Awards season is arguably the best season of the year. It’s the sweet time in which we see celebs entirely in their element, frolicking around LA, blissfully unaware of the world outside of their acting achievements while dressed to the nines. But, aside from that, it’s also when chatter about the year’s best movies reaches its peak.
If you’re an awards season diehard, you’ll want to keep up with everything on the Academy Awards nomination list (so you can boo/rejoice with glee when the winner is announced). But alas, unless you’ve got endless Dine & Discover vouchers up your sleeve, heading to the movies to catch everything can be a costly experience.
Luckily for us, Disney+ is home to a stack of Oscar-nommed movies from this year (and years gone past) you can stream to your heart’s content — so here are nine of them to watch before the big day (March 28th).
Nightmare Alley
This film is the definition of the ensemble cast. You’ve got Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara and Toni Collette all at the helm, so there’s no surprise why the movie is up for four noms (including Best Picture).
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Anything Jessica Chastain touches turns to gold, and this movie isn’t any different — the Hollywood sweetheart is up for her third Oscar nod for this epic flick that dives into the life of the televangelist Tammy Faye Baker.
WINNER: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
WINNER: Best Actress – Jessica Chastain
Encanto
If you’ve recently heard the song all over TikTok and are yet to watch the movie, here’s your chance. If you’ve got a younger sibling/relative, it’s likely you’ve already been roped into multiple viewings of Encanto. However, if you haven’t indulged, this movie proves that Disney movies are always for all ages.
WINNER: Best Animated Feature
Raya and the Last Dragon
This movie is so underrated — could it be the dark horse that picks up the Best Animated Feature gong?
Luca
Disney’s gorgine little Italian princes are up for a Best Animated Feature nod this year. So, if you’re looking to be transported to the coast of Positano (or the fictional town Porto Rosso), take a trip with Luca.
Cruella
It was a cold, dark time for the world when Emma Stone took a break from the silver screen for a few years. Cruella is up for multiple nods across the costume and makeup categories, and you can make up your mind as to whether our queen was robbed of a Best Actress nod too.
WINNER: Best Costume Design
Free Guy
Look, I’m, being honest — I never thought I’d see the day where Ryan Reynolds was in an Oscar-nominated movie, but here we are with Free Guy, which is up for a Best Visual Effects nom.
West Side Story
I genuinely do not trust people who don’t like musicals. There’s also scientific research to prove that West Side Story fans are just better people than most. Seriously, if you care about the classics and propelling them into the modern age, watch this.
WINNER: Best Supporting Actress – Ariana DeBose
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel stans have often scorned the Oscars for lack of recognition. This year, the fandom can rejoice that 2021’s Shang-Chi is up for a Best Visual Effects nod.
That should cover the next two weekends for you, right? Once you’ve finished all of these, you can go back in time and watch a bunch of other Oscar-nommed titles on Disney+ like Black Swan, Avatar, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and more. Happy streaming, folks.
