Oscars 2017: 25 Movies You Need to See

01 of 25

Arrival

Amy Adams stars in Arrival as Louise Banks, a talented linguist who puts her skills to work when some unexpected visitors arrive. Also starring Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Denis Villeneuve), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

02 of 25

Fences

An adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer-winning play, Fences stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis as Troy and Rose Lee Maxson, respectively, a long-married couple navigating life in Pittsburgh.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis), Best Adapted Screenplay

03 of 25

Hacksaw Ridge

Andrew Garfield stars in Hacksaw Ridge as Desmond Doss, a real U.S. Army corporal who fought in World War II. Also starring Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Vince Vaughn.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Mel Gibson), Best Actor (Andrew Garfield), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing

04 of 25

Hell Or High Water

Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster, among others, Hell Or High Water takes viewers to West Texas, where a series of bank robberies are wreaking havoc.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Bridges), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

05 of 25

Hidden Figures

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe lead Hidden Figures as Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, respectively, real-life mathematicians and engineers who worked on NASA's space efforts in the 1960s.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Best Adapted Screenplay

06 of 25

La La Land

Crazy, Stupid, Love. stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone reunited for La La Land, playing Sebastian Wilder, a jazz piano player, and Mia Dolan, an aspiring actress, both trying to make it in L.A. Also starring John Legend, J. K. Simmons, and Tom Everett Scott.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and "City of Stars"), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

07 of 25

Lion

Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Nicole Kidman teamed up with newcomer Sunny Pawar for Lion, an adaptation of Saroo Brierley's moving life story, A Long Way Home.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Dev Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography

08 of 25

Manchester by the Sea

Appearing alongside Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, and Gretchen Mol, Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams star in Manchester by the Sea as Lee Chandler and Randi, respectively, a divorced couple both facing new hardships.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Kenneth Lonergan), Best Actor (Casey Affleck), Best Supporting Actor (Lucas Hedges), Best Supporting Actor (Michelle Williams), Best Original Screenplay

09 of 25

Moonlight

Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali star in Moonlight, tracing the life of a young man as he grapples with his identity.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Barry Jenkins), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Supporting Actress (Naomie Harris), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

10 of 25

Captain Fantastic

Viggo Mortensen stars in Captain Fantastic as Ben Cash, a father of six who lives off the grid with his wife and children in Washington state. Also starring Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, and Steve Zahn.

Nominated for: Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen)

11 of 25

Elle

Isabelle Huppert leads Elle as Michèle Leblanc, a successful businesswoman with a tragic, tortured personal life.

Nominated for: Best Actress (Isabelle Huppert)

12 of 25

Loving

Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star in Loving as Richard and Mildred Loving, respectively, the real-life couple who fought the 1960s case Loving v. Virginia on the matter of interracial marriage.

Nominated for: Best Actress (Ruth Negga)

13 of 25

Jackie

Natalie Portman leads Jackie as famed former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, depicting her life following John F. Kennedy' 1963 assassination. Also starring Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, and John Hurt.

Nominated for: Best Actress (Natalie Portman), Best Original Score, Best Costume Design

14 of 25

Florence Foster Jenkins

Meryl Streep plays the title character in Florence Foster Jenkins, a real-life New York City socialite in the early 20th century with big singing dreams and a lack of talent.

Nominated for: Best Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Costume Design

15 of 25

Nocturnal Animals

Under direction from Tom Ford, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Isla Fisher star in Nocturnal Animals, a thriller based on Austin Wright's novel Tony and Susan.

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Michael Shannon)

16 of 25

Kubo and the Two Strings

Featuring the voices of Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey, Kubo and the Two Strings tells the tale of a young man named Kubo who possesses some special skills.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Visual Effects

17 of 25

Moana

Working alongside Dwayne Johnson, newcomer Auli'i Cravalho voices the title character in Moana, an independent teenager whose father is the chief of her Polynesian tribe.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Song ("How Far I'll Go")

18 of 25

My Life as a Zucchini

French-Swiss stop motion animation film My Life as a Zucchini follows a young boy with a troubled upbringing.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film

19 of 25

The Red Turtle

Dutch filmmaker Michaël Dudok de Wit brings audiences The Red Turtle, the animated tale of a shipwrecked man and the massive red turtle he encounters.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film

20 of 25

Zootopia

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, and Jenny Slate, among others, lend their vocals to Zootopia, voicing animals living in the bustling city of Zootopia.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film

21 of 25

Fire at Sea

Filmed in the 2010s, Italian documentary Fire at Sea follows the migrant crisis in Europe as families attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea.