After an incredibly strong year for movies, it feels like the moviegoing experience is back after a myriad of issues plaguing the industry like COVID-19-related box-office slumps and the dual labor strikes that halted Hollywood entirely.
This comeback has built to this year's Academy Awards, which will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 10. Some of the most talked about films from last year like "Barbie,""Oppenheimer" and "Poor Things" have snagged the most nominations this year. If you want to watch last summer's atomic blockbuster, travel to Barbie Land, go on a sex-fueled European adventure or wrecked by childhood sweethearts in "Past Lives" — these films are now available to watch on streaming right in the comfort of your home. Besides, don't you want to know which movies are worthy before they take home the prize?
Here's where you can stream all the Oscars best picture nominees:
"American Fiction" (Digital rental)
Best actor nominee Jeffrey Wright stars in this adaptation of the 2001 novel "Erasure" by Percival Everett. In "American Fiction," Wright plays Monk, a disillusioned Black novelist whose novels are mildly successful. Frustrated by the predominantly white publishing world that profits from offensive and played-out stereotypes about the Black experience — he writes a satirical book playing into all the stereotypes he despises.
"Anatomy of a Fall" (Digital rental; Hulu on March 22)
Directed by Justine Triet, the only woman nominated for best director at this year's Oscars, "Anatomy of the Fall" is the slow-simmering French courtroom drama highlighting the fracturing of a marriage following one man's possibly accidental death. Sandra Hüller also snagged a best actress nomination for her role as Sandra.
"Barbie" (Max)
The Greta Gerwig comedy-drama starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken was a part of last year's major "Barbenheimer" movie experience. The film follows the iconic Barbie and Ken who leave their pink-infused Barbie Land and are exposed to the messy highs and lows of the human experience when they travel to the real world.
"The Holdovers" (Peacock)
This warm story about the people left behind at a New England boarding school during the holidays shows the power of accepting unexpected people into your found family. It stars Paul Giamatti and Da'vine Joy Randolph, who have both been nominated for best actor and best supporting actress, respectively.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" (Apple TV+)
This Martin Scorsese epic is based on the true American history of the wealthy Osage people who were massacred by opportunistic white people. Mollie (Lily Gladstone) is at the center of this plot hatched by her uncle-in-law William (Robert De Niro) and her sheepish husband Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate their community and marry rich Osage women to steal their wealth.
"Maestro" (Netflix)
The biopic about legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein played by Bradley Cooper focuses on his intrapersonal relationships specifically the tumultuous marriage with his wife Felicia Montealegre played by Carey Mulligan. It also addresses Bernstein's sexuality and his documented affairs with men throughout his marriage.
"Oppenheimer" (Peacock)
"Oppenheimer" examines the ethical dilemma behind making the atomic bomb and starting the perilous arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Christopher Nolan's three-hour epic starring Cillian Murphy as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer examines his role as the leader of the Manhattan Project, creating the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.
"Past Lives" (Free on Kanopy, Digital rental or Paramount+ with Showtime)
A romance that spans continents, decades and possibly alternate realities, "Past Lives" is about South Korean childhood friends Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) who spent most of their lives apart, separated by distance or circumstances. Twenty-four years after their last in-person meeting, Hae-sung visits Nora in New York, seeing each other for the first time since they were children.
"Poor Things" (Hulu)
The bizarre tale of spunky Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is a journey of self-discovery and womanhood. Paralleling Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," the Yorgos Lanthimos film follows Bella, a woman brought back to life by scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and then runs off with a lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) on a life-altering adventure across Europe.
"The Zone of Interest" (Digital rental)
Based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis, "The Zone of Interest" is a haunting story about a Nazi commandant (Christian Friedel), his wife (Sandra Hüller) and their disturbingly idyllic family life as their home is situated adjacent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The 96th Academy Awards will be presented live on Sunday, March 10 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.
Nardos Haile is a staff writer at Salon covering culture. She’s previously covered all things entertainment, music, fashion and celebrity culture at The Associated Press. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.
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