It’s that time of year: the Oscar nominations are out, and unless you’re a devoted cinephile, you’ve maybe seen about two or three of the movies up for the most coveted award in the film industry.
With much of Canada enduring a deep freeze this weekend, it might be the perfect time to get caught up.
Here’s a guide to the films up for an Academy Award for best picture this year, and how you can watch them.
Bugonia
What’s it about?: Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap a high-powered CEO when they become convinced that she’s an alien intent on destroying the Earth.
Who’s in it?: Emma Stone (who plays the high-powered CEO), Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis as the conspiracy-obsessed young men, Alicia Silverstone and comedian Stavros Halkias.
Where to watch?: Bugonia is available to rent or own on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.
You can read CBC’s review here.
WATCH | Bugonia trailer:
F1
What’s it about?: A Formula One racing legend is coaxed out of retirement to mentor a young hotshot driver.
Who’s in it?: Brad Pitt, as the elder driver, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon.
Where to watch?: FI is available to stream on Apple TV (for free if you have an Apple TV+ subscription), or you can rent or purchase it through the same platform.
You can read CBC’s review here.
WATCH | F1 trailer:
Frankenstein
What’s it about?: This is Guillermo del Toro’s take on the classic gothic tale about a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment — with disastrous consequences.
Who’s in it?: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz and Mia Goth.
Where to watch?: Frankenstein is streaming on Netflix.
Hamnet
What’s it about?: Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name, the film dramatizes the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, as they grapple with the loss of their son, Hamnet, to the plague. The film, which won the Golden Globe for best motion picture (drama), explores how the loss of his son may have influenced the playwright to write his masterpiece Hamlet.
Who’s in it?: Paul Mescal plays the bard while Jessie Buckley, who won a Golden Globe for her performance, stars as his wife.
Where to watch?: Hamnet isn’t available to watch at home yet, but it is playing in theatres — if you feel like venturing out.
You can read CBC’s review here.
While William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is well known, the story behind its creation is less familiar. The film Hamnet explores the tragic loss of Shakespeare’s son. The CBC’s Jackson Weaver shares more.
Marty Supreme
What’s it about?: Timothée Chalamet stars as a 1950s-era table tennis athlete who goes to hell and back in the pursuit of greatness.
Who’s in it?: Chalamet, who won a Golden Globe for his performance, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion and Kevin O’Leary as a wealthy impresario and the film’s main antagonist.
Where to watch?: Marty Supreme isn’t available to stream at home just yet, but you can catch it in theatres.
One Battle After Another
What’s it about?: Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film focuses on a washed-up revolutionary (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) living off the grid in a state of stoned paranoia who must scramble to rescue his daughter when an old enemy resurfaces. The dark comedy was the basis for many Halloween costumes and memes this past year, and won four Golden Globes earlier this month, including for best motion picture (comedy or musical).
Who’s in it?: DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor, who won a Golden Globe for her performance).
Where to watch?: One Battle After Another is available to stream on Crave. Don’t have a subscription? You can rent or buy through Amazon Prime or Apple TV.
You can read CBC’s review here.
The Secret Agent
What’s it about?: Set in Brazil in 1977, the film follows a technology expert who goes on the run after becoming the target of a dictator.
Who’s in it?: The film stars Wagner Moura, who you may recognize from his role as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos. Moura won the Golden Globe for actor in a dramatic motion picture.
Where to watch?: Sadly, The Secret Agent is also not available to stream in Canada yet, but it is playing in theatres.
You can listen to film columnist Jason Gorber’s review of the film here.
WATCH | Trailer for The Secret Agent:
Sentimental Value
What’s it about?: Two sisters reunite with their estranged father and film director (played by Stellan Skarsgård) when their mother dies.
Who’s in it?: Skarsgård, who won a Golden Globe for his performance, Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning and Anders Danielsen Lie.
Where to watch?: Sentimental Value is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.
Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård stars in ‘Sentimental Value,’ one of many films that premiered at TIFF 50. CBC’s Dwight Drummond sat down with him to discuss how he brought the role to life.
Sinners
What’s it about?: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know this is a vampire movie that has received widespread acclaim for achieving so much more than just being a vampire movie. The genre-bending blockbuster centers around twin brothers — both played by Michael B. Jordan — who return home to rural Mississippi to open a successful nightclub. But when a trio of vampires turns up, things take a bloody turn.
Who’s in it?: Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and Jack O’Connell.
Where to watch?: You can watch it for free on Crave if you have a subscription. You can also rent or buy it through Amazon Prime or through Apple TV.
You can read CBC’s review of it here.
Train Dreams
What’s it about?: Based on Denis Johnson’s novella of the same name, Train Dreams follows the life of the life of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker, as he navigates a period of monumental change in early 20th-century America
Who’s in it?: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones and William H. Macy.
Where to watch?: Train Dreams is streaming on Netflix.
WATCH | Train Dreams trailer:
