Two days removed from the Academy Awards, and people are still talking about John Cena’s nude arrival, Christopher Nolan’s historic win(s) and, naturally, ogling Instagram to check photos from the after party. But for those of us who have yet to see all the best picture Oscar nominated films, here’s how, and where, you can find them (but some may require a VPN).
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s bleak, biographical epic about the atomic bomb rinsed the awards, winning 7 of the 13 categories it was nominated for.
Where to watch it: You can watch Oppenheimer on Peacock (VPN required), AppleTV+, Prime Video, and it will be coming soon to OSN+.
Poor Things
Granting Emma Stone her second Oscar, the film is adapted from a 1992 novel by Alisdair Gray, and if you’re already familiar with the works of Greek filmmaker, Yorgos Lanthimos, but have yet to see this one, just imagine everything he’s done before, on steroids.
How to watch: You can watch Poor Things on Hulu (Disney+), or buy it (with additional bonus material) on Prime Video.
The Holdovers
Sadly, this terrific film about boarding schools and family drama, perhaps the closest thing we’ll ever get a cinematic adaptation of The Catcher in The Rye, is now being overshadowed by claims that it’s screenplay has been plagiarised. Still, the film is great, and it granted Da’Vine Joy Randolph her first nomination and Oscar win, and is sure to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.
How to watch: You can watch The Holdovers on Peacock (VPN required). It is also still playing in several theatres across the UAE, so go see it while you still can.
Barbie
In a world of unfair advantages and relentless competition, don’t we all just want someone to tell us that we are, in fact, Kenough? Ryan Gosling performed ‘I’m just Ken’ at the Oscar’s, gushing over Greta Gerwig’s pink soaked wonderland or, as Werner Herzog called it “a vision of hell“.
How to watch: You can watch Barbie on Max and AppleTV+, Prime Video and OSN+. For Max, you will need a VPN.
Anatomy of a Fall
Arguably the best film of last year, the 2023 Cannes Film Festival winner picked up a best original screenplay statue for writer/director Justine Triet. Is it a murder mystery? A courtroom drama? A movie about telepathic dogs? Or just a really great instrumental of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P.? Perhaps it’s everything, and you should definitely watch it.
How to watch: Stream it AppleTV+ or rent/buy it on Prime Video. It will be available on Hulu, March 22, and is still playing in select theatres, specifically Roxy Cinemas.
The Zone of Interest
This film adaptation of the late Martin Amis’ novel of the same name depicts, as Hannah Arendt once called it, the banality of evil unlike we’ve ever seen it before on screen. And Sandra Huller’s second Oscar nominated film in the same year.
How to watch: You can purchase The Zone of Interest on Prime Video, but you will need a VPN to access the American/UK prime channel, until it (presumably) releases here in the UAE.
American Fiction
As writer/director Cord Jefferson said in his Oscar winning speech for best adapted screenplay: “Instead of making one 200 million dollar movie, lets make 20 10 million dollar movies,” and we must say, based on how things are going for the Marvel verse, studio executives may go back to investing in the arthouse films yet again (fingers crossed). American Fiction follows a discouraged writer/professor who writes a ‘Black’ book to prove a point about obsolete tropes and offensive stereotypes used in Black entertainment. Perhaps the best satire on ‘wokeness’ to date.
How to watch: You can find it now on OSN+ and Apple TV.
Killers of The Flower Moon
This is Martin Scorsese’s third film to be nominated for multiple categories, only not to win a single one. Still, his three hour Native American epic about the slow eradication of an entire people, thus spawning the birth of the FBI deserves to be watched.
How to watch: The film can be streamed/bought on Apple TV+.
Maestro
The internet made fun of Bradley Cooper for his seemingly shameless Oscar pursuit, but this biopic – directed by, and starring, BC – is still a valiant drama about one of the most famous composers to ever live, Leonard Bernstein.
How to watch: Netflix. Easy.
Past Lives
The most heartbreaking ‘what if’ movie to come out in recent memory, if not ever. Directed by first time writer/director Celine Song, this Korean/American heartbreaker needs some emotional prep time before watching.
How to watch: exclusively on OSN+.
