With the 2021 Oscars postponed until April 25, 2021, we all have a little extra time to catch this award season’s big winners and Oscar nominees, so here’s where to watch them at home, whether free or for a fee.

The 2021 Oscar nominees have been announced, and now we all have plenty of time to check out many of the films from the comforts of our own homes before the April 25 Oscar telecast. There’s quite a variety of subject matter in this year’s contenders, ranging from a courtroom drama to a tumultuous recording session in 1927 and so much more. So, no matter what you’re looking for, there’s a great quality film waiting for you.

Thanks to the complicated world of 2020, many of these films are currently available online or will be soon. Here’s where you can find all the Best Picture nominees and all the incredible performances that are all equally likely to find themselves crowned winners in just a few weeks’ time. Let the viewing-schedule-making begin!

The 2021 Oscar nominees for Best Picture

These titles are the best of the best. There are so many great movies on this list, you can’t go wrong wherever you choose to start. They can’t all take Best Picture gold, but thanks to their incredible filmmakers, we don’t doubt that they all have a great shot on Oscar night.

‘Nomadland’

Nomadland follows a woman in her 60s, experimenting with life as a modern day nomad after having lost pretty much everything in the Great Recession.

Directed by: Chloé Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand

Article Continues Below

Where to watch: Hulu

‘Minari’

In their search for the American dream, a Korean American family moves to Arkansas and start a farm, learning more about each other and what makes a family in the process.

Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-Ri, Youn Yuh-jung, Will Patton

Where to watch: Any digital rental platform at Theater at Home pricing, $19.99

‘Promising Young Woman’

A young woman seeks vengeance against those that have wronged her after tragedy rocks her world.

Directed by: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Carey Mulligan

Where to watch: Theater at Home rental for $19.99 (price will likely drop 3/16 to normal rental pricing)/ DVD and Blu-ray on 3/16

‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

The 1968 Democratic National Convention was rife with unrest and political protests, which resulted in 7 (or 8) people put on trial for their alleged parts in the turmoil.

Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance

Where to watch: Netflix

Related: Review: ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ movie review: A stunning portrayal of a judicial abomination

‘Mank’

While Herman J. Mankiewicz was writing Citizen Kane, there were a handful of battles happening behind the scenes, some for words, some for sobriety, and some just to get credit for their own hard work.

Directed by: David Fincher

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Lily Collins, Charles Dance

Where to watch: Netflix

‘The Father’

A testament to the difficulties of aging, The Father tells the story of a patriarch and his daughter’s relationship as they navigate the rocky terrain of dementia.

Directed by: Florian Zeller

Starring: Olivia Colman, Anthony Hopkins

Where to watch:  Will debut with Theater at Home pricing on March 26th on all digital rental platforms

‘Sound of Metal’

Sound of Metal tells the story of a heavy metal drummer whose life is turned upside down when he begins to lose his hearing. In order to save his sobriety and prevent a relapse, his girlfriend finds a rehab for the deaf in hopes he will find a way to accept this dramatic change.

Directed by: Darius Marder

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke

Where to watch: Amazon (Free to anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription)

‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

As a part of his deal,William O’Neal infiltrates the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party to provide valuable intelligence on the chairman,  Fred Hampton.

Directed by: Shaka King

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield

Where to watch: HBOMax

 

Oscar nominees 2021 – Performances and style you don’t want to miss

These titles are noteworthy for many reasons, but mostly for a specific performance or high chances of winning a non-Best Picture category. Specifically highlighting some phenomenal acting, directing, and more, these hopefuls are definitely worth checking out, even if they don’t all make the cut when we finally get the full list.

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

Chicago, 1927. Ma Rainey steps into a studio to make music, and stirs some tensions amongst her, her band, and her agent/producer.

Directed by: George C. Wolfe

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Pieces of a Woman’

After a tragic home birth, a woman tries to pick up the pieces as her grief threatens to completely isolate her from everyone who could offer comfort.

Directed by: Kornél Mundruczó

Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LeBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Sarah Snook

Where to watch: Netflix

‘The United States vs Billie Holiday’

The United States vs Billie Holiday puts the woman and the controversy on full display as she is at the heart of an investigation by the Federal Department of Narcotics led by black federal agent, Jimmy Fletcher.

Directed by: Lee Daniels

Starring: Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Tyler James Williams

Where to watch: Hulu

‘One Night in Miami…’

Four influential Civil Rights activists and cultural behemoths meet up to discuss their role in the changes the ’60s brought to America and beyond.

Directed by: Regina King

Starring: Leslie Odum Jr., Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge

Where to watch: Amazon (Free to Amazon Prime subscribers)

‘Hillbilly Elegy’

A Yale law student is pulled back to his family’s homestead in rural Ohio, prompting him to consider his future and look back on three generations of family history.

Directed by: Ron Howard

Starring: Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Freida Pinto

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Da 5 Bloods’

Four Vietnam veterans return to their former battlefields in search of their fallen leader’s remains and the promise of buried treasure.

Directed by: Spike Lee

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters

Where to watch: Netflix

‘The Mauritanian’

While investigating the circumstances around a 9/11 suspect who’s been imprisoned at Guantanamo for 6 years, a defense attorney and her associates uncover a far greater conspiracy than they could have predicted.

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Benedict Cumberbatch

Where to watch: Any digital rental platform at Theater at Home pricing, $19.99 (unlikely to drop in price until the blu-ray release in May.)

 

‘Emma.”

This adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma brings style and more of those addictive, lingering touches of the period to another romantic classic.

Directed by: Autumn de Wilde

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Bill Nighy

Where to watch: HBOMax, but also on Blu-ray/DVD and for rental on just about any digital movie platform

Related: ‘Emma’ movie review: A perfect adaptation of another classic Austen romance

‘News of the World’

A Civil War veteran begins a long journey through the wilds of America with his young charge to return her to her rightful home.

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel

Where to watch: Any digital rental platform at Theater at Home price, $19.99 (will reduce price on 3/23)

There are also a number of animated and documentary films, not to mention the greatness in the technical categories, that are also great 2021 Oscar nominees, but this is a great place to start your journey through this season’s most valuable players. Happy watching!