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It is once again that time of year when the world of film dominates discussions as we begin our speculations about the Academy Awards. This year will be different given the pandemic, and even though our campus is in Alert Level Green, it is not encouraged to go off-campus to see a film. However, that also means this is the perfect time to settle down in a cozy spot with your choice of snack and movie. And really, what better way to relax by yourself or with friends than by watching a good movie? If you want to know some of the best films to check out depending on your genres of interest, keep reading. At the end, I’ll note which films can be watched through popular streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu, so stay tuned.
If you’re looking for prestige and the best of the best, the most prestigious award in the Oscars is “Best Picture.” The nominees for “Best Picture” are: The Father (drama), Judas and the Black Messiah (historical drama), Mank (dramedy), Minari (cultural drama), Nomadland (western drama), Promising Young Woman (thriller/comedy), Sound of Metal (drama/music), and The Trial of Chicago 7 (drama). All of these are films that have been nominated for multiple awards, so if you’re someone who wants to watch the best films of the past year, or if you just don’t have the time to sit through a bunch of possibly-mediocre films, I would check these ones out first, depending on the type of genres you prefer.
If you’re interested in the best acting in the Oscars, “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” are probably the best places to start. I’ll start with the actresses for a change. “Best Actress” nominees are: Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman, Frances McDormand in Nomadland, and Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman. For “Best Actor,” the nominees are: Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal, Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (posthumously), Anthony Hopkins in The Father, Gary Oldman in Mank, and Steven Yeun in Minari. If you’re confused because you have never heard of these films before, don’t worry, you’re not alone. But that means it is a great time to check them out! I would personally recommend checking out Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, if not just for the lovely Viola Davis. If you’re a fan of more “play-like” films, I would definitely give this one a watch, especially because it can be found right on Netflix. So if you want the best of the best in terms of acting, your first stop might be films in these two categories, as well as best actor and best actress in supporting roles.
For the film majors/minors, film buffs, animation fans, and anyone else who wants to really appreciate cinematography and film dynamics, check out the nominees for the categories “Best Cinematography” and “Film Editing.” The former’s nominees are as follows: Judas and the Black Messiah (Sean Bobbitt), Mank (Erik Messerschmidt), News of the World (Dariusz Wolski), Nomadland (Joshua James Richard), and The Trial of Chicago 7 (Phedon Papamichael). The nominees for “Film Editing” are: The Father (Yorgos Lamprinos), Nomadland (Chloé Zhao), Promising Young Woman (Frédéric Thoraval), Sound of Metal (Mikkel E. G. Nielsen), and The Trial of Chicago 7 (Alan Baumgarten). If you’re looking for animated films, the nominees for “Animated Feature Film” include: Onward, Over the Moon, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Soul, and Wolfwalkers. Out of the animated films, Soul has been nominated multiple times. So if you’re looking for a really well-assembled film, check some of these out.
For the music majors and music lovers alike, the nominees for “Best Original Song” (which you can usually check out on Spotify or any other music platform) are: “Fight for You” in Judas and the Black Messiah, “Hear My Voice” in The Trial of Chicago 7, “Husavik” in Eurovision Song Contest, “Io Si (Seen)” in The Life Ahead, and “Speak Now” in One Night in Miami. I would definitely recommend checking out Eurovision Song Contest in particular because 1) it is hilarious, 2) Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell are in it, and 3) it’s on Netflix. So if you really want to have a laugh and enjoy physical comedy, definitely check that one out. For entire film soundtracks, the nominations for “Best Original Score” are: Da 5 Bloods (Terence Blanchard), Mank (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), Minari (Emile Mosseri), News of the World (James Newton Howard), and Soul (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste). Out of these, I would definitely check out Mank and Soul given that the same two artists were nominated for two film soundtracks, so I do not doubt they have some bops in those films.
Films are not only a way to relax and enjoy sound or cinematography but can also provide representation for individuals who aren’t usually represented, such as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color So if you’re looking for not only a good film but a film that addresses issues and/or provides representation, here are some to check out. For discussions and issues regarding race, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is an excellent film on all accounts, as it depicts the story of the titular character finding her way in a predominantly white world. For a film with many Black main characters (which does not occur often, check out Judas and the Black Messiah. Both of these films have been nominated for multiple awards so they are definitely worth your time. For female representation, Chloé Zhao has been nominated for “Best Directing” for her film Nomadland and Emerald Fennell has been nominated in the same category for her film Promising Young Woman. This is noteworthy, for it is the first year in history that two women have been nominated in this category. For LGBTQIA+ representation, there is one nominee who has come out as queer: Sergio Lopez-Riveria in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, who was nominated for “Best Hairstyle and Makeup”. So if you’re looking for representation in or behind some of these films, these are the ones that might pique your interest, as well as alert you to the lack of representation in the Oscars overall.
There are always some films in the Oscars that receive multiple nominations and generally these are the ones that I check out first. The films with multiple nominations are: Mank (10), Judas and the Black Messiah (6), Nomadland (6), Sound of Metal (6), The Trial of Chicago 7 (6), The Father (6), Minari (6), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (5), Promising Young Woman (5), News of the World (4), One Night in Miami (3), and Soul (3).
Before the weather warms up and we start spending the majority of our time outside before finals, maybe check some of these films out. There are far more nominations than the ones listed in this article, so if you want to read all of the nominations, visit https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021.
