Where to Watch the 5 Best International Feature Film Nominees For the 2021 Oscars
It’s that time of year again — though it’s a little later than usual! After a very strange year when the pandemic has disrupted everything from schools to safety to filming schedules, it’s nice to have the 93rd Academy Awards and its celebration of movies on the horizon.
This year, there are five films nominated for the International Feature Film Award. You have until Sunday, April 25 to catch up on viewing them all if you want to see them before the envelope is opened.
Here’s how you can watch each of the films up for the International category.
‘Another Round’ (Denmark)
Another Round was originally titled simply Drunk, and it follows four friends — a group of high school teachers — who have decided to test the “per mille” theory. This concept suggests that everyone would be a little bit happier and the world would run a little more smoothly if they maintained a consistently elevated blood alcohol level. Martin, played by Mads Mikkelson, convinces his friends to join him in the experiment as his life seems to be in a slump. The results are a mixed bag but make for a fascinating film that wavers between comedy and drama while exploring friendship and the meaning of life.
The film is available to subscribers on Hulu. It can also be rented on Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, or Apple TV for $3.99.
‘Better Days’ (Hong Kong)
Better Days is a dramatic and heartfelt film that centers on Nian, a high school girl who is feeling the intense pressure of the gaokao, the national exams that will determine the futures for millions of Chinese youth. She’s also dealing with the pain of losing a friend to suicide and facing her own tormenting bullies. That’s when she meets Bei, a criminal who forms a pact with her that will hopefully set both of their lives on a better path.
The film is available to rent on Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and YouTube at prices that range from $2.99 to $4.99.
‘Collective’ (Romania)
In the vein of films that showcase the power of investigative journalism like Spotlight and Good Night, and Good Luck, Collective is a documentary drama that showcases the true and tragic tale of a Bucharest nightclub fire that resulted in 64 deaths. Most of those deaths happened not in the fire itself, but from infections developed in the hospital. When a team of advocates comes together on behalf of the victims, they uncover a web of corruption and a health-care fraud that rattled the country.
The film is available for subscribers on Hulu. It can be rented on Amazon, YouTube, or Google Play for $3.99 to $4.99.
‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ (Tunisia)
The Man Who Sold His Skin is a drama that focuses on Sam Ali. The young man fled to Lebanon to escape the Syrian civil war, and he found himself in an unusual predicament. When a tattoo artist offers to pay him to use his flesh as canvas, he becomes a living art exhibit. That’s strange enough, but when collectors start expressing interest in buying this piece of art, human rights activists are outraged and Sam Ali is in quite a tight spot. The film follows his efforts to navigate the situation.
The film has not yet been released for streaming or U.S. theaters.
‘Quo vadis, Aida?’ (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Serving as a translator for the United Nations, Aida is living in the small town of Srebrenica when the Serbian army takes over the town. She and her family join the thousands of people trying to shelter in a UN camp. With insider information, Aida is faced with incredibly difficult decisions about what to do next as her interpretation skills — both literal and metaphorical — are put to the test.
The film is available for rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Google Play for $4.99 to $6.99.
