AceShowbiz - As the 2026 Oscars approach, the Best International Feature category is drawing significant attention, with several acclaimed films vying for the top honor. Among them, Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value is widely regarded as the frontrunner after securing a BAFTA award and the Grand Prix at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film has earned nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, and features four cast members recognized for their performances.

Sentimental Value is noted for being less politically charged than its competitors, a factor that may be influencing its strong reception among voting bodies. It is nominated in the Best International Feature category alongside The Secret Agent, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Sir?t, and It Was Just an Accident. Notably, the latter, directed by Jafar Panahi, will become available for American streaming audiences this March, alongside Sentimental Value.

The film in question, It Was Just an Accident, is a significant work from Jafar Panahi, who created the movie under extraordinary circumstances while banned from filmmaking. The film premiered at Cannes, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, adding to Panahi’s unique record of winning top awards at the world’s four leading film festivals: Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Locarno.

It Was Just an Accident is considered one of Panahi’s most accessible films. It follows a group of former political prisoners who kidnap a prison guard responsible for torturing them during their captivity. They face a moral dilemma: whether to exact revenge and compromise their principles or to break the cycle of violence by releasing him. This tense storyline combines political themes with the suspense of a thriller.

The movie has received widespread critical acclaim throughout 2025. It currently boasts a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus describes it as "perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet," and praises it as "a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller."

Ross Bonaime from Collider called It Was Just an Accident “a masterpiece”, describing it as "a grand work from a filmmaker whose every previous film has already felt like a life-or-death scenario in cinema." This strong endorsement underlines the film’s importance in Panahi’s body of work and its impact on contemporary cinema.

Streaming fans will be able to watch both It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value starting March 1 on Hulu. This release presents an excellent opportunity for American audiences to experience two of the most talked-about international films of the year, both of which have made significant impressions on the awards circuit and cinephile communities worldwide.

In summary, the arrival of It Was Just an Accident on streaming platforms marks a crucial moment for international cinema in 2026. Combining political urgency with cinematic craftsmanship, it stands alongside Sentimental Value as a must-watch for awards season and beyond. Stay tuned to Collider for further updates on these and other Oscar contenders.