THE OSCAR BINGE LIST
And the Oscar goes to (Mila Kunis fumbles with envelope) . . . something you haven’t seen! Don’t feel bad: even members of the academy haven’t caught every film nominated for Sunday’s Oscars. While front-runners such as The Revenant and Spotlight are still in theatres, these eight nominees are ready to stream right now from the comfort of your own couch. By Ryan Porter
Mad Max: Fury Road
Nominations: 10 The unique, scorched Earth atmosphere of the critically acclaimed action film helped it garner a heap of nominations in technical categories, including Best Cinematography, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling (actual hair optional). (Cineplex Store)
The Martian
Nominations: 7 A charming performance from Best Actor nominee Matt Damon, who takes being left for dead much better than Leo does, makes this Best Picture nominee about a botanist stranded on Mars a crowdpleaser. (iTunes)
Bridge of Spies
Nominations: 6 Steven Spielberg’s Cold War spy-swap drama is the most traditionally Oscar-y of the Best Picture nominations. Mark Rylance, who won the BAFTA for his performance as an unexpectedly likable convicted Russian spy, remains in the conversation in an unpredictable Best Supporting Actor race. (Google Play)
Inside Out
Nominations: 2 The secret-life-of-feelings feature had best get Joy on deck. The Pixar masterpiece, also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, may have missed out on Best Picture recognition but should handily scoop a Best Animated Feature win. (Netflix, Google Play)
Amy
Nominations: 1 Relying solely on archival photos and video for its visuals, the Best Documentary Feature reaffirms the power of Amy Winehouse’s talent as much as it does her demons. (Netflix, Cineplex Store)
Ex Machina
Nominations: 2 Best Supporting Actress nominee Alicia Vikander could very well have been chosen for her role as the sentient android Ava in addition to her nominated work in The Danish Girl. Instead, the film is recognized in the Visual Effects and Original Screenplay categories. (Netflix, Google Play)
Cinderella
Nominations: 1 Though she pulled off the impossible by both paying homage to and reinventing the look of Disney’s animated Cinderella, three-time winner Sandy Powell is probably doomed to lose the Best Costume Design category to the extraordinary talent behind the ’50s glamour of Carol: herself. (Netflix, Google Play)
The Hunting
Ground Nominations: 1 If a truck drives by you’ll miss Lady Gaga and Diane Warren’s briefly heard anthem of support for sexual assault survivors, but the film’s presentation of the systemic suppression of rape cases on American campuses proves why its message is worthy of the Best Original Song honour. (Netflix, iTunes)