Best films to watch pre-Oscars
Who knows what Hollywood’s biggest night will exactly look and feel like on April 25, but one thing’s for sure about the upcoming Oscars: There are still enough high-end movies you’ll want to watch in preparation.
That in itself is a minor miracle, with studios delaying so many of their big projects in the wake of COVID-19 and movie theaters temporarily closing their doors.
Here are some films to check out now that will be in contention on Oscar night:
‘The Father’
Up for best actor, Anthony Hopkins turns in one of his greatest performances in years playing a man with dementia trying to make sense of time and reality as his memory fades. And Olivia Colman, who plays his daughter making hard decisions when it comes to her dad’s health, is up for supporting actress.
Where to watch: In theaters now, on video-on-demand platforms March 26
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Twelve years after Heath Ledger was hon
ored with a posthumous Oscar, it looks possible again: Chadwick Boseman, who died Aug. 28 at age 43, has already won Globe and Critics Choice honors and is a favorite to win best actor off his acclaimed performance as an egocentric cornet player in the August Wilson adaptation. And as the fiery title blues singer, Viola Davis made Oscar history when her second best-actress nomination made her the most-nominated Black actress ever.
Where to watch:
‘
Minari’
Netflix
Lee Isaac Chung’s acclaimed heartfelt drama about a Korean family seeking the American dream is coming on like a freight train. A Globe winner for best foreign-lan
guage film, “Minari” was a no-brainer for a best picture slot and Chung also nabbed a spot in Oscar’s best director category. As the stubborn, hard-working farmer who moves his loved ones to rural Arkansas, Steven Yeun is in best actor contention, while Yuh-jung Youn, playing the clan’s mischievous grandmother, is one to beat for supporting actress.
Where to watch: Apple TV and other video-on-demand platforms
‘Nomadland’
Newly minted best actress nominee Frances McDormand could win Oscar No. 3 in Chloé Zhao’s road-trip drama about a woman who works and travels across America as a nomad after her hus
band dies and her hometown collapses economically. And not only is she the first woman of color to earn a best director nomination, Zhao is the first woman in Oscar history to receive four nominations (directing, writing, editing and best picture) in a single year.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘Mank’
Orson Welles’ masterpiece “Citizen Kane” memorably took home only one Oscar, for best original screenplay. Ironically, that’s one of the few categories that skipped David Fincher’s throwback drama about the classic’s creation. With the most nominations of any film going into the Oscars, “Mank” is a contender in best picture and director categories, Gary Oldman (as “Kane” writer Herman
Mankiewicz) secured a best actor nomination three years after winning for “Darkest Hour,” and Amanda Seyfried nabbed her first Oscar nod for supporting actress.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Sound of Metal’
The most innovative and groundbreaking film of last year is poised to make some noise. Riz Ahmed grabbed his first best actor Oscar nod for his stunning portrayal of a hard-rock drummer who experiences a sudden loss of hearing and struggles to figure out his new life as a deaf person. “Sound of Metal” is also a legit contender up for best picture, and the film’s a no-brainer to win the best sound category.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime