2021 Oscar Noms: What You Need to See & Where You Can Watch

By: Max Sinclair

As you have probably read ad nauseam by now, the past year was as strange a year as we have had, and during that time, the film industry has been completely flipped on its head.

With the shuttering of movie theatres worldwide, film studios devised a collective strategy to punt their tentpole blockbusters down the road until we can all huddle together in front of a big screen again to wolf down overpriced popcorn and fountain pop. Streaming and Video on Demand services stepped in and ably provided a platform for this year’s slate of new releases, including the crop of Oscar contenders.

With the bombardment of new content, you may have missed some of this year’s nominees, but don’t worry - we’ve got you covered! Below are some of the films we’ll be pulling for.

Minari

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Lee Isaac Chung), Best Original Screenplay (Lee Isaac Chung), Best Actor (Steven Yeun), Best Supporting Actress (Youn Yuh-Jung), Best Original Score (Emile Mosseri)

Where to Watch: iTunes, Apple TV Store, Google Play, VOD

A semi-autobiographical account of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung’s own childhood, Minari tells the story of a South Korean family who relocates to a farm in 1980’s rural Arkansas in search of the American dream. Anchored by a powerful performance from The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun, his Best Actor nomination makes history as the first to recognize an Asian-American in the category. Ultimately though, it’s the adorable Alan Kim, playing Yeun’s son, who steals every scene. The movie is an intimate and heartfelt portrayal of a family’s resilience, and explores the concept of what it is that makes a home.

Sound of Metal

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Riz Ahmed), Best Supporting Actor (Paul Raci), Best Original Screenplay (Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance), Best Film Editing (Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Phillip Bladh)

Where to Watch: iTunes, Apple TV Store, Google Play, VOD

Riz Ahmed headlines this gripping story of a heavy metal drummer who begins to suffer hearing loss, which pushes his life into turmoil. Ahmed’s nomination is another distinction of note, much like Yeun’s, as it represents the first time a Muslim performer is nominated in the category. Along with Yeun, this is the first time two men of Asian heritage are up for Best Actor in the same year. The film is fueled by excellent performances from Ahmed and Paul Raci, primarily known for minor roles in projects like Parks & Recreation and Baskets. Raci picks up a Best Supporting nomination for playing a deaf mentor to Ahmed’s character; he was cast in part due to being raised by deaf parents and therefore being fluent in American Sign Language.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), Best Original Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin), Best Cinematography (Phedon Papamichael), Best Original Song (Daniel Pemberton, Celeste Waite), Best Film Editing (Alan Baumgarten)

Where to Watch: Netflix

Aaron Sorkin, known for being one of the best working writers in Hollywood, penning Academy Award-nominated scripts for The Social Network (which he won for), Moneyball and Molly’s Game, racks up another Oscar nod with a movie he also directed in The Trial of the Chicago 7.

The film revolves around the true story of the infamous Chicago 7, Vietnam War protestors who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots in 1968 and the incredibly controversial trial that followed. Originally slated for a September 2020 release to theatres, Paramount Pictures sold the film to Netflix to distribute as a result of the pandemic. The film stars previous Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen, who will perform double duty at this year’s awards, being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this film, and Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the ‘Borat’ sequel.

Judas and the Black Messiah

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Best Supporting Actor (Lakeith Stanfield), Best Original Screenplay (Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas and Kenny Lucas), Best Cinematography (Sean Bobbitt), Best Original Song (H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas)

Where to Watch: iTunes, Apple TV Store, Google Play, VOD

Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield face off not only in the Oscar race, where they find themselves competing against one another in the Best Supporting Actor category but also in the tense historical drama Judas & the Black Messiah. The movie tells the true story of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), the leader of the Black Panther Party’s Illinois chapter during the ’60s and how the organization was infiltrated by a petty criminal named William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) who is assisting the FBI as an informant.

It’s a story of racial injustice and incredible corruption that feels more relevant than ever despite taking place more than 50 years ago. Musical artist H.E.R. picks up an Oscar nom for her song ‘Fight For You’, which continues a whirlwind year for the singer, including singing at the Super Bowl and a Grammy win.

Nomadland

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Chloé Zhao), Best Actress (Frances McDormand), Best Adapted Screenplay (Chloé Zhao), Best Cinematography (Joshua James Richard), Best Film Editing (Chloé Zhao)

Where to Watch: Disney + (April 9th via Star)

Based on the 2017 non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, Frances McDormand plays a woman who has lost everything due to the 2008 recession and sets off on a journey through the American West, living in her van as a modern-day nomad. McDormand is by all accounts the odds on favourite to take home the Best Actress prize, which wouldn’t be her first; she has won the award twice before, in 1997 for ‘Fargo’ and in 2018 for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

As moving of a performance as McDormand gives, it’s the stunning visuals curated by breakthrough talent Chloé Zhao that serve as the highpoint of the film. In 2010 Zaho enrolled in the graduate film program at New York University's Tisch School of the arts, where she received guidance from legendary director Spike Lee, who was one of her professors. As if getting pointers from one of the industry’s best wasn’t enough, while attending the program, she met her partner Joshua James Richard who is also nominated for his work on Nomadland, for Best Cinematography. The pair have another project they worked on together slated for release later this year, Marvel’s latest big-budget superhero flick, Eternals.

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