Academy Awards season is back, Polygon readers!
2022 was a great year in movies, with standout blockbuster cinema from the U.S. and around the world, plenty of solid genre offerings, and great arthouse fare.
With the Oscar nominations officially out, there’s no better time to catch up on the awards season contenders before the ceremony on March 12. Here’s a full breakdown of the nominated movies and where to watch them.
The Best Picture nominees
Where to watch Avatar: The Way of Water
What it is: James Cameron’s long-awaited follow-up to the 2009 new sci-fi classic, which has dominated the box office since release. As usual for a new Cameron movie, the technological marvels are on full display, especially when it comes to underwater motion capture. It is also quite long — over three hours (no, there are no plans for a longer director’s cut) — so here’s our guide on planning your bathroom breaks. And, yes, a third movie is on its way.
Where to watch: Avatar: The Way of Water is only in theaters. The movie will eventually be available for digital rental or purchase, and then become available to stream on Disney Plus, but no date has been announced yet.
Where to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once
What it is: Polygon’s No. 10 movie of 2022, EEAAO is a multiverse adventure about a first-generation Chinese immigrant who runs a laundromat and is pulled into a multi-dimensional conflict that threatens to destroy the universe as we know it. Michelle Yeoh shines in the movie — she’s been one of our favorite performers for quite some time, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see this kind of role for her in a Hollywood movie — and the directing duo (known as the Daniels) went for all-out visual excess.
Where to watch: Everything Everywhere All at Once is streaming on Showtime, including Showtime through Prime Video, Showtime through Paramount Plus, and Showtime through Hulu. It is also available for digital purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to watch The Banshees of Inisherin
What it is: Polygon’s No. 3 movie of 2022 is also a career-defining work for writer-director Martin McDonagh. One of the funniest and darkest movies of the year, it follows the sudden disintegration of a longtime friendship, and the lengths both parties will go to stick up for themselves.
Where to watch: The Banshees of Inisherin is streaming on HBO Max. It is also available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to watch Elvis
What it is: Baz Luhrmann knows nothing but opulence, and he brings his signature style of visual excess to a story well suited for it: the life of Elvis Presley, one of the most influential figures of the 21st century. Austin Butler shines as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, and the musical performances throughout the movie are electric.
Where to watch: Elvis is streaming on HBO Max. It is also available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to watch Top Gun: Maverick
What it is: Tom Cruise’s latest stunt-heavy action thriller, for which he trained the other actors to fly real jet planes for maximum fealty and audience immersion. The revival of the Top Gun franchise is even better than the original movie, taking inspiration from a thrilling animated short for some of the excellent action sequences in the movie, and is the kind of blockbuster cinema that brought people back to movie theaters.
Where to watch: Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount Plus and MGM Plus. It is also available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to watch The Fabelmans
What it is: Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical reflection of the power of images, the allure of cinema, and the conflicts between making art and having a healthy family life. One of the best movies of the year (and a standout entry in Spielberg’s recent output), it’s a thoughtful, beautiful meditation on the arresting power images have over us.
Where to watch: The Fabelmans is available for digital purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. It will eventually be available to stream on Peacock, but no date has been announced yet.
Where to watch Tár
What it is: Polygon’s No. 6 movie of 2022, Todd Field’s explosive drama follows a world-famous conductor whose life begins to fall apart when allegations of abuse surface against her. Far more than a simple screed about cancel culture, Tár is a tightly wound character study led by a propulsive performance by Cate Blanchett, one of the best performances in a legendary career filled with them. It’s also got an ending for the gamers. What’s not to love?
Where to watch: Tár is available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. It will be on Peacock January 27, and eventually on Prime Video, but no date for the latter platform has been announced yet.
Where to watch Triangle of Sadness
What it is: Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s second Palme d’Or-winning movie won the top prize at Cannes this year. Like many other recent pieces of media, it’s about rich people at a nice place having a bad time — this time around, they’re on a cruise that sinks and strands them on an island.
Where to watch: Triangle of Sadness is available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to watch Women Talking
What it is: Sarah Polley wrote and directed this adaptation of Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel about the serial abuse of women in an isolated religious colony in Bolivia. It has received particular praise on the festival circuit for the performances, with Jessie Buckley and Ben Whishaw in particular picking up many award nominations.
Where to watch: Women Talking is currently only in theaters. The movie will eventually be available for digital rental or purchase, but no date has been announced yet.
Where to watch All Quiet on the Western Front
What it is: Director Edward Berger’s adaptation of the famed 1929 novel about a young German soldier who enlists in the army toward the end of World War I.
Where to watch: All Quiet on the Western Front is streaming on Netflix.
Every Oscar nominee streaming
Oscar movies on Netflix
All Quiet on the Western Front, nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score
Blonde, nominated for Best Actress (Ana de Armas)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
The Sea Beast, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, nominated for Best Cinematography
RRR, nominated for Best Original Song (“Naatu Naatu”)*
The Elephant Whisperers, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film
The Martha Mitchell Effect, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film
*Netflix has the Hindi dub; the original Telugu version of RRR is on Zee5
Oscar movies on HBO Max
The Banshees of Inisherin, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Farrell), Best Supporting Actor (Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan), Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score
Elvis, nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Austin Butler), Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Sound
Navalny, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film
The Batman, nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects
Oscar movies on Disney Plus
Turning Red, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
Fire of Love, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film
Le Pupille, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film
Oscar movies on Prime Video
Argentina, 1985, nominated for Best International Feature Film
Oscar movies on Paramount Plus
Top Gun: Maverick, nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song (“Hold My Hand”)
Oscar movies on Peacock
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, nominated for Best Costume Design
Oscar movies on Apple TV Plus
Causeway, nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Brian Tyree Henry)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, nominated for Best Animated Short Film
Oscar movies on Showtime
Everything Everywhere All at Once, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (“This Is a Life”)
Oscar movies online
My Year of Dicks, nominated for Best Animated Short Film (Vimeo)
The Flying Sailor, nominated for Best Animated Short Film (The New Yorker)
Ice Merchants, nominated for Best Animated Short Film (The New Yorker)
Haulout, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film (The New Yorker)
Stranger at the Gate, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film (The New Yorker)
Night Ride, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film (The New Yorker)
Oscar movies to rent
The Fabelmans, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Michelle Williams), Best Supporting Actor (Judd Hirsch), Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Original Score
Tár, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing
Triangle of Sadness, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay
Aftersun, nominated for Best Actor (Paul Mescal)
To Leslie, nominated for Best Actress (Andrea Riseborough)
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
Oscar movies only in theaters
Avatar: The Way of Water, nominated for Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects
Women Talking, nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay
The Whale, nominated for Best Actor (Brendan Fraser), Best Supporting Actress (Hong Chau), Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Living, nominated for Best Actor (Bill Nighy), Best Adapted Screenplay
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song (“Lift Me Up”)
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film
All That Breathes, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film
A House Made of Splinters, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film
Close, nominated for Best International Feature Film
The Quiet Girl, nominated for Best International Feature Film
EO, nominated for Best International Feature Film
Babylon, nominated for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score
Empire of Light, nominated for Best Cinematography
Tell It Like a Woman, nominated for Best Original Song (“Applause”)
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It, nominated for Best Animated Short Film
How Do You Measure a Year?, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film
An Irish Goodbye, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film
The Red Suitcase, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film
Ivalu, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film