The road to the 2024 Oscars is underway. Oppenheimer received 13 nominations, one shy of the record of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. Poor Things scored 11 nominations, followed by Killers of the Flower Moon with 10, and Barbie with eight.
The 96th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 10. Until then, there is plenty of time to catch up and see the films nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and all four acting categories. Below is information on where to watch the major 2023 films nominated for Oscars.
American Fiction (2023)
American Fiction, Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, is based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure. The film stars Jeffrey Wright as Monk, a professor and novelist who receives critical acclaim for his work, but fails to garner huge profits.
Fed up with a culture that profits from stereotypical Black entertainment, Monk writes a satirical “Black book” featuring drugs, gang violence, and deadbeat dads under a pen name. Much to his dismay, the book is a huge hit, leading to a monetary advance and a movie deal offer. Can Monk handle living as a hypocrite while becoming his own worst enemy?
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.
American Fiction is now in theaters. It will eventually stream on Prime Video.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Did Sandra kill her husband? That is the mystery at the center of Anatomy of a Fall, a French legal drama from Justine Triet. Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) is found dead lying in the snow by his 11-year-old, visually impaired son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner).
Sandra (Sandra Hüller), a writer and Samuel’s wife, believes the fall from the window was an accidental death. However, the authorities indict Sandra, forcing her to prove her innocence and fight for her life in court.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Justine Triet), Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), Original Screenplay, and Film Editing.
Rent Anatomy of a Fall on Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube. It will eventually stream on Hulu.
Barbie (2023)
Hi, Barbie! One of Mattel’s most prized possessions finally received a feature film adaptation from Academy Award nominee Greta Gerwig. Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives the perfect life in Barbieland. Barbie has a dream house, a cool car, and the perfect friends. The blonde doll exudes happiness, ending her days with a giant party full of dazzling costumes and choreographed dance routines. Yet, Barbie’s world flips upside down after she experiences negative thoughts about morality. As her idea of a perfect world crumbles, Barbie and Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) head to the real world to find answers.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (two nominations), Costume Design, and Production Design.
Stream Barbie on Max.
The Holdovers (2023)
The next great Christmas classic may end up being The Holdovers, Alexander Payne’s first feature film since 2017’s Downsizing. Set at a New England prep school in 1970, it stars Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a crotchety professor forced to look after the “holdover” students – the kids who remain on campus during the holiday break. Much to his surprise, Paul forms an unlikely friendship with Angus (Dominic Sessa), a troublemaking student on the cusp of expulsion, and Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school’s cook who recently lost her son in the Vietnam War.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), Original Screenplay, and Film Editing.
Stream The Holdovers on Peacock.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Martin Scorsese, the greatest living American filmmaker, is arguably the only director who could treat the dark subject matter in Killers of the Flower Moon with such grace and respect. The crime epic depicts the Osage Nation murders in the 1920s and the ensuing investigation that followed. Key players include Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a dim-witted WWI veteran; William King Hale (Robert De Niro), Ernest’s uncle and the mastermind behind the murders; and Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), Ernest’s wife and an Osage member seeking justice for the death of her loved ones.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Actress (Lily Gladstone), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Cinematography, Original Song, Costume Design, Original Score, Production Design, and Film Editing.
Stream Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV+.
Maestro (2023)
After transforming into rocker Jackson Maine for A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper channeled his musical side again to play Leonard Bernstein in Maestro. Cooper, who directed and co-wrote the film, portrays the famous conductor and composer at the height of his career. While the film follows seminal moments in Bernstein’s career, Maestro’s predominant storyline is his relationship with Costa Rican actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), his wife for over two decades.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, and Makeup and Hairstyling.
Stream Maestro on Netflix.
Nyad (2023)
The remarkable and awe-inspiring story of Diana Nyad comes to life in Nyad. Directed by Free Solo’s Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Nyad revolves around Diana Nyad (Annette Bening), a former marathon swimmer who became a sports journalist.
At 60, Diana sets off to complete the treacherous 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, a feat never done before. With the help of her coach and friend, Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster), Diana embarks on a four-year journey to achieve the impossible.
Oscar nominations: Best Actress (Annette Bening) and Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster).
Stream Nyad on Netflix.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Christopher Nolan adapts the complicated and fascinating life of the “father of the atomic bomb” in Oppenheimer. The film portrays a young Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) rising from a student to a brilliant theoretical physicist in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1940s, Oppenheimer was recruited to develop a nuclear bomb as part of the Manhattan Project. In the mid-1950s, he’s the target of a private security hearing aimed at discrediting Oppenheimer.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Sound, Original Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, and Film Editing.
Stream Oppenheimer on Peacock starting February 16.
Past Lives (2023)
Celine Song’s Past Lives is a beautiful and authentic depiction of love, intimacy, and human connection. Past Lives stars Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as Nora Moon and Hae Sung, respectively, two childhood sweethearts living in South Korea.
After her family moves to North America, Nora reconnects with Hae Sung 12 years later over video chat. Another dozen years pass, with Nora living in New York City with her husband, Arthur (John Magaro). Hae Sung meets Nora in New York for one final time as they confront their past relationship and see if a future together exists. Make sure to watch with a box of tissues.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture and Original Screenplay
Rent Past Lives on Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube. It will eventually stream on Max.
Poor Things (2023)
In his first film since 2018’s The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos helms the feminist Frankenstein movie Poor Things. After committing suicide, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is resurrected by surgeon Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). However, Godwin replaces Bella’s brain with that of an infant, so she acts like a child in an adult body. As she adapts to her surroundings, Bella runs off with lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) and experiences a sexual and spiritual awakening as she searches for purpose in her life.
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, and Film Editing.
Poor Things is now in theaters. It will eventually stream on Hulu.
Rustin (2023)
The heroics of Bayard Rustin are depicted in George C. Wolfe’s Rustin. As a magnetic Civil Rights activist, Rustin (Colman Domingo) fought for peace, racial equality, and human rights. In the 1960s, Rustin was one of the leading forces behind the March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Rustin admirably stood up for justice while being an openly gay black man, a rarity during his time.
Oscar nominations: Best Actor (Colman Domingo)
Stream Rustin on Netflix.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Glazer), Adapted Screenplay, Sound, and International Feature Film.
The Zone of Interest is now in theaters. It will eventually stream on Max.
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