2025 Oscars: Stream every best picture nominee from Anora to Wicked
Plus three honorable mentions.
The 2025 Oscars is just around the corner, which means every film buff you know is probably at their most insufferable right now. If you've been feeling out of this year's cinema loop, or if you're just needing a brief review, look no further. Below, find all the films that we've deemed essential viewing ahead of the award ceremony. Obviously, this includes all the Best Picture nominees, but also a few additional non-Best Picture standouts that deserve your attention, like Jeremy Strong's latest despicable character-study, and the acclaimed documentary that no U.S. distributor wants to touch.
Anora
Mikey Madison stars as Anora, the titular character of director Sean Baker's seedy new love story that's emerged as one of the favorites to take home Best Picture. A stripper living in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, Anora falls for the carefree son of a Russian oligarch, but her fairytale quickly turns into a nightmare.
It's sadly not available to stream for free on any platform, but you can rent it for $6 on Prime Video.
The Brutalist
Will this movie give Adrien Brody his next Oscar? It's very possible. The actor plays a Holocaust survivor and architect who immigrates to the U.S. to try and achieve the elusive "American Dream" in this post-war period film. The visuals are stunning, the score gorgeous, and Brody gives one of his best performances to date.
It's said to be coming to MAX soon, but for now you can only watch it on-demand on Prime Video and Apple TV.
A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of Bob Dylan in this musical biopic won him a 2025 Screen Actors Guild award. Maybe that's enough to convince you to watch this film that skillfully brings Dylan's pre-fame days to the big screen, but if not its recreation of Dylan's best live performances will.
Stream A Complete Unknown on Hulu.
Conclave
The Cardinals are hot (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci) and scheming in this visually stunning and intrigue-filled drama about what goes down when the Church needs to elect a new pope. The incomparable Isabella Rossellini also stars, and the film proves that when it comes to aesthetics and drama, no religion really compares to Catholicism.
Stream Conclave on Peacock.
Dune: Part Two
The second installment of Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's desert sci-fi epic is a marvel of filmmaking in almost every regard. The cast's phenomenal acting aside, the film's cinematography, sound, and visual effects have all earned acclaim — and should probably be experienced just to witness the sand worm.
Emilia Pérez
Before all the controversy that's pretty much tanked Emilia Pérez's chances of taking home Best Picture, it was the favorite to win. It tells the story of a Mexican drug pin who transitions to hide his identity — though circumstances allow his past to arise, a story that's not unlike what happened to its lead actress.
Stream it on Netflix.
I'm Still Here
If you're wondering what all of Fernanda Torres' stans are always clamoring about online, watch I'm Still Here, the latest film starring the Brazilian actress. Torres plays Eunice, a mother of five, who has to live through the traumatic event of having her husband disappeared by the Brazilian government. The film, which has earned acclaim from both U.S. and Brazilian critics, is part drama and part documentary in its portrayal of Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s.
The film is currently playing in select theaters and not available for streaming.
Nickel Boys
You might've not heard much about Nickel Boys, one of the more overlooked films nominated in this category, but it deserves your time. The plot follows two Black American boys, Elwood and Turner, who are sent to an abusive boarding school in Florida during the Jim Crow era. It's a difficult watch, but the two lead actors' portrayal of the film's central friendship has been described as "transcendental."
Buy it now on Prime Video or wait until February 28 to stream it on MGM+.
The Substance
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star as the younger and older versions of the same person in Coralie Fargeat's body-horror flick, The Substance. Honestly, you don't need me to tell you what it's about, the first horror movie in a long time to break the Best Picture curse. Experience it yourself.
Stream The Substance on MUBI.
Wicked
Ariana Grande. Cynthia Erivo. Some of the best songs in musical history. Seeing Wicked is a no-brainer.
Right now, you can only watch Wicked on-demand on services like Prime Video or Apple TV. Wait until March 21 to stream it on Peacock.
Honorable mention: The Apprentice
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan play opposite each other as a young Roy Cohn and young Donald Trump in this political drama. For reasons I don't need to spell out for you, it's a timely watch. But it's a separate marvel to see two beloved actors morph into villains.
Watch The Apprentice on-demand on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Honorable mention: Nosferatu
A horny psychosexual Dracula remake was not on my 2024 Bingo board, but I'm so glad Nosferatu exists. Lily Rose-Depp and Bill Skarsgård are so compelling in this gothic, slow-paced, and genuinely scary remake. Its opening scene is a mastery of filmmaking.
Stream it on Peacock.
Honorable mention: No Other Land
One of the most talked-about and acclaimed documentaries of the year, No Other Land follows the destruction of a besieged community in the occupied West Bank. Directed by a team of both Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, it's a profound, urgent, and human piece of media that deserves your attention.
Sadly, given its subject matter, nearly all U.S. distributors are avoiding the film. Right now, it's playing in very limited run in select theaters.