Diverse Themes in 57 Academy Award Nominees from 2016

Cartel Land

2015 • 100 min • Box office $1M

Drama, Documentary

In Michoacán, Mexico, Dr. Jose Mireles, a respected local doctor known as "El Doctor," leads a popular movement against the Knights Templar, a brutal drug cartel that has plagued the area for years. Simultaneously, in Arizona's Altar Valley – a…

7.2

7.3

17+

Stream on

A War

2015 • 115 min • Box office $1M

Drama, War

In Helmand, Afghanistan, company commander Claus Michael Pedersen and his unit face constant danger. Back home in Denmark, Claus' wife Maria struggles to raise their three children while he's at war. During a routine mission, the soldiers are ambushed by…

6.6

7.0

17+

Stream on

+12

Amy

2015 • 128 min • Box office $23M

Documentary, Music

This documentary chronicles the life of Amy Winehouse, a supremely gifted singer whose career was tragically cut short. It follows her journey from adolescence, where her vocal talent was evident, through her rise to fame and subsequent struggles with alcohol…

7.6

7.8

17+

Stream on

The Martian

2015 • 141 min • Budget $108M • Box office $631M

Drama, Adventure, Science Fiction

On a Mars mission, astronaut Mark Watney is mistakenly believed dead and abandoned by his crew after a severe storm. However, Watney has survived and is now stranded alone on the dangerous planet. With limited resources, he must use his…

7.7

8.0

13+

Stream on

+12

Inside Out

2015 • 95 min • Budget $175M • Box office $857M

Animation, Family, Adventure

When 11-year-old Riley relocates to a new city, her core emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness – work as a team to guide her. However, when Joy and Sadness get lost on their way back to headquarters, they…

7.9

8.1

Stream on

Sanjay's Super Team

2015 • 7 min

Animation, Family, Fantasy

SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM centers on a young Indian boy who finds his father's religious meditations dull. He begins to imagine a team of powerful gods, akin to "The Avengers," who act as superheroes.

6.4

6.8

Stream on

Lynley

2015 • 124 min • Budget $60M • Box office $101M

Drama, Comedy

This film tells the story of a Long Island single mother who overcame hardship to become a highly successful entrepreneur.

6.6

13+

Stream on

Mad Max: Fury Road

2015 • 121 min • Budget $150M • Box office $378M

Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

In a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, humanity has fractured, and survival is a brutal struggle. Amidst this harsh landscape, two rebels on the run hold the potential to bring order back to a broken society.

7.6

8.1

17+

Stream on

Spectre

2015 • 148 min • Budget $245M • Box office $880M

Action, Adventure, Thriller

A mysterious message from his past leads Bond to a dangerous organization. As M fights to protect MI6, Bond uncovers a dark truth about SPECTRE, layer by layer.

6.6

6.8

13+

Stream on

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2015 • 136 min • Budget $245M • Box office $2B

Adventure, Action, Science Fiction

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his companions confront a new danger: the malevolent Kylo Ren and his Stormtrooper forces.

7.3

7.7

13+

Stream on

Youth

2015 • 125 min • Budget $13M • Box office $2M

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two friends, who have known each other their whole lives, reconnect on a relaxing vacation at a luxurious lodge in the Swiss Alps as they consider retirement. Fred isn't considering returning to his music, despite his daughter Lena's wishes. Mick,…

6.9

7.3

17+

Stream on

Sicario

2015 • 122 min • Budget $30M • Box office $84M

Action, Crime, Thriller

A young, idealistic FBI agent joins a government task force working to combat the growing drug conflict along the U.S.-Mexico border.

7.4

7.7

17+

Stream on

Everything Will Be Okay

2015 • 30 min

A divorced father picks up his eight-year-old daughter, Lea, for what seems like a typical weekend. But Lea soon senses something is amiss, and their routine visit turns into an unexpected and significant journey.

7.2

7.4

Stream on

What Happened, Miss Simone?

2015 • 101 min

Music, Documentary

This film follows Nina Simone's life, from her early talent as a child pianist to becoming a celebrated musician and a powerful voice for social change. It's presented through her own recollections.

7.4

7.6

Stream on

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

2013 • 115 min • Budget $9M • Box office $51M

Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Allan Karlsson, after a long and eventful life, is now residing in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday, he escapes by jumping out a window and embarks on an unforeseen adventure.

6.8

7.0

17+

Stream on

+13

The Hateful Eight

2015 • 188 min • Budget $44M • Box office $155M

Drama, Mystery, Western

A group of bounty hunters seeking refuge from a severe blizzard find themselves embroiled in a scheme of betrayal and deceit.

7.8

17+

Stream on

The Revenant

2015 • 157 min • Budget $135M • Box office $532M

Western, Drama, Adventure

In the 1820s, frontiersman Hugh Glass is mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions. He then embarks on a journey of revenge against those who abandoned him.

7.5

8.0

17+

Stream on

We Can't Live Without Cosmos

2014 • 16 min

Animation, Drama

Two cosmonauts and friends dedicate themselves to rigorous training, striving to achieve their shared ambition. However, this is a story about more than just pursuing a dream.

6.9

7.6

The Hunting Ground

2015 • 104 min • Box office $411K

Documentary

This film reveals the shocking reality of rape on American college campuses, exposing how institutions often conceal these crimes and the profound impact on students and their families. The story follows several undergraduate survivors as they fight to continue their…

7.4

7.5

13+

Stream on

Prologue

2015 • 6 min

Action, Animation

The opening scene shows Spartan and Athenian soldiers engaged in a brutal, life-or-death fight.

6.4

6.6

17+

The Big Short

2015 • 131 min • Budget $28M • Box office $133M

Comedy, Drama

This is the story of the individuals who profited immensely from a worldwide financial crisis.

7.4

7.8

17+

Stream on

+11

Trumbo

2015 • 124 min • Budget $15M • Box office $8M

Drama

In the late 1940s, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's career is destroyed when he refuses to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and is subsequently blacklisted.

7.2

7.4

17+

Stream on

The Danish Girl

2015 • 119 min • Budget $15M • Box office $64M

Drama

Gerda Wegener asks her husband Einar to pose for her portrait, and in the process, Einar discovers the person Gerda envisioned for her. He begins living as a woman named Lili Elbe. With Gerda's love and encouragement, Lili starts a…

7.6

7.1

17+

Stream on

Body Team 12

2015 • 13 min

In the midst of a devastating Ebola outbreak, Body Team 12 performs the grim duty of collecting the deceased. They face arguably the world's most dangerous and harrowing job. The film explores their unique perspective and resilience, revealing how they…

6.8

7.2

Theeb

2014 • 100 min • Box office $768K

Adventure, Thriller, Drama

In 1916, deep in the Arabian Desert, young Theeb and his brother Hussein leave their tribe for a dangerous journey as the Great Revolt begins. To survive, Theeb must quickly discover the harsh realities of adulthood, the importance of trust,…

6.7

7.1

Stream on

When Marnie Was There

2014 • 103 min • Box office $34M

Animation, Drama, Family

To recover from an illness, a withdrawn teenage girl is sent to live with relatives in the countryside. She becomes increasingly fixated on a nearby abandoned mansion and develops an intense fascination with a girl who lives there – a…

7.9

7.6

Stream on

Friend

2015 • 21 min

Two boys' friendship is pushed to the breaking point as they struggle to survive amidst the chaos of the Kosovo war.

7.3

7.9

Stream on

Creed

2015 • 133 min • Budget $37M • Box office $173M

Drama, Action

Rocky Balboa, the retired World Heavyweight Champion, becomes a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson. Adonis is Apollo Creed's son.

7.4

7.6

13+

Stream on

Brooklyn

2015 • 111 min • Budget $11M • Box office $62M

Romance, Drama, History

Set in the 1950s, the story follows young Eilis Lacey as she faces a difficult decision between two men and the contrasting worlds of Ireland and New York.

7.3

7.5

13+

Stream on

Bridge of Spies

2015 • 141 min • Budget $40M • Box office $165M

Thriller, Drama

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union shoots down U.S. Pilot Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane and captures him. Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison, and his only chance for freedom lies with New York lawyer James…

7.2

7.6

13+

Stream on

Cinderella

2015 • 105 min • Budget $95M • Box office $543M

Romance, Fantasy, Family

Following her father's sudden death, Ella is forced into servitude by her stepmother and stepsisters. Despite her difficult circumstances, Ella holds onto hope, and her life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters a charming stranger in the forest.

6.8

6.9

Stream on

Mustang

2015 • 97 min • Budget $1M • Box office $5M

Drama

In a Turkish village, five orphaned sisters live under strict control as their family arranges their marriages.

7.7

7.6

13+

Stream on

Steve Jobs

2015 • 122 min • Budget $30M • Box office $34M

Drama, History

Behind the scenes of three major product launches, culminating in the 1998 iMac reveal, Steve Jobs offers a personal look at the man who drove the digital revolution.

6.8

7.2

17+

Stream on

Embrace of the Serpent

2015 • 125 min • Budget $1M • Box office $1M

Drama, Adventure

This is the sweeping tale of first contact, betrayal, and an unlikely friendship. Karamakate, the sole survivor of his Amazonian tribe, meets two scientists who embark on a 40-year journey through the rainforest searching for a sacred plant with healing…

7.7

7.8

Stream on

+12

Carol

2015 • 118 min • Budget $11M • Box office $40M

Romance, Drama

In 1950s New York City, a department store clerk yearning for a more fulfilling existence develops a romantic relationship with an older woman who is already married.

7.5

7.3

17+

Stream on

Day One

2015 • 25 min

Arriving in Afghanistan for her first assignment, a US Army interpreter is compelled to transport the child of an enemy bomb-maker.

5.6

6.8

13+

Son of Saul

2015 • 107 min • Budget $1M • Box office $1M

War, Drama, Thriller

In 1944, at the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, a prisoner tasked with cremating the bodies of fellow inmates struggles with his conscience. He attempts to secretly give a young boy, whom he sees as his own son, a proper…

7.1

7.4

17+

Stream on

Room

2015 • 118 min • Budget $13M • Box office $35M

Drama, Thriller

After seven years imprisoned in a confined space, a woman and her young son are released and experience the outside world together for the first time.

8.0

8.1

17+

Stream on

Shaun the Sheep Movie

2015 • 85 min • Budget $25M • Box office $106M

Family, Animation, Comedy

Shaun takes a day off for fun, but finds himself in unexpected trouble. A mix-up with a farmer, a caravan, and a steep hill sends them all to the city. Now, Shaun and the flock must work together to safely…

7.0

7.3

Stream on

Anomalisa

2015 • 91 min • Budget $8M • Box office $5M

Animation, Drama, Romance

A motivational speaker's life takes a turn when he encounters an energetic woman who disrupts his predictable routine.

7.1

7.2

17+

Stream on

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

2015 • 98 min

Documentary

In Ukraine, what began as peaceful student protests escalated into a violent revolution and a widespread movement for civil rights over a period of 93 days.

7.9

8.3

Stream on

Fifty Shades of Grey

2015 • 125 min • Budget $40M • Box office $569M

Drama, Romance, Thriller

While covering for her ill roommate, college student Anastasia Steele interviews Christian Grey, a wealthy and influential businessman. Grey is intrigued by Ana, and she is equally drawn to him. Despite her lack of experience, Ana becomes involved with Grey,…

5.9

4.2

17+

Stream on

Chau, Beyond the Lines

2015 • 34 min

Despite being disabled by Agent Orange, a man holds onto hope and dreams for the future.

6.1

7.0

Stream on

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah

2015 • 40 min

This film chronicles the painstaking creation of *Shoah*, a monumental documentary. It details the director's meticulous approach to gathering testimonies from survivors and witnesses. The film explores the challenges of assembling vast archival footage and piecing together a comprehensive narrative…

6.9

6.8

Stream on

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

2015 • 40 min

Documentary

In Pakistan, a woman faces a death sentence for a crime of love, becoming an unlikely survivor within the country's strict legal system.

7.1

7.8

Stream on

Ex Machina

2015 • 108 min • Budget $15M • Box office $36M

Drama, Science Fiction

Caleb, a coder for the biggest internet company, wins a contest for a week-long stay at the secluded mountain retreat owned by Nathan, the company's secretive CEO. Upon arrival, Caleb discovers he's part of an unusual experiment: he must interact…

7.6

7.7

17+

Stream on

+15

Last Day of Freedom

2015 • 32 min

Bill Babbitt struggles with the difficult choice of whether to report to the police when he discovers his brother Manny has committed a crime.

7.1

7.5

Stream on

The Look of Silence

2014 • 100 min • Box office $332K

History, Documentary

A man who works as an optician confronts the brutal Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966, a period that saw the death of his own brother.

7.8

8.2

13+

Stream on

Boy & the World

2014 • 80 min • Box office $121K

Animation, Fantasy, Adventure

Feeling lost after his father moves to the city, a young boy leaves his village and finds himself in a fantastical world filled with insect-powered machines and peculiar creatures. The film uses a unique blend of animation styles to explore…

7.4

7.5

Stream on

Stutterer

2015 • 13 min

Drama

A solitary typographer, burdened by a severe speech impediment yet possessing a rich inner world of articulate thought, must confront his deepest fear.

7.4

7.6

Stream on

Straight Outta Compton

2015 • 147 min • Budget $28M • Box office $201M

Drama, Music, History

In 1987, five young men channeled their frustration and anger about life in a dangerous part of America into powerful music. *Straight Outta Compton* tells the true story of these cultural rebels who, armed with lyrics, confidence, and talent, challenged…

7.8

17+

Stream on

+10

Ave Maria

2015 • 15 min

The peaceful lives of five nuns in a remote West Bank convent are disrupted when an Israeli settler family's vehicle breaks down right outside the convent as the Sabbath begins.

5.8

6.5

Stream on

Bear Story

2016 • 11 min

Animation, Drama

Each day, an aging bear visits a bustling street corner. He performs for passersby using a homemade tin marionette theater, sharing his life story with anyone who will listen.

7.5

7.7

Racing Extinction

2015 • 90 min

Adventure, Documentary

A group of diverse activists and inventive people form an ambitious plan to protect animals at risk of extinction.

7.8

8.1

Stream on

+13

45 Years

2015 • 95 min • Box office $4M

Drama, Romance

Kate Mercer is preparing for her 45th wedding anniversary party, and everything is proceeding smoothly. However, a letter arrives for her husband revealing that the body of his first love has been found – frozen and preserved in the Swiss…

6.6

7.1

17+

Stream on

+11

Spotlight

2015 • 129 min • Budget $20M • Box office $98M

Drama, History

This is the true story of the Boston Globe's investigation into widespread child molestation and a subsequent cover-up within the city's Catholic Archdiocese. The reporting sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church.

7.8

8.1

17+

Stream on

World of Tomorrow

2015 • 17 min

Animation, Drama, Science Fiction

A young girl experiences a disorienting journey to a far-off future.

7.8

8.1