The Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday and, as always, the Best Picture category was packed with great films. There are 10 films nominated for the award this year, and if you missed them in theaters, worry not. You can still find them before the Academy Awards ceremony on March 27.
This year, “Belfast,” “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “Dune,” “King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” “The Power of the Dog” and “West Side Story” all landed Best Picture nominations. So, where exactly do you need to go to see them and give your at-home ballot a better chance?
We run it down below.
Belfast
“Belfast” picked up seven nominations in total on Tuesday, including Best Picture. Written and directed by record-breaking Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast” is a semi-autographical film about a young boy named Buddy who lives in Belfast, Ireland in the late 1960s. His childhood is uprooted when civil war hits, forcing his tight-knit, working-class family to choose whether they should leave their longtime home.
Branagh told on Tuesday that the film “was such a personal story that it would have been impossible to commission a writer to do it.”
“Belfast” is still playing in select theaters and is available to rent or purchase digitally through retailers like Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Redbox and Vudu.
CODA
“CODA,” directed by Sian Heder, gets its name from a real acronym: Child of Deaf Adults. As such, the story follows Ruby (Emilia Jones), who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When her family’s business is threatened, Ruby is torn between wanting to pursue her love of music at the Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
“CODA” is available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+.
Don’t Look Up
“Don’t Look Up” tells the story of two astronomers, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, who discover a comet hurtling toward Earth — one that can, and likely will wipe out all life on the planet. But the President (Meryl Streep), her Chief of Staff (Jonah Hill), and the news media downplay the impending doom to the general public.
The film is intended to be a satirical reflection of the real world’s reaction to news about the climate crisis.
“Don’t Look Up” is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
Drive My Car
“Drive My Car” was one of the most beloved international films of 2021. The film is adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story.
The story follows Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director. A few years after he loses his wife, he receives an offer to direct a production at a theater festival in Hiroshima. While there, he’s assigned a chauffeur named Misaki Watari (Toko Miura). Together, the two start to unravel the mysteries his wife left behind.
“Drive My Car” is not available for streaming anywhere, but is available to see in select theaters across the U.S.
Dune
Starring Timothée Chalamet, “Dune” is an adaptation of the novel by Frank Herbert. The story centers on Paul Atreides (Chalamet), a young man thrust into a galactic battle for control of what’s known simply as “spice.” In the story, “spice” extends human life and improves cognitive abilities. The catch is, it can only be found on a desert planet called Arrakis.
The Emperor orders Paul’s father, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) to relocate his family from the ocean planet Caladan to Arrakis, after which an internal betrayal leaves Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) to defend themselves.
“Dune” was briefly available to stream on HBO Max, but was taken off the service on Nov. 21.
It is currently available to rent or own digitally on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, the Microsoft store, RedBox, and OnDemand with AT&T, AMC and Spectrum.
The film is also playing in select theaters after a re-release on Feb. 11, and you can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
King Richard
“King Richard” tells the true story of Richard Williams, played by Will Smith. He’s the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, thanks to a very, very long-term plan he devised when his daughters were children. The story follows the Williams family through Venus and Serena’s early careers, and how Richard played a huge part in them.
“King Richard” was available to stream on HBO Max for a limited window, but is no longer streaming.
It is currently available to rent or purchase digitally on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, the Microsoft store, RedBox, and OnDemand with AMC and Spectrum.
Licorice Pizza
Set in the 1970s, “Licorice Pizza” — Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature film — stars Alana Haim, of the band Haim, and Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The story follows 15-year-old Gary Valentine (Hoffman) who is crushing hard on a woman 10 years his senior, Alana Kane (Haim). Still, the two establish a friendship and business partnership, taking them on adventures throughout Los Angeles. The film is named after a chain of record stores, as “licorice pizza” is actually a slang term for a vinyl record.
“Licorice Pizza” is currently still playing exclusively in theaters.
Nightmare Alley
Co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, “Nightmare Alley” is a psychological thriller that revolves around a carnival worker named Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who steals a mentalist act and cons his way into becoming a member of high society. Of course, he hits a few snags after encountering a psychiatrist named Lilith (Cate Blanchett).
“Nightmare Alley” is currently streaming on HBO Max and Hulu. A black-and-white version of the film is also playing in select theaters.
The Power of the Dog
“The Power of the Dog” led the Oscar nominations this year, picking up 12 in total.
Directed by Jame Campion, and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee, the film is adapted from a 1967 cult novel by Thomas Savage.
“The Power of the Dog” is set at a Montana cattle ranch in the 1920s following a young widow (Dunst) and her new husband (Plemons). Their lives are increasingly complicated by the unpredictable, menacing behavior of his brother (Cumberbatch), whose mistrust of both Dunst’s character and her son (Smit-McPhee) leads to tragic consequences.
“The Power of the Dog” is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
West Side Story
Along with the film’s Best Picture nod, “West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose also picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, for her turn as Anita.
Musical theater fans know the story of “West Side Story” well. It centers around growing tensions between two gangs: the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, made up of “American” boys. As the two groups attempt to settle their differences on their own — by well, fighting — Maria, whose brother is a Shark, meets and fall in love with Tony, a Jet. It is, in short, a musical variation on “Romeo and Juliet.”
As of Oscar nomination day, “West Side Story” is still available to see in theaters. The film will start streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max on March 2 in the U.S. and internationally.
