The 98th Academy Awards ceremony airs Sunday, March 15th. Nominees for all categories have been announced, and The Library has some available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Kanopy. Place a hold with your DPL card and view the following movies before the winners are announced! (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)
Sinners
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Original Screenplay, Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Michael B. Jordan), Achievement in Directing, and other nominations
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
One Battle after Another
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Leonardo DiCaprio), Achievement in Directing, and other nominations
Bob is a washed-up revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts.
Hamnet
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Jessie Buckley), Achievement in Directing, and other nominations
From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, HAMNET tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
Marty Supreme
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Timothée Chalamet), Achievement in Directing, and other nominations
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness in this globe-spanning, full-throttle thrill ride from Josh Safdie.
Bugonia
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Adapted Screenplay, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Emma Stone), and other nominations
Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
F1
Best Motion Picture of the Year, Achievement in Film Editing, and other nominations
Sonny Hayes was the most promising phenom in the 1990s in Formula 1 until an accident on the track. Thirty years later, his former teammate Ruben Cervantes convinces him to come back and drive alongside hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce for one last shot at being the best in the world. Sonny’s past catches up with him, and he finds that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.
Blue Moon
Original Screenplay, Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ethan Hawke)
…You know how in marriage they say “for better or for worse”? I think, in terms of my life, I have entered the “for worse” part, and it happened so quietly I didn’t even recognize it. Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon tells the story of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravel at the opening night party for his former partner’s hit show Oklahoma! By the time this night is over, Hart will have confronted both a world that no longer values his talent and the seeming impossibility of love.
Elio
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien life-forms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best Documentary Feature Film
Pavel “Pasha” Talankin is a beloved Russian primary school teacher, known as a mentor and prankster who offers students a safe haven in his office. After Russia invades Ukraine, Pasha’s role in the school changes dramatically as he is reluctantly drawn into Putin’s propaganda machine. Forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and horrified by the transformation of his school and community, he struggles with guilt and a sense of powerlessness, leading him to become an international whistleblower. As the school’s videographer, Pasha documents intimate and revealing footage of Putin’s regime, capturing the rise of militarized children’s groups, repressive laws, fervent nationalism, and the recruitment of graduating students to fight in the war.
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Best Live Action Short Film
England, 1813. In the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her period. Her suitor, Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his expensive education has missed a spot.
Song Sung Blue
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Kate Hudson)
Based on an incredible true story, Mike and Claire are two down-on-their-luck musicians who prove that it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. They form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning and Thunder, rising from a humble garage to dive bar gigs to unexpected hometown stardom. When tragedy strikes, their love for each other and passion for music give them the strength to overcome hardships, rediscover hope, and inspire everyone around them.
Weapons
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Amy Madigan)
From writer-director Sam Levinson comes Weapons— a tense, unsettling thriller that explores violence, identity, and the darker side of American suburbia. When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
The Smashing Machine
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
The true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend — and nearly cost him everything. An epic about the courage to fight for something greater than victory.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Achievement in Visual Effects
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
KPop Demon Hunters: Soundtrack
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
KPop Demon Hunters, a Netflix film from Sony Pictures Animation, follows K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey – when they aren’t selling out stadiums, they use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack includes the new song “TAKEDOWN,” featuring Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung from K-pop powerhouse girl group, TWICE.
Moneyball
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The big night is almost here! And while some of the excess will be reigned in due to the struggling economy, there will still be plenty of glitz and glamor on view Sunday night when the Oscars are presented. Will Slumdog Millionaire, the feel-good movie set in India, continue its current winning streak and grab the Best Picture prize, or will The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or The Reader win in an upset? And, most important, who will wear the best dress and who will make an unfortunate choice? The fun starts early on Sunday so grab a copy of the