The Oscar goes to: Best Movies to stream

The nominations made one things clear says CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES, the future is digital

Oscar nominations were announced this week and as expected, the streaming platforms dominated. The future is digital and if you wanted to check out some of the movies before the award ceremony, we got you covered! Note: These suggestions only apply to movies that can be legally streamed in Cyprus.

Don’t Look Up

Adam Mckay’s warning over climate change had audiences divided over its clear and intentional parallels with the climate debate and modern pop culture impact (a meteor headed for Earth but people decide to look the other way while media went hand in hand with politicians to distract everyone from imminent disaster) but no one could argue over the actors’ performances and the overall feel of the movie. An undeniably worthy addition to the Best Movie category, Netflix’s Don’t Look Up tells the story of two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence), who make a shocking discovery. A meteorite is heading for Earth and the impact will annihilate all life. The duo try to warn people but are ignored by everyone; people prefer to escape into pop culture, media doesn’t find them interesting and politicians are only looking out for themselves. Love it or hate it, Don’t Look Up is definitely the movie phenomenon of 2021.

CODA

This feel-good, coming of age story, surprised everyone at the Sundance Festival when it premiered, sweeping awards and receiving standing ovations, leading to a distribution deal with Apple and a serious contender for the Best Picture award.

CODA tells the story of Ruby, a girl who grows up in a family of deaf people where she is the only speaking member. Ruby loves to sing and dreams of going to a music school but as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) she has to face both societal prejudice regarding deaf people and her own family’s mistrust of the world around them. A remake of an original French film, CODA is also groundbreaking when it comes to representation, as producers proceeded with cast deaf people for the deaf roles.

The Power of the Dog

Netflix’s heavy investment in quality, exclusive films, while off to a rocky start, is now starting to pay off. The Power of The Dog boasts 12 nominations in this year’s Oscars, checking the box in all major categories. Jane Campion’s deconstructing look at the psyche of the American cowboy paradigm resonated with audiences and critics alike, becoming a commercial and artistic success.

The Power of the Dog tells the story of two brothers in early 20^th century Montana; Phil, a cynic, violent ranch owner (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his kind-hearted brother George (Jesse Plemons). When George decides to marry a widow (Kirsten Dunst) with a son (Kodi Smit McPhee), Phil vows to split them apart and wages a psychological war on his brother’s wife and relentlessly mocking her son for his effeminate ways. Soon though Phil begins to care for the boy, which leads him down a path of having to confront himself and his actions.

King Richard

Benedict Cumberbatch will have plenty of competition in the Leading Actor category, mostly from veteran actor Will Smith, who stars in the biopic King Richard, on Apple TV. Will Smith plays Richard Williams, the father of tennis super stars Venus and Serena Williams. Years before the sisters made it big in the tennis scene, they were just girls from a poor black neighborhood, with only their father believing in them. The amazing story of Richard’s persistence and the obstacles the family had to overcome is the stuff Oscar awards are made of!