If you’re looking to catch up on every single one of the Oscars 2025 best picture nominees before the winners are announced on Sunday, March 2, you’re in luck. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by the legendary Conan O’Brien, promises to be one of the most competitive races in recent memory. From groundbreaking musicals to intense dramas and audacious genre-bending experiments, this year’s lineup represents some of the most ambitious filmmaking in cinema today.
The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on ABC and Hulu, with red carpet coverage starting earlier at 3:30 p.m. ET. But before the golden envelopes are opened, here’s your ultimate guide to every film vying for Hollywood’s most coveted prize, including exactly where you can stream, rent, or buy each one.
A Record-Breaking Year for Nominations
This year’s Academy Awards nominations tell a fascinating story. Netflix’s audacious musical crime drama Emilia Pérez leads the pack with a staggering 13 nominations, tying for the most-ever nominations received by a non-English-language film. Hot on its heels, the epic period drama The Brutalist and the blockbuster adaptation Wicked each earned 10 nominations, making this one of the most diverse and competitive best picture races in Oscar history.
Whether you’re drawn to sweeping historical epics, pulse-pounding thrillers, or heartfelt character studies, the Oscars 2025 best picture nominees offer something for every cinephile. Let’s dive into each one.
The Complete Guide to All 10 Best Picture Nominees
1. Anora
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing
Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning sensation takes audiences on a wild, comedic ride through a modern-day Cinderella story. Mikey Madison delivers a star-making performance as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn whose impulsive marriage to the son of a Russian billionaire sends shockwaves through both families. When his parents send henchmen to annul the union, the resulting chase through New York City is as thrilling as it is hilarious.
Where to watch: Anora is available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
2. A Complete Unknown
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound
Timothée Chalamet transforms into a young Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s electrifying biographical drama. Set against the vibrant music scene of 1961 New York, the film chronicles Dylan’s meteoric rise from a mysterious 19-year-old Minnesota transplant to one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time, capturing his intimate relationships with Greenwich Village icons and culminating in his groundbreaking, controversial electric performance.
Where to watch: A Complete Unknown is currently playing in theaters and will become available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other platforms starting February 25.
3. The Brutalist
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing
Brady Corbet’s ambitious epic follows László Tóth, a visionary Hungarian architect who escapes post-war Europe to rebuild his life in America. As he settles in Pennsylvania and gains the patronage of a wealthy industrialist played by Guy Pearce, Tóth’s brilliance becomes entangled with questions of power, legacy, and the heavy cost of artistic ambition. The film is a staggering meditation on the American dream, told on an operatic scale.
Where to watch: The Brutalist is currently in theaters and is available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
4. Conclave
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing
Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence in Edward Berger’s pulse-pounding Vatican thriller. Tasked with overseeing the secretive process of selecting a new Pope following the unexpected death of the beloved pontiff, Lawrence uncovers a web of deep secrets that could shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. With the world’s most powerful religious leaders locked together behind Vatican walls, the tension builds toward a shocking revelation.
Where to watch: Conclave is streaming exclusively on Peacock and is also available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other platforms.
5. Dune: Part Two
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects
Denis Villeneuve’s spectacular continuation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi saga follows Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen people of Arrakis. Pursuing revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family, Paul must confront an impossible choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe. The film delivers breathtaking visuals and a deeply emotional narrative that elevates the blockbuster genre to high art.
Where to watch: Dune: Part Two is streaming exclusively on Max and is also available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
6. Emilia Pérez
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing
Jacques Audiard’s audacious, genre-defying masterpiece tells the extraordinary story of four remarkable women pursuing happiness against impossible odds. Powered by original songs and breathtaking choreography, this fever dream of a film blends musical, crime drama, and social commentary into something wholly original. With its groundbreaking 13 nominations, it’s the most decorated non-English-language film in Oscar history.
Where to watch: Emilia Pérez is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
7. I’m Still Here
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best International Feature Film
Walter Salles’ deeply moving biographical drama tells the true story of the Paiva family during the brutal Brazilian military dictatorship of 1971. When the family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government, Eunice Paiva must find the strength to reinvent herself and protect her five children. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s powerful memoir, the film reconstructs an important, often hidden chapter of Brazilian history.
Where to watch: I’m Still Here is streaming exclusively on Max.
8. Nickel Boys
Nominated for: Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay
RaMell Ross brings Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to the screen with stunning visual poetry. The film chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing world of a Jim Crow-era reform school in Florida. Through its innovative first-person perspective and breathtaking cinematography, Nickel Boys transforms a story of injustice into something transcendent and hopeful.
Where to watch: Nickel Boys is currently playing in theaters and will stream on MGM+ starting February 28.
9. The Substance
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Coralie Fargeat’s provocative body horror masterpiece takes aim at toxic beauty culture with sharp wit and cathartic intensity. Demi Moore delivers a career-best performance as a woman who discovers a mysterious substance that promises to create a younger, more perfect version of herself. Equal parts horror, satire, and feminist rallying cry, The Substance fearlessly bulldozes its way into the midnight-movie pantheon.
Where to watch: The Substance is streaming on Mubi and is available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other platforms.
10. Wicked
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing
Jon M. Chu’s spectacular adaptation of the beloved Broadway phenomenon finally brings the untold story of the witches of Oz to the big screen. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star as Glinda and Elphaba, two young women whose unlikely friendship at Shiz University is tested when an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz sends them down very different paths. The film is a dazzling visual feast that culminates in their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Where to watch: Wicked is available to stream on Peacock and to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV+, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
The Ultimate Movie Marathon Experience
For die-hard film fans who want to experience all 10 best picture nominees in one epic sitting, AMC Theatres is bringing back its legendary 24-hour movie marathon for the first time in six years. Participating locations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco will screen the entire lineup back-to-back, offering a cinematic experience unlike any other. This is the perfect way to soak in the full breadth of this year’s exceptional contenders.
How to Watch the 2025 Oscars Ceremony
Once you’ve caught up on the films, it’s time to watch the winners be crowned. The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, broadcast live on Sunday, March 2, beginning at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on ABC and Hulu. Live red carpet coverage kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, with “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars” streaming on ABC, OnTheRedCarpet.com, and the On the Red Carpet Facebook and YouTube pages. The ceremony will be followed by a special preview of American Idol.
Final Thoughts
This year’s Oscars 2025 best picture nominees represent a remarkable moment in cinema, showcasing filmmakers willing to take enormous creative swings. From Netflix’s genre-defying musical to A24’s operatic period drama, from a Bob Dylan biopic to a Vatican thriller, the range and ambition on display is genuinely thrilling. Whether you stream them from your couch, catch them in theaters, or brave the AMC 24-hour marathon, these films deserve your attention. Get watching now, because Oscar Sunday is almost here, and you don’t want to miss a single moment of the action.
