It's about to get real up in here. How real, you ask? Documentary-level real.
The Oscars are this Sunday, Feb. 22, and while we're all dying to know which major motion picture did the best job of transporting us and immersing us in another world much different from our own, we can't forget about the films that brought us back down to reality. The unbelievably true stories shown in this year's Oscar-nominated documentary features are filled with so much wit, suspense and intrigue, you'd think it was the stuff that only Hollywood movies are made of.
However, documentaries tend to keep a low profile compared to the Best Picture nominees, which means you probably didn't head to the theater on a Saturday night to check any of them out. Luckily, many of them are streaming online now, which gives you just enough time to watch them all before the big ceremony on Sunday. Here's where you can find them.
1. Citizenfour
This documentary, which follows Edward Snowden in the midst of his leak of classified NSA documents in 2013, has emerged as the frontrunner in this race. Citizenfour will make its TV debut on HBO the day after the Oscars, Monday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. EST, which means you can also stream it on HBO Go if you have a subscription. It's also available for pre-order on iTunes starting at $14.99. Hopefully, if you do decide to stream this movie, you — and only you — know that you're doing so.
2. Finding Vivian Maier
With the ubiquity of cameras, everyone is a street photographer these days. However, in the 1950s few captured the vibrancy of everyday life like Vivian Maier, a nanny whose secret stash of more than 100,000 photos was discovered decades later. Finding Vivian Maier tries to uncover who this mysterious woman really was, which you can watch unfold online through Showtime Anytime, or on Showtime or Showtime On Demand if you prefer to watch this doc on TV. You can also rent or purchase this film on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video or YouTube.
3. Last Days in Vietnam
As you can see, many of this year's Oscar-nominated documentaries give a glimpse into American life. Last Days in Vietnam continues this trend as it tells the story of American diplomats and soldiers as they try to save as many South Vietnamese citizens as possible before the Fall of Saigon. You can rent or buy Last Days in Vietnam on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video or YouTube now, or wait until it airs on PBS on April 28, 2015 at 8 p.m. EST in case you're feeling cheap.
4. The Salt of the Earth
The Salt of the Earth is another Oscar-nominated documentary about a photographer, but this one's about Sebastiao Salgado, who embarks on an epic project to document the planet's beauty. This sounds lovely, but, unfortunately, The Salt of the Earth isn't really available to watch outside of France, but hopefully the attention that it gets at the Oscars will change that.
5. Virunga
Netflix received its second Academy Award nomination ever with its original documentary Virunga, which chronicles the fight to protect Virunga National Park in eastern Congo. Because this doc premiered on Netflix and will remain there indefinitely, it's one of the easier of the nominees to stream. If you have access to a Netflix account, that is.
