Your guide to watching the 2025 best picture Oscar nominees

Anora is a gripping romantic comedy-drama from filmmaker Sean Baker, exploring love, power, and class divides in a whirlwind marriage between a Brooklyn stripper and the son of a Russian oligarch. Starring Mikey Madison as Anora “Ani” Mikheeva and Mark Eydelshteyn as Vanya Zakharov, the film follows their impulsive Las Vegas wedding and the chaos that ensues when Vanya’s wealthy parents intervene. The story takes viewers through an emotional rollercoaster, blending dark humor with raw drama as Ani fights for her independence in a world determined to strip her of agency. With a stellar supporting cast, including Yura Borisov and Aleksei Serebryakov, Anora is both an intimate character study and a high-stakes battle between love and control.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia, Anora is also available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

The Brutalist is a 2024 period drama directed by Brady Corbet, starring Adrien Brody as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor striving to build a new life in post-war America. The film follows his journey from struggling laborer to acclaimed architect after a wealthy industrialist, played by Guy Pearce, commissions him to design an ambitious community center. As László battles prejudice, trauma, and artistic compromise, his relationships with his wife (Felicity Jones) and niece become central to his quest for belonging.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia

A Complete Unknown is a 2024 biographical musical drama directed by James Mangold, chronicling the early years of Bob Dylan’s career, leading up to the infamous controversy surrounding his transition to electric music. Timothée Chalamet stars as Dylan, capturing the singer-songwriter’s transformation from a rising folk star to a divisive musical icon. The film explores Dylan’s relationships with key figures such as Joan Baez (Elle Fanning), Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), and his fictional love interest Sylvie Russo (Monica Barbaro). With a soundtrack featuring Dylan’s greatest hits and stunning period details, A Complete Unknown offers a deep dive into the cultural and personal struggles of one of music’s most enigmatic legends.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia

Conclave is a 2024 political thriller directed by Edward Berger and based on Robert Harris’ novel of the same name. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini, the film follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) as he presides over a secretive Vatican conclave to elect a new pope. As the voting unfolds, Lawrence uncovers deep-seated rivalries, hidden scandals, and shocking secrets among the candidates, threatening to upend the entire process.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia, Anora is also available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Dune: Part Two is a 2024 epic space opera directed by Denis Villeneuve, continuing the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi classic. The film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he embraces his destiny among the Fremen on Arrakis, waging war against the ruthless House Harkonnen while grappling with prophetic visions of a dangerous future. Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles, with new cast members including Austin Butler as the sadistic Feyd-Rautha and Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan.

Stream Dune: Part Two now on Binge

Emilia Pérez is a 2024 Spanish-language French musical crime comedy film directed by Jacques Audiard, based on his own opera libretto and adapted from a chapter of Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute. The story follows the transformation of Mexican cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, who, with the help of a lawyer named Rita Mora Castro (played by Zoe Saldaña), secretly undergoes gender-affirming surgery to begin a new life as Emilia Pérez. The film explores themes of identity, crime, love, and redemption, blending musical sequences with dramatic narrative twists. The talented cast features Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia, with notable performances from Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Édgar Ramírez.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia

I’m Still Here is a 2024 political biographical drama directed by Walter Salles, based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir. The film centers on Eunice Paiva (played by Fernanda Torres), a mother and activist coping with the forced disappearance of her husband, dissident politician Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), during Brazil’s military dictatorship. The film captures the emotional toll of Eunice’s struggle as she navigates grief, political repression, and the fight for justice in the aftermath of her husband’s disappearance. Following its release in Brazil, the film gained both critical acclaim and controversy, particularly from the far-right, which denied the oppressive nature of the dictatorship. Despite the controversy, the film’s success was undeniable, grossing nearly $30 million on a modest $1.5 million production budget and becoming the highest-grossing Brazilian film since the pandemic.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia

Nickel Boys (2024) is a harrowing historical drama directed by RaMell Ross, adapted from Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel The Nickel Boys. The film follows the lives of two African-American boys, Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), as they endure the brutality of a reform school in 1960s Florida, inspired by the infamous Dozier School for Boys. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, Elwood, a promising student with aspirations of attending college, is wrongfully sent to the Nickel Academy after being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. The school is deeply segregated, with Black students subjected to horrific conditions and abuse, while White students are given preferential treatment. The bond between Elwood and Turner, who holds a more cynical outlook on life, is central to the film, highlighting their different approaches to surviving the inhumane treatment they face at Nickel.

Stream Nickel Boys now on Prime Video

The Substance (2024) is a body horror film that explores themes of aging, celebrity, and identity through the grotesque transformation of its protagonist, Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore. A once-celebrated Hollywood star, Elisabeth is discarded by her producer due to her age, which sends her into a spiral of desperation. She turns to an illegal black market drug, The Substance, which promises to create a younger version of herself. The drug’s effects are both mesmerizing and terrifying, as it creates a perfect, youthful replica of Elisabeth, named Sue (played by Margaret Qualley). However, the drug requires Elisabeth and Sue to alternate consciousness every seven days, with severe consequences if the schedule is disrupted. As Elisabeth and Sue’s identities collide, the film takes viewers through a chilling and satirical journey into the dark side of vanity, celebrity culture, and the fear of growing old.

Stream The Substance now on Stan or rent it via Prime Video and Apple TV.

Wicked (titled onscreen as Wicked: Part I) is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu. It adapts the first act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel that reimagines the characters and events of The Wizard of Oz. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, who becomes Glinda the Good. Set in the Land of Oz before Dorothy’s arrival, the plot centers on the evolving friendship between Elphaba and Galinda, their contrasting personalities, and the events that lead to Elphaba’s eventual transformation into the “wicked” witch. The film also features an ensemble cast including Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Peter Dinklage.

Currently playing in cinemas across Australia, Wicked is also available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.