The Father

The Father tells the story of an old man with dementia (Anthony Hopkins) and his daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman) who cares for him. The film has received an overall rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the website's critic consensus reads:

"Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia."

Hopkins and Coleman are also both up for awards Best Actor and Best Supporting actress, contributing to the film's overall 6 Academy Award nominations. Rent the film on Amazon Prime Video to watch before the ceremony.

Judas and the Black Messiah

Also nominated for six awards is Judas and the Black Messiah. The American biographical drama is a retelling of Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton's revolutionary battle as it is infiltrated by FBI agents. Actor Daniel Kaluuya, who depicts Hampton, had his breakout role with the film by receiving a Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, a nomination for the Oscar's Best Supporting Actor role, and more. Critics agree of the film's forceful condemnation of racial injustice and its powerful story telling, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. You can watch the film on YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Mank

Directed by David Fincher, Mank is an American biographical drama about alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and tells the story of his screenplay development for the 1941 film Citizen Kane. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote:

""Mank" is a tale of Old Hollywood that's more steeped in Old Hollywood — its glamour and sleaze, its layer-cake hierarchies, its corruption and glory — than just about any movie you've seen, and the effect is to lend it a dizzying time-machine splendor."

The film leads the pack in nominations with a total of ten, which includes Fincher for Best Director and Amanda Seyfried for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Stream the film on Netflix.

Minari

The Korean-American film tells the story of a Korean family that moves to Arkansas to pursue the American dream as they face challenges and struggle to assimilate to a new environment. The film's theme is that of resilience and finding home with the people closest to you no matter where you are. The film as received six Academy Award nominations and has an overall score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. You are able to stream Minari on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV. It also is playing in select theaters now.

Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman is anything but your average female-revenge story. The movie follows Cassie (Carey Mulligan) as she schemes on men who are seemingly taking advantage of her in a "drunk" state. Director Emerald Fennell, nominated for Best Director, puts a creative and thrilling twist on the comedy. Critic Tara McNamara writes:

"Emerald Fennell's razor-sharp feature writing and directing debut could do for sexual assault what Fatal Attraction did with cheating: Scare men into thinking twice."

Watch or rent the movie on Youtube or Amazon Prime Video.

Nomadland

Nomandland follows Fern (Frances McDormand) and her decision to leave her hometown in Nevada and travel across the country after the death of her husband. Director Chloé Zhao has been wildly regarded and praised for her work with the drama film, and has been nominated for the Best Director category alongside Emerald Fennell. Zhao makes Oscars history by being the first ever woman of color to be nominated for the category. Many critics speculate Nomadlandwill take home the prize on Sunday for Best Picture. Critic Aidan Horton of The Guardian said:

"Nomadland has garnered industry praise as a likely frontrunner for the best picture Oscar ... The word of mouth is warranted."

Watch the film on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Sound of Metal

Sound of Metal tells the story of punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) when he begins to experience hearing loss after multiple one-night gigs. The overall Rotten Tomatoes for the film gives it a 97% with a critic consensus that states:

"An evocative look at the experiences of the deaf community, Sound of Metal is brought to life by Riz Ahmed's passionate performance."

The drama is up for six Oscars, including Ahmed for Best Actor. Stream the film on Amazon Prime Video.

The Trail of Chicago 7

The American historical legal drama film tells the story of the 1969 trial of the Chicago Seven. The anti-Vietnam war protestors were charged for clashing with the police, resulting in the riot at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Chicago Sun-Times criticRichard Roeper wrote:

"Certain events are rearranged from the factual timelines, and yes, The Trial of the Chicago 7 exercises poetic license. This is not a documentary; it's a dramatization of events that resonates with great power while containing essential truths, and it's one of the best movies of the year."

The film is up for five Oscars, including Sacha Baron Cohen for Best Supporting Actor. Watch the movie on Netflix ahead of the results on Sunday.

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony will be held this upcoming Sunday starting at 6:30 PM ET on ABC. The event will take place at Union Station Los Angeles and the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Don't miss it to see which one of these incredible nominees will take home the big award.