It seems like Netflix's presence at award shows gets bigger every year, and now that the 2026 Academy Award nominations are out, that presence continues to grow. Six Netflix original films earned 18 nominations this year, including nods for Train Dreams and Frankenstein in the Best Picture category, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for KPop Demon Hunters, and Best Documentary Feature for The Perfect Neighbor. The streaming giant's combination of original films and a diverse library of films from other production houses makes it a reliable source of entertainment, although it can sometimes be hard to narrow down what to watch.
While Blue Moon isn't a Netflix original, it has been nominated for two Oscars this year and it's currently streaming on the platform, making it the perfect opportunity to catch it before this year's ceremony on Sunday, March 15. Set in 1943, the film stars Ethan Hawke as the real-life songwriter and lyricist Lorenz Hart, whose partnership with Richard Rodgers has crumbled. Hart has to witness the success and glory that Rodgers and his new partner, Oscar Hammerstein, are experiencing with their new musical, Oklahoma! and it's bittersweet to say the least. The period drama is one of Hawke's best performances.
If you'd rather go with a series, peruse our picks for the best TV shows to watch on Netflix.
Read more: Where to Watch All the 2024 Oscar Winners
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Sony Pictures Classics Blue Moon (2025) Blue Moon was released in theaters in 2025 and it's currently nominated for two Oscars, one for Ethan Hawke's lead performance as songwriter Lorenz Hart and another for Best Original Screenplay. In the film, a depressed Hart struggles to accept the success of his former songwriting partner Richard Rodgers (played by Andrew Scott). Bobby Cannavale and Margaret Qualley also co-star. The film, directed by Richard Linklater, marks his ninth film collaboration with Hawke.
Warner Bros. Best in Show (2000) Christopher Guest directed Best in Show, a mockumentary about people entering the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. The largely improvised movie features an ensemble of actors who appear often in Guest's films: Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Michael McKean and, of course, Catherine O'Hara. (The movie is so beloved that O'Hara, who died on Jan. 30, was actually honored with a tribute at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 3.)
Sony Pictures Casino Royale (2006) The debate over which actor is the best James Bond has existed for decades but you can decide for yourself who's the superior 007 now that Netflix has dropped 25 James Bond movies from every era, including Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, No Time To Die and Casino Royale. (We've suggested Casino Royale here because if you like a modern action film, Daniel Craig's version of Bond, especially in Casino Royale, has it all: excitement, romance, glamour, high stakes card games... The film truly revived the franchise. Hot take alert!)
Netflix The Perfect Neighbor (2025) Directed and produced by Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor is a harrowing documentary about the killing of Ajike Owens, a Florida woman who was shot to death on June 2, 2023, by her neighbor, Susan Louise Lorincz. The film's use of police body camera footage and 911 calls lay out the neighborhood disputes stemming from Lorincz's erratic and unsettling behavior and the escalating tension that led to the killing.
Netflix KPop Demon Hunters (2025) The Netflix original animated film KPop Demon Hunters premiered in June and quickly rose through the ranks to become the platform's most-watched original film of all time. The film, about a KPop group that performs by day and hunts demons in their downtime, has a soundtrack that's already been certified Platinum thanks to hits like "Golden" and "Soda Pop." The film stars Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji Young Yoo as the titular girl group tasked with fighting off a demonic boy band. (Can't get enough of the movie? Check out the theatrical sing-along version and lyric videos that are also available to stream.) The film was also honored with two Golden Globes this year for Best Original Song and Best Animated Motion Picture and nabbed two Oscar nods.
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