The 2026 Oscars are airing on Sunday, March 15, and theaters around the DC area are showing the Best Picture nominees on the big screen. Feeling inspired by the films? We’ve compiled a list of things to do based on the various movies, so you can pair a screening with a complimentary activity.
Bugonia
Bugonia follows two conspiracy theorists who kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, convinced she is an alien set on destroying Earth.
Where to watch in theaters: Regal Theaters on March 11; AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 14
Where to stream: Peacock, Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube TV
Bonus: The Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center are great places to learn more about what’s happening in the universe. On February 28, Udvar-Hazy is hosting a tour dedicated to UFO investigations and possible alien encounters.
F1: The Movie
Driver Sonny Hayes returns to the race track after a decades-long absence to save his former teammate’s struggling squad.
Where to watch in theaters: AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 14; Regal Theaters on March 14
Where to stream: Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube TV
Bonus: Union Market’s F1 Arcade features a racing simulator where you can channel your inner Hayes and go head-to-head against fellow drivers.
Frankenstein
Based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the film tells the classic tale from two perspectives: arrogant scientist Victor Frankenstein and the Creature he builds from various bodies.
Where to watch in theaters: AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 7; Regal Theaters on March 15; Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema
Where to stream: Netflix
Bonus: Did the film leave you wondering whether Frankenstein’s creation is actually possible? The “Anatomy and Pathology” exhibit at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring can give you some insight into the human body.
Hamnet
Before Hamlet the play, there was Hamnet, William Shakespere’s son. The film delves into the playwright’s family, with wife Agnes Hathaway at the center.
Where to watch in theaters: AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 7; Regal Theaters on March 7; Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema and Bethesda Row Cinema; AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center; Cinema Arts Theatre; Look Dine-In Cinemas in Reston
Where to stream: Apple TV, Prime Video
Bonus: Starting March 17, catch the US premiere of Hamnet at the Shakespeare Theater. Still reeling from the tragic film? Drunk Shakespeare productions at the Sage Theatre in Downtown DC offer a more jovial side to the Bard’s works.
Marty Supreme
Marty Mauser is a shoe salesman trying to make it as a professional table tennis player. However, his messy personal life keeps getting in the way.
Where to watch in theaters: Regal Theaters on March 8; AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 14; AMC Shirlington 7 and AMC Courthouse Plaza 8; Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema and Bethesda Row Cinema; Look Dine-In Cinemas in Tysons and Reston
Where to stream: Apple TV, Prime Video
Bonus: Washington is home to a number of ping-pong bars and restaurants. Head to Breadsoda on Tuesday nights for a game of table tennis or stop by Comet Ping Pong in Chevy Chase for pizza and paddles.
One Battle After Another
A former member of a far-left group revisits his revolutionary days when his daughter is targeted by a military officer aspiring to become part of a white supremacist society.
Where to watch in theaters: Avalon Theatre on March 4; AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 7; Regal Theaters on March 13; AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center on March 16
Where to stream: HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video
Bonus: If the movie inspires you to help your community, DMV Mutual Aid offers resources for getting started. Other databases for action include Movement Calendar and Feed the People Mutual Aid. The revolutionaries in the film are part of a group called the French 75s, and you can pay homage to the name with a French 75 cocktail at downtown restaurant Dauphine’s.
The Secret Agent
Set in 1977, this historical thriller follows a former professor fleeing political persecution during the Brazilian military dictatorship.
Where to watch in theaters: AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 7; Regal Theaters on March 10; Avalon Theatre; Landmark Atlantic Bethesda Row Cinema; Look Dine-In Cinemas in Reston
Where to stream: Prime Video
Bonus: Political violence and resistance are themes in the film, and bar lecture series Profs and Pints has upcoming talks dedicated to the topics. Head to Penn Social on March 3 for a lecture on modern day resistance in America or go to the Penn Quarter bar on March 9 for a presentation on political bloodshed. The Spy Museum offers a literal take on the film’s title, and exhibits cover some of the ideas discussed in the movie, including corruption, communism, and dissidence.
Sentimental Value
A Norwegian actress turns down a role in her estranged father’s film. He casts an American actress in her place, and the production process opens a window into the family’s tense history and complicated dynamics.
Where to watch in theaters: Regal Theaters on March 9; AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 14; AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center
Where to stream: Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube TV
Bonus: Stellan Skarsgård plays fictional director Gustav Borg, who meets American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) at a film festival. Find inspiration of your own at film festivals around town. Upcoming events include DC Environmental Film Festival, documentary festival DC/DOX, and Filmfest DC, which focuses on international cinema such as Sentimental Value.
Sinners
Sinners follows twin brothers Stack and Smoke as they face supernatural evil while opening a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown.
Where to watch in theaters: Avalon Theatre on February 25; Regal Theaters on March 6; AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 14; Alamo Drafthouse Crystal City and DC Bryant Street; AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center
Where to stream: HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Prime Video
Bonus: You can enjoy jazz and blues nightly at Blue Alley Jazz in Georgetown or Jojo Restaurant and Bar on U Street. If you’re into the spookier elements of the film, check out our list of DC ghost tours. Sinners also highlights some of the realities of life in the Jim Crow South. Learn more about that era and how Black Americans built community at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Train Dreams
Based on a 2011 novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams follows the life of an Idaho logger and railroad worker during the early 20th century.
Where to watch in theaters: AMC Georgetown and AMC Tysons on March 7; Regal Theaters on March 12; Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema
Where to stream: Netflix
Bonus: The“America on the Move” exhibit at the National Museum of American History is a place to learn more about railroad workers and the machinery they helped build. For a museum dedicated to trains, take a day trip to Baltimore and visit the B&O Railroad Museum. The collection includes steam locomotives from the Train Dreams time period.
