2020 was a strange year for movies with the majority of releases jumping ship for 2021 or beyond. A lot of movies went to streaming instead of theaters or after a shortened theatrical run. I’m praying movie theaters can make a comeback. There were also fewer major motion pictures released in 2020 and the first few months of 2021. This is a fact many people cite when discussing the Academy Awards. However, it’s not like the Oscars are scraping the bottom of the barrel (even though nominations for Hilbilly Elegy feel like it). The Academy still snubbed several amazing movies and performances. My beloved Tenet, my #1 movie of the year, only received two technical nominations. I had really hoped this would finally be Christopher Nolan’s year. One of my early picks for the Oscars this year were the performances in Never Rarely Sometimes Always which was completely ignored. One Night for Miami was snubbed for Best Picture and Best Director. Which is unbelievable given how much Hollywood loves Regina King. Da 5 Bloods was almost completely ignored with critics reeling that Delroy Lindo was denied a nomination. I really wanted to see Hugh Laurie get a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Personal History of David Copperfield. And at least a screenplay nomination for Palm Springs. The plus side is that the Academy chose to honor smaller films this year and celebrate diversity.
Here are the nominees:
Judas and the Black Messiah
This movie is nominated for Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield), Original Song (“Fight For You”), Original Screenplay, and Cinematography. It will be hard for any picture to beat Nomadland, but this is the one that could do it. I knew it was going to make it to the Oscars from the powerful trailer alone. I was glad to see Stanfield finally pick up a nomination after being ignored the whole awards race. Kaluuya is a lock after winning the Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice awards for his portrayal of Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton.
Where to watch: In theaters and available to rent digitally.
Minari
This film is nominated for Best Picture, Actress in a Supporting Role ( Youn Yuh-jung), Original Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role (Steven Yeun), Director (Lee Isaac Chung), and Original Score. This indie about an immigrant family chasing the American dream in the 1980s is the type of smaller film that might have been unduly ignored in a different year. Yeun is the first Asian American to be nominated for Best Actor. I’m glad to see Yuh-jung nominated for her role as the unconventional grandmother. She took home the SAG award for Best Supporting Actress and has a decent shot at the Oscar. Yeun doesn’t stand much of a chance against Chadwick Boseman’s final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Where to watch: In theaters and available to rent digitally.
Nomadland
This film is nominated for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actress in a. Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Director (Chloe Zhao), Cinematography, and Film Editing. This is the frontrunner for Best Picture. The movie follows people who live off the grid and travel seeking seasonal work. It’s based on a nonfiction book and several actors play versions of themselves. For the first time in history, there are two women nominated for Best Director. Chloe Zhao is one of them. With Nomadland being the frontrunner for Best Picture, Frances McDormand may take home another Oscar. If she can beat out Viola Davis.
Where to see it: In theaters and on Hulu.
Promising Young Woman
This film is nominated for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Actress in a Leading Role (Carrie Mulligan), Director (Emerald Fennell), and Film Editing. This movie is a gut-punch of a revenge story with moments you don’t see coming. Fennell is the second female director nominated this year. The film’s best chance at a win is probably Best Original Screenplay. It would be a great way for the Academy to honor one of the most original scripts of the year.
Where to watch: In theaters and available to rent digitally.
Sound of Metal
This film is nominated for: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (Paul Raci), Original Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role (Riz Ahmed), Achievement in Sound, and Film Editing. This is another film that might have fallen through the cracks in another year. Thankfully, the Academy sat up and took notice. Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim to be nominated for Best Actor. He plays a sober heavy metal drummer who is losing his hearing. The movie doesn’t hit the beats you would expect it to. It has a lot of genuine human moments. Like Sundance favorite CODA, this is one of the few films to shine a positive light on the deaf community. Paul Raci plays one of my favorite mentor characters of all time. I like to think he would have won in another year but this year he’ll most likely lose to Daniel Kaluuya. This movie probably won’t win Best Picture, but it’s definitely worth your time.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Amazon Prime.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
This movie is nominated for Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (Sacha Baron Cohen), Original Song (“Hear My Voice”), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Film Editing. It’s only fitting that a film about protestors would come out in 2020. This is one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. Sacha Baron Cohen is nominated for his turn as Abbie Hoffman but anyone in the cast could have gotten a nomination. It’s littered with past Oscar nominees. This is one of the smartest scripts of the year and also the nominee that is probably the most fun to watch. Sachar Baron Cohen is practically a lock for Best Supporting Actor. He took home the Golden Globe.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
One Night in Miami
This movie is nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role (Leslie Odom Jr.), Original Song (“Speak Now”), and Adapted Screenplay. The film features four powerhouse performances in a story about the night Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown were all together. This movie alone could have filled four of the five Best Supporting Actor slots. It is an outrage to me that David Fincher and Thomas Vinterberg were nominated over Regina King. Oscar is going to look back and cry some day that it didn’t give this movie more love. It could pull of a win for Best Song or Best Adapted Screenplay.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Amazon Prime
The Father
This movie is nominated for Best Picture, Actress in a Supporting Role (Olivia Colman), Adapted Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role (Anthony Hopkins), Production Design, and Film Editing. One listener wrote in to the Little Gold Men podcast to ask “Is The Father a real movie?” With the heap of praise and award nominations heaped upon it long before the public finally got to see it a few weeks ago, it’s a valid question. Seeing as how you have to pay $20 to rent it online, I’d say it’s a real movie. Hopkins plays a man whose mind is deteriorating and Colman plays the daughter looking after him. I’m usually not a fan of movies about growing old and losing one’s mental faculties (Amour, Away From Her). However, The Father is more engaging than I expected it to be. It really puts you in the mind of the title character. As Anthony Hopkins’s character struggles to determine what is real and what isn’t, the movie becomes disorienting to the audience as well, playing with time, repeating dialogue from previous scenes, and switching out actors for the same character. Hopkins is so perfect in this. Every beat, every nuance rings true. He reminded me of my own father toward the end of his life. Olivia Colman is also very good. I’m not generally a fan of hers, but she gives a very sympathetic performance. Thanks to a later release date, this is probably one of the lesser seen nominees which may hurt its chance at any awards.
Where to watch: In theaters and available to rent digitally.
Mank
This film is nominated for Best Picture, Actress in a Supporting Role (Amanda Seyfreid), Actor in a Leading Role (Gary Oldman), Director (David Fincher), Production Design, Cinematography, Costume Design, Achievement in Sound, Original Score, and Makeup and Hairstyling. Mank is a biopic about the screenwriter who wrote Citizen Kane and the scandal around it. I love Gary Oldman, I love David Fincher, and I love old Hollywood. But this movie just didn’t click for me. For one thing, all of the dialogue felt like it was over my head. And I’m a fan of smart movies. The one nomination I agree with is for Seyfreid who had one of the best scenes of the year. This could take home some technical awards.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
This movie is nominated for Actor in a Leading Role (Chadwick Boseman), Actress in a Leading Role (Viola Davis), Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling. This is the second adaptation of an August Wilson play in recent years. Boseman’s final performance is full of energy. But honestly the whole cast is awesome. I was glad to see it get a SAG nomination for Best Ensemble Cast because the supporting players really help make this movie. I love that Wilson’s 20th Century Cycle is getting adapted. I have a feeling all of the adaptations are going to be Oscar nominated. Especially with Denzel Washington producing. Viola Davis may be the one to beat after taking home the SAG award. Boseman is a lock for Best Actor after winning the Golden Globe and the BAFTA.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix
The United States vs Billie Holiday
This movie is nominated for Actress in a Leading Role. Andra Day proves she’s more than a singer with her performance as the late Billie Holiday. The fact that she is able to mimic Holiday’s speaking and singing voice is amazing. This movie was a hard sit but it makes a strong point about racial injustice that still exists today. Day took home the Golden Globe.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Hulu.
Soul
This movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film, Achievement in Sound, and Original Score. I applaud Pixar for having their first black protagonist and I like the jazz score for this film. However, it frustrates me that it’s another cartoon where a black character spends a significant part of the film as an animal. (Other offenders include Spies in Disguise and The Princess and the Frog.). I don’t know what is up with this trend but I really dislike it. Even though it’s universally critically acclaimed, I didn’t like the plot the film. This will probably win Best Animated Feature.
Where to watch: Disney+ and available to rent digitally.
Pieces of a Woman
This movie is nominated for Actress in a Leading Role (Vanessa Kirby). I’ve been avoiding this one because it looks like this year’s Marriage Story: sad and intense. It’s about a woman who’s caught up in grief after losing a child. The Best Actress race is hard to call this year but Kirby is probably an underdog.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
Borat Subsequent Movie Film
This movie is nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role (Maria Bakalova ) and Adapted Screenplay. While there are moments of this Borat sequel I wish I could erase from my memory (the father-daughter dance), Bakalova gives a strong performance, matches Sacha Baron Cohen for improv and outrageousness, and actually brings heart and genuine emotion to an extremely silly film. It’s rare for a comedic performance to get nominated, so this is something to celebrate. With the Best Supporting Actress race being so tight, Bakalova could pull off a win.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Hillbilly Elegy
This movie is undeservedly nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role (Glenn Close) and Makeup and Hairstyling. I simply hated this movie. I detest Amy Adams’s character and can’t believe she actually got nominations for other awards. This is the first Amy Adams movie I’ve disliked. While Glenn Close is the best thing in this movie, it’s faint praise. It’s a depressing film that includes disturbing scenes of child abuse. I honestly don’t understand why it received a Makeup and Hairstyling nomination. Because they made actors look like “normal” people? If there’s any justice, this film won’t receive anything.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix (but not really worth watching).
Another Round
This movie is nominated for International Feature Film (Denmark) and Director (Thomas Vinterberg). This is another movie I was disappointed by. For a movie about a subject as serious as drinking, the film doesn’t come to any conclusions. Even after the main characters end their experiment with alcohol and one of them dies as a consequence of alcoholism, everyone keeps drinking heavily. I found that unbelievable. And after the one character’s death, I actually felt anxious any time someone took a drink, wondering if they’d be next. I can’t believe Tenet and One Night in Miami lost their chance at Best Director to this dreck. Sadly, it will probably take home the gold for International Feature Film.
Where to watch: On Hulu (but why bother?).
Better Days
This movie is nominated for International Feature Film (Hong Kong). This is the plot according to Google: “A bullied high school student and a small-time criminal become the prime suspects in the murder of a teenage girl.” I really love this trailer. I usually don’t get to all the nominees in this category. But I definitely want to make time for this one, even if it’s after the Oscars.
Where to watch: Available to rent digitally.
Collective
This movie is nominated for International Feature Film (Romania) and Documentary Feature. It would be interesting if it took them both. If Another Round doesn’t win International Feature Film, this well-reviewed documentary might. The film is about journalists at a Romanian newspaper uncovering health care fraud. This is another movie that looks amazing.
Where to watch: On Hulu and available to rent digitally.
The Man Who Sold His Skin
This movie is nominated for International Feature Film (Tunisia). This is the plot according to Google: “A Syrian refugee in Lebanon allows his back to become a canvas for a famous tattoo artist. Soon, collectors become interested in this work of art.” The movie features Monica Bellucci. This may be one of the most interesting line-ups for International Feature Film in years.
Where to watch: Available to rent digitally.
Quo Vadis, Aida?
This movie is nominated for International Feature Film (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Aida is a translator for the U.N. when the Serbian army takes over her town in Bosnia. Some are saying this may be the sleeping dragon of this category.
Where to watch: On Hulu and available to rent digitally.
Crip Camp
This movie is nominated for Documentary Feature. From the IMDB page: “Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.” This movie was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
The Mole Agent
This movie is nominated for Documentary Feature. According to Vox, “Documentarian Maite Alberdi lets us in on a bit of subterfuge as Sergio, an older Chilean man, is “cast” as a new nursing home resident by Detective Romulo, who’s been hired to investigate the facility.” The set-up sounds a little like Borat, someone pretending to be someone they’re not while everyone else on camera is being genuine. But this looks really cute and funny.
Where to watch: On Hulu and available to rent digitally.
My Octopus Teacher
This movie is nominated for Documentary Feature. Filmmaker Craig Foster began free diving then made a connection with an octopus. My girlfriend loves this movie. I haven’t seen it yet. But it does look fascinating, how close he was able to get with the octopus.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
Time
This movie is nominated for Documentary Feature. The film is about a woman who has spent 21 years petitioning for her husband’s release from prison. This looks quite dramatic and may have a good shot at the Oscar if Collective doesn’t take it.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
This film is nominated for Original Song (“Husavik”). I can’t believe I hadn’t really heard of this one until recently. I think I passed it by on Netflix because I confused the band’s name with the Fyre Festival and thought it was a parody about that. I don’t think I’ve seen Rachel McAdams in this kind of comedy since Mean Girls. I’m mainly rooting for this one because it’s the lone comedic entry in its category.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
The Life Ahead
This movie is nominated for Original Song (“Io Sì”) Sophia Loren plays a woman who takes in a troubled orphan. This is her first performance in years. There was talk that she might get a Best Actress nomination.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix
Onward
This movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film. It’s rare for a Pixar film not to be nominated for an Oscar. While this was a fun film, it’s not one of Pixar’s best. And it wasn’t as critically acclaimed as sure-fire winner Soul.
Where to watch: Disney+ and available to rent digitally.
Over the Moon
This movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film. It was a fun movie with some Disney-esque hallmarks (catchy songs and cute sidekicks). I’m glad to see it nominated.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
This movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film. I was pleasantly surprised that this beat out Trolls World Tour. My girlfriend and I laughed hard all the way through Shaun’s first theatrical outing. While this one doesn’t have as many laughs, it’s still a sweet story and a fun journey.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
Wolfwalkers
This movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film. This is the third and final installment of director Tomm Moore’ Irish Folklores Trilogy. Robyn, an apprentice hunter, comes with her father to Ireland to wipe out the last pack of wolves. But her friendship with a wild native girl complicates things. I haven’t seen Secret of Kells or Song of the Sea but all of Moore’s films have this beautiful look to them.
Where to watch: On AppleTV+ and briefly returning to theaters.
White Tiger
This movie is nominated for Adapted Screenplay. This looks interesting. But I know the physical abuse would enrage me. IndieWire has described the film as a rebuttal to Slumdog Millionaire. The driver for a rich Indian family uses his smarts to escape from poverty. For this of you interested in studying how novels are adapted for the screen, the audiobook version of the novel is on sale for $2.99 until April 29th.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix
News of the World
This movie is nominated for Production Design, Cinematography, Achievement in Sound, and Original Score. It was cool to see Tom Hanks in a western. The movie has a great action scene and some beautiful cinematography. Co-star Helena Zengel was nominated for a Gold Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Where to watch: Available to rent digitally.
Tenet
This movie is nominated for Production Design and Visual Effects. This was my #1 movie of the year. It’s a new favorite. The pandemic hurt its box office which might have also hurt its chances for awards as the movie that was supposed to save theaters fell short. I was hoping director Christopher Nolan would get nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. I had also hoped John David Washington and Robert Pattinson would get nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively. I even could’ve seen nominations for Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki as Best Supporting Actor and Actress. And the song “The Plan” by Travis Scott even could’ve gotten a Best Original Song nomination.
Where to watch: Available to rent or own digitally, my living room.
Emma
This movie is nominated for Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling. While the costumes are beautiful, I’m disappointed Anya Taylor-Joy was not nominated for Best Actress for this Jane Austen adaptation. But I know she has an Oscar in her future.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or available to own digitally.
Pinocchio
This movie is nominated for Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling. I’ll be honest. This trailer doesn’t do much for me and Pinocchio looks kind of creepy.
Where to watch: Available to rent digitally.
Mulan
This movie is nominated for Costume Design and Visual Effects. I’m in the camp that is not interested in a Mulan movie without Mushu. Especially one this long.
Where to watch: Disney+ and available to rent digitally.
Greyhound
This movie is nominated for Achievement in Sound. This is one of Tom Hanks’s passion projects. For the most part, I’m not big into WWII movies so I haven’t seen this one.
Where to watch: Exclusively on AppleTV+.
Da 5 Bloods
This movie is nominated for Best Original Score. One of this year’s major disappointments is that this film didn’t get more nominations. It’s one of Spike Lee’s best and most powerful films with a strong ensemble cast.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
Love and Monsters
This movie is nominated for Visual Effects. The creatures in this look cool. But it’s no Tenet.
Where to watch: Available to rent digitally.
The Midnight Sky
This movie is nominated for Visual Effects. This is a sci-fi film with a decent first half. I didn’t care for the plot twist though. And the ending is disappointing. It’s like a set-up with no real payoff. Clooney and his young co-star Caoilinn Springall are good.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Netflix.
The One and Only Ivan
This movie is nominated for Visual Effects. I felt like the book was kind of slow. Of course, it was written for children. I think I might enjoy the movie more. I hadn’t had much interest in it, but I like the preview.
Where to watch: Exclusively on Disney+.
NOTE: While I love the short films categories, I can’t find trailers for them on YouTube and I won’t be able to see any of them until the day before the Oscars. So if you’re interested in the shorts, I’d like to direct you instead to Shorts.TV where you can find out more about them and where to see them.
If you’re interested in seeing this year’s Best Picture nominees, certain theater chains like Cinemark are offering packages where you get to see all eight films at discounted prices. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Independent Spirit Awards on Thursday, April 22. For more Oscar coverage, check out my piece on RunPee.