Jenni Mortimer and Lillie Rohan take a look at the history of the Oscars and explain why they matter.
Video / NZHerald / Gettyimages / AP
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony this week had Hollywood’s biggest stars flock to the red carpet to celebrate one another’s achievements, and some of the year’s most significant films in the spotlight. With much chatter about those that won - and even more about those that didn’t — where can Kiwis see them?
The ceremony, while predictable, wasn’t without its upsets - Martin Scorsese’sKillers of the Flower Moon didn’t take home a single award, while last year’s biggest box-office hit Barbienetted only one - Best Original Song, which went to Billie Eilish and brother Finneas for What Was I Made For.
But it came as no surprise that Christopher Nolan’s epic biopicOppenheimer took out the biggest awards haul, from Best Director and Original Score to Cillian Murphy’s Best Actor win. Poor Things closely followed, landing Emma Stone Best Actress and earning accolades for its costume design, editing, and hair and makeup.
If you followed the coverage of the awards ceremony here on the NZ Herald or saw highlights on social media, chances are some of those awards went to movies you hadn’t even heard of. So, if you steered clear of cinemas last year and still haven’t seen these Academy Award-winning films, here’s where you can watch them all in New Zealand - why not make the most of the autumnal weather and book yourself in for an Oscars movie marathon?
Won: Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing
The cast and crew of Oppenheimer went home with an impressive haul of gold statues last night, as lead actor Cillian Murphy celebrated his first Best Actor Oscar and Nolan his first Best Director. It dominated at the Baftas, Critics’ Choice Awards, and the Golden Globes this year, and features a glittering line-up of big names, from Matt Damon to Florence Pugh to Kenneth Branagh. Watching Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer wrestle with the consequences of creating the atomic bomb was truly impressive on the big screen, and you might not feel the same impact watching at home - but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth streaming.
Where to watch: Apple TV, or on Neon from March 22
Poor Things
Won: Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design
The weird and wonderful Poor Things earned Emma Stone her second Best Actress win. This adaptation of a 1992 novel by Alisdair Gray follows a mad scientist, played by Willem Dafoe, who reconstructs Victorian woman Bella Baxter with the brain of her unborn baby. Baxter learns to navigate a fantastical world with the literal mind of a child, as the men around her attempt to control, sexualise and manipulate her throughout this darkly humorous tale. It’s still showing in theatres around New Zealand, as well as on streaming.
Where to watch: In cinemas or on Disney+
Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers.
The Holdovers
Won: Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph took home Best Actress, thanking the Academy in an emotional speech and adding to her impressive awards circuit haul. Playing school cafeteria manager Mary Lamb alongside a gruff Paul Giamatti as a boarding school history teacher forced to look after students who can’t go home for Christmas, she anchors this comedic drama as students and teacher learn to get along. If you’re nostalgic for the 1970s, you can stream this one at home and take a trip back to a simpler time.
Where to watch: Neon
Barbie
Won: Best Original Song
Greta Gerwig’s film may have missed out on Best Picture, but if Oscars were handed out for breaking records, it would top the list. It was the biggest film debut of 2023 and hit US$1 billion ($1.6b) at the box office in August, but if you didn’t manage to make it to the movies to see it for yourself last year, you can still stream it at home and see Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling bring the iconic dolls to life on screen.
Where to watch: Apple TV
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in Barbie.
American Fiction
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay
By turns funny, ironic and heartbreaking, American Fiction earned its lead, Jeffrey Wright, a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of cynical writer and professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves reading and writing, or is interested in questions of race and representation in literature in our culture today. It’ll make you laugh and bring you to tears, often at the same time.
Sandra Huller appeared in two Oscar-winning films this year -Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest - and while she missed out on the Best Actress win for Anatomy of a Fall, it’s well worth seeing this French-language film for yourself. A woman accused of killing her husband must defend herself in court, as her complicated marriage is picked apart. Border collie Messi, who plays her blind son’s dog Snoop, steals the show in this film - as well as our hearts - when he appeared wearing a bowtie in the Oscars audience.
Where to watch: Neon
Sandra Huller's emotional range shines as a writer accused of murdering her husband in Anatomy of a Fall.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Won: Best Live Action Short Film
This Wes Anderson-directed retelling of the Roald Dahl classic follows a rich man pursuing meditation who then uses the practice to increase his fortune. Anderson’s style of film-making and Dahl’s fantastical storytelling are a great match, anchored by Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar. If you’ve had enough of three-hour-long movies (Killers of the FlowerMoon, Dune 2, Oppenheimer to name a few), this is only a 39 minutes’ watch and available on Netflix.
The Boy and the Heron follows 12-year-old Mahito’s search for his mother in a fantasy version of the world circa World War II. Director Hayao Miyazaki based the film on Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel How Do You Live? and has said this is his final film before he retires, so it’s well worth catching this in theatres while you can.
Where to watch: In cinemas
War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Won: Best Animated Short Film
Award-winning Kiwi director Peter Jackson had a hand in this short film by Brad Booker and Dave Mullins, as its visual effects and animation were created by Aotearoa-based Wētā FX. Set to the soundtrack of Lennon and Ono’s classic Christmas song Happy Xmas (War is Over), it follows two World War I soldiers playing a game of chess via carrier pigeon, though they’re fighting on opposite sides.
It’s available to watch along with the other Oscar-nominated short films in a few theatres in New Zealand - Rialto Cinema in Newmarket, Auckland and in Dunedin, and Alice Cinema in Christchurch.
Where to watch: In selected cinemas in New Zealand
20 Days in Mariupol
Won: Best Documentary Feature Film
This harrowing documentary follows a team of Associated Press journalists trapped during the siege of Mariupol in February-March 2022 as they document the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Accepting the award on stage, director Mstyslav Chernov noted he was probably the first director to say he wished he’d “never made this film” and called for an end to the war. You can watch the film on documentary streaming service Docplay in New Zealand.
This short documentary follows four Los Angeles craftspeople tasked with maintaining musical instruments for school students free of charge, as they reveal how their work has changed their lives as well as those of the students. It’s sparked a campaign in the US to raise US$15 million ($24m) to go to repairing instruments for children.
Where to watch: Disney+
The Zone of Interest follows a Nazi family living next door to Auschwitz.
The Zone of Interest
Won: Best Sound
Jonathan Glazer’s deeply disturbing film netted several Oscar nominations this year, ultimately earning the award for Best Sound. Based on a novel by Martin Amis, it follows Nazi commandant Rudolf Hoss and his family, who live next door to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. It doesn’t show the horrors of the Holocaust on screen, relying heavily on sound and the power of suggestion to create an unsettling drama. It’s in theatres now around New Zealand.
Takashi Yamakazi’s monster movie Godzilla Minus One landed the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, beating out several Hollywood movies with much-bigger budgets, including Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. It’s the first time a Japan-made film has won in this category, and it’s the kind of movie that demands to be seen on the big screen. Good news for fans of the Godzilla franchise, it’s in cinemas now in New Zealand.
