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Stream Oscar documentary contenders - “Collective,” “The Mole Agent,” more

by TYLER WILSON/Coeur Voice contributor
| April 17, 2021 1:00 AM

The five excellent titles in the running to win an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature are all currently available on one of the “big” streaming platforms. Seek them out before the Oscar ceremony on April 25.

The two international contenders, Chile’s “The Mole Agent” and Romania’s “Collective,” can be found on Hulu. “Collective” was also nominated by the Academy in the Best International Feature category.

“The Mole Agent'' seemingly begins as an undercover operation, as the filmmakers recruit an elderly man to infiltrate a nursing home in order to investigate claims of abuse. While the recruit, Sergio, displays necessary cunning, his inexperience with “spy technology” (i.e. the video record feature on a smartphone) results in a comedic training sequence.

The film, however, isn’t really about elder abuse, as the presence of professional cameras within the nursing home makes apparent once Sergio enters the home. Instead, “The Mole Agent” paints a candid portrait of the facility’s residents, most of which are lonely and feel abandoned by their loved ones. The film quietly grows into a sensitive and moving character study.

My favorite film of the documentary nominees, “Collective,” might be the most difficult to watch given its grim subject matter. It follows a group of reporters in Romania who uncover corruption and incompetence at the highest levels of the nation’s health system following a deadly fire at a concert. Many burn victims, some with only minor injuries, ended up dying from secondary bacterial infections at the hospitals.

The narrative of “Collective” unspools like some of the best journalism dramas, including recent Oscar winner “Spotlight” and the genre’s gold standard, “All the President’s Men” It’s expertly crafted, making the revelations contained all the more infuriating.

Over on Amazon Prime, “Time” utilizes a family’s home movies to contextualize the story of a woman fighting for the release of her husband who is serving a 60-year prison sentence for armed robbery. The footage of the family weaves into the larger story of Sibil Fox Richardson’s quest to help her husband as well as to address the necessity for prison and sentencing reform.

Netflix houses the two more audience-friendly nominees, “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and “My Octopus Teacher.” The informative and entertaining “Crip Camp” takes the most traditional filmmaking approach of all the nominees, though the film finds a happy balance between its archival footage and “talking-head” interviews. It focuses on how a group of teenagers who met at a summer camp became leaders in a national movement for disability rights throughout the 70s and 80s.

“My Octopus Teacher,” probably the most popular and talked-about documentary of the bunch, utilizes incredible underwater cinematography to tell a story of a man who befriends a curious and clever octopus. While the concept of the film seems cheesy, “My Octopus Teacher” creates a compelling narrative that elevates it beyond the typical nature documentary.

“My Octopus Teacher” appears to be the unlikely frontrunner. I would personally vote for “Collective,” followed by “Time” or “Octopus,” but this is a good lineup.

Still in need of some Oscar pre-game? You can check out three out of five of the Best International Feature nominees on Hulu - the aforementioned “Collective,” as well as “Quo Vadis, Aida?” (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and frontrunner “Another Round” (Denmark). “Another Round,” about a group of school teachers who decide to experiment in day-drinking (no joke), features some terrific performances, especially the usually creepy Mads Mikkelsen (TV’s Hannibal Lecter) in a warm leading role. Director Thomas Vinterberg earned a surprise nomination in the Oscar’s directing race.

The other two International Feature nominees, Hong Kong’s “Better Days” and Tunisia’s “The Man Who Sold His Skin” are available to rent on VOD.

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Tyler Wilson has been writing about movies for Inland Northwest publications since 2000. He is the co-host of “Old Millennials Remember Movies,” available everywhere you find podcasts. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.