Oscars 2018: 10 movies to watch on Netflix instead of watching the Oscars

Looking for something different besides the Academy Awards? Why not watch some nominated films on Netflix instead?

#1 Mudbound

Mudbound has four nominations, including Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Original Song. Not bad for a film that is released by a streaming service. Hopefully, we will see this trend continue in the future.

Synopsis: Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband’s Mississippi Delta farm, a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family’s struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura’s brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not – charming and handsome, but he is haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, now battles the prejudice in the Jim Crow South.

Photo credit: The Breadwinner/Elevation Pictures, Acquired via Elevation Pictures /

#2 The Breadwinner

This one is a lesser known film, but The Breadwinner currently has a nomination for Best Animated Feature. I have yet to see the film for myself, but it has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, so you should watch this and report back to the comments about what you think.

Synopsis: Parvana is an 11-year-old girl who lives under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. After the wrongful arrest of her father, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy to support her family. Working alongside a friend, she soon discovers a new world of freedom and danger. Drawing strength from the fantastical stories she invents, Parvana embarks on an epic quest to find her father and reunite her family.

Photo: Courtesy Walt Disney Pictures Press Media/Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 /

#3 Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2

James Gunn’s sequel sits with one nomination in the category of Best Visual Effects. The film didn’t get as strong of a response as its predecessor, but it’s still a rocking good time with some of the best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Synopsis: Peter Quill and his fellow Guardians are hired by a powerful alien race, the Sovereign, to protect their precious batteries from invaders. When it is discovered that Rocket has stolen the items they were sent to guard, the Sovereign dispatch their armada to search for vengeance. As the Guardians try to escape, the mystery of Peter’s parentage is revealed.

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SAVANNAH, GA – OCTOBER 30: Director Bryan Fogel and SCAD professor Michael J. Chaney onstage at ‘Icarus’ Q /

#4 Icarus

This Netflix original is currently nominated for Best Documentary Feature. For those interested in the news like features, and gritty realism of documentaries, this might be for you!

Synopsis: When filmmaker Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller. Dirty urine, unexplained death and Olympic gold are all part of the exposure of the biggest scandal in sports history.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures /

#5 Beauty and the Beast (2018)

This box-office Beast was not only one of the highest grossing films of 2017 but is also an Academy Award nominee for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It can also now be streamed on the Netflix platform.

Synopsis: Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast’s hideous exterior, allowing her to recognize the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside.

Now, for some throwback selects:

Credit: The Weinstein Company /

#6 The Hateful Eight

While it did get snubbed in the Best Picture category, Quentin Tarantino’s western follow-up to Django Unchained did capture nods for Best Original Musical Score, Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Best Cinematography.

Synopsis: While racing toward the town of Red Rock in post-Civil War Wyoming, bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) encounter another bounty hunter (Samuel L. Jackson) and a man who claims to be a sheriff. Hoping to find shelter from a blizzard, the group travels to a stagecoach stopover located on a mountain pass. Greeted there by four strangers, the eight travelers soon learn that they may not make it to their destination after all.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 03: Actors Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo attend a special screening of Open Road Films’ ‘Spotlight’ at The DGA Theater on November 3, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

#7 Spotlight

This timeless film about the power of journalism went on to score six nominations including: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo, Best Supporting Actress for Rachel McAdams, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.

Synopsis: In 2001, editor Marty Baron of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate allegations against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused of molesting more than 80 boys. Led by editor Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton), reporters Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Matt Carroll and Sacha Pfeiffer interview victims and try to unseal sensitive documents. The reporters make it their mission to provide proof of a cover-up of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 08: Actor Daniel Day-Lewis (L) and director/producer Steven Spielberg arrive at the ‘Lincoln’ premiere during AFI Fest 2012 presented by Audi at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on November 8, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images For AFI) /

#8 Lincoln

Spielberg swept twelve award nominations for his film about the famous President of the United States, and while there are far too many to list here, the film did win another Best Actor Award for Daniel Day-Lewis, as well as another win for Best Production Design.

Synopsis: With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) brings the full measure of his passion, humanity and political skill to what would become his defining legacy: to end the war and permanently abolish slavery through the 13th Amendment. Having great courage, acumen and moral fortitude, Lincoln pushes forward to compel the nation, and those in government who oppose him, to aim toward a greater good for all mankind.

Warner Bros. /

#9 Goodfellas

Martin Scorsese’s mobster masterpiece scored him six nominations back in 1991, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actress for Lorraine Bracco, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

Synopsis: A young man grows up in the mob and works very hard to advance himself through the ranks. He enjoys his life of money and luxury, but is oblivious to the horror that he causes. A drug addiction and a few mistakes ultimately unravel his climb to the top. Based on the book “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi.

HOLLYWOOD – JUNE 05: Actor Jeremy Renner attends ‘The Hurt Locker’ film premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on June 5, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) /

#10 The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow’s eye-opening tale about how the military changes soldiers garnered nine nominations and took home six wins including Best Picture and Best Director. It’s a fantastic film to check out, and one of the only Best Director wins for a woman. The ultimate film to enjoy during the #MeToo movement.

Synopsis: Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad. As their tour of duty enters its final weeks, the men face a set of increasingly hazardous situations, any of which could end their lives in an explosive instant.

All synopsis information can be found with a quick google search should you be interested in more details!

Next: Will Hans Zimmer win an Oscar for Dunkirk?

The 90th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 4th on ABC at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST (7:00 PM CST).

Do you prefer a “Netflix and chill” night instead of an Oscar night? Which of these movies do you find most deserving of an Oscar win? Sound off in the comments below!

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