It’s that time of year again...awards season!
And the biggest awards show of the year, the Academy Awards, released the nominations finally, so it’s time to watch all the nominees for Best Picture.
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Unlike other awards season years, it seems that a lot of people have actually seen the movies nominated for Best Picture. “Barbie” made over a billion dollars at the box office worldwide, and ‘Oppenheimer” wasn’t too far behind!
So there are pretty high chances that you’ve seen both of those movies already, but how can you watch the rest of the nominated films? Luckily for you, a lot of them are available to stream on one of the apps, or you can rent or buy it at home.
Or, and stay with me here, you can see it in a movie theater! What a novel idea, right?
Anyway, here are all the nominees below, and how you can watch them before the Oscars on Sunday, March 10.
‘American Fiction’
Where to watch: In a movie theater
What’s it about: First time Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright plays an author who writes a best-seller that is full of sterotypes about Black people. His character means for it to be not serious, but it ends up being a hit. The movie is satirical, and one of the few comedies to make it into the Best Picture race.
‘Anatomy of a Fall’
Where to watch: Rent of buy on Amazon
What’s it about: This foreign language crime drama from France is one of the best international movies of the year. A woman’s husband dies after falling from the roof of their chalet in the French Alps, and the wife is charged with his murder. Their son, who is blind, is the only witness to the fall. It’s a courtroom crime drama that will have you at the edge of your seat.
‘Barbie’
Where to watch: Stream on Max
What’s it about: It’s about Barbie, duh! But really, our classic all-American Barbie travels to the “Real World” to figure out why she’s malfunctioning, and hilarious moments ensue. It was the biggest box office success of 2023, so I’ll actually be shocked if you haven’t seen it before. Lucky, it’s available to stream on Max, formally HBO Max.
‘The Holdovers’
Where to watch: Stream it on Peacock
What’s it about: Paul Giamatti plays a crotchety teacher at an all boys prep school in the early ‘70s who has to stay on campus over Christmas break to essentially babysit an outspoken student who has nowhere to go over the holidays. It’s a coming-of-age feel-good dramedy, and I loved watching it. Oscars should immediately go to Giamatti and Best Supporting Actress nominee, Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Where to watch: Stream on AppleTV+
What’s it about: Martin Scorsese’s latest film tells the story of forgotten American history that is often not taught in class rooms. It’s about the Osage Nation and their fight to keep their land (and lives) from greedy and powerful white men. It’s one of those stories that you can’t believe is real, and it’s even more shocking that we don’t learn more about this history in school.
‘Maestro’
Where to watch: Stream on Netflix
Every awards season has to have a biopic somewhere in the mix, and this year’s is “Maestro,” a film directed and starring Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, the famed composer and conductor.It also stars Carey Mulligan, who is nominated for Best Actress.
‘Oppenheimer’
Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon, available to stream on Peacock Feb. 16
OK, so this is basically a biopic, too, but it feels so much more than that. It’s not only about J. Robert Oppenheimer, but also the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. It was a pivotal moment in American history, and one that we don’t learn or talk about much. The performances are stellar, and director Christopher Nolan is sure to go home with an award or two on Oscar night.
‘Past Lives’
Where to watch: Paramount+ with Showtime
We all kind of have people in our lives that flow in and out of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic relationship or just a friend, for some reason the universe just keeps on bringing you back to them. That’s what “Past Lives” is about. It’s an emotional roller coaster of a film, and star Greta Lee turns in an incredible performance. Lee was snubbed of an Oscar nomination, and it may be an even bigger snub than Margot Robbie not being nominated for “Barbie.”
‘Poor Things’
Where to watch: A movie theater!
So far, “Poor Things” is only one of three Best Picture nominee that you can only see in a movie theater still, which I would highly recommend seeing in one. It just makes the experience. Emma Stone gives an incredible performance as a young woman who is relearning the joys of life. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a fascinating film that will make you ponder life a lot after watching.
‘The Zone of Interest’
Where to watch: A movie theater!
“The Zone of Interest” is the other nominee that you have to see in theaters. World War II movies are always great contenders for Oscar gold, especially if it deals with the Holocaust. It’s a hard watch, but an important one. This movie follows a family who live next door to Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. The husband is a Nazi commandant. It’s likely a hard movie to watch, but historical dramas like this are necessary viewing sometimes, especially the further away we get from tragedies that happened.