Not every country has equal access to all content on all of these streaming services. You might find your streaming service blocked or the Oscar movie you wanted to watch unavailable. There’s an easy fix for this: use a VPN to change your IP and get access anyway! We recommend Surfshark because of its great speeds and low price tag. Whether you’re looking for a tear-jerking drama, a laugh-until-your-sides-hurt comedy, or an animated masterpiece, these Oscar winners and nominees have got you covered. Read on to find out where to watch Oscar-winning movies. We’ll also tell you how to watch these movies if the streaming services they’re on are blocked in your country.
Where to Stream the 2022 Oscar Winners
Unfortunately, watching all of the Oscar winners from 2022 isn’t as simple as just getting a Netflix subscription. These movies are spread out over many different streaming platforms. The table below will tell you exactly which platforms host which movies at the time of writing. Want to know more about each winner? Below, we’ll give you instructions on how to watch them, plus a synopsis to help you decide which Oscar winner to watch first!
Best picture: Coda
Where to watch: Apple TV+ Ruby Rossi finds herself in an unlikely and somewhat ironic situation. She is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who wants to pursue a career in music. Ruby is the only hearing person in her family of four. As such, she has quite a lot on her shoulders. She has to juggle her school work, social life, and helping her family with their business. Matters become even more complicated when she joins the school choir and realizes she loves singing. She now has to choose between pursuing her music studies or helping the family fishery business stay afloat. Coda is a unique story of what one can accomplish with the love and support of their family. No wonder this film received the Oscar for Best Picture!
Best actor in a leading role (Will Smith): King Richard
Where to watch: HBO Max King Richard tells the emotional and inspiring story of Venus and Serena Williams’ tennis journeys and the crucial role their father played in this. Despite all odds, Richard Williams manages to turn his daughters into two of the best female tennis players ever. The movie accurately portrays how the Williams family had to overcome incredible obstacles for Venus and Serena to shine. Growing up in Compton, one of the most gang-ridden cities in the US, was certainly one of those. Their difficulty in finding the sisters a professional coach also didn’t help. Moreover, the African-American tennis stars had to fight for their place in a sport dominated by affluent, mostly white, people. However, as Will Smith wonderfully portrays, Richard keeps on fighting for his daughters and believing in them. We all know how this great story ends, but it’s definitely worth experiencing, especially the award-winning performance by Will Smith.
Best actress in a leading role (Jessica Chastain): The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Where to watch: HBO Max, Hulu Let’s move from one biographical drama to another. In The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain does a great job of portraying televangelist Tammy Faye’s larger-than-life personality. Tammy meets her husband-to-be Jim Bakker at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. The two marry, despite strong disapproval from Tammy’s mother. Soon, word gets around about Tammy and Jim’s enthusiastic preaching. They are hired to present a Christian show. At first, all focus is on praising the lord. However, it quickly shifts to the various scandals Tammy and Jim get involved in. Jessica Chastain uniquely portrays Tamy Faye and was definitely worthy of the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Best supporting actress (Ariana DeBose): West Side Story
Where to watch: Disney+ and HBO Max This 2021 version of West Side Story is essentially a remake of the 1957 version, with some tweaks. It tells the story of two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, and the romance between our main characters, Maria and Tony. Unfortunately, Tony and Maria can’t enjoy their mutual affection as calmly and worry-free as they might like. After all, Tony is a former Jets member, and Maria is the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. This story of love (between Tony and Maria) and hate (between the Jets and the Sharks) is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. It is embellished with entertaining musical elements, such as song, dance, and spectacular outfits, while also discussing themes like racial prejudice. Ariana DeBose, who won the 2022 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, plays Anita, Bernardo’s sister.
Best original screenplay: Belfast
Where to watch: HBO Max Belfast tells the story of a family from Belfast in 1969 experiencing the start of “The Troubles,” a violent conflict in Northern Ireland (and partly in Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe). This 30-year-long “irregular war” was fought between unionists and Irish nationalists over the status of Northern Ireland as part of the UK. The movie won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and powerful performances from esteemed actors like Judi Dench really make the movie shine.
Best director (Jane Campion): The Power of The Dog
Where to watch: Netflix The Power of The Dog is an intriguing Western-themed psychological thriller. It involves a wealthy, kind-hearted rancher, George, getting married to a widowed inn-owner, Rose. However, the movie mostly focuses on the turbulent (at the beginning) relationship between Rose’s son Peter and George’s brother Phil. In the beginning, Phil constantly makes fun of Peter and belittles him in front of his workers. However, after an incident, Phil and Peter spend more time together and start to get along. From then on, their relationship develops further. If you have seen the acclaimed movie The Piano, you’re already familiar with the work of director Jane Campion. With The Power of the Dog, he has now won the Oscar for Best Director.
Best animated feature film: Encanto
Where to watch: Disney+ Disney’s latest success is the animated feature movie Encanto. In it, our hero Maribel tries to come to terms with the fact that she’s the only member of the Madrigal family who doesn’t have magical powers. Among sisters with super-strength and shapeshifting cousins, she tries to focus on what she does have: a great connection to their sentient home, Casita. However, when she realizes that a great danger is threatening their community, Maribel starts to explore the mysteries of her family and their powers. Why is her grandmother, Alma, so strict all the time? What really happened to their Uncle Bruno? And why is the magic of the house starting to turn against them? Discussing multi-generational trauma as well as the importance of family, Encanto tells a poignant story through beautiful animation and catchy music. The song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana) even became a worldwide TikTok hype. On top of that, Encanto was awarded with an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
Best cinematography (Greig Fraser): Dune
Where to watch: HBO Max Australian cameraman Greig Fraser has proven that it’s not just the actors who make or break a movie. The people behind the camera are just as important. And Fraser didn’t falter with Dune. The movie is based on a book of the same name, first published in August 1965. It is about a boy who has to travel to a hostile desert planet, Arrakis. This dangerous planet is home to the most valuable resource in the movie’s fictional Galaxy: the spice. The spice allows humans to live longer and enhances their intelligence. As this movie includes many different landscapes and even different planets, it’s proven to be a great platform for Fraser to show off his cinematographic talent. And that talent was rewarded with the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Best costume design (Jenny Beavan): Cruella
Where to watch: Disney+ Perhaps it’s not a surprise that a movie about an aspiring fashion designer has won the award for Best Costume Design. After all, Cruella de Vil’s creativity and authentic style offer a lot of options for great outfits. Following the success of Maleficent, Cruella uses a similar formula: it’s all about Cruella de Vil, the original villain of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. However, it mainly highlights her early life, when she was still going by the name Estella. Estella winds up an orphan on the streets of London at age 12. She befriends two boys that are just as much into mischief as she is. Together, the three create a decent life for themselves, mostly through theft. When a baroness sees Estella’s remarkable designs, Estella starts wondering if her dream of a career in fashion might come true after all. The rest, as fans of the 101 Dalmatians franchise know, is history.
Best documentary feature: Summer of Soul
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+ We’ve all heard of Woodstock, but did you know that the Harlem Cultural Festival took place around the same time? Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul features actual footage of this significant event, stock footage from news outlets, and interviews with attendees, musicians, and other commentators. The festival hosted a who’s who of African American artists and aimed to celebrate black music at a time when there was still a lot of racism and segregation in the U.S. The festival took place in Harlem, as you may have guessed, and was spread out over six Sundays between June 29 and August 24, 1969. Summer of Soul paints a great picture of the eclectic atmosphere at the festival and investigates why the event deserves far more attention than it has gotten.
Best documentary short film: The Queen of Basketball
Where to watch: YouTube This short-form documentary discusses the career of one of the pioneers of women’s basketball: Lusia Harris. Many consider her a legend of the game. It’s hard to dispute this claim, as she is the first and only woman to ever be drafted into the NBA. Luisa Harris spent her college basketball career at Delta State University in Mississippi. She managed to win three national championships with her team. She also won a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics with the US women’s team. Unfortunately, her playing career ended when she graduated. The WNBA wouldn’t be founded until 1996, meaning Harris didn’t have a lot of options to continue her basketball journey. She did have one, though, and a pretty remarkable one at that: she received an invitation to try out for the New Orleans Jazz in the NBA. Harris turned down the chance to play in the NBA, and instead, she chose to focus on raising a family. Nevertheless, The Queen of Basketball, which features Harris herself, does a great job of summarizing her incredible basketball journey and was definitely worthy of winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film.
Best international feature film: Drive My Car
Where to watch: HBO Max Drive My Car is a Japanese drama about an actor and director, Yūsuke Kafuku, who is mourning the death of his wife. Two years after her passing, he is invited to work on a theatre production in Hiroshima. While in Hiroshima, he is chauffeured around by Misaki Watari in his own car. During their drives and many, many conversations, Yūsuke slowly starts learning how to cope with his wife’s sudden death, and Misaki is also able to come to terms with her own past. This international feature received a lot of praise from movie fans and critics alike. In fact, it is the first Japanese movie to ever be nominated for best picture, so it is no surprise that it won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
Best original song: No Time to Die
Billie Eilish‘s emotional and fitting song for Daniel Craig’s exit from the James Bond Series won the Oscar for best original song in a movie. That doesn’t mean you should just listen to the music and skip out on the story, however. No Time to Die sees James Bond having to cancel his retirement plans in Jamaica. He was having a good time at the beach, but not for long. An old friend from the CIA asks for his help to find a kidnapped scientist. Bond agrees to take on the mission, but discovers it’s far riskier than he anticipated. The villain in this story is armed with a dangerous new technology that greatly complicates the mission. The Bond movies always had fantastic songs by successful artists. So Billie Eilish did this one justice as it was the winner of Best Original Song at the 2022 Oscars.
Best animated short film: The Windshield Wiper
Where to watch: YouTube The Windshield Wiper has won director Alberto Mielgo and animator Leo Sanchez a well-deserved Oscar. New concepts and ideas are always refreshing, and this animated film illustrates that beautifully. The story sees an old man reflecting on a very basic yet complex question in a noisy and smoke-filled cafe: What is love? Apart from what guests in the cafe have to say about this matter, the viewer also gets to experience the man’s thoughts while he ponders this question. What makes the movie so different and interesting is its format. First of all, it’s animated. During the cafe scenes, there is plenty of talking. However, the protagonist’s thoughts are just images without audio, showing what appear to be text messages, often between lovers. All of these elements work together to discuss the role and characteristics of love in the current era.
Best live-action short film: The Long Goodbye
Where to watch: YouTube The Long Goodbye is a short drama of only 13 minutes. It shows what looks like a normal day for a big family of immigrants in a city in the UK. However, this day takes an unexpected turn for main character Riz and his entire family when immigration officers knock on their door. Despite its limited duration, it makes a big statement. The short film addresses racism in the United Kingdom, especially against people from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, through some very graphic scenes toward the end. It is no surprise that this short movie won the Best Live Action Short Film at the Oscars, as truly, in the end, it has one of the most intense live-action scenes ever witnessed by fans of this genre.
Movies With the Most Oscar Nominations for 2023
With the 2023 Oscars around the corner, it’s time to start looking at the nominees! Want to get a head-start and form your own opinion on who should win and why? Then you’d better get watching. Even though there are more than 50 films up for Oscars this year in various categories, some have stood out more than others. The table below lists the 10 movies that have received the most 2023 Oscar nominations.
Watch Oscar-Winning Films With a VPN
Every year, Oscar winners tend to be spread out over many different streaming platforms. Many of these platforms enforce so-called geo-restrictions. This means that they only offer access to users from a certain country or region. Other users will be blocked. Fortunately, there is an easy way to solve this problem: using a VPN. A VPN gives you access to blocked streams by making it seem like you are in the “right” country. To accomplish this, a VPN simply changes your IP address to an IP address from said country. The VPN we recommend for watching all your favorite award-winning movies of 2022 is Surfshark. This VPN offers excellent speeds, which is important if you want to enjoy your movie without endless buffering. In fact, Surfshark achieved the highest speeds during our VPN speed comparison. Moreover, Surfshark offers servers in more than enough countries to unblock virtually any stream. Lastly, Surfshark is incredibly affordable and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Follow our step-by-step guide below to use Surfshark, or another VPN, to watch your favorite movies.
A step-by-step guide to watching your favorite award-winning movies
You can download Surfshark and use it to watch award-winning movies by following these steps:
Use a VPN to get more from streaming providers
Did you know that many streaming services, such as Netflix, offer different content in different countries? This might seem quite annoying at first, but you can actually use this to your advantage. By using a VPN, you can actually access the U.S. version of Netflix, even if you’re not currently located in the U.S. This version offers way more content and will allow you to watch Braveheart, for instance. In many countries, people’s only option to watch this movie is Disney Plus. The example above illustrates that, with a VPN, you can get much more out of your streaming subscriptions. This might mean you don’t need to get tons of streaming subscriptions to watch your favorite movies!
Stream Oscar-Winning Movies Online
The 2022 Oscars included several noteworthy winners, and all of the movies discussed in this article are, without a doubt, worth seeing. You can securely access all these films and more with a VPN, no matter where you are. Has our list of amazing movies increased your cinematographic appetite? Check out our other articles about streaming great movies and series:
How to Watch Netflix With a VPN: A Step-by-Step Guide How to Watch Hulu from Anywhere in the World Watch Emmy-Winning TV Shows: Stream the Best Series How to Watch Disney Plus (and Star) Safely How to Watch HBO Max From Anywhere in the World
HBO Max Netflix Disney+ Hulu Apple TV+ Pluto TV YouTube