From Tár until Top gun: Maverick, Elvis until Everything Everywhere Everything at once, this year’s roster of Oscar nominees is packed with films big and small. Although many nominated films are still playing in theaters, you can see plenty of them from the comfort of your couch. Below are the main front runners and where to stream them.
What to watch on Netflix
No news from the Western Front
One of the biggest surprises of this year’s nominations came with the German juggernaut, No news from the Western Front. The film is an adaptation of the classic novel of the same name and is set at the end of World War I. It follows an idealistic young German soldier who goes into the trenches, where he finds a war darker than the patriotic propaganda it has been. fed at school. It is a fully realized (anti) war film, which is both a visual tour de force and a gripping drama. Nominations: 9, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Read our review here.
What to watch on HBO Max
The Banshees of Inisherin
A tiny island off the west coast of 20th-century Ireland hardly seems like the setting of the sharpest, bleakest, funniest drama of the year, but The Banshees of Inisherin is all that and more. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are at their best as a couple of friends who have fallen apart, with supporting actors Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon infusing the film with wit and heartbreak and humour. A lot of props go to Jenny the donkey, who would definitely have been nominated if she had been a different species. Nominations: 9, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (x2) and Best Supporting Actress. Read our review here.
Elvis
Baz Luhrmann made a grand comeback this year with his musical mega hit, Elvis. This movie has it all and the sink thrown in, following Elvis Presley’s many highs, lows and in between. Austin Butler’s transformation into the late performer is one for the ages, not only hitting the nail on the head, but managing to portray decades of disappointment and despair with just a few glances. Luhrmann’s rapid-fire style may not be for everyone, but it certainly suits The King and Academy voters. Nominations: 8, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Read our review here.
The batter
From avatar until Top gun until Black Panther, the Academy really embraced the blockbuster this year. Of course in between The dark knight and joker, The batter isn’t the first Batman property to receive such esteemed recognition. Not only has the film garnered quite a few nominations for its technical prowess, but it has several big names – some even represented in this year’s nominees! Between Paul Dano (The Fables) and Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), the villains of The batter had a pretty impressive 2022. Nominations: 3, including the best visual effects. Read our review here.
What to see on Peacock
Tár
If tar all proven, it is that Cate Blanchett is arguably the most watched actor ever to grace the silver screen. Whether waxing poetic about niche composers or threatening a schoolyard bully, Blanchett’s revealing performance as composer and conductor Lydia Tár. Defying definition, the film acts as both a meditation on the culture of cancellation surrounding a lesbian in a male-dominated field and a fascinating, highly individual character study. It’s a strange but compelling film, with a closing scene that leaves your mouth hanging open. Nominations: 6, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. Read our review here.
What to watch on Paramount Plus
Everything Everywhere Everything at once
A film brave enough to ask that ‘Chekhov’s gun’ be changed to ‘Chekhov’s butt plug’. Everything Everywhere Everything at once no longer impresses this awards season – it’s coming straight in. A dramedy about intergenerational tensions, multiverses and IRS audits, Everything everywhere is a masterclass in originality and a genre-bending delight. Both Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan can show off their considerable stunt talents before delivering some of the best dramatic scenes of the year, while Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu add some of the film’s more absurd layers. Nominations: 11, including Best Picture, Best Director(s), Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Read our review here.
Top gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise still has it. Who would have thought that that was a sequel to Top gun (made more than thirty-five years later) would be such a resounding success in the hallowed halls of the Academy? Top gun: Maverick brought action to the big screen like few other movies ever have. Of course, the movie built on a great story in the middle, bringing Cruise’s Maverick back into the fold while still honoring where he started. Plus, it has a Lady Gaga score – what more could anyone want? Nominations: 6, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Read our review here.
What to watch on Disney Plus
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Like its predecessor, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made quite the superhero stand during awards season. The smash hit sequel had a tough hill to climb, with the unfortunate passing of its leader, Chadwick Boseman, but it brought in a new Black Panther alongside a heartfelt, sometimes heartbreaking story. Action-packed, emotionally charged, and a refreshing addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film shows off the talents of Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, and even the much-anticipated musical return of Rihanna. Nominations: 5, including Best Supporting Actress. Read our review here.
What to watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
