On February 8th, the full list of nominations for the 94th Academy Awards was unveiled.
Notably, while there were only eight Best Picture nominees in 2021, this year’s ceremony has ten:
- Belfast (directed by Kenneth Branagh)
- CODA (directed by Sian Heder)
- Don’t Look Up (directed by Adam McKay)
- Drive My Car (directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
- Dune (directed by Quebec’s own Denis Villeneuve)
- King Richard (directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green)
- Licorice Pizza (directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)
- Nightmare Alley (directed by Guillermo Del Toro)
- The Power of the Dog (directed by Jane Campion)
- West Side Story (directed by Steven Spielberg)
Evidently, then, there’s a bunch to catch up on, but that’s not always easy, especially in Canada where theatrical distribution and streaming licensing agreements are convoluted. Some of these movies also only just opened in theatres, making them unavailable for streaming initially.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up where you can stream the ten Best Picture nominees. It’s important to note that not all of these films are yet available for streaming in Canada, so we’ll update this story accordingly leading up to Oscar night on March 27th.
Belfast
Synopsis: A semi-autobiographical take on writer-director-producer Kenneth Branagh’s childhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969.
Genre: Coming-of-age comedy-drama
Where to stream: Currently, the film is only available to purchase for $19.99 to $24.99 CAD on premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play.
CODA
Synopsis: A CODA (child of deaf adults) struggles to balance her dreams of becoming a singer while taking care of her family. Notably, outside of star Emilia Jones (who plays main character Rubi), the mother, father and brother characters are all played by actual deaf actors: Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur (who’s also up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role) and Daniel Durant, respectively.
Genre: Coming-of-age comedy-drama
Where to stream: Since this is an Apple Original (and the first to be nominated for Best Picture), you can watch it on Apple TV+.
Don’t Look Up
Synopsis: Two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) attempt to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will wipe out humanity.
Genre: Apocalyptic dark comedy
Where to stream: Don’t Look Up is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Drive My Car
Synopsis: The first Japanese film to earn a Best Picture nod follows a man (Hidetoshi Nishijima) who copes with the death of his wife (Reika Kirishima) while directing a multi-lingual production in Hiroshima.
Genre: Drama
Where to stream: This film is only just beginning to open in select Canadian theatres starting February 12th, so it’s unclear when and where it will hit streaming.
Dune
Synopsis: The first in a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides and his noble house as they’re thrust into a war on a deadly and inhospitable planet.
Genre: Sci-fi
Where to stream: Currently, Dune can only be rented for $24.99 or purchased for $29.99 on PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play. However, the film is set to come to Crave on a yet-to-be-determined date.
King Richard
Synopsis: King Richard is based on the true story of Richard Williams (played by Will Smith), the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams (played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singlelton, respectively).
Genre: Biographical drama
Where to stream: Currently, King Richard can only be purchased for $24.99 on PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play. However, the film is set to come to Crave on a yet-to-be-determined date.
Licorice Pizza
Synopsis: A young woman (Alana Haim) and teenager (Cooper Hoffman) fall in love in San Fernando Valley in 1973.
Genre: Coming-of-age comedy-drama
Where to stream: Licorice Pizza opened in theatres late last year, so it’s not yet available on any streaming service.
Nightmare Alley
Synopsis: Based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of the same name, Nightmare Alley follows a shady carnival worker (Bradley Cooper) who makes big plays to boost his career. It’s worth noting that the film was largely shot in Toronto, like Guillermo Del Toro’s other work.
Genre: Neo-noir psychological thriller
Where to stream: Nightmare Alley opened in theatres late last year, so it’s not yet available on any streaming service. Presumably, it will come to Disney+ since it’s a Fox-produced movie, but that remains to be seen.
The Power of the Dog
Synopsis: Based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name, The Power of the Dog is about a rancher (Benedict Cumberbatch) who intimidates his brother’s (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) until his secrets are revealed.
Genre: Western, psychological drama
Where to stream: The Power of the Dog is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
West Side Story
Synopsis: Based on the 1957 stage musical of the same name, West Side Story explores the forbidden love between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks gangs.
Genre: Musical, romantic drama
Where to stream: West Side Story will begin streaming on Disney+ Canada on March 2nd.
That covers all 10 Best Picture nominees, but there are, of course, many other films that are up for Oscars. Some other films that are streaming include:
- Encanto (Best Animated Feature, Score and Original Song for “Dos Oruguitas”) — Disney+
- The Lost Daughter (Best Actress for Oliva Colman, Best Supporting Actress for Jessie Buckley) — Netflix
- Spencer (Best Actress for Kristen Stewart) — $4.99 to $6.99 rental on PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play
- Tick, Tick…Boom! (Best Actor for Andrew Garfield) — Netflix
- The Tragedy of MacBeth (Best Actor for Denzel Washington, Production Design and Cinematography) — Apple TV+
You can view the full list of 2022 Oscar nominees here.
Image credit: Apple/Netflix/Warner Bros.
