Vanity Fair's Guide to Watching the 2024 Oscar Nominees

Written by Katey Rich, Kara Warner, and David Canfield

The Oscar nominations for 2024 have been announced, providing an exciting opportunity for film enthusiasts to familiarize themselves with the nominees before the awards on March 10. The list of nominees features popular blockbusters, poignant documentaries, and potentially the greatest superhero film to date.

The article below provides a rundown of all the nominees for this year, including the available streaming services to watch the nominated films from the comfort of your home. Enjoy the films!

Oscar and Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste is profiled in depth in a documentary that explores his most ambitious project yet alongside dealing with a serious illness within his marriage. The Netflix documentary failed to make the cut for the Best Documentary category, but Batiste’s song "It Never Went Away" received a nomination, vying with two Barbie movie songs.

Last year’s highest grossing film has received eight Oscar nominations and despite missing out on a Best Director and Best Actress nomination, it remains a strong contender for the awards. The film initially caught attention for its production design and costumes but its memorable script and performances have helped it to endure.

This thought-provoking documentary features the political career of singer Bobi Wine and his struggle to run a democratic campaign against Uganda's autocratic government, advocating for people's change.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, the sci-fi film noted for its stunning visual effects achieved on an $80 million budget bagged nominations for those impressive visuals, as well as sound. It has been considered a 'sleeper hit' by critics.

The eccentric yet captivating biopic from Pablo Larraín references classic films from Nosferatu to Superman. The synopsis: the ghost of the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet haunts the country he almost ruined as a metaphorical vampire. Edward Lachman's mesmerizing cinematography has been recognized by his peers.

Pixar Animation’s 27th film, based on anthropomorphic elements of nature namely Ember, a fire element, and Wade, a water element. The film is a usual Pixar blend of touching narrative and stunning visuals. It has been nominated for best animated feature.

An emotional Chilean documentary showcasing a journalist suffering from Alzheimer's and his actor wife living one day at a time. Maite Alberdi captures the comedy, sadness and enduring love between the two.

Eva Longoria’s unexpected directorial debut -through her controversial biography of the alleged inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos- made its mark in the Oscar race after its sudden Hulu release. Diane Warren’s original song "The Fire Inside" gets her 15th nomination.

Helen Mirren has showcased her versatile talent once again, as she embraces prosthetics for the first time to depict Golda Meir, the Prime Minister of Israel during a brutal war. The convincing transformation earned makeup artist Karen Hartley-Thomas and her team a deserved nomination.

Regarded for its impressive visual effects, the conclusion to the Guardians of the Galaxy series was a positive in a challenging year for Marvel.

Set in the 1970s, Alexander Payne's first feature since 2017's drama Downsizing sees a reunion with Sideways star and current best-actor nominee Paul Giamatti. Giamatti plays a grumpy professor forced to stay on campus over the holidays with a handful of students and staff, including mourning mother and chef Mary Lamb, portrayed by new nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

The newest addition to an iconic series may have underperformed at the box office, despite Harrison Ford's return to the franchise alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but legendary composer John Williams' score gained recognition from the Academy, earning him a record-breaking 54th Oscar nomination.

The Western crime epic of three hours, based on David Grann's 2017 book, is believed to have been an Oscar contender since its production was announced. The film, directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, had always been anticipated as a major event. Lily Gladstone's strong and emotional portrayal is at the heart of the movie, which has bagged 10 nominations.

Bradley Cooper’s labor of love, portraying the life and lovers of renowned composer Leonard Bernstein, was expected to receive Oscar nominations for a long time. Garnering seven nominations in total, the movie has been recognized for best picture, plus acting nominations for Cooper and Carey Mulligan, who is also the writer-director-star. It also secured nominations for best original script, cinematography, sound, makeup, and hairstyling.

Todd Haynes' latest film, described as a “skillful marvel” at its Cannes Film Festival premiere, was acquired by Netflix. Garnering substantial award-season traction, especially for actors Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton, the movie secured only one Oscar nomination for screenplay by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, yet is on the path to being considered a modern classic.

Being outperformed last summer by the Barbenheimer event, the newest Mission: Impossible didn't reach the Oscar heights of Tom Cruise's previous film, securing only two nominations for sound and visual effects.

The animated rendition of ND Stevenson’s graphic novel is distinguished by exceptional lead voice acting by Riz Ahmed and Chloë Grace Moretz, supported by a refined animation style that differentiates it from mainstream animated films.

The sports drama film, Nyad, has nominations for Annette Bening’s intense main role as the long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, and Jodie Foster’s supportive side role as her trainer, Bonnie Stoll. According to Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair's chief critic, the film is most lively when Nyad and Bonnie connect on land.

Colman Domingo's best actor nomination makes him the first openly gay actor to receive an Oscar nomination in over 20 years, which is even more remarkable given that he is nominated for his portrayal of Bayard Rustin, a civil rights pioneer whose key role in organizing the March on Washington has been historically overlooked. 

J.A. Bayona’s film, based on the shocking real-life story of the Uruguayan rugby team who survived a plane crash in the Andes, is an Oscar contender for best international feature and hair and makeup. Bayona says he trained the actors thoroughly to create a film that holds a documentary-like authentic appeal.

This stunning second movie in Miles Morales's saga contradicts the belief that "a sequel can never surpass the original". The film, from an Oscar-nominated team including Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Kemp Powers, became a dual hit in both box-office revenue and critical reviews due to its dynamic animation style and vibrant energy.

Justine Triet's complex legal thriller has recently gained traction and award-season popularity, highlighted by winning the best screenplay award at the Golden Globes. Having won the prestigious Palme d’Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Triet's film has also been nominated for seven BAFTAs and is now up for five Oscars, including best actress for Sandra Hüller’s powerful portrayal.

This groundbreaking, experimental documentary provides a close but managed snapshot of normal Tunisian family life after two daughters vanish from a family of four children. Kaouther Ben Hania, the director, uses actors in the roles of the absent daughters to carefully examine feelings of sorrow, loss, confusion, and love in a disrupted family unit.

The film that received the most nominations of the year and is a best-picture favourite, Christopher Nolan's grand biopic, may see its stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr. receive their first Oscars in addition to praises for its stunning visuals and score. The film has a strong focus on historical accuracy and maintains a swift pace, thereby creating a spectacle that impresses even on a small screen.

The Ridley Scott–directed historical epic about the infamous French conqueror, depicted by Joaquin Phoenix, earned three nominations from the Academy for best achievement in production design, costume design, and special effects.

The first feature from Celine Song, which was penned and directed by her, has received critical admiration post its debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The plot of the film circles around a duo of friends, played by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo, who experience phases of togetherness and separation across roughly 30 years. It has received two nominations for Song’s original script and for the best picture.

The film adaptation of Alice Walker’s respected novel and the Broadway production it gave rise to has an assembled talented cast and has the backing two iconic figureheads, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, as executive producers. Danielle Brooks received the only Oscar nomination for the film. However, the complete ensemble has been rejoicing over the creation and launch of the film. 

This intense, enveloping documentary has emerged as one of the most awarded of the year since its first screening over a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival. The director Mstyslav Chernov fabulously documents the 20 days he spent in a Ukranian city under attack immediately after the Russian invasion. It’s nominated for best documentary as well as featuring as Ukraine’s shortlisted entry for international feature.

The high praise and box office performance of Hayao Miyazaki’s believed-to-be final film has earned him a Golden Globe for his fantastical coming-of-age film. It’s also nominated for the best-animated-feature Oscar.

Cord Jefferson’s lauded directorial debut has received critical and awards-season favor for its novel base. Fiction is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel, Erasure, featuring Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Issa Rae. The film has five Oscar nominations including best picture, award ceremonies for lead and supporting actors Wright and Brown, best adapted screenplay, and best original score.

Surprisingly, this relatively budget-conscious Japanese marvel is the first ever Godzilla film to receive an Oscar nomination for its visual effects. Director Takashi Yamazaki has successfully created a portrayal of terror and fascination of a postwar Japan under attack from the iconic movie monster.

Merging Frankenstein with a coming-of-age road-trip narrative brings us close to understanding what makes Poor Things, nominated for 11 Oscars, so exceptional. Emma Stone gives a spectacular performance under director Yorgos Lanthimos. This visually stunning and touchingly moving historical drama is so compelling that co-star Ramy Youssef agreed to join the team without first reading the script.

Capitalizing on a powerfully radiant Leonie Benesch, this German social suspense film became a conversation point all over the globe in 2023. Consequently, despite more grandiose titles drawing more attention in the international-film contest, this portrayal of a present-day elementary school teacher facing a major moral dilemma made it into the Oscars’ top five.

The “terrifying portrayal of evil” by Jonathan Glazer, as we’ve previously described it, is a unique Holocaust movie. Highly acclaimed, the film sketches out a family that live an extravagant lifestyle even though Auschwitz is on their very doorstep. It has five Oscar nominations including best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay.

This best-international-feature nominee from Italy by director Matteo Garrone is a heartfelt, adventitious journey revolving around two Senegalese teens who leave their home in Dakar hoping for a superior life in Europe. It received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination. Star Seydou Sarr also won the best-young-actor award at the last Venice Film Festival.

This international-feature nominee is directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders but filmed in Japan. It won't be released in North American theaters until February 7. This gives plenty of time to watch this peaceful, contemplative film before the Oscars.

The first animated feature from award-winning Spanish director Pablo Berger (Blancanieves) is based on the graphic novel by Sara Varon. It centers around a solitary dog living in Manhattan who decides to build a robot for companionship. It’s nominated for best animated feature but is yet to available in theaters or on streaming platforms.

This best-documentary-feature nominee revolves around Ranjit, a farmer and caring father in India seeking justice for his 13-year-old daughter, a survivor of a vicious sexual assault. Director Nisha Pahuja spent almost a decade to bring this story to the big screen.