Oscars 2021: How and Where to Watch the Best Picture Nominees

Trying to catch up on the Oscars Best Picture nominees ahead of the Academy Awards on Sunday? Luckily, its easier than ever to catch a flick on a streaming platform these days. With the pandemic’s unquestionable impact on the movie industry, the list of 2021 Oscar nominations is full of movies that can be streamed at home instead of seen in theaters. In fact, only one of the Best Picture nominees is currently playing exclusively in theaters.

Last month, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra announced The Academy’s full slate of nominations, including those for the highly-anticipated Best Picture. Making up the category are: The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. The eight films will fight for the trophy at the 93rd Academy Awards, set to air Sunday, April 25 on ABC.

Many of this year’s nominees can be seen with a subscription to various streaming services. However, now that more movie theaters are opening across the country, it’s possible that theater operators could strike deals to showcase the streaming films on the big screen. Here’s how to watch the Best Picture nominees.

The Father

Anthony Hopkins stars in The Father as a man who refuses assistance from his daughter as he gets older. The fabric of his reality quickly begins to unravel as he starts to doubt his loved ones while suffering from dementia. The Father is playing in select theaters and can also be rented or purchased through video-on-demand services like Amazon.

Judas and the Black Messiah

After William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) is offered a plea deal by the FBI, he infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya. Judas and the Black Messiah is playing in select theaters and can be streamed on HBO Max. It can also be rented through video-on-demand services like Amazon.

Mank

Leading the pack with 10 Oscar nominations, Mank follows the life of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish his Citizen Kane screenplay for Orson Welles. Stars Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman both earned Oscar nods for their roles in the film, which can only be seen on Netflix.

Minari

Starring Steven Yeun, Minari focuses on a Korean American family as they move to Arkansas in search of the ever-elusive American Dream. The film, nominated for five Oscars, is playing in select theaters and is available to rent and purchase on a variety of on-demand platforms like Amazon.

Nomadland

Nomadland tells the story of a woman (Frances McDormand) in her sixties who begins living in a van and traveling through the American West after losing everything during the Great Recession. Written and directed by Chloe Zhao, the Searchlight Pictures film is available in select theaters and can be streamed on Hulu or rented on video-on-demand services like Amazon.

Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman is about Cassandra Thomas (Carey Mulligan), a woman traumatized by a tragic event in her past who sets out to avenge her best friend, who was a victim of rape. The film, written and directed by Emerald Fennell, can be seen in select theaters and can be rented or purchased digitally on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video, among other platforms.

Sound of Metal

Sound of Metal follows Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed), a heavy metal drummer whose life takes a sharp turn when he begins to lose his hearing. Up for five Oscars, Sound of Metal is playing in select theaters and can be streamed only on Amazon Prime Video.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 centers around seven people who are on trial for charges stemming from an uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The film is a Netflix exclusive and can only be seen on the streaming giant.

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