The Academy Awards are coming our way and many historical films are in the running for the big prize. From Oppenheimer to Killers of the Flower Moon, here are five Oscar-nominated films every history buff should check out just in time for the ceremony.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese’s latest film shines the light on the horrendous crimes committed against the Osage Nation, the native community struggling to protect their wealth after oil was discovered on their tribal land.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s historical epic chronicles the journey of J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb”, who played a crucial role in developing nuclear weapons for the American government during World War II.
The Zone of Interest
Another critically acclaimed film set against the trenches of World War II, The Zone of Interest perfectly captures the banality of evil through the tale of the Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his family.
Maestro
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro centers on the famed West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein and explores his complicated relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre.
Rustin
Bayard Rustin went down in history as one of the greatest civil rights activists, and this film explores the role he played in the Great March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.