own play, “Le Père,” and taking advantage of the realism that only film can offer to tell a gut-wrenching story of a man losing his entire sense of self to dementia. At the age of 83, Anthony Hopkins is the oldest Best Actor nominee in Oscar history. The honor is well-deserved, as are the film’s other five nominations. As you might imagine, it’s not always a fun movie to watch, but it sticks with you long after the credits roll. “The Father” isn’t currently streaming anywhere, but will be available to rent on March 26.
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
Shaka King’s period drama (released in February) tells the riveting story of the FBI’s attempts to take down the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, by way of William O’Neal’s infiltration and subsequent betrayal. Equal parts civil rights story and white-knuckled thriller, it’s a film that should not have to feel nearly as timely as it does. It boasts some of the years best performances from Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, and scored six nominations in total, each one well-deserved. Although “Judas and the Black Messiah” streamed on HBO Max for the first month after its release, the film is only in theaters at the moment. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
