Hump Day Recommendations: The Oscars edition

The Daily crew is usually busy focusing on geopolitics, but sometimes we make it to the cinema too. In honor of this year’s Oscar nominees, we share our thoughts on some of the Academy-selected films – and a couple that didn’t (but should’ve) made the cut.

Watch: "Past Lives." This is not your standard love story. It focuses on childhood sweethearts who are separated when one moves across the world -- only to be reunited years later. The film is also an exploration of the immigrant experience and the things and people that are left behind when someone emigrates. Like the relationship between the two main characters, this movie will stay with you long after watching it. – John

Watch: “Anatomy of a Fall.” This year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival has now been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. “Anatomy of a Fall” is a courtroom drama that centers on a fatal fall under mysterious circumstances as well as the fall of a complex relationship. It’s a tautly paced, smartly acted drama that refuses to obey film conventions. – Willis

Watch: “12th Fail.” Based on a true story, this movie demonstrates Manoj Kumar Sharma's determination to become a top official in the Indian police force. Sharma, played by Vikrant Massey, faces every possible hurdle — including a 12th-grade fail and limited means – and now he has to pass the UPSC civil service exam, one of the toughest in the world. – Suhani

Watch: “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Martin Scorsese's epic about the serial murder of Osage women in Oklahoma for their shares in the tribe’s oil revenues has been nominated for nine awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and most prominently, Best Actress. Lily Gladstone is the first Native American woman ever nominated for the top performance award. Her portrayal of the long-suffering Mollie Kyle, surrounded by hungry predators and with a wolf in sheep’s clothing in her own bed, is a moving and cathartic experience. - Matt

Feel the righteous injustice … that the cinematic masterpiece, “Cocaine Bear” did not receive a SINGLE nomination. I want to speak to the manager. – Riley