The 96th Academy Awards are rapidly approaching, which means you have a limited time to catch up on all of this year’s nominees. Luckily, just about all of them are available on streaming at this point, so from Poor Things to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, you can watch it all. Observer has a list of all the nominees as well as predictions ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night, which takes place this Sunday, March 10th.
Poor Things
Emma Stone has had a career of varied roles, and Yorgos Lanthimos has made his fair share of weird movies, but none are as out there as their work in Poor Things. The movie revolves around Bella Baxter, a reanimated woman who must re-learn how to live her life. It’s a funny, feminist Frankenstein tale, packed with treatises on sex, autonomy and human nature. The film also features great supporting performances from the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef. Poor Things streams on Hulu starting March 7th, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 11, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress
Past Lives
Most years, there’s one film that travels the long and winding road from Sundance to the Oscars, and Celine Song’s quietly beautiful Past Lives made the trek this time around. Breakout star Greta Lee plays Nora, a New York-based writer who still pines for the best friend she left back in South Korea as a child. This moving story about lost loves, be them romantic or platonic, is wholly original, without a single love triangle trapping in sight. Past Lives is streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 2, for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay
Napoleon
Ridley Scott and his films are certainly no strangers to the Academy Awards, and the massive, bombastic Napoleon is no exception. This historical epic reimagines the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), portraying his rise to political power and his complicated marriage to the aristocratic Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). Scott puts his skills behind the camera towards creating showstopping battle sequences, from naval sieges to thrilling cavalry charges. The visuals are beyond impressive, with historical detail making as much of an impact as the effects. Napoleon streams on Apple TV+, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 3, including Best Visual Effects
The Color Purple
A gorgeous take on Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple brings the musical adaptation of the book to the big screen. The movie tells the story of Celie (Fantasia Barrino), a woman who comes of age in the oppressive American South during the early twentieth century. She must contend with abusive men in her life (Colman Domingo and Deon Cole), all while finding strength in the women around her (Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks, who reprises her Tony-winning role). It’s a moving, powerful tale of growth and strength. The Color Purple is available to stream on Max. Nominations: 1, for Best Supporting Actress
American Symphony
Though it lost out on a coveted Best Documentary nomination, American Symphony is still represented at this year’s ceremony. The touching, artistic documentary follows a year in the life of musician Jon Batiste, when his career is at its height: he’s courting 11 Grammy nominations thanks to his album We Are and he’s been tasked with composing a symphony set to be performed at Carnegie Hall. However, his professional success is at odds with his personal struggles, as his partner, author Suleika Jaouad, learns that her cancer has returned. American Symphony is available to stream on Netflix. Nominations: 1, for Best Original Song
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
This stunt-filled, action-packed blockbuster is the first in the Mission: Impossible franchise to be Oscar nominated thanks to its attention to technical detail. It’s a testament to Tom Cruise’s ambition, as each movie in the series gets bigger and bigger (who else would ride a motorcycle off a mountain?). Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning is available to stream on Paramount+, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 2, for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects
Elemental
If there’s one thing you can expect every awards season, it’s a Disney-Pixar movie nominated for Best Animated Feature. This year, Elemental takes that spot. The film takes place in a city populated by anthropomorphic elements, but it has the same issues as our own metropolises. There are culture clashes between the immigrant fire elements and the more homegrown earth,
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams beat several of his own records: the legendary composer gained his 54th Academy Award nomination, adding to a haul that makes him the most-nominated living person, the second most-nominated person ever, and the oldest nominee in history. Few figures in film have contributed as much as him, with the iconic Indiana Jones theme getting revitalized alongside Harrison Ford’s aging explorer in his latest adventure. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is streaming on Disney Plus, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 1, for Best Original Score
El Conde
A political satire that puts a stake through the heart of international politics in the latter half of the 20th century, El Conde is a film that’s courageous and curious in equal measure. Courage because Chilean director Pablo Larraín turns his country’s vilest villain, dictator Augusto Pinochet, into a vampiric protagonist, and curious because it’s an irreverent, artistic take fascism. It’s a daring way to deal with a nation’s darkest history, and Larraín’s vision is bolstered by veteran cinematographer Ed Lachman’s beautiful black-and-white work. El Conde streams on Netflix, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 1, for Best Cinematography.
Nimona
An animated film with a subversive edge (that may or may not have caused it to get dropped by Disney), Nimona is an exciting movie filled with adventure and radical acceptance. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the film follows a shapeshifter named Nimona as she decides to become the sidekick of a notorious knight named Ballister. Together, they embark on a quest to clear his name (he kinda, sorta killed the queen, but it wasn’t really his fault) and bring change to their stagnant kingdom. Nimona streams on Netflix. Nominations: 1, for Best Animated Feature
The Creator
An ambitious sci-fi story from director Gareth Edwards, The Creator makes it clear that original work in the genre is still worthwhile. The film takes place in the not-too-distant future, after AI causes a nuclear explosion in Los Angeles and plunges the world into a technological arms race. But when a disillusioned soldier (John David Washington) is given the chance to destroy what could be the most powerful weapon on the planet, he can’t go through with it—not when it’s a robot that has been created in the form of a human child. The Creator streams on Hulu, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 2, for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The final chapter of Marvel’s beloved series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 makes like its franchise predecessors and gets a nod for its outstanding visual effects work. The space-set trilogy has always been a fun fan favorite, but this installment takes on a bit of a darker tone as it explores how the foul-mouthed Rocket (Bradley Cooper, free of his Leonard Bernstein baggage) came to be. It’s a worthy farewell, filled with action, heart and plenty of laughs as per usual. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is available to stream on Disney Plus, and you can read Observer’s review here. Nominations: 1, for Best Visual Effects
What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
