The 89th Annual Academy Awards, or the Oscars as they are popularly known, are to be held on February 26th. Regardless of people accusing the Academy of racism and the obvious unfairness, the awards ceremony is something you shouldn’t miss. But, one just doesn’t want to feel lost while watching the Academy Awards go down. You gotta be able to tell just how white the Oscars are this year. So, before you go ahead dissing on the Academy on the 26th with #OscarsSoWhite, here are a couple of Oscar nominated movies you should watch before the Oscars night. While all the nominations are pretty great, these are the ones which completely blew our minds.
Arrival
This science-fiction film outlines the story of a linguist who is hand-picked by the government to initiate contact with an extra-terrestrial life form so as to decipher their language and understand their purpose. During her task, she lets her compassion guide her to understand why they’re truly here. The film stars Amy adams, Jeremy Renner,
Fences
Based on the play written by August Wilson, Fences is about the struggles of an African-American man (Denzel Washington) while he tries to support his wife (Viola Davis)and kids back in the 1950s.
Manchester By The Sea
Circumstances compel Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) to take his nephew (Lucas Hedges) under his protection following his brother’s demise. While being pushed back into his challenging family, Lee finds a new relationship blossoming.
Hidden Figures
Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, this biographical drama movie tells the story of three female mathematicians, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who played a vital role in NASA during the US space program.
Jackie
Another biographical drama, Jackie tells the story of the former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy after the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. The film stars Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, and Billy Crudup.
Moonlight
Following the story of an African-American named Chiron in Miami, Moonlight highlights the effects of persecution as it traces his challenging life from childhood to adulthood.
Lion
Lion is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley (played by Dev Patel), the man who separated from his rural Indian family as a child and got adopted by Australian parents. After having grown up in Australia, he uses Google Earth to retrace his family back in India.
Hell or High Water
A Western crime-drama film, Hell or High Water outlines the lives of two brothers, one a divorced father and another an ex-con, who conduct bank robberies in a last-ditch effort to save their family ranch.
20th Century Women
Set in 1979, a middle-aged woman (Annette Bening) reaches out to two young women, played by Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning, to help her better herself at parenting her teenage son Lucas Jade Zumann).
Hacksaw Ridge
Set during the Second World War, this biographical war drama film tells the story of Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) who earned the Medal of Honour without ever having to fire a single shot to take a life.
