The Oscar nominations are out, with the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled for April 25, but millions of people have not seen a single one of the nominated films.
The good news is that you don't have to venture out to a movie theater to get ready for the big night. Most of the nominees were released to streaming platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Netflix will get you the most for your buck. Movies released via this streaming service are nominated for 35 awards, more than any other studio this year.
Netflix Nominees
Netflix's top nominees, free for subscribers, include:
- "Mank," which tells the story of how a grudge against billionaire William Randolph Hearst inspired old-Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz to write "Citizen Kane," a classic condemnation of a rich man's empty life. This is the Best Picture favorite directed by David Fincher, whose other Oscar-nominated films include "The Social Network" and "Gone Girl."
- "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," a '20s music-industry drama featuring nominated performances by Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman in his last film role before his death.
- "Hillbilly Elegy," which shot partially in its real-life setting of Middletown, Ohio, starring Glenn Close in a much-talked-about Best Actress-nominated performance. (How talked-about? She's up for a Razzie — essentially a reverse-Oscar awarded to especially terrible movies and performances — for the exact same role.)
- "The Trial of the Chicago 7," a historical drama depicting the trial of prominent anti-Vietnam War protesters who were charged with incitement and conspiracy after participating in protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Sacha Baron Cohen — yes, "Borat" — has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as real-life anti-war activist Abbott Hoffman.
Hulu Nominees
Hulu has several nominated films, with its top contenders including:
- "Nomadland," a drama about a widow who sells her house and travels around the United States in a van after the Great Recession, is considered a Best Picture favorite. Star Frances McDormand is nominated for Best Actress — a trophy she's already won twice before for her performances in "Fargo" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
- "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," a biopic about the famous jazz musician's struggle with drug abuse and the government's attempts to censor her anti-lynching ballad "Strange Fruit."
You will need to pay for Hulu to see "Nomadland," as it is not on the free version of Hulu (or any other service).
Amazon Prime Nominees
Amazon Prime has three big nominees:
- "The Sound of Metal," about a rock musician who loses his hearing.
- "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," with no further description needed.
- "One Night in Miami," which imagines a meeting between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in 1964. First-time director Regina King won a Best Supporting Oscar in 2019 for "If Beale Street Could Talk."
Disney Plus
Disney Plus features two Best Animated Features nominees this year and one live-action remake of an animated classic.
- "Soul," Pixar's exploration of the afterlife, the meaning of existence, and the things we lose when we focus too much on pie-in-the-sky goals. It's a comedy, we promise.
- "Onward," another Pixar movie that uses a tongue-in-cheek fantasy setting to tell a story about grief, magic, and unicorns.
- "Mulan," a live-action adaptation of a classic Chinese folktale and a Disney renaissance hit. This one's not a musical, but the stunts and colorful costumes are a new kind of spectacle.
Apple TV
Apple TV plus does not have many nominees, the only one up for a major award being:
- "Wolfwalkers," an Irish fantasy film that is up for Best Animated Feature.
Movies on Demand
Several other top nominees, including Anthony Hopkins' "The Father," "Minari," "Promising Young Woman," "Judas and the Black Messiah," and "News of the World" are available on-demand for a small fee.
So grab the popcorn, hunker down on the couch, and don't waste your money.
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