Five Must-Watch Oscar Winning Movies Of 2021

Oscar winning movies: The 93rd Academy Award was held on Monday, April 26 with Regina King opening the ceremony as the awards were hostless this year again.

Some of the big wins of the day were Joaquin Phoenix for Best Actor, and Chloe Zhao for Best Director for her film Nomadland. She became the second woman ever to win the Academy Award for direction and the first Asian woman to do so.

Some of the films that won awards were The Father, Nomadland, Judas and the Black Messiah, Black Bottom, Mank, Soul and many more.

As the 93rd Academy Awards have come to an end, here are five must-watch films that won the Oscar in 2021:

Nomadland

Won: Best Picture; Best Actress
Where to watch: Hulu

A poetic adaption of a non-fiction book of the same name, Nomadland is one of the most beautiful, emotional, and moving films of all time. Frances McDormand, played the role of Fern, a woman who goes on a journey to the American West after she had lost everything during the Great Recession and struggles to come to terms with it.

The film deals with the topic of being homeless. It also gives a message about being happy with whatever you have and helping people whenever you can. Watching Nomadland feels like watching a documentary as it feels very realistic.

Nomadland is directed by Chloé Zhao who won the Oscar for Best Director who became the second woman, and the first woman of Asian Heritage to win the award.

Watch the trailer here:

Minari

Won: Best Supporting Actress
Where to watch: Video on demand (VOD)

During these trying times when people are struggling everywhere, Minari is exactly the kind of film people need right now. A film that tells the story of family togetherness and love that can overcome every odd however insurmountable they are.

Youn Yuh-Jun, who won the Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actress plays the role of a stubborn grandmother who will leave you in tears as the movie comes to an end. The exceptional cast of the film portrays the family dynamic very well as they struggle in their daily lives.

The film follows the story of a Korean-American family that is in search of its own American dream and moves to Arkansas. This semi-autobiographical film is written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung who included many of his own memories of his childhood home in Arkansas in the film.

Watch the trailer here:

Judas and the Black Messiah

Won: Best Supporting Actor; Best Song
Where to watch: Video On Demand (VOD)

The film is a biographical drama that shows the betrayal of the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, in late 1960 Chicago by an FBI informant William O'Neal.

Directed and produced by Shaka King, and written by Will Berson and King, the film is based on a story by Kenny and Keith Lucas.
Out of every film based on the Civil Rights Movement, this film has been called one of the best ones. The best thing about this must-watch is that it does not fall into the tropes of traditional biopics that usually dramatise history.

The film instead focuses on the story about loyalty, betrayal, violence and fear among people. The film makes it very easy for the audience to empathise with it from multiple perspectives and it makes it more effective as a biopic.

The Academy Award-winning film has been praised by critics and King's direction is also appreciated. Apart from the direction, performances of the actor Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield have also been lauded by critics. For the film, Kaluuya won multiple awards like Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and more.

Watch the trailer here:

Soul

Won: Best Animated Feature Film, Score
Where to watch: Disney+

This animated film follows the story of a middle school teacher called Joe Gardner whose soul is accidentally separated from his body just before he gets his big break as a jazz musician. Gardner seeks to reunite his body with his soul. The film is the first animated Pixar film with an African-American protagonist.

The main message of the film is to appreciate ourselves and to cherish every little moment in life, and not hold on to bad relationships. The film also emphasises that life is not just about talent but about perseverance and that one should truly appreciate their life.

The film develops more meaning in it, which makes the audience think about how their personal lives and society has been influenced and shaped. Jamie Foxx has played the transformative character of Joe Gardener very well and anyone can relate to him, as Joe tries to find the purpose and meaning of his life at the age of 22.

Soul was released in the ear 2020 and is directed by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

Watch the trailer here:

Promising Young Woman

Won: Best Original Screenplay
Where to watch: Video on demand (VOD)

Trigger Warning: This paragraph and this film deal with topics such as sexual assault, rape, murder and suicide.

Promising Young Woman tells the story of a girl named Cassie who dropped out of medical school after her best friend Nina was raped in an inebriated state seven years ago. Nina ended her life as a result of her trauma, and since then Cassie spent her life taking revenge on the problematic men in her town.

She goes to bars and night clubs pretends to be drunk and lets the men who label them as "nice guys" take her home. Most of these "nice guys" try to assault her and when Cassie catches them red-handed and calls them out saying that she isn't drunk, they often deflect blame insisting that they did nothing wrong.

Even though the protagonist of the film does things that are not morally right, the audience finds themselves rooting for her as an anti-hero. The performance of Cassie by Carey Mulligans gives many layers to the character that could have been shallow if not portrayed well.

Watch the trailer here:

Views expressed are the author's own.