On Thursday morning, the 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced, so it's time to hit the theaters and see everything you may have missed — particularly in the more obscure categories. How can you watch the Oscar Foreign Language films? Whether you want to win your office Oscar pool, need a break from hearing about Mad Max and The Revenant, or just love foreign films, it's a good way to spend your time between now and the Academy Awards broadcast on Feb. 28.
At the moment, none of the nominated films are on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, or Showtime. That may change in the coming weeks, now that the films have been officially recognized by the Academy. A streaming service, or even your cable company's OnDemand service, might pick them up, so keep a watchful eye out. Sometimes, your local indie theater might obtain a copy and re/release it before the Academy Awards. That's also your best option for all of the nominees in the short films categories — they are packaged together and shown in theaters across the country each year, so be on the lookout for that. It's one of my favorite traditions.
But back to the foreign language films. Here are the best ways to check out this year's Oscar nominees.
A War
This Danish film might be a bit harder to find, as it is not currently playing in theaters. The film is slated to be released in the U.S. on April 8, and even though that is after the Academy Awards, it's still worth your time — especially since it stars upcoming Game of Thrones actor Pilou Asbæk. .
Son of Saul
This movie is most likely to still be in theaters after its win at the Golden Globes — it's definitely playing in New York and Los Angeles at least. The Hungarian movie opened Dec. 18 in the United States, so check your local listings ASAP!
Embrace Of The Serpent
This movie from Colombia will be released on Feb. 17 in the United States, so no worries! You'll be able to see it before Oscar night.
Theeb
This movie, from Jordan, was released last November but can be pre-ordered on Amazon and will arrive Feb. 19, just in time for the Oscars.
Mustang
The final nominee, a French film about five sisters in Turkey, also had a limited release in the United States last November. It is still playing at the IFC Center in NYC, but if you aren't able to make it out to that particular venue, keep your fingers crossed that more options open up for this and all of the foreign language film nominees soon.
