The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Academy Awards, handed best picture nominations to 10 eclectic films on Tuesday — the most since "The King’s Speech" beat out nine rivals to take the Oscar in 2011.
Three of this year's nominees were distributed by streaming-first studios, and another two were released simultaneously in multiplexes and via HBO Max. The crop of nominees features only one certifiable blockbuster: "Dune," the sci-fi epic that has grossed nearly $400 million worldwide.
Here's how you can watch this year's 10 best picture contenders before the 94th Academy Awards airs March 27 on ABC. NBC News will update this article as more films become available to stream.
"Belfast"
Seven nominations, including best director (Kenneth Branagh), supporting actor (Ciarán Hinds), supporting actress (Judi Dench), original screenplay, original song and sound.
"Belfast" began its journey to Oscar glory in September at the annual Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award — a prize conferred on recent Oscar best-picture winners like "Nomadland" and "Green Book."
The film centers on Buddy (Jude Hill), a little boy from an Ulster Protestant family growing up in the title city during the early years of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland. "Belfast," co-starring Hinds and Dench as the boy's kind grandparents, grew out of Branagh's childhood memories.
Where to stream: "Belfast" is available for rent and purchase on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube and other leading video-on-demand platforms. (Disclaimer: The film was distributed by Focus Features, a unit of NBC News' parent company, NBCUniversal.)
"CODA"
Three nominations, including supporting actor (Troy Kotsur) and adapted screenplay.
"CODA" first impressed audiences in January 2021 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received the coveted grand jury prize as well as the directing award, the audience award and a special ensemble cast honor. Apple snapped up the distribution rights for $25 million.
The film stars Emilia Jones as the CODA of the title — a child of deaf adults — and the only hearing member of a family that lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The supporting cast includes Eugenio Derbez, Oscar-nominated actor Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant and Marlee Matlin.
Where to stream: Apple TV+.
"Don't Look Up"
Four nominations, including best original screenplay, score and editing.
Adam McKay directed this allegorical tale of two low-level astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) scrambling to warn the world that a meteor will soon smash into Earth. Surprise, surprise: Nobody really cares.
McKay, who previously skewered financial chicanery (“The Big Short”) and executive branch ambition (“Vice”), zestfully satirizes climate change deniers and Covid-19 conspiracy theorists. Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance and Jonah Hill top a stacked supporting cast.
Where to stream: Netflix.
"Drive My Car"
Four nominations, including best director, adapted screenplay and international feature film.
"Drive My Car," a three-hour meditative drama directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi, premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival. The film did not claim the Palme d'Or, but it received glowing reviews when it arrived in the U.S. late last year. (Former President Barack Obama named it his favorite film of 2021.)
Hidetoshi Nishijima portrays a grieving theater director setting out to mount a production of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya." He forms an intriguing bond with a 23-year-old woman hired to drive him around, played by Tōko Miura. The film is drawn largely from a Haruki Murakami short story of the same name.
Where to stream: HBO Max.
"Dune"
Ten nominations, including best adapted screenplay, original score, sound, production design, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, costume design, editing and visual effects.
"Dune," set thousands of years in the future in a world devastated by ecological collapse, stars Timothée Chalamet as a young man consumed by messianic visions that lead him on a voyage to the desert planet of Arrakis, where giant sandworms menace the local population.
The film is the first in a planned two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel — as well as the start of a potential Warner Bros. franchise. The first installment co-starred Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa and Zendaya. In a notable omission, Denis Villeneuve was shut out of the best director category.
Where to stream: HBO Max.
"King Richard"
Six nominations, including best actor (Will Smith), supporting actress (Aunjanue Ellis), original screenplay, original song and editing.
Will Smith stars as Richard Williams, the stubborn visionary who relentlessly pushed his daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) to all-time tennis superstardom. Ellis co-stars as his equally forward-thinking wife, Oracene “Brandy” Williams.
The production of "King Richard" was a family affair. Venus and Serena received executive producer credits. Isha Price, one of their half sisters and a fellow producer, went to the set virtually every day and consulted on the story. Lyndrea Price, another half sister, served as a costumer and helped re-create the 1990s-era outfits.
Smith, who was previously nominated for his roles in "Ali" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," looks like he could finally lock down an Oscar statuette.
Where to stream: HBO Max.
"Licorice Pizza"
Three nominations, including best director and original screenplay.
Paul Thomas Anderson, the critically adored auteur behind the San Fernando Valley sagas "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," returned to that milieu in this portrait of two misfits (played by Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim) growing up and sticking together in 1970s Los Angeles.
The film is laced with allusions to Hollywood mythology (Sean Penn plays a hard-drinking actor obviously modeled on William Holden), Southern California arcana and American political history, including a subplot set against the backdrop of the 1973 oil crisis.
Hoffman (son of the late actor and Anderson collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Haim were widely expected to land acting nominations, but they were shut out when the list was read Tuesday morning. Nevertheless, "Licorice Pizza" offered both performers memorable breakout roles.
Where to stream: "Licorice Pizza" is still enjoying a run in brick-and-mortar theaters. The movie's official website lists showtimes in your area.
"Nightmare Alley"
Four nominations, including best production design, cinematography and costume design.
Guillermo del Toro cultivated a devoted international following with voyages into the supernatural like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water," a fantastical romance that nabbed the best picture prize in 2018.
But for "Nightmare Alley," a noir-inflected adaptation of a 1946 novel of the same name, the Mexican auteur trained his sights on the relatively more grounded tale of a carnival con man (Bradley Cooper) who encounters a dangerous femme fatale: a psychiatrist played by Cate Blanchett. Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe and Rooney Mara co-star.
Where to stream: HBO Max or Hulu.
"The Power of the Dog"
Twelve nominations, including best director, actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), supporting actor (Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee), supporting actress (Kirsten Dunst), adapted screenplay, original score, sound, production design, cinematography and editing.
Jane Campion's twisted portrait of toxic masculinity, strained family ties and the myths of the American West dominated Tuesday's list of nominees, notching a leading 12 nods. The film could hand the streaming giant Netflix its first best picture win.
Cumberbatch stars as cruel ranch owner Phil Burbank, who takes an instant dislike to his brother's new wife, Rose, played by Dunst. But when Phil meets Rose's son, a quiet and cerebral teenager played by Smit-McPhee, buried secrets gradually come to the surface — aided by a haunting score from Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood.
Where to stream: Netflix.
"West Side Story"
Seven nominations, including best director, supporting actress (Ariana DeBose), sound, production design, cinematography and costume design.
Steven Spielberg, working from a screenplay by the Pulitzer-honored playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America") and choreography by Tony-winning artist Justin Peck, breathed new life into the beloved musical.
Tuesday's nominations made Spielberg the first director nominated in that category across six different decades. He broke a tie with Martin Scorsese, who has been nominated for best director across five decades.
But all eyes are on DeBose, the breakout star who plays Anita. DeBose and Rita Moreno, who won the Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 adaptation of "West Side Story," are among the rare performers to be recognized for playing the same character.
Where to stream: Disney+ or HBO Max.
