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The 2022 Academy Awards Viewing Guide

Like many of us, I woke up early and remained in bed to view two celebrities bungle through pronouncing a bunch of names. There were some surprises, some snubs, and an all-around. If you’re following the race, you may know where to watch the most notable films, but there are always some small films that get overlooked until you are scrambling to find them in the month and a half between nominations and the ceremony. You may not be following the race at all, and therefore have a ton of great films to catch up on- but where do you watch them? That’s where I come in, with minimal editorializing. Without further ado, I present The 2022 Academy Awards Viewing Guide!

Above the Line

These films were nominated for Picture, Director, and/or the acting and screenplay categories. Films with three or more nominations are also listed here.

Best Picture

  • Belfast: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Kenneth Branagh), Best Supporting Actor (Ciarán Hinds), Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Best Original Screenplay (Kenneth Branagh), Best Original Song (“Down to Joy:” Van Morrison), and Best Sound. Currently playing in select theaters and available for digital purchase ($20). Will be available for digital rental (usually around $5) on March 1.
  • CODA: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Sian Heder). Available on Apple TV+.
  • Don’t Look Up: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay (Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay and David Sirota), Best Original Score (Nicholas Britell), and Best Film Editing (Hank Corwin). Available on Netflix.
  • Drive My Car: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Best Adapted Screenplay (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), and Best International Feature Film. Currently playing in select theaters (about 100) nationwide. The film is doing quite well for a three-hour foreign language film, so I expect it to pick up steam and be released in more and more theaters in the leadup to the Oscars. If you get the chance to see it, definitely do so.
  • Dune: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth), Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer), Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Currently available for digital purchase and rental. Will possibly stream on HBO Max before the ceremony.
  • King Richard: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Will Smith), Best Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis), Best Original Screenplay (Zach Baylin), Best Original Song (“Be Alive:” Beyonce and DIXSON), and Best Film Editing (Pamela Martin). Currently available for digital purchase and rental. Will possibly stream on HBO Max before the ceremony, but it’s unlikely.
  • Licorice Pizza: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), and Best Original Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson). Currently playing in theaters nationwide.
  • Nightmare Alley: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design. Currently streaming on HBO Max and Hulu. A black-and-white cut can be seen in theaters for a very limited time.
  • The Power of the Dog: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Jane Campion), Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (Jesse Plemons), Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Adapted Screenplay (Jane Campion), Best Original Score (Jonny Greenwood), Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (Ari Wegner), and Best Film Editing (Peter Sciberras). Available on Netflix.
  • West Side Story: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose), Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), and Best Costume Design. Currently playing in theaters nationwide. Will possibly stream on Disney+ before the ceremony.
  • Being the Ricardos: Nominated for Best Actor (Javier Bardem), Best Actress (Nicole Kidman), and Best Supporting Actor (J. K. Simmons.) Available on Amazon Prime.
  • tick, tick… BOOM!: Nominated for Best Actor (Andrew Garfield). Available on Netflix.
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth: Nominated for Best Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Production Design, and Best Cinematography (Bruno Delbonnel). Available on Apple TV Plus and in a few theaters.
  • The Eyes of Tammy Faye: Nominated for Best Actress (Jessica Chastain) and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Available for digital purchase and rental and currently streaming on HBO Max.
  • The Lost Daughter: Nominated for Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Jessie Buckley), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Available on Netflix.
  • Parallel Mothers: Nominated for Best Actress (Penélope Cruz) and Best Original Score (Alberto Iglesias). Entered nationwide theatrical release on 1/28 and can still be seen in theaters. There is currently no published digital/DVD release plan, so I would watch this one in theaters if you can.
  • Spencer: Nominated for Best Actress (Kristen Stewart). Available for digital purchase and rental and currently streaming on Hulu.
  • The Worst Person in the World: Nominated for Best Original Screenplay (Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier) and Best International Feature. Currently playing in select theaters with a scheduled expansion into a nationwide release on 2/18.
  • Encanto: Nominated for Best Original Score (Germaine Franco), Best Original Song (“Dos Oruguitas:” Lin-Manuel Miranda), and Best Animated Feature. Available for digital purchase and rental and currently streaming on Disney+.
  • Flee: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, Best International Feature Film, and Best Documentary. Currently playing in select theaters and streaming on Hulu.
  • No Time to Die: Nominated for Best Original Song (“No Time to Die:” Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell), Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. Available for digital purchase or rental.

Below the Line

These films were nominated only one or two times, but many of them are of course worth watching.

  • Luca: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Available for digital purchase and streaming on Disney+.
  • The Mitchells vs. the Machines: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Available on Netflix.
  • Raya and the Last Dragon: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Available for digital purchase and rental, and streaming on Disney+.
  • The Hand of God: Nominated for Best International Feature Film. Available on Netflix.
  • Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. Nominated for Best International Feature Film. Available for digital rental on SpectrumTV and available for purchase on Vudu on 2/11. A link might be floating around the internet somewhere… wink.
  • Ascension: Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Currently streaming on Paramount+.
  • Attica: Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Showtime.
  • Summer of Soul: Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Available for digital rental and purchase, and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
  • Writing with Fire: Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Available on PBS, but on 3/28, after the Oscars ceremony.
  • Four Good Days: Nominated for Best Original Song (“Somehow You Do:” Diane Warren). Available for digital purchase and rental, streaming on Kanopy and Hulu.
    Coming 2 America: Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Available on Amazon Prime.
  • Cruella: Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design. Available for digital purchase and rental, and streaming on Disney+.
  • House of Gucci: Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Currently playing in theaters nationwide and available for digital purchase. Will be available for digital rental on 2/22.
  • Cyrano: Nominated for Best Costume Design. Will be available in theaters nationwide on 2/25.
  • Free Guy: Nominated for Best Visual Effects. Currently available for digital purchase and rental.
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Nominated for Best Visual Effects. Currently available for digital purchase and rental, and streaming on Disney+.
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home: Nominated for Best Visual Effects. Currently playing in theaters nationwide. Will be available for digital purchase on 3/1 and digital rental some time after that.

The Shorts

The short films are always difficult to find if you don’t look, but can often be accessed easily for free online. They will be streaming in select theaters starting 2/25, but I have provided links where available. Some of the shorts will be available online, but I don’t know anything about that and will certainly not update you if I find anything. Wink.

  • Audible: Nominated for Best Documentary Short. Available on Netflix.
  • Lead Me Home: Nominated for Best Documentary Short. Available on Netflix.
  • The Queen of Basketball: Nominated for Best Documentary Short. Available on YouTube via the New York Times.
  • Three Songs for Benazir: Nominated for Best Documentary Short. Available on Netflix.
  • When We Were Bullies: Nominated for Best Documentary Short. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.
  • Ala Kachuu (Take and Run): Nominated for Best Live Action Short. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.
  • The Dress: Nominated for Best Live Action Short. Available on YouTube for a limited time via Short of the Week.
  • The Long Goodbye: Nominated for Best Live Action Short. Available on Vimeo for a limited time from the filmmakers.
  • On My Mind: Nominated for Best Live Action Short. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.
  • Please Hold: Nominated for Best Live Action Short. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.
  • Affairs of the Art: Nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Available via the New Yorker.
  • Bestia: Nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Available on Vimeo for digital rental ($2.20) and purchase.
  • BoxBallet. Nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.
  • Robin Robin: Nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Available on Netflix.
  • The Windshield Wiper: Nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Streaming in select theaters starting 2/25.