The Oscar nominations are out, and most of the nominees are already watchable online. But where to begin? Good news, friends. I’ve got you.
As Polygon’s curation editor, I am paid to have correct opinions have spent much of the year keeping up with the year’s best new movies, which prepared me for this task: recommending the best of them to you, dear reader.
First, an important caveat. These are my opinions, and I’ve heard those famously vary. I’ve split this into three categories: the nominees you absolutely should watch, the nominees you should consider, and the snubs you have to watch.
And another thing to quickly acknowledge: Yes, Emilia Pérez was nominated for a whopping 13 Oscars, one shy of the record. Watch I Saw the TV Glow instead.
Without further ado, here are the 2025 Oscar nominees worth your time.
The 2025 Oscar nominees you should watch
These are, in my view, the best of the best of this year’s crop of Oscar nominees. They are in order of how much I liked them, with my favorite at the top.
Nickel Boys
Where to watch: In theaters
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay
Director RaMell Ross’ narrative feature debut, adapted from Colson Whitehead’s novel, is a masterful depiction of an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida, shot almost entirely from a first-person point of view. This one also counts as a bit of a snub: As happy as I am that Nickel Boys was awarded nominations in two of the big categories, Ross being ignored for Best Director and DoP Jomo Fray being left out of the Best Cinematography race are absolutely shocking — it’s one of the very best-looking movies this year.
A Different Man
Where to watch: Max
Nominated for: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
One of a group of excellent movies about self-discovery and self-actualization in 2024, A Different Man follows Edward (Sebastian Stan), a struggling actor with a facial disfigurement who undergoes a radical experimental treatment that shockingly changes his face to something more acceptable to dominant culture. Stan received a Best Actor nomination for his performance in The Apprentice, but A Different Man is the movie (and performance) of his you really need to make time for this awards season.
Better Man
Where to watch: In theaters
Nominated for: Best Visual Effects
I know, I know, I’m surprised, too. But the “Robbie Williams, except he’s a chimp” movie is legitimately one of my very favorites of the year. I have no particular fondness for or connection to Williams or his music, but director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) once again shows he’s one of the best musical directors working today. In both of his projects, he’s taken stories about flawed men I don’t care much about and turned them into some of the most vibrant and exciting studio movies made this century. There’s no one doing it like him, and the gimmick truly works — the Best Visual Effects nomination is more than deserved.
A Real Pain
Where to watch: Hulu
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Kieran Culkin), Best Original Screenplay
In Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore effort as a feature director, two Jewish cousins (Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) go on a tour of Poland together to visit the birthplace of their late grandmother. The performances are terrific — Culkin in particular steals the show with his complicated portrayal of a charming but troubled young man — and the movie effectively communicates the pair’s relationship from childhood without ever actually showing it.
The 2025 Oscar nominees worth considering
These are movies I was either mixed on, didn’t like (but other people whose taste I respect did), or haven’t seen yet (but have heard great things about). They are ordered alphabetically.
Anora
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
Sean Baker’s (Tangerine, The Florida Project) dramedy about the sudden marriage between a sex worker (Mikey Madison) and the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eidelstein) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and is hoping to repeat with a big Oscar win. It didn’t fully work for me, but I love that Baker is bringing back the screwball comedy, and the central performances help carry movie.
The Brutalist
Where to watch: In theaters
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score
The first feature film shot on VistaVision in 63 years, director Brady Corbet’s (Vox Lux) epic tale follows an architect (Adrien Brody) who moves to the United States after surviving the Holocaust and attempts to rebuild his life. Personally, I found it ambitious but uneven, although there is a lot to respect about the scope of the project — especially on the relatively modest budget and time frame the movie was made on.
Conclave
Where to watch: Peacock, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score
A compelling Vatican-set political drama from returning Best Picture nominee Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) with an all-star cast, if “sassy Cardinals duke it out to decide the next Pope” sounds up your alley, you should absolutely watch this one.
Dune: Part Two
Where to watch: Netflix, Max, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects
Like the first movie in the series, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is a big and bold blockbuster adaptation of one of the most influential science fiction books ever written. The technical categories are very well earned, especially the production design and cinematography, and while I’m not quite as high on them as some of my colleagues, the Dune movies are two of the most well-executed blockbusters to come out of Hollywood this decade.
Flow
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best International Feature Film, Best Animated Feature Film
Here’s one I haven’t seen but have heard great things about: a dialogue-free animated movie from Latvia made on the open-source software Blender, following a cat and a few other animals attempting to survive a flood. It was one of Polygon’s very favorite animated movies of the year.
Nosferatu
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Few emerging filmmakers in Hollywood over the past few decades have had as clear of an idea of what they want to do as Robert Eggers (The Witch). A dedicated formalist who prioritizes historical accuracy to the extreme, Nosferatu is the latest horror period piece from Eggers, using candle lighting to create an eerie atmosphere — the technical nominations here are also very, very deserved. Next up in Eggers’ trip through history: a 13th-century werewolf movie.
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Where to watch: Kino Film Collection, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature Film
Here’s another one I haven’t seen, but hope to before the Oscars ceremony. I’ll let Noel Murray explain, from his round-up of the year’s best docs:
This essay-film takes a striking approach to the Cold War, quickly cutting together archival TV clips and text from old books and newspapers to create a sort of cinematic collage. The resulting picture covers three intertwining themes: the battle for control of the United Nations between American- and Soviet-aligned leaders, the rising popularity of jazz music around the world, and the decolonization movement in Africa. Gradually a story emerges about how the U.S. relied on its cultural exports to help spread democracy publicly, while privately the foreign policy wonks worked to keep resource-rich African nations under European control — and all while the socialist bloc used American racism as a propaganda tool. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat director Johan Grimonprez doesn’t make any of these points explicitly, but rather lets the audience stew in a swirl of images and sounds, immersing them in a politically complicated era.
The Substance
Where to watch: Mubi, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Demi Moore), Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Coralie Fargeat’s (Revenge) gonzo body horror movie follows an aging actress (Demi Moore) who takes advantage of an experimental but dangerous cosmetic drug in hopes of revitalizing her career. I far preferred Fargeat’s previous feature, but there’s no denying the movie has a compelling visual approach that has become instantly recognizable in pop culture, and an excellent leading performance from Moore.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Where to watch: Netflix
Nominated for: Best Animated Feature
Another in the “I haven’t watched this, but hope to” category, I’ve heard the latest installment in the Wallace & Gromit series is absolutely delightful. All hail Feathers McGraw, unstoppable penguin crime king.
Wicked
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score
This is the most “you know whether or not you need to see this” movie of any of the Oscar nominees this year. In fact, I bet if you wanted to, you already have. Regardless, there is plenty to like about Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the stage musical, particularly the leading performances and the staging of some of the more intricate musical numbers. It didn’t fully land for me, but I’m not a Wicked person. Sorry! But if you are, you should definitely watch this adaptation.
The Wild Robot
Where to watch: Peacock, or for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango
Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Sound, Best Original Score
We complete our trio of “animated movies Pete has heard are great but hasn’t seen” with The Wild Robot. The movie follows a shipwrecked robot (Lupita Nyong’o) who redefines herself and builds new relationships with the animals she meets on her new island home. I’ve heard Nyong’o’s voice acting performance in particular is fantastic.
The 2025 Oscar snubs worth watching
These are some of my favorite movies from the year that didn’t get a single nomination, along with the nominations I think they deserved. I’ll also note that the biggest snub may be Nickel Boys not getting a nod in the Best Director and Best Cinematography categories, but some of these come close — neither my favorite acting performance of the year (Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths) nor my favorite documentary of the year (Dahomey) were acknowledged in those categories. Every single one of these is very much worth your time.
Hard Truths
Where to watch: In theaters
Should have been nominated for: Best Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste)
Dahomey
Where to watch: Mubi, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Documentary Feature Film
Challengers
Where to watch: Prime Video, MGM Plus, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Original Score
I Saw the TV Glow
Where to watch: Max, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Justice Smith), Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Original Score
100 Yards
Where to watch: For digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Cinematography
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
Where to watch: Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Visual Effects
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Where to watch: Netflix, Max, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects
Hundreds of Beavers
Where to watch: Fandor, free with a library card on Hoopla, free with ads on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Prime Video
Should have been nominated for: Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects
Janet Planet
Where to watch: Max, or for digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Fandango
Should have been nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay
