Friyay!: What to watch

OSCAR NOMINEES

IN CINEMAS

This week, the Oscar nominees were unveiled. You can still catch some of the films that made the list on the big screen.

Princess Diana biopic Spencer (PG13, 117 minutes; Best Actress nod for Kristen Stewart) is a moody psychological study of the slowly unravelling princess (Stewart). Estranged from husband Prince Charles (Jack Farthing), she spends an anxiety-triggering Christmas with his family at their estate.

In noir thriller Nightmare Alley (M18, 150 minutes; nominations for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design), Bradley Cooper is a drifter who charms and cheats his way up the social ladder.

Biopic King Richard (PG13, 144 minutes; six nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Actor for Will Smith and Best Supporting Actress for Aunjanue Ellis) tracks the story of Richard Williams (Smith), father of tennis champions Venus and Serena, and how he and wife Oracene (Ellis) raised a family of high achievers.

OSCAR NOMINEES

ON STREAMING SERVICES

Creepy Western The Power Of The Dog (R21, 128 minutes), available on Netflix, might be grabbing headlines with its 12 nominations, the most of any film this year, but there are films worth the watch on other platforms too.

On HBO Go, there is science-fiction epic Dune (PG13, 149 minutes; 10 nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Cinematography).

French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve invests this adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel with moodiness and poetry.

Encanto (PG, 109 minutes; nods for Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score and Best Original Song) is on Disney+.

This story of a magical family living in Colombia gained a legion of fans when it was released on the streaming service, driven by its catchy songs penned by the acclaimed Lin-Manuel Miranda.

On Apple TV+ is coming-of-age drama Coda (NC16, 112 minutes; nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur and Best Adapted Screenplay), which tells the story of teenager Ruby (Emilia Jones), the hearing child of deaf adults, or Coda. She discovers a talent that will take her far, if she can bear to cut ties with her family.

Also on the streaming service is Shakespeare adaptation The Tragedy Of Macbeth (PG13, 105 minutes; nods for Best Actor for Denzel Washington, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design). Director Joel Coen keeps the visuals stark and monochromatic, while emphasising the richness of the language.

VALENTINE'S DAY SCREENINGS

PROJECTOR X: RIVERSIDE

The Projector is screening three romantic favourites for its Valentine's Day retrospective, which will be held at its Riverside Point pop-up venue.

The line-up includes the restored 4K version of Singapore cult film Eating Air (1999, PG, 100 minutes); the acclaimed French period drama Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2020, R21, 120 minutes); and the Oscar-winning romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953, PG, 118 minutes), starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

WHERE: Projector X: Riverside, 04-13 Riverside Point, 30 Merchant Road
MRT: Clarke Quay
WHEN: Sunday and Monday, various times
ADMISSION: $18 a person a screening (tickets are sold in pairs, with discounts for members)
INFO: theprojector.sg