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Where to watch 2025 Oscar contenders: buy or rent them now

Here’s how you can watch the critically acclaimed movies fighting it out for the golden statuettes right now on Virgin Media Store

By Simon Ward, Content Director

Published
25 February 2025

The Academy Awards, known affectionately as the Oscars, have recognised the very best in film-making and cinematic achievements since 1929. The ceremony remains the hottest ticket in awards season, and the one award everyone wants to win.

We might not be able to get you onto the red carpet in Hollywood, but you can watch the films vying for those famous golden statuettes including The Brutalist, Anora, Conclave and loads more right now on Virgin Media Store.

With Virgin Media Store, you can always buy or rent each month’s hottest releases, including the movies that have taken the 97th Academy Awards by storm. Don’t forget with Premium Release titles, you can now buy or rent selected films at the same time they’re in cinemas – here’s how you do that.

Find out more about some of the films nominated for Academy Awards below and how you can rent or buy them right now.

The Brutalist

Premium release. Buy or rent now. Cert 18

What’s The Brutalist about? A decades-spanning drama following a visionary architect and his wife as they flee post-war Europe and attempt to build a new life in America, coping with ambition, sacrifice and the cost of artistic legacy. 

Who’s in The Brutalist? Adrien Brody as the architect László Toth, alongside Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and Joe Alwyn.

What Academy Awards has The Brutalist been nominated for? Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design.

Buy or rent now

Anora

Buy or rent now. Cert 18

What’s Anora about? A darkly comedic drama following Anora, a Brooklyn stripper who impulsively marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, which provokes a whirlwind of chaos when his powerful family intervenes.

Who’s in Anora? Mikey Madison as Anora, alongside Yuriy Borisov, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karagulian and Chloe Sevigny.

What Academy Awards has Anora been nominated for? Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing.

Buy or rent now

Conclave

Buy or rent now. Cert 12

What’s Conclave about? A gripping thriller set inside the Vatican, following the power struggle as cardinals gather to elect a new pope. Secrets, alliances and hidden agendas collide as one man uncovers a shocking truth. 

Who’s in Conclave? Ralph Fiennes leads the cast, joined by John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini.

What Academy Awards has Conclave been nominated for? Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Set Decoration, Best Costume Design.

Buy or rent now

The Substance

Buy now. Cert 18

What’s The Substance about? A provocative horror thriller about a mysterious product that promises eternal youth – but at a terrifying cost. This isn’t a film you’ll want to accompany with a TV dinner. 

Who’s in The Substance? Demi Moore (who’s already won a Critics’ Choice Award and a Golden Globe), Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid lead the cast.

What Academy Awards has The Substance been nominated for? Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Buy now

Wicked

Buy now. Cert PG

What’s Wicked about? The movie adaptation of the Broadway musical exploring the untold story of the Witches of Oz, and the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, long before Dorothy arrives.

Who’s in Wicked? Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, alongside Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh.

What Academy Awards has Wicked been nominated for? Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects.

Buy now

Black Box Diaries

Buy now. Cert 15

What’s Black Box Diaries about? A powerful documentary about Shiori Itō’s investigation into her sexual assault case in Japan, focusing on the legal and societal struggles she faced while challenging a powerful perpetrator.

Who’s in Black Box Diaries? Shiori Itō, with interviews featuring journalists, legal experts and key figures in the case.

What Academy Awards has Black Box Diaries been nominated for? Best Documentary Feature Film.

Buy now

Nosferatu

Premium release. Buy or rent now. Cert 15

What’s Nosferatu about? A reimagining of the 1922 silent horror classic, following the eerie Count Orlok as he brings terror and obsession to those who cross his path.

Who’s in Nosferatu? Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

What Academy Awards has Nosferatu been nominated for? Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Buy or rent now

Maria

Premium release. Buy or rent now. Cert 12

What’s Maria about? An unorthodox biopic of celebrated opera singer Maris Callas, who looks back on significant moments in her life as she battles illness in a desperate attempt to return to the stage.

Who’s in Maria? Angelina Jolie as Callas, alongside Pierfrancesco Favino, Valeria Golino and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Pablo Larraín (Spencer) directs.

What Academy Awards has Maria been nominated for? Best Cinematography.

Buy or rent now

Full list of this year’s Academy Award-nominated films available on Virgin Media Store

  • A Different Man

  • Alien: Romulus

  • Anora

  • The Apprentice

  • Black Box Diaries

  • The Brutalist

  • Conclave

  • Dune: Part Two

  • The Girl With The Needle

  • Gladiator II

  • Inside Out 2

  • Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

  • Maria

  • Nosferatu

  • No Other Land

  • Sing Sing

  • The Substance

  • Wicked

  • The Wild Robot


Register on Virgin Media Store to buy the latest movies and TV shows

Sign up now at virginmediastore.com and choose from hundreds of films and TV Box Sets and start watching instantly.

All Virgin Media customers armed with a TiVo® box or a V6 box powered by TiVo® can go to On Demand > Movies > Store. If you have our Virgin TV 360 or Stream box, go to Box Sets & Movies > STORE.

You can access it online and watch it on your registered iOS and Android devices with the Virgin Media Store app.

You can also rent the latest films

If you watch TV on a TiVo® box or Virgin TV V6 box powered by TiVo®, go to On Demand > Movies > Store. If you have our Virgin TV 360 or Stream box, go to Box Sets & Movies > STORE.

Search for a title or browse by category such as Out This Week or Most Popular. Once you’ve found the movie you want to rent, select Watch Now to start watching instantly. Then sit back and enjoy! You’ll have up to 48 hours to finish watching your film.


Virgin Media Store: Separate terms and conditions apply to the Virgin Media Store service. Click here for T&Cs.

Virgin Movies On Demand: Virgin Movies On Demand movies are pay by title. Once rented, content available for 48 hours.

Credits: The Brutalist © 2024 Doylestown Designs Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Anora © 2024 Anora Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Conclave © 2024 CONCLAVE DISTRIBUTION, LLC

The Substance © 2024 MUBI

Wicked © 2024 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Nosferatu © 2024 Focus Features LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Maria © 2024 The Apartment SRL / Komplizen Film GmbH / Fabula Inc