Complete guide with streaming platforms and cinemas to follow the main highlights of the awards
The list of Oscar 2026 nominees has been revealed, bringing an exciting mix of historic records, triumphant returns from great directors and an unprecedented moment for Brazilian cinema. With the ceremony scheduled for March 15th, the race for the golden statuettes is led by the phenomenon Sinners, by Ryan Coogler, and the epic One Battle After Another, by Paul Thomas Anderson. For the Brazilian public, the celebration is even greater with the presence of The Secret Agent, by Kleber Mendonça Filho, appearing among the nominees for Best Film. Below, you will find everything you need to know about the plots, the cast and, most importantly, where to watch each of these productions.
Synopses of the Main Competitors
The 2025 harvest delivered dense and visually spectacular works. Check out the plot of the titles that dominate the main categories:
- Sinners: The film that broke records with 16 nominations is a gothic horror drama directed by Ryan Coogler. Set in the southern United States during the Jim Crow era, the plot follows twin brothers who return to their hometown only to discover that an ancient, bloodthirsty evil — vampires, in a visceral retelling — is decimating the community.
- One Battle After Another: The most commercial and expensive work of Paul Thomas Anderson’s career freely adapts Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland. The story crosses generations to narrate a saga of political repression and paranoia in California, focusing on a former hippie who sees his radical past collide with the conservative reality of the 80s (adapted to contemporary times in the film).
- The Secret Agent: The Brazilian Representative, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, is a political thriller set in the late 1970s. The film follows an academic who, when fleeing persecution from the military dictatorship, ends up getting involved in a complex network of espionage and urban resistance in Recife, revealing secrets that the government tried to erase.
- Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s classic focuses on the tragic relationship between creator and creature. Unlike previous adaptations, this version delves into the loneliness of the “monster” and his search for purpose in a world that violently rejects him.
Cast and Featured Performances
The 2026 acting categories are full of established performances:
- Michael B. Jordan: In Pecadores, he takes on the double challenge of playing the protagonist twin brothers, delivering distinct performances that earned him favoritism in the Best Actor category.
- Wagner Moura: The Brazilian star shines in The Secret Agent, receiving his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his restrained and intense performance as the protagonist persecuted by the military regime.
- Leonardo DiCaprio: He leads the stellar cast of One Battle After Another, bringing vulnerability and charisma to the central role, supported by strong supporting actors such as Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro.
- Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac: Frankenstein’s central duo (as the Creature and Dr. Victor, respectively) have been praised for the disturbing and tragic chemistry that underpins Del Toro’s gothic horror.
- Jessie Buckley: Nominated for Best Actress for Hamnet, a film by Chloé Zhao that explores the life of Shakespeare’s wife and the death of the son who inspired the famous play.
Edition Curiosities
The 2026 edition has already made history before the envelopes have even been opened.
- Historical Record Holder: Sinners surpassed Titanic, Wicked and La La Land by receiving 16 nominations, becoming the most nominated film in Academy history.
- Brazil at the Top: The Secret Agent not only competes for Best International Film, but managed the rare feat of breaking the bubble and competing in the main category of Best Film, in addition to Original Screenplay and Actor.
- Ignored Avatar? Despite its resounding success at the box office, Avatar: Fire and Ash (Avatar 3) was restricted to the technical categories (Visual Effects and Costume Design), being left out of the Best Film list, a surprise for many analysts.
Where to Watch
With the fragmentation of exhibition windows, nominees are spread across cinemas and various streaming platforms. See where to find each one:
Netflix
- Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s film is an original production on the platform and is now available globally to all subscribers.
- The Only Way Out: South Korean film that fails in the international categories, also available in the catalogue.
Cinemas (On Play)
Most of the Best Film favorites are still serving their exclusive window on Brazilian screens:
- Sinners: On wide national exhibition.
- The Secret Agent: On display, with special sessions and debates in various capitals.
- Hamnet: Screening on a selected circuit (focus on art cinemas).
- Bugonia: Yorgos Lanthimos’ new film is now showing in cinemas.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash: Still available in IMAX and 3D theaters.
HBO Max
- One Battle After Another: Being a Warner Bros. production, it is expected to reach the Max catalog very soon (probably before the ceremony), but it can currently be found in selected cinemas or for digital rental.
- Mickey 17: Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi film (released in early 2025) is now available in the streaming library.
Prime Video and Apple TV+ (Rental/VOD)
Films that have already been released or had short releases can be rented or purchased on these platforms:
- F1: The racing drama starring Brad Pitt.
- Marty Supreme: The biography produced by A24 is now available for digital purchase.
The legacy of this 2026 harvest will be defined by the diversity of voices and the clash between the popular horror of Pecadores and the auteur cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson and Kleber Mendonça Filho. Regardless of who wins the statuette in March, the public has at their disposal one of the richest and most accessible lists of nominees in recent years.
