After years of streaming films at home, 2022 was the year film buffs could finally get back to the movies. All over the world and in New Zealand, we flocked to cinemas for a nostalgia hit, from Elvis to Top Gun: Maverick to the long-awaited Avatar: The Way of Water - and they did not disappoint.
It’s no surprise that for the first time, two sequels have made it into the list of nominations for Best Picture - Top Gun: Maverick and James Cameron’s NZ-filmed Avatar: The Way of Water.
So if you haven’t managed to view all of the Best Picture nominations yet, here’s where to watch them ahead of the ceremony in March.
All Quiet on the Western Front
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” an unflinching German-language adaptation of a classic anti-war novel about life and death in the World War I trenches, is nominated for best picture and a slew of other Oscars.
You can watch All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix.
Total nominations: 9
Avatar: The Way of Water
After a 13-year wait, “Avatar: The Way of Water” delves into the journey of original “Avatar” main character Jake Sully’s family through adversity and loss. Director James Cameron builds a spiritual and visually compelling world in this sequel that stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña.
You can watch Avatar: The Way of Water in theatres.
Total nominations: 4
The Banshees of Inisherin
Securing a best picture nomination and nods for Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin” tells a tale of the ebbs and flows of the friendship between Farrell’s Pádraic and Gleeson’s Colm while highlighting haunting Irish landscapes.
You can watch The Banshees of Inisherin in theatres.
Total nominations: 9
Elvis
In “Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann’s vision transforms the relatively unknown former child actor Austin Butler into the King. The unconventional biopic tells the life of Elvis Presley from the perspective of his former manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. Butler snagged a best actor nomination and the film received a nod for best picture and director.
You can watch Elvis on Neon Rentals.
Total nominations: 8
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The A24-produced indie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has been a critical success and crowd-pleaser since it came out last spring. The film is nominated for best picture and Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis received nods for their performances. Yeoh, Quan and Hsu carry a mind-bending multiverse story about a Chinese American family’s disconnection and how they find each other again through the existence of other versions of themselves.
You can watch Everything Everywhere All at Once on Prime Video.
Total nominations: 11
The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg’s most personal film yet documents the joys and ultimate perils that fragment the Fabelman family forever. In a love letter to film and his family, Spielberg allows viewers to see behind his passion for film and his search for the meaning of family and life. Spielberg is nominated for best director and his film is nominated for best picture, while Michelle Williams up for best actress.
You can watch The Fabelmans in theatres.
Total nominations: 8
Tár
Cate Blanchett plays a renowned conductor, Lydia Tár. As the titular character, she is cunning, talented and on too high of a pedestal to fall — but she does. “Tár,” which is nominated for best picture and best actress, deals with the dichotomy between power and art and takes on the culture wars dominating politics and popular discourse.
You can watch Tár in theatres.
Total nominations: 7
Top Gun: Maverick
Thirty-six years after the original “Top Gun,” “Top Gun: Maverick” is nominated for best picture. Tom Cruise reprises his role as “Maverick,” taking on a leadership and mentor role for supporting cast members Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
You can watch Top Gun: Maverick on Neon Rentals.
Total nominations: 6
Triangle of Sadness
Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund has created a prickly social satire examining race, wealth, social class and inequality and secured a best director nomination in the process. It stars the late Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson as a model/influencer couple who end up on a sponsored yacht trip with other wealthy guests. Chaos ensues when the yacht gets stuck in the middle of a storm and the guests end up on a deserted island. The film later focuses on maid-turned-ringleader Abigail, played by Dolly De Leon.
You can watch Triangle of Sadness in theatres and on AppleTV+.
Total nominations: 4
Women Talking
Director Sarah Polley weaves the story of pervasive sexual assault plaguing the women in a Mennonite community. “Women Talking” is an adaptation of a 2018 book by Miriam Toews. It stars Claire Foy, Rooney Mara and Frances McDormand.
You can watch Women Talking in theatres.
Total nominations: 2
- with AP
