There’s no shortage of stuff to stream this season, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to be ahead of the curve when it comes to awards announcements, you’ll want to catch the movies that are getting the most Oscars buzz.

This is far from an exhaustive list: with theaters reopened and streaming services invigorated by last year’s big wins, there are dozens of movies in serious contention for Best Picture alone. Below I’ve picked ten, bearing in mind what critics and insiders are saying; the all-important local angles; and which ones might be of most interest to The Current’s music-loving audience.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Michael Showalter’s biopic tells the story of notorious televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. While reviews (including mine) were mixed overall, critics heaped praise on the performances; in the title role, Jessica Chastain has already received a number of honors and would surprise no one if she landed an Oscar nomination.

Local angle: Tammy Faye grew up in International Falls and met her husband while they were both students at what’s now North Central University in Minneapolis. With several key scenes set in Minnesota, the movie makes much of Tammy Faye’s conflicted feelings about following her ambition (and her husband’s) to a very different kind of ministry than her preacher parents practiced.

Available: Rental/purchase streaming services

The Harder They Fall

Variety calls this western “brutal, violent, and cool as hell.” Idris Elba and Regina King are both in contention for acting nominations, but let’s get right to the…

Music angle: The film’s title is an homage to the iconic Jimmy Cliff song; Koffee’s original title track is on the soundtrack along with songs by artists including Lauryn Hill and Seal. Seal? Well, yes, the pop R&B singer just happens to be the older brother of The Harder They Fall filmmaker Jemyes Samuel…who’s himself a music artist who wrote (and, in one case, performed) multiple songs for the film. That puts him in contention for four different awards (Picture, Director, Screenplay, Original Song), which could make him the most-nominated Black artist in a single year thus far.

But wait, there’s more! Jay-Z, a producer on the film, is a co-writer of two songs on the soundtrack. If one of those is nominated and Beyoncé gets a nomination for her King Richard song “Be Alive,” the two would become the first married couple ever to directly compete against one another in the same category, in the same year, in Oscar history. Whew!

Update 12/23: The Best Original Song shortlist has been released…and sure enough, Bey and Jay are both on it.

Available: Streaming on Netflix

House of Gucci

“Father, son…house of Gucci.” Lady Gaga took us to church in this gloriously gaudy saga chronicling the rise of a fashion brand and the fall of a family. Although the film was a little too heavy to be a guilty pleasure and a little too pleasurable to be a critics’ darling, Gaga and costar Jared Leto are still in contention for acting nominations. If anyone here has a lock, though, it’s reportedly the makeup and hairstyling team that brought the stars’ Italian locks to life.

Music angle: Gaga’s Patricia Reggiani is in a class with fellow pop star Cher’s Loretta Castorini from Moonstruck - and that’s about as high as praise gets, in my book.

Available: In theaters now

In the Heights

While we wait for Bring It On: The Musical: The Movie (currently not in development), Lin-Manuel Miranda fans are glad to have this exuberant new adaptation of the show he was best known for prior to Hamilton. Olga Merediz, whose abuela is the movie’s heart, is considered a strong contender for a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Anthony Ramos is also in possible contention for Best Actor, and writer Quiara Alegría Hudes could land a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Music angle: While it’s being overshadowed this awards season by West Side Story (read on), this film has some of the most joyful showstoppers in movie musical history. New song “Home All Summer” could show up in the Best Original Song category; Oscar loves Miranda, and for good reason.

Available: Streaming on HBO Max and rental/purchase services

Licorice Pizza

We’d hardly even realize Alana Haim was in a movie before she was getting Oscar buzz for her performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age charmer Licorice Pizza. She and costar Cooper Hoffman shared the Breakthrough Performance award from the National Board of Review, and given the Academy’s longtime swoon towards Anderson’s epic entertainments, this one looks to land a generous handful of nominations this year. “Baby Haim” could have one of them.

Music angle: In addition to the whole member-of-Haim-in-a-movie thing, the film costars Tom Waits (talk about swoonworthy!) and has a soundtrack with ‘60s and ‘70s nuggets by David Bowie, Chuck Berry, and Donovan…plus, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood composed the score.

Available: In theaters now

The Power of the Dog

Can you believe that Kirsten Dunst has never been nominated for an Oscar? Insiders are saying that could change this year with The Power of the Dog, a Jane Campion western that’s been a film festival favorite. Fun fact: if the director were to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, she would tie New Zealander Fran Walsh - who won three different awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - as Oscar’s most-awarded woman in a single year.

Local angle: Sure, Kirsten Dunst is from New Jersey, but she can sure play a Minnesotan well. In addition to the iconic Drop Dead Gorgeous, she starred in the Minnesota-set second season of Fargo - where she met her current husband, and Power of the Dog costar, Jesse Plemons.

Available: Streaming on Netflix

Summer of Soul

Questlove’s directorial debut was always going to be huge for music fans, but as more people took a look at this compilation of footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, it became increasingly clear that it was an important film for everyone. With 40 hours of footage to edit down, Questlove lived inside a Prince-inspired “visual aquarium” while he made tough choices about what to include. Don’t bet against Summer of Soul being nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and winning.

Music angle: Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, Gladys Knight, the 5th Dimension, Sly and the Family Stone…need I go on?

Available: Streaming on Hulu

Tick, Tick…Boom!

Lin-Manuel Miranda made his directorial debut with this film adaptation of the semi-autobiographical musical by the late creator of Rent. Star Andrew Garfield is considered a leading contender for Best Actor; the movie as a whole could land a Best Picture nod.

Music angle: There are more than a few Rent fans out there, and they’ve loved this way to gain a new appreciation of the man who made it happen.

Available: Streaming on Netflix

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Oh, sorry…you didn’t know Macbeth was a tragedy? Director Joel Coen went without his brother Ethan for this movie, which “played like gangbusters” at the New York Film Festival and could land all sorts of design nominations in additional to potential nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Frances McDormand), and Best Actor (Denzel Washington).

Local angle: Coen, of course, is from St. Louis Park…and the Macbeths met at Macalester, I’m pretty sure.

Available: In theaters Christmas Day, and on Apple TV+ as of Jan. 14

West Side Story

Steven Spielberg’s new movie was practically engineered to be an awards contender. On the other hand, as the New York Times points out, the Academy has not historically been favorable to remakes (although it’s not so much a remake as a second adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical). That means the film is poised to make landmark Oscar history: not only could it become the first remake of a previous Best Picture winner to win the top award again, after taking a statue for her 1961 turn as Anita, Rita Moreno could win Best Supporting Actress again for a performance in the same story (albeit as a different character).

Music angle: Well…it’s a musical. The fact that lyricist Stephen Sondheim died this year adds extra poignance and could help sway voters, though he never thought of this early-career project as his own best work.

Available: In theaters now

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days of Winter series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.