Every year, dozens and dozens of films are nominated for Academy Awards. While they don't all win big, or even win at all, these critically hailed features are definitely worth a watch. Fortunately, Netflix maintains an expansive list of Oscar-nominated movies that have slipped through the cracks with the passage of time.
From drama to documentaries to action to animated films, Netflix's acclaimed movie offerings are seemingly infinite. Sometimes, though, some great titles are hiding in plain sight. Even Oscar-nominated movies starring some of Hollywood's most popular actors can end up buried behind the hot flick or series of the week.
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Fashion designer Tom Ford's second foray into filmmaking is a tense neo-noir thriller starring some of Hollywood's best performers, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. A story-within-a-story, Nocturnal Animals is a layered, tense thriller that gets very violent.
With its taut performances and visually stunning cinematography, Noctural Animals achieved a high degree of critical success. Michael Shannon earned an Oscar nomination for his scene-stealing role as Detective Bobby Andes.
The Square (2013)
Jehane Noujaim's documentary traces the early days of Egypt's ongoing political crisis, which started with the revolution in Cairo's Tahrir Square in 2011. The film follows a group of activists hoping to push their country toward democracy.
The movement's efforts led to the departure of President Hosni Mubarak, a corrupt autocrat who ruled Egypt since 1981, but The Square shows how Mubarak's departure proved to be just the beginning. A compassionate rallying cry for egalitarian, grass-roots advocacy around the world, The Square was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars.
On Body And Soul (2017)
A Hungarian feature nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, On Body and Soul contains a unique, magical premise. In it, two slaughterhouse employees discover they have the ability to communicate with each other through their dreams.
Themes of love and loneliness are developed as the pair decide to recreate the events of their shared dreams in real life. Tender and warm-hearted, On Body and Soul takes romantic ideas into entirely new territory.
The Two Popes (2019)
Adapted from Anthony McCarten's play The Pope, The Two Popes is a fictionalized examination of what transpired in Vatican City in the wake of 2012's Vatican leak scandal. Anthony Hopkins plays Pope Benedict XVI, while Jonathan Pryce co-stars as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio — who would go on to become Pope Francis.
The Two Popes showcases how Pope Benedict discouraged Cardinal Bergoglio from resigning out of disgust for the high level of corruption exposed by the leaks. Both Hopkins and Pryce received Oscar nominations for their performances.
The Grandmaster (2013)
Wong Kar-wai, one of Hong Kong's best directors, teams up with Tony Leung, one of Hong Kong's best actors, to tell the story of Ip Man, one of kung fu's most beloved grandmasters. Leung portrays the Chinese martial artist in The Grandmaster, an epic drama that spans decades.
Stylized and engrossing, The Grandmaster is considered one of the most authentic martial arts films to date. The gorgeous 130-minute movie earned Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design nominations at the Academy Awards.
A Serious Man (2009)
A Serious Man is a seriously Jewish dark comedy written and directed by the Coen brothers; it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Michael Stuhlbarg hints at the greatness to come in his career with his portrayal of Midwestern physics professor Larry Gopnik.
Set in 1967 Minnesota, the film follows Gopnik as he deals with both professional and personal woes, including being dumped by his wife. As the world falls apart around him, Gopnik begins to question his Jewish faith.
The Breadwinner (2017)
Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon is responsible for The Breadwinner, a harrowing film set in Kabul, Afganistan. In order to provide for her family, 11-year-old Parvana poses as a boy so she can work under Taliban control.
Far from a typical animated feature, The Breadwinner is violent, realistic, and honest about what many Afghani citizens endured when the Taliban ruled. Its compelling style earned it a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Academy Awards.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Legendary American singer Nina Simone is the subject of Liz Garbus' documentary. The soulful, fierce performer became an outspoken civil rights advocate in the 1960s, even moving to Liberia in the wake of the decade's reign of terror against Black people.
What Happened, Miss Simone? attempts to shine a light on one of music's most mysterious yet most influential voices. The documentary was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
Kon-Tiki (2012)
Norwegian director Joachim Rønning helms this ambitious sea-fairing feature based on the 1947 Kon-Tiki exploration in which explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl led a team by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian Islands.
Rife with danger and natural obstacles, Kon-Tiki is a well-crafted adventure tale. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
Defiance (2008)
Although it received mixed reviews from critics, Defiance is a fictionalized retelling of a forgotten WWII mission that stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, and George MacKay. They play the Bielski brothers, Polish Jews who protected Jews in Belarus.
Defiance was nominated for Best Original Score at the Oscars. It presents a much more nuanced, and darker portrait of war than other films that tackle the same subject matter.