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The 2026 Oscars are almost upon us, and if you're like me, you're scrambling to see all the nominated films you can before the awards are handed out. Especially the movies with Academy Award-nominated performances. We can pretend all Oscars are created equal, but aside from Best Director and Picture, it's the four acting Oscars that are the ones most average movie lovers care about. And I say that as someone who's a sucker for a Best Original (or Adapted) Screenplay winner.
But to really get the full picture of what an actor can or can't do, you can't just watch their Oscar-nominated performances from the past year. You need to see more of their work. So I've put together a list of one movie that you need to stream right now, for all 20 Academy Award-nominated actors competing for a 2026 Oscars statuette. I've also linked out to where, among the best streaming services, you can watch the movies I'm recommending, as well as the movies these actors are nominated for this year.
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Malcolm has been with the Tom's Guide streaming team since 2023, watching dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.
Best Supporting Actor
Stellan Skarsgård
What they're nominated for: "Sentimental Value" (streaming on Hulu starting March 23)
What you need to watch: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) on Prime Video (with Sony Pictures Core 7-day free trial)
Why you need to watch it: This movie is criminally underrated. Skarsgård's performance as the complex Martin Vanger is core to what makes the movie work and will have you captivated.
Sean Penn
What they're nominated for: "One Battle After Another" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "Carlito's Way" (buy or rent from Amazon)
Why you need to watch it: Sean Penn's resume is incredible, so there is so much to choose from. But I like his portrayal of sleazy lawyer Dave Kleinfeld as a nice companion to his portrayal of crooked military commander Steven J. Lockjaw.
Delroy Lindo
What they're nominated for: "Sinners" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "Da 5 Bloods" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: "Sinners" is Delroy Lindo's first Oscar-nominated performance, but you can definitely make an argument that he deserved a nomination for his portrayal of aged Vietnam veteran Paul in this Spike Lee movie.
Jacob Elordi
What they're nominated for: "Frankenstein" (streaming on Netflix)
What you need to watch: "Priscilla" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: Jacob Elordi's best performances before "Frankenstein" were arguably in shows rather than movies. But he's an excellent Elvis alongside Cailee Spaeny's titular Priscilla Presley, so I'm giving "Priscilla" the nod here.
Benicio del Toro
What they're nominated for: "One Battle After Another" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "Sicario" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: God forgive me for not picking "Traffic" here, but I like the idea of contrasting the totally broken prosecutor-turned-killer Alejandro against the lighthearted, noble freedom fighter Sensei Sergio St. Carlos.
Best Supporting Actress
Teyana Taylor
![A THOUSAND AND ONE - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters March 31 - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wBM0_6JJw1s/maxresdefault.jpg)
What they're nominated for: "One Battle After Another" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "A Thousand and One" (streaming free on Fandango at Home)
Why you need to watch it: "A Thousand and One" is the clear other highlight in Teyana Taylor's still-growing filmography, having won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize in 2023.
Wunmi Mosaku
What they're nominated for: "Sinners" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "His House" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: Wunmi Mosaku has more than a few shows on her resume worthy of a binge-watch, but when it comes to movies, this horror film about refugees from South Sudan settling in London is the clear must-watch from her CV.
Amy Madigan
What they're nominated for: "Weapons" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "Twice in a Lifetime" (buy or rent from Amazon)
Why you need to watch it: There's no performance quite like Amy Madigan's Gladys elsewhere in her resume. Since her other Oscar nomination was for "Twice in a Lifetime," it gets the nod here.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
What they're nominated for: "Sentimental Value" (streaming on Hulu starting March 23)
What you need to watch: "A Beautiful Life" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas probably has the shortest resume of any nominee this year. This Danish musical drama is her only other starring role to date.
Elle Fanning
What they're nominated for: "Sentimental Value" (streaming on Hulu starting March 23)
What you need to watch: "Super 8" (streaming free on Pluto TV)
Why you need to watch it: Elle Fanning is no longer a child actor, but this movie from when she was just 12 was her big breakout performance, so it's worth revisiting now that she has her first Oscar nomination.
Best Actor
Wagner Moura
What they're nominated for: "The Secret Agent" (streaming on Hulu)
What you need to watch: "Civil War" (streaming on HBO Max)
Why you need to watch it: I love Wagner Moura, I love "Civil War," and I love his performance in this movie.
Michael B. Jordan
What they're nominated for: "Sinners" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "Black Panther" (streaming on Disney+)
Why you need to watch it: Any and every Ryan Coogler/Michael B. Jordan team-up is worth watching. But the swagger Jordan brings as twins Smoke and Stack in "Sinners" is probably more closely matched by his portrayal of Killmonger in "Black Panther" than his other performances.
Ethan Hawke
What they're nominated for: "Blue Moon" (streaming on Netflix)
What you need to watch: "The Black Phone" (streaming on Netflix)
Why you need to watch it: Ethan Hawke is an incredible actor, and there are so many movies to choose from. But his portrayal of Lorenz Hart is transformative, and he disappears into the role. "The Black Phone," while so tonally different, is another instance of this and really highlights Hawke's range. So I'm choosing it as a very unconventional pick.
Leonardo DiCaprio
What they're nominated for: "One Battle After Another" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "The Departed" (buy or rent from Amazon)
Why you need to watch it: In both movies, Leo plays an outsider who finds himself fighting for survival, which leads to moments of both comedy and drama. There are plenty of great DiCaprio performances, but "The Departed" weirdly feels the most connected to his latest Oscar-worthy role.
Timothée Chalamet
What they're nominated for: "Marty Supreme" (buy or rent from Amazon)
What you need to watch: "Lady Bird" on Prime Video (with Cinemax 7-day free trial)
Why you need to watch it: In "Marty Supreme" and "Lady Bird," Timothée Chalamet portrays Marty and Kyle, respectively. These characters can be charming but are also kind of the worst, so I decided to pair these movies together.
Best Actress
Emma Stone
What they're nominated for: "Bugonia" (streaming on Peacock)
What you need to watch: "The Favourite" (buy or rent from Amazon)
Why you need to watch it: "Bugonia" is just the latest Yorgos Lanthimos film to earn Emma Stone an Oscar nomination. So why not go back to where it all began: "The Favourite."
Renate Reinsve
What they're nominated for: "Sentimental Value" (streaming on Hulu starting March 23)
What you need to watch: "The Worst Person in the World" (streaming free on Tubi)
Why you need to watch it: Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone aren't the only Oscar-worthy director/actress pairing among the nominees this year. Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve are also a dynamic duo, with both earning Oscar nominations for "Sentimental Value." Their first movie together was "Oslo, 31 August," but it was 2021's "The Worst Person in the World" that made Reinsve one to watch.
Kate Hudson
What they're nominated for: "Song Sung Blue" (streaming on Peacock)
What you need to watch: "Almost Famous" (streaming free on Tubi)
Why you need to watch it: You knew I was going to suggest "Almost Famous," but I almost didn't. Ultimately, though, I couldn't help myself from picking another movie that depicts Hudson as an ardent fan devoting her life to music, albeit in a different way.
Rose Byrne
What they're nominated for: "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" (streaming on HBO Max)
What you need to watch: "The Favourite" (buy or rent from Amazon)
Why you need to watch it: Rose Byrne's strength as an actress is her range. Given that "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" is a drama that will have you feeling all sorts of emotions, I wanted to pair it with "Neighbors," which will just leave you laughing.
Jessie Buckley
What they're nominated for: "Hamnet" (streaming on Peacock)
What you need to watch: "Wild Rose" (streaming free on Tubi)
Why you need to watch it: I strongly debated putting "Beast" here, but "Wild Rose" is Buckley's breakout performance. Sometimes, the best pick is the most-obvious pick.
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