Feb 21, 2017 9:00 AM

16 Oscar-Nominated Movies You Can Stream Right Now

Before you sit down for Sunday's telecast, make sure to watch these nominated films.

La La Land and Hidden Figures are currently duking it out at the box office to see who can benefit most from this year’s Oscar bounce (spoiler alert: Hidden Figures is winning), but you don’t have to drop $50 on tickets and a tub of popcorn to see many of the films vying for Oscar gold during Sunday’s ceremony—including some of the big frontrunners. Before you fill out that Oscar pool ballot in ink, put on your comfiest sweats, grab a seat on the couch, and have yourself an Academy Awards stream-athon.

Though he’s been making movies for nearly 25 years, Denis Villeneuve has remained under the radar—a shame, as he’s brought such unique sensibilities to movies like *Enemy* and *Sicario*. Appropriately, *Arrival* changed all that for the Canadian director. Part sci-fi feature and part linguistics lesson, the film stars Amy Adams as a linguist who is desperately trying to create a universal language in order to communicate with an alien species that has descended to Earth. But even beyond that, the film serves as a stark reminder that progress takes time and, as such, requires patience—which, given the current political climate, is [a timely sentiment](https://www.wired.com/2016/11/arrival-movie-review/). Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Every Oscar ceremony seems to anoint at least one indie darling, and David Mackenzie’s *Hell or High Water* is this year’s sweatiest and most gritty. The film, written by actor Taylor Sheridan (who also penned the *Sicario* script), is a modern-day Western in which two brothers—played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster—go on a bank-robbing spree across West Texas, each for his own specific reasons. As with any good Western, there’s a lawman on their trail—in this case, a veteran Texas Ranger played by a perfectly no-nonsense Jeff Bridges (who earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the part). The dude abides. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube

With *Moonlight*, writer-director Barry Jenkins has fully established himself as one of cinema’s rising auteurs, creating a deeply moving look at the life of a young black man as he matures from a child to an adult in one of Miami’s toughest neighborhoods. Though it was shot quickly, cheaply, and independently, it’s clear that Jenkins’ team was as passionate about the project as he was; it earned an impressive eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, and Best Supporting Actress for Naomie Harris. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Whether or not Kenneth Lonergan’s *Manchester by the Sea* walks away with any gold, it’s already made history for earning the first-ever Best Picture nomination for a streaming studio (courtesy of Amazon). But given that it has earned a total of six nominations—including Best Picture, plus Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Lonergan—at least one win seems inevitable. Casey Affleck delivers the goods as Lee Chandler, a janitor successfully managing to avoid life after a horrific tragedy tears him apart from his wife and children. But when his brother dies and names Lee as guardian to his 16-year-old nephew, he’s forced to go back to the home—and people—he left behind. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube

Almost more amazing than Jeff Nichols’ *Loving* itself is the fact that Nichols is not yet a household name. In the past five years alone, he’s been responsible for some of the most compelling films to hit the big screen—*Take Shelter*, *Mud*, and *Midnight Special*—but has yet to really catch the Academy’s eye. With *Loving*, he’s starting to get the awards attention he deserves. And rightly so, its his most impactful movie to date. The film stars Joel Edgerton and Oscar nominee Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple whose landmark Supreme Court case, *Loving v. Virginia*, struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Amy Adams pops up again in fashion designer/filmmaker Tom Ford’s follow-up to 2009’s *A Single Man*. Told as a story within a story, Adams plays Susan Morrow, a wealthy but lonely art gallery owner whose life, including her marriage, is a carefully constructed façade. Out of the blue, she receives a copy of the novel her ex-husband, Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), had always planned to write, which he has dedicated to her. As Morrow becomes more engrossed in the book, the fictional world—in which a family road trip through Texas turns deadly—plays out onscreen, too. Michael Shannon, who received a Best Supporting Actor nod, scored the film’s only nomination, but understandably this kind of gritty neo-noir vibe isn’t for everyone. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube

The reviews have been somewhat mixed on Pablo Larraín’s *Jackie*, which aims to be an intimate portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination. And it is that, in some ways. But the movie jumps back and forth in time, with much of it focusing on the production of the First Lady’s famous 1962 tour of the White House. It doesn’t work for everyone, but everyone agrees that Natalie Portman’s portrayal of the iconic Jackie Kennedy make her a frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
To American audiences, Paul Verhoeven is the guy who made *RoboCop*, *Total Recall*, and *Starship Troopers*. But he never set out to be Hollywood’s go-to sci-fi guy; his earliest successes were in the dramatic genre, and he had a tendency to create controversy because of his penchant for sex and violence. All of which makes *Elle*, starring Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert as a woman searching to track down the man who raped her, a return to form for the *Showgirls* director. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, YouTube

It wouldn’t really be an Oscar ceremony without Meryl Streep being nominated for *something*. And she truly outdid herself this year, as her Best Actress nod for *Florence Foster Jenkins* marks a record-setting 20th Oscar nomination for the actress (Streep beat her own record). The film is based on the true story of a New York City socialite and wannabe opera singer who was essentially the William Hung of her generation… but with a lot more money. She gained fame for being a terrible singer, and managed to perform at Carnegie Hall to a packed house of amused admirers. Naturally, Streep gives this quirky tale all the heart it deserves. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Mel Gibson has been persona non grata in Hollywood for the last decade or so, but all that seems to be changing. His *Hacksaw Ridge* managed to score a total of six Oscar nominations—including Best Picture, a Best Actor nod for Andrew Garfield, and a nomination for Gibson himself as Best Director. The film recounts the true story of Desmond Doss, an American soldier who stood on the front lines during some of World War II’s most violent battles, yet refused to carry a weapon. Though he was a conscientious objector, he saved more than 75 of his fellow soldiers during his tour, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube

Matt Ross, who plays Hooli CEO Galvin Benson in HBO’s *Silicon Valley*, is an actor’s director (for obvious reasons). Though the bulk of his career has been in front of the camera, last year’s *Captain Fantastic* marked his fourth foray as a director, and his most successful effort. Viggo Mortensen, who scored a Best Actor nomination, plays Ben Cash, a survivalist who lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and six children, who are home-schooled. When his wife dies, Ben is forced to come face-to-face with “the real world” again, which causes his kids to question whether living off-the-grid is really as important as they've been taught. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Joel and Ethan Coen have a rather hit-or-miss relationship with the Academy. In 2008, they (rightfully) cleaned up with *No Country for Old Men*, then scored five nominations between *A Serious Man* and *True Grit*. Yet 2013’s *Inside Llewyn Davis* was woefully overlooked. In the case of *Hail, Caesar!*, a fun ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood moviemaking, only the production design got noticed. Which is saying a lot, as the film is packed with great performances by the likes of George Clooney, Tilda Swinton (times two), and Channing Tatum. But it’s perhaps most memorable for the fact that they all out-shined by relative newcomer (and future Han Solo) Alden Ehrenreich. Would that it were so simple. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, HBO Go, iTunes, YouTube

The first word that comes to mind when describing Yorgos Lanthimos’ *The Lobster* is, well, “strange.” The dystopian black comedy is set in a world where finding a mate is the ultimate goal of every person, and those who find themselves single are forced to check into a hotel to try and find a life partner within 45 days. If they fail, they’re turned into the animal of their choice. Colin Farrell does a wonderful job of playing the sad sack, who joins up with a group of rogue “loners” who are working to fight against the rules. The film scored a nomination for Best Original Screenplay—emphasis on “Original.” Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
*Selma* director Ava DuVernay went the documentary route with *13th*, an engrossing Netflix doc that illustrates the rampant racial inequality that has long dominated the American prison system. DuVernay did her homework and dug deep to present as comprehensive a look at the topic as possible; in addition to archival footage, she assembled a fascinating lineup of interview subjects, from activists to politicians to former inmates, to discuss the state of our criminal justice system. Where to stream it: Netflix

Laika, the stop-motion animation studio that brought audiences *Coraline*, scored again in 2016 with *Kubo and the Two Strings*, an action-packed animated film that sees a young man named Kubo (Art Parkinson) head off on a quest to find a magical suit of armor once owned by his father, a fallen samurai, in order to ward off an evil spirit. Matthew McConaughey and Charlize Theron also lend their voice talents. Where to stream it: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube
Don’t let the near-eight-hour running time of this ESPN-produced documentary—or the fact that you invested 10 hours in *The People v. O.J. Simpson*—turn you off. Just when you thought you had learned everything there was to uncover about The Juice, director Ezra Edelman compiled this comprehensive, cradle-to-jail look at Simpson’s life—both the one the public saw, and the one behind closed doors. The doc goes far beyond the many, many headlines that have been written about Simpson over the years to contextualize his status as a pop culture figure and what his trial represented for race relations in America. Just because you’re old enough to remember the Bronco chase doesn’t mean you know everything. Where to stream it: Hulu, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube

Comments

Jennifer M. Wood writes about movies, television, and pop culture. She is the editor of The Curious Viewer: A Miscellany of Bingeable Streaming TV Shows from the Past Twenty Years and the author of The Curious Movie Buff: A Miscellany of Fantastic Films from the Past 50 Years. ... Read More

TopicsMovies Oscars Underwire

Breathe Easy Thanks to the Best Air Purifier for Every Home

Protect your home against dust, pets, allergies, and more with the best air purifiers, tested firsthand.

Molly Higgins

The Creators of Hacks Really, Really, Really Hate AI

Ahead of the hit show’s finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.”

Katie Drummond

Quell the Heat With Our Favorite Window Air Conditioners

These are the AC units we’ve trusted to cool our homes for months, if not years.

Matthew Korfhage

The Best Duffel Bags for Commuters and Chronic Overpackers

Need to schlep some stuff? These field-tested duffels can handle your baggage.

Louryn Strampe

The WIRED Guide to Los Angeles for Business Travelers

A tech industry guide to where to stay, eat, work, and play while visiting LA.

Jordan Michelman

The Best Travel Toiletry Bags for Every Trip

Our team evaluated a ton of toiletry bags to find the best storage, organization, and design options for all your essentials.

Kat Merck

The Dyson Vacuums Worth Buying

Feeling the pull of a new clean machine? We’ll help you make sense of Dyson’s whirlwind vacuum lineup.

Nena Farrell

The Best Wireless Chargers to Refuel Your Phone (or Watch)

Stop fumbling for cables in the dark. These WIRED-tested stands and pads will take the hassle out of refueling your phone, wireless earbuds, and watch.

Simon Hill

The AI IPO Race Heats Up, DOGE Whistleblower Sues Elon Musk, and Instagram Gets Hacked

On Uncanny Valley, we dive into the IPO bonanza that the top AI companies are embarking on to the point where some real estate listings are looking for not just regular old cash, but Anthropic stock.

Brian Barrett