Oscars 2016: how to watch the films nominated for Academy Awards

The 2016 Oscars are already more unpredictable than the awards show has been in years.

For a second there, it seemed like Spotlight was a lock for the Best Picture win; now that race is swinging back The Revenant's way, as the film leads the nominations with 12. All the while, The Big Short and The Martian lurked outside the realm of the Serious Drama (the latter even won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical), waiting for their moment — and sure enough, both are nominated for Best Picture.

George Miller's critically acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road has made a late surge for awards recognition, garnering 10 Oscar nominations, while Todd Haynes's critically acclaimed Carol has quietly faded from Best Picture consideration into polite courtesy nods for Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in the acting categories.

All that is to say: This year's race is still decidedly up in the air. So if you want to be well-informed on Oscar night, or at least have some idea of what you're voting for in your office Oscar pool, here's how to catch up with this year's nominees before the awards ceremony on February 28.

Films listed as available to watch "on demand" are available via select cable providers like Comcast and Time Warner. Check your cable guide.

Amy

Nominated for: Documentary Feature

Available to watch on Amazon

Anomalisa

Paramount

Nominated for: Animated Feature

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

The Big Short

Paramount

Nominated for: Best Picture

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Bridge of Spies

Nominated for: Best Picture, Original Screenplay (Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen), Production Design (Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Heinrich), Original Score (Thomas Newman), Sound Mixing

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Brooklyn

Fox Searchlight

Nominated for: Best Picture, Lead Actress (Saiorse Ronan), Adapted Screenplay (Nick Hornby)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Cinderella

Nominated for: Costume Design (Sandy Powell)

Available to watch on Amazon, iTunes, on demand

Carol

The Weinstein Company

Nominated for: Lead Actress (Cate Blanchett), Supporting Actress (Rooney Mara), Adapted Screenplay (Phyllis Nagy), Cinematography (Edward Lachman), Costume Design (Sandy Powell), Original Score (Carter Burwell)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Cartel Land

Nominated for: Documentary Feature

Available to watch on Amazon

Creed

Warner Bros.

Nominated for: Supporting Actor (Sylvester Stallone)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Ex Machina

Nominated for: Original Screenplay (Alex Garland), Visual Effects

Available to watch on Amazon Prime, iTunes

The Danish Girl

Nominated for: Lead Actor (Eddie Redmayne), Supporting Actress (Alicia Vikander), Production Design (Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Michael Standish), Costume Design (Paco Delgado)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

The Hateful Eight

The Weinstein Company

Nominated for: Supporting Actress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Cinematography (Robert Richardson), Original Score (Ennio Morricone)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Inside Out

Disney/Pixar

Nominated for: Animated Feature, Original Screenplay (Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; story by Docter, Ronnie del Carmen)

Available to watch on Amazon, iTunes, YouTube subscription, on demand

The Look of Silence

Nominated for: Documentary Feature

Available to watch in limited theaters.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Warner Bros.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Directing (George Miller), Cinematography (John Seale), Film Editing (Margaret Sixel), Production Design (Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson), Costume Design (Jenny Beaven), Makeup and Hairstyling (Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects

Available to watch on HBO Go, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube subscription

The Martian

20th Century Fox

Nominated for: Best Picture, Directing (Ridley Scott), Lead Actor (Matt Damon), Adapted Screenplay (Drew Goddard), Production Design (Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Celia Bobak), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects

Available to watch on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube subscription, on demand

The Revenant

Nominated for: Best Picture, Directing (Alejandro G. Iñárritu), Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Tom Hardy), Costume Design (Jacqueline West), Production Design (Jack Fisk; Set Decoration, Hamish Purdy), Makeup and Hairstyling (Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Film Editing (Stephen Mirrione), Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki),

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Room

A24

Nominated for: Best Picture, Lead Actress (Brie Larson), Directing (Lenny Abrahamson), Adapted Screenplay (Emma Donoghue)

Available to watch in limited theaters. Check your local listings.

Shaun the Sheep Movie

Nominated for: Animated Feature

Available to watch on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube subscription

Sicario

Nominated for: Original Score (Jóhann Jóhannsson), Cinematography (Roger Deakins), Sound Editing

Available to watch on demand, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube subscription

Spotlight

Open Road Films

Nominated for: Best Picture, Directing (Tom McCarthy), Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams), Original Screenplay (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy), Film Editing (Tom McArdle)

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

Steve Jobs

Nominated for: Lead Actor (Michael Fassbender), Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet)

Available to watch on Amazon, Vudu, Google Play

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Lucasfilm/Disney

Nominated for: Original Score (John Williams), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects

Available to watch in theaters. Check your local listings.

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Nominated for: Documentary Feature

Available to watch on Netflix

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Nominated for: Documentary Feature

Available to watch on Netflix

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

There he goes! Climbing out that window! (Nice FLX Pictures)

Nominated for: Makeup and Hairstyling (Love Larson and Eva von Bahr)

Available to watch on Amazon Prime

Contributions are a key part of the future of Vox

Readers rely on Vox for clear, nuanced coverage that not only illuminates the issues, but poses solutions, too. And we rely on help from our readers: Advertising and grants cover the majority of our costs, but we count on contributions to help us close the gaps in our budget. In fact, we’re looking to reach 95,000 individual contributions before the end of the year. Will you make the next contribution right now? Our average gift is just $20 — and it goes a long way in helping us keep our work free. Vox is here to help everyone understand what’s shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. Join that mission by making a contribution today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via