For a time, the most important cinematic story of 2020 was which movies they were not coming out, as the pandemic closed theaters and skipped the release dates of some of the biggest blockbusters of the year (see you later, Black widow Y No time to die, hopefully) and the loudest prize bait (or is there another reason why Spielberg directed a remake of West Side Story?). But no more, because it turns out that a lot of good movies were still released last year, and many of them have just been nominated for Oscars.
Yes, Hollywood’s annual celebration of mutual admiration is still going on, even if things are a little different this year. The prizes will not be delivered until April 25, last point of the year for an Oscars ceremony since 1932. Some films not released until 2021 will remain eligible, according to the Academy changed the eligibility window and removed restrictions requiring a theatrical release.
But the biggest difference between this Oscars year and any other is that you can easily (if not necessarily cheap) see most of the nominees right now, without leaving home. No more waiting for the art house launch to hit the biggest city near you, or for your favorite director’s next masterpiece to hit HBO, thanks to COVID, almost everything that is expected of an award this year is being broadcast somewhere right now. Devils, the most awarded film of the year, Mank (10 nominations) including released on Netflix.
This is where the nominees for the main categories of the 2021 Academy Awards are broadcast.