​With the 2026 Oscar nominations now confirmed and the nominations record broken by Sinners, it’s time to buckle down and get ready for the big event on March 15. Some will host parties, some will make it a quiet night in, and others will venture out to the bars and restaurants that occupy film’s hallowed grounds to see which films take home the gold and which go home empty-handed. It’s easy enough to guess which films are likely to win that coveted statue if one follows the races closely enough, but what about what deserves to win? How can one make an informed decision on their favorite nominees if seeing them in the first place is half the battle? That’s the question that we at The Friendly Film Fan are here to help answer. We’ll take you through film by film (in alphabetical order) on a guided journey towards nominee completion, so that you can best your friends and neighbors, impressing everyone with your ballot knowledge. Let’s get started.

The Alabama Solution
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Where to Watch: Streaming on HBO Max
 
All the Empty Rooms
Nominated For: Best Documentary Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix, In Select Theaters March 13-15
 
Arco
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters
 
Armed with Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Nominated For: Best Documentary Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on HBO Max
 
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Nominated For: Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects
Where to Watch: In Theaters Nationwide
 
Blue Moon
Nominated For: Best Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Original Screenplay
Where to Watch: Available on Blu-Ray and Digital
 
Bugonia
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on Peacock
 
Butcher’s Stain
Nominated For: Best Live-Action Short
Where to Watch: In Theaters March 13-15
 
Butterfly
Nominated For: Best Animated Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on YouTube and In Theaters March 13-15
 
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
Nominated For: Best Documentary Short
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters March 13-15
 
Come See Me in the Good Light
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Where to Watch: Streaming on Apple TV+
 
Cutting Through Rocks
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters, On DocPlay March 2
 
The Devil Is Busy
Nominated For: Best Documentary Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on HBO Max, In Select Theaters March 13-15
 
Diane Warren: Relentless
Nominated For: Best Original Song – “Dear Me”
Where to Watch: Available on DVD and Digital
 
Elio
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on Disney+
 
F1
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on Apple TV+
 
Forevergreen
Nominated For: Best Animated Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on Youtube, In Theaters March 13-15
 
Frankenstein
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Jacob Elordi), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix, In Theaters March 9-15
 
A Friend of Dorothy
Nominated For: Best Live-Action Short
Where to Watch: In Theaters March 13-15, Available on Disney+ Europe via VPN
 
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Nominated For: Best Animated Short
Where to Watch: In Theaters March 13-15, Available on NFB.ca via VPN
 
Hamnet
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Chloé Zhao), Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), Best Casting, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, on 4K and Blu-Ray March 3, In Theaters March 9-15
 
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Nominated For: Best Actress (Rose Byrne)
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital
 
It Was Just an Accident
Nominated For: Best International Feature (France), Best Original Screenplay
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital
 
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Nominated For: Best Live-Action Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on YouTube, In Theaters March 13-15
 
Jurassic World Rebirth
Nominated For: Best Visual Effects
Where to Watch: On 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on Peacock
 
KPop Demon Hunters
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song – “Golden”
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
 
Kokuho
Nominated For: Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Where to Watch: In Theaters Nationwide
 
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, On Blu-Ray March 10
 
The Lost Bus
Nominated For: Best Visual Effects
Where to Watch: Streaming on Apple TV+
 
Marty Supreme
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Josh Safdie), Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet), Best Casting, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, on 4K and Blu-Ray March 31
 
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, on DVD April 7
 
One Battle After Another
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor) Best Supporting Actor x2 (Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn), Best Casting, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Sound
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on HBO Max
 
The Perfect Neighbor
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
 
Perfectly a Strangeness
Nominated For: Best Documentary Short
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters March 13-15
 
Retirement Plan
Nominated For: Best Animated Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on YouTube
 
The Secret Agent
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor (Wagner Moura), Best Casting, Best International Feature (Brazil)
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, In Theaters March 9-15
 
Sentimental Value
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Joachim Trier), Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), Best Supporting Actress x2 (Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), Best Supporting Actor (Stellan Skarsgård), Best International Feature (Norway), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital, In Theaters March 9-15, and on 4K and Blu-Ray May 26
 
The Singers
Nominated For: Best Live-Action Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix, In Theaters March 13-15
 
Sinners
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Ryan Coogler), Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku), Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo), Best Casting, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song – “I Lied to You,” Best Visual Effects, Best Sound
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on HBO Max
 
Sirāt
Nominated For: Best International Feature (Spain), Best Sound
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters
 
The Smashing Machine
Nominated For: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on HBO Max
 
Song Sung Blue
Nominated For: Best Actress (Kate Hudson)
Where to Watch: Available on Blu-Ray and Digital, and Streaming on Peacock
 
The Three Sisters
Nominated For: Best Animated Short
Where to Watch: In Theaters March 13-15
 
Train Dreams
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Song – “Train Dreams”
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix, In Theaters March 9-15
 
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Nominated For: Best Live-Action Short
Where to Watch: Streaming on YouTube, In Theaters March 13-15
 
The Ugly Stepsister
Nominated For: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Where to Watch: Available on Digital and Streaming on Shudder
 
Viva Verdi!
Nominated For: Best Original Song – “Sweet Dreams of Joy”
Where to Watch: Available on Jolt
 
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Nominated For: Best International Feature (Tunisia)
Where to Watch: Available Now on Digital
 
Weapons
Nominated For: Best Supporting Actress (Amy Madigan)
Where to Watch: Available on 4K, Blu-Ray, and Digital, and Streaming on HBO Max
 
Zootopia 2
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature
Where to Watch: In Theaters Now

​And that is everything that’s nominated for an Oscar this year! Hopefully you found this guide helpful for organizing your watch time. If you’d rather knock out a few films at a time without switching apps or having to search around, here’s a similar handy little guide for you to reference.

Netflix: All the Empty Rooms, Frankenstein, KPop Demon Hunters, The Perfect Neighbor, The Singers, Train Dreams

HBO Max: The Alabama Solution, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, The Devil Is Busy, One Battle After Another, Sinners, The Smashing Machine, Weapons

Disney+: Elio

Apple TV+: Come See Me in the Good Light, F1, The Lost Bus​

Peacock: Bugonia, Jurassic World Rebirth, Song Sung Blue

Shudder: The Ugly Stepsister

YouTube: Butterfly, Forevergreen, Jane Austen's Period Drama​, Retirement Plan, The Three Sisters, Two People Exchanging Saliva

Jolt: Viva Verdi!
​
Digital: Blue Moon, Diane Warren: Relentless, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, It Was Just an Accident, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, The Voice of Hind Rajab

How many of these films have you seen? Anything you’re excited to check out or discover? Let us know in the comments section below, and if you find yourself struggling to get through them all, don’t sweat it; we’ll be updating this list as things become more widely available. All of the Best Picture nominees, as well as the nominated Live-Action and Animated short films will also be shown in theaters from March 9-15 for Oscar Week, so be sure to check and see if your local theater is participating! Thanks for reading!
 
- The Friendly Film Fan

​This piece was last updated on 2/28/26. It was originally posted on 1/24/26.

Cooper Raiff is moving up on independent film scene. On the one hand, many film aficionados consider him to be the next great auteur filmmaker, a true millennial’s version of a Richard Linklater with the writing sensibilities of Mike Mills. On the other hand, although many others do admit to admiring his efforts and seeing the work he does as beneficial to the scope of American popular movie culture, they also think the 25-year-old may be a little in over his head with his sophomore effort. Cha Cha Real Smooth, an AppleTV+ movie and bona fide Sundance sensation which sold to the service for $15 million in January, finds the Shithouse director operating at a larger level than with his debut (also a Sundance hit), operating with a higher budget and a more comprehensive story, if not a holistic one.
 
The charms of Cha Cha are simple, almost deceptively so if one’s eye isn’t trained to spot just what makes the movie so damn likeable, but nonetheless effective. Cooper Raiff’s charisma as lead character Andrew is simply undeniable as he navigates his character’s life post-college, wondering if he’ll go anywhere he actually wants to go or do anything that’s meaningful to him. He wanders around from space to space, never holding back anything in thought or practice, often to the warmth of others but occasionally to his own detriment. Early on in the film, he plans to follow his ex-girlfriend out to where she lives so he can be with her, despite not really seeming all that passionate about it. His post-school life, like many others’, has turned him into a wanderer with no real sense of what his purpose is, so he seeks it in other people, most evidently in his relationship to his younger brother. Conversely, Dakota Johnson’s Domino, a down-spirited mom with an autistic daughter, who seems to be holding so much inside with her husband absent on a case in Chicago, knows exactly what and who is most meaningful to her, and is at the point in her life where going where she wants would mean having to give part of her life up that she’s worked so hard to build and to foster as a purposeful thing. Spontaneity isn’t really in her vocabulary, nor is freedom from obligation. When the two meet at a bar mitzvah, the unlikely friendship they form feels as though the need between the two of them could blossom into something more meaningful for both, but Cha Cha isn’t especially interested in romancing you. Instead, it hopes to explore how love is far from as simple as falling into it, as much as one might want to. Wants can only take a human being so far before needs get in the way, and having the two collide for even a brief time is far more special than only ever having one or the other. Rather than being solely about finding purpose, the film also finds the beauty in releasing oneself of it.
 
As Andrew takes on a job as a party starter for the bar mitzvahs he attends (bar mitzvahs that Domino and her daughter also happen to be at, mostly), he takes on a second task, watching Lola – that’s Domino’s daughter – so that Domino can go out, be away, experience freedom not from obligations or responsibilities, but from purpose. Domino’s entire purpose to this point has been raising Lola, caring for Lola, ensuring Lola’s safety and happiness, so much so that she never seemed to think about doing the same things for herself. As Andrew and Lola (played by scene-stealer Vanessa Burghardt) become closer over time in one of the film’s sweetest subplots, Andrew too begins to feel closer to Domino, but that closeness isn’t reciprocated in quite the way Andrew may wish it to be, though Domino certainly isn’t averse to the closeness Andrew so clearly wants. But if Domino is the purpose Andrew seeks, it’s born of passion. Andrew being the escape from purpose that Domino needs and come to accept is born of love. This is what makes Cha Cha so special, beyond it simply being a more technically proficient film than Shithouse (it’s smoother, it feels more complete, the writing is that little bit better, etc.).
 
To understand the dichotomy between passion and love is not so much a challenge in practice as it is a tough thing to translate in storytelling. Writing that conflict with nuance so that no one seems the villain or the hero is such a difficult thing to do in moviemaking, especially when absent parties to the film’s main conflict – such as Domino’s husband – could so easily be made the villains or the ones our protagonist must overcome. The only thing there is to overcome in Andrew or Domino’s lives is their individual unwillingness to accept what they need unless they can get it from each other, and Cooper Raiff’s thoroughly nuanced script seems to understand near-perfectly that what each of them truly need is to pursue those needs of their own accord, not simply vicariously through other people.
 
Cha Cha Real Smooth may not be the strongest film of the year thus far or even the best thing AppleTV+ has ever put out, but it is proof positive that the service knows exactly what it’s doing when it comes to acquisitions and that Cooper Raiff – however one feels about this film as a follow-up to Shithouse – is certainly heading in the right direction as a filmmaker. Directionally, the film does sometimes get away from him a little bit, but the writing and performances bring it all back by the end. He has all the talent he needs to eventually become one of the indie greats, and the more tools he has at his disposal, the better. It’s fairly rare to see someone so in the spirit of Linklater continue to be more than simply a pale imitation of the Dazed and Confused scribe, and Raiff’s personal spin on the stories he tells is a record I want to keep on listening to for a little while longer.
 
I’m giving “Cha Cha Real Smooth” an 8.9/10
 
- The Friendly Film Fan