10 Netflix Movies That Earned Big Oscar Nominations

The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were announced Monday morning and watching the nominees has never been as easy. Although many feared a year without movie theaters would result in less-than-stellar nominees for the 2021 Oscars, the Academy unveiled a very strong group. Many of the films are readily available to stream right now, including 10 films on Netflix, all listed below.

This year, the Oscars eligibility window was expanded to cover Jan. 1, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021, making it the first time since the 6th Academy Awards covered August 1932 to December 1933. Hopefully, the film that wins Best Picture in 2021 ages better than Cavalcade. The awards were also delayed until April 25, two months later than usual. Some rule changes were also made so films that did not get a theatrical release could still be eligible. The plan is to only have this rule in place for one year, but that could change, depending on how long the coronavirus pandemic’s impact lasts on the film industry.

Netflix’s nominees this year range from the usual awards favorites to unique documentaries. In fact, two of the five films up for Best Documentary Feature can be found on Netflix. Scroll on for a run-down of each movie and its nominations.

‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one of two Best Picture nominees you can watch on Netflix. The film covers the trial of a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters who were charged for their roles in the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It was nominated for six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), Best Original Screenplay (Sorkin), Best Cinematography, and Best Original Song for “Hear My Voice.”

‘Mank’

David Fincher’s Mank is the most-nominated movie at the Oscars this year with 10. It tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz, who co-wrote Citizen Kane with Orson Welles. The film was written by Fincher’s late father Jack Fincher, who was surprisingly not nominated. Here are its 10 nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Gary Oldman), Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried), Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography.

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of the August Wilson play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom earned five nominations. Chadwick Boseman earned a posthumous Best Actor nomination. The other four nominations are for Best Actress (Viola Davis), Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design.

‘Pieces of A Woman’

Vanessa Kirby earned the sole Oscar nomination for Pieces of a Woman due to her acclaimed performance in the difficult-to-watch movie. She plays a mother who loses her baby after a home birth. Shia LaBeouf and Ellen Burstyn also star in the film, directed by Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó.

‘Hillbilly Elegy’

Hillbilly Elegy was once considered a major awards player, but then the film was released and it was hit with mostly negative reviews. Glenn Close earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, but her performance also earned her a Raspberry Awards nomination. The film’s other Oscar nomination is for its makeup and hairstyling.

‘The White Tiger’

The White Tiger is the new film by acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani, who also wrote the script. He was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The movie is based on the book by Aravind Adiga and centers on an Indian driver who escapes poverty.

‘Over The Moon’

Two of the five Best Animated Feature Film nominees are available on Netflix. The first is Over the Moon, the latest film by former Disney animator Glen Keane. The movie was also nominated for the Golden Globes’ Best Animated Feature Film award.

‘A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’

A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is the latest movie from Aardman Studios and is a sequel to 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at both the Oscars and the British Academy Film Awards. The first Shaun the Sheep Movie was also nominated for Best Animated Feature.

‘Crip Camp’

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is the new documentary from former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions. Directed by Nicole Newham and James Lebrecht, the movie tells the story of a summer camp in New York for teens with disabilities. Higher Ground’s previous documentary, American Factory, won the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars last year.

‘My Octopus Teacher’

Pippa Ehrlick and James Reed’s My Octopus Teacher is about filmmaker Craig Foster’s relationship with an octopus in a South African kelp forest. The movie has already won several awards, including Best Science/Nature Documentary at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. The film was also nominated for the Producers Guild of America’s award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures.