It’s been a terrific year for movies, and now that awards season is almost upon us, the conversation is heating up about which ones could take home Hollywood’s biggest prize. But amid all this Oscar buzz, the main question for audiences remains the same: Where can I watch these movies?
With so much on offer across the best streaming services, tracking down every last Oscar contender can quickly become a headache. So let us here at Tom’s Guide do the hard work for you. While some movies are still in theaters, there are plenty of films available to watch at home that have made the Oscars shortlist. Every movie on this list has been the subject of award hype, and we’d bet the house on them earning a spot among the nominees for this year’s Oscars.
So without further ado, check out these 2025 Oscar contenders that you can watch right now.
‘A Different Man’
Part dark comedy and part psychological thriller, A24’s “A Different Man” may be on the fringes of the Oscar conversation, but don’t rule out a surprising Supporting Actor nod for Adam Pearson. Sebastian Stan already took home his first Golden Globe for his performance as Edward Lemuel, a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes facial disfigurement and tumors.
When he’s offered the chance to undergo an experimental procedure, he gains a completely new look that opens the door to a new life, and new opportunities along with it. Still, even after the transformation, he’s haunted by the same insecurities he’s always dealt with, and it only gets worse after he meets Oswald (Pearson), a man with the same condition but all of the charisma and confidence he lacks. When he loses an acting role to Oswald, things spiral further as he grows violently unhinged.
Stream now on Max
‘Anora’
Sean Baker’s “Anora” is one to watch this awards season, having already racked up seven Critics Choice nominations to go with five Golden Globe nods, including Best Picture. The rom-com drama stars Mikey Madison stars as Ani, a 23-year-old stripper and sex worker living in Brooklyn who gets the chance of a lifetime when her client (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, proposes to her.
However, Ani’s Cinderella story begins to unravel when his parents uncover their marriage and demand an annulment, even resorting to using hired muscle to intimidate them. “Anora” has earned an impressive 93% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Vanity Fair calling it a “vastly entertaining and finely acted film” and Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge hailing it as a “whirlwind sex-work romance” that “sparkles like the tinsel in its leading lady’s hair.”
Buy/rent on Prime Video or Apple
‘A Real Pain’
The second directorial venture from Jesse Eisenberg, who also writes and stars in the movie, “A Real Pain” follows two American cousins as they embark on a tour of Poland to honor their recently deceased Holocaust survivor grandmother. The two make an unlikely pair, with Eisenberg playing the buttoned-up, slightly neurotic cousin opposite Kieran Culkin’s laid-back, no-filter delivery.
Their dynamic creates something truly special, digging into the tension between estranged family members with equal parts poignant and hilarious moments. What starts as a simple trip quickly becomes more complicated as their conflicting personalities and unresolved issues come to the surface. Culkin’s considered a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor this year, while Eisenberg could snag a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Stream now on Hulu
‘Challengers’
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexually charged tennis drama “Challengers” has become one of his most successful projects to date, and it’s almost certain to make an appearance at this year’s Oscars, already securing a place on the shortlist for its score. “Challengers” opens with a tense, neck-and-neck match between tennis champions Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and his former best friend, turned failed professional, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). In the stands is Tashi (Zendaya), Art’s coach and wife, once a promising tennis prodigy herself before an injury cut her career short.
But the messy love triangle between them starts much earlier, back in high school when Tashi promises to give her phone number to whoever wins the junior singles final the following day. Although Patrick wins, his relationship with Tashi deteriorates when he skips the match she’s injured in after a fight. Years later, Art and Tashi reconnect, setting the stage for the simmering drama behind Art and Patrick’s eventual showdown.
Stream now on Prime Video
‘Conclave’
One of the most recent Oscar contenders to arrive on streaming, “Conclave” stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in a gripping thriller centered on the secretive process of selecting a new pope. After the reigning pope dies of a heart attack, Lawrence is tasked with convening the Catholic Church in Vatican City to oversee the election of his successor.
But as the four leading candidates present their visions for the Church’s future, Lawrence, already struggling with a crisis of faith himself, uncovers shocking secrets within the halls of the Vatican. These revelations not only threaten to sway the election but could also shake the very foundations of the Church. “Conclave” boasts a stellar cast, including Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, and with Lawrence’s captivating character arc, it will keep you hooked until the very end.
Stream now on Peacock
‘Dune: Part 2’
To no one’s surprise, Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic could secure some Oscar nominations this year. In “Dune: Part Two,” Timothée Chalamet is back as Paul Atreides, a young noble thrust into a galactic war for the valuable but deadly desert planet of Arrakis.
In the second chapter of a planned trilogy, Paul embarks on a quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family’s home. He and his pregnant mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), continue their journey with the Fremen, led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem). Along the way, Paul falls in love with Chani (Zendaya) and begins plotting the downfall of the Harkonnens. But when Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) sends his ruthless nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), to seize control of Arrakis, Paul must confront the prophecy he has long avoided and decide whether to embrace his fate.
Stream now on Max
‘Emilia Pérez’
Netflix has several contenders for this awards season, but the musical crime thriller “Emilia Pérez” has quickly become one of the most divisive films of the year. Directed by Jacques Audiard, it stars Karla Sofía Gascón as the titular character, a trans Mexican drug cartel leader who seeks to transition to living as a woman and is willing to fake her own death to make it happen.
With the help of high-powered lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldaña), who is almost too successful for her own good, Emilia embarks on a fresh start. Years later, the two cross paths again, and Emilia convinces Rita to help her reconnect with her resentful ex-wife (Selena Gomez) and children, who had been relocated to Switzerland for their safety. “Emilia Pérez” is a genre-defying exploration of human potential, delving into what happens after you become the person you’ve always aspired to be.
Stream now on Netflix
‘Inside Out 2’
In this highly anticipated sequel to “Inside Out,” a now-teenage Riley is carving out her place at her new school, leading her hockey team to victory with the support of her two close friends. However, just as she begins to settle into her new life, puberty hits, bringing all the typical challenges of awkward adolescence.
Along with these changes comes a new group of personified emotions: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). These newcomers seem determined to completely reshape Riley, throwing Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and the rest of the OG emotions out in the cold. As Riley navigates a prestigious hockey camp that could make or break her high school journey, her emotions clash internally, struggling to protect her sense of self from being overwhelmed.
Stream now on Disney Plus
‘The Substance’
Demi Moore’s body horror story already earned her the Golden Globe for Best Actress, so we’d be surprised not to see “The Substance” at this year’s Oscars. Directed by “Revenge’s” Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance” is a high-concept, low-budget film that satirizes Hollywood’s obsession with youth, all while delivering some truly grotesque body horror.
Moore takes center stage as Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-glamorous star whose career takes a crushing blow when she’s fired from her TV aerobics show on her 50th birthday. Desperate and sidelined by Hollywood, she eagerly accepts an offer from a lab selling an experimental black-market drug that promises to turn back the clock and make her young again — but this Faustian deal comes with horrifying and unforeseen consequences.
Stream now on Mubi
‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’
A new “Wallace and Gromit” movie after a 15-year hiatus seems destined for the Best Animated Features category, and its rare 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes has all but sealed the deal.
The beloved claymation duo finds themselves embroiled in chaotic shenanigans once again after Wallace creates a “smart” gnome that gets hacked by an old nemesis—Feathers McGraw (from the 1993 classic “The Wrong Trousers”). To defeat their foe, Wallace and Gromit will need to use all their combined wit and resourcefulness. Naturally, it’s up to Gromit to foil Feathers’ sinister plot before Wallace’s inventing days are over.
Stream now on Netflix
‘Wicked: Part One’
It would be truly scandalicious for the first half of Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” not to sweep up this year’s Oscars. Cynthia Erivo and Arian Grande-Butera are all but guaranteed to scoop up some major nominations, and you can expect a slew of technical nods too.
The two clash as Elphaba (Erivo), a misunderstood outcast with green skin and extraordinary magical powers, and Glinda (Grande-Butera), a charming socialite who’s always had things go her way, at the prestigious Shiz University. But as the two overcome their initial hostility, they eventually become close friends, embarking on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City. There, their lives—and the history of this fantastical world—are changed for good.
