Oscar-winning and nominated films for 2021 you can watch right now on Netflix

Mank

Mank raked in a total of 10 nominations this year and took home two prizes for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.

The film set in 1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish “Citizen Kane.”

Nominated for:

• Best motion picture of the year
• Performance by an actor in a leading role (Gary Oldman)
• Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Amanda Seyfried)
• Achievement in directing (David Fincher)
• Achievement in cinematography (WON)
• Achievement in costume design (WON)
• Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
• Achievement in production design
• Achievement in sound

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a historical legal drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin that follows the Chicago 7, a group of anti-Vietnam protestoers charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The film was nominated for six awards including Best Motion Picture, Cinematography and Original Screenplay.

Nominated for:

• Best motion picture of the year
• Performance by an actor in a supporting role (Sacha Baron Cohen)
• Achievement in cinematography
• Achievement in film editing
• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) – “Hear My Voice” 
• Original screenplay

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Based on the play of the same name by August Wilson, the drama film directed by George C. Wolfe focuses on Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer, and dramatized a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago. 

The film was nominated for five awards including performance by an actor in a leading role for Chadwick Boseman, his final film before his death.  The film made history for taking home the prize for achievement in makeup and hairstyling and costume design, with stylists Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson becoming the first Black women to win in this category.

Nominated for:

• Performance by an actor in a leading role (Chadwick Boseman)
• Performance by an actress in a leading role (Viola Davis)
• Achievement in costume design (WON)
• Achievement in makeup and hairstyling (WON)
• Achievement in production design

News of the World

News of the World is an American Western drama film starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, which was co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles.

The film features the story of a Civil War veteran who agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.

The film received four Academy award nominations mainly for cinematography, music, and original score.

Nominated for:

• Achievement in cinematography
• Achievement in sound
• Achievement in production design
• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

Hillbilly Elegy

Based on J.D. Vance’s #1 New York Times Bestseller and directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy is a powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. By following three colorful generations through their unique struggles, J.D.’s family story explores the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.

The film stars Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso, Haley Bennet, Freida Pinto, Bo Hopkins, and Owen Asztalos, and follows a Yale law student who must return to his family in Ohio after a family emergency.

Nominated for:

• Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Glenn Close)
• Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

Pieces of a Woman

From award-winning director Kornél Mundruczó (White God) and executive producer Martin Scorsese, Pieces of a Woman, is a deeply personal, searing, and ultimately transcendent story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

Vanessa Kirby was nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role.

The White Tiger

The White Tiger tells the story of the ambitious driver (Adarsh Gourav) of a rich Indian couple (Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao) who uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and become an entrepreneur. 

Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, the film is based on the bestselling novel by Aravind Adiga, directed and written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani and executive produced by Ava DuVernay, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and producer Mukul Deora.

My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher is a Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed that documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest.

The film won the award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Midnight Sky

This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to Earth, where a mysterious global catastrophe has taken place. Clooney directs the adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight, co-starring David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone.

The Midnight Sky received a nomination for Achievement in visual effects.

Over the Moon

Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures.

Over the Moon was nominated for best animated feature film of the year.

If Anything Happens I Love You

Written and directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier, the story follows two grieving parents as they struggle to confront the death of their daughter, who was killed in a school shooting.

The 2D animated film won Best Animated Short Film.

Two Distant Strangers

In Two Distant Strangers, cartoonist Carter James’ repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to re-live the same awful day over and over again. The film was nominated for Best live-action short film.

The Present

The Present is a 24-minute long Palestinian narrative film that features Yusef and his daughter Yasmine setting out to buy his wife an anniversary gift. Between the soldiers, segregated roads, and checkpoints, how hard can it be to go shopping? The film was nominated for Best live-action short film.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

On the heels of Woodstock, a group of teen campers are inspired to join the fight for disability civil rights. This spirited look at grassroots activism is executive produced by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution received a nomination for Best documentary feature.

A Love Song for Latasha

Nominated for Best documentary short subject, A Love Song for Latasha offers a dreamlike portrait of a vibrant 15-year-old girl whose shooting death sparks the 1992 L.A. Riots.

Da 5 Bloods

From Academy Award Winner Spike Lee comes a New Joint: the story of four African-American Vets—Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.)—who return to Vietnam.

Searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure, our heroes, joined by Paul's concerned son (Jonathan Majors), battle forces of Man and Nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of The Immorality of The Vietnam War.

Da 5 Bloods was nominated for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score).

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

The American musical comedy film stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as Icelandic singers given the opportuntity to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest, the world's biggest song competition. The film also stars Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens and Demi Lovato.

Eurovision was nominated for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) – “Husavik.”

(Images via Netflix)