Oscar Best Picture Hopefuls

Whether the Academy can have this ceremony in a physical space or they will have to go virtual like every other award season so far this year, I'm looking forward to having a whole slate of movies to watch during the next few months leading up to it. It will also be the first Oscars season where they are implementing their new standards of diversity and inclusion for their nominees, so expect another incredible victory for misrepresented groups after Parasite winning Best Picture, so don't expect another Green Book situation anytime soon. It also explains the revealing stories of most of the movies that Variety predicts will be the frontrunners for the top prize. If the amazing buzz that these flicks have elicited is any indication, this will be a superb lineup and I can't wait to watch every one of them either in my living room or in the theater when it's safe. 

You can check out their predictions for the other awards here: https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-predictions-academy-awards-nominations-1234764774/

NOMADLAND

Release Date: December 4, 2020

Nomadland is the new film from Chloe Zhao (who is also directing Marvel’s The Eternals) and stars Francis McDormand who could end up winning her third Oscar for this one. This movie about a middle-aged woman in Nevada heading out to the Midwest to explore the Nomad lifestyle has received the Golden Lion at Venice and the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, so the odds are already in its favor. Top it all off with a release from the reliable Searchlight Pictures, the INSANE praise it’s received from critics and the stunning teaser trailer that debut last week, Nomadland promises to be something truly special.

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO  7

Release Date: TBA

Aaron Sorkin is known for two things: Scathing commentary on the ways the world works and razor-sharp dialogue, especially if he has a great assemble of actors to work with. His latest movie debuting on Netflix promises to deliver on those expectations and then some. This chronicle of the Vietnam protestors who were accused of intentions to incite violence at the 1968 Democrat Vacation in Chicago is, I guess you can say somewhat relevant. Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and others seem to be bringing their A-game with this one, so get ready for another engaging slice of Sorkin.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

Release Date: TBA

Regina King, who has won an Oscar and more Emmy awards than any other black actor, makes her directing debut in this fictional story of Muhammed Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke spending a night out in Miami. Only one clip has surfaced and the actors Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr seem to fit into these roles like a glove and it should be fascinating to see these larger than life figures in Black history playing off each other. The film will debut on Amazon sometime soon and was the runner up for the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, which it lost to Nomadland. Looks like something I’d like to see.

MANK

Release Date: October 2020

This film from the the other half of what made the Social Network so good, David Fincher, explores the life of Herman Mankiewicz, the writer of the Academy Award-winning screenplay for the “Greatest Film of All Time” Citizen Kane. With a script by Fincher’s deceased father Jack and Gary Oldman playing Mankiewicz, the film is being shot in gorgeous black-and-white and should be another example of Netflix being a big player in the Oscar race.

THE FATHER

Release Date: December 18, 2020

Anthony Hopkins has another chance to prove he’s one of the greatest actors of all time in this seemingly simple character piece about an old man losing his mind to dementia while his daughter played by Olivia Coleman is forced to watch. There’s not much to say about this movie except that it’s based on a play by director Florian Zeller and is coming to us courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. Based on the trailer and, again stellar reviews, I’m expecting a film that’s about as hard to watch as Michael Haneke’s Amour, which also dealt with age and deterioration of the body and mind. Should be something harrowing.   

NEWS OF THE WORLD

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Tom Hanks stars as a traveling agent and deliverer of news to a town in Texas who is tasked with finding a kidnapped girl. Directed by Paul Greengrass, this drama is just something we’re going to have to wait and see on.

MA RAINY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Release Date: TBA

This film by George C Wolfe and based on the play by Fences writer August Wilson is about a recording session involving the mother of the blues, Ma Rainy, where 1920s racism is brought to the forefront by discussions between her and her bandmates. Viola Davis plays Ma Rainy and the late Chadwick Boseman makes his final film appearance here which alone makes this worth seeking out when it comes out on Netflix.

DA 5 BLOODS

Release Date: Already out so what are you doing reading this

Speaking of Chadwick Boseman, his second to last film appearance also has Oscar potential. This movie about four Vietnam vets going back to recover gold smuggled by them from the CIA was basically Spike Lee doing what Spike Lee does best: Taking down racism in a searing yet human way. I finally saw this film on Netflix just last week and I only regret not seeing it when King T'Challa was still alive. If you haven’t seen it, you should fix that as well.

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Release Date: 2021

Another film about race relations, this film debut from Shaka King is about the attempted takedown of Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya by the FBI. The trailer makes this look tense and exhilarating. Can’t wait.

MINARI

Release Date: TBA

With films like Moonlight, The Farewell, and Menashe, A24 has done an amazing job at releasing movies that show an underseen slice of American life and this one by Lee Isaac Chung seems to be no exception as it tells the story of a Korean-American family in Arkansas being reshaped when the grandmother shows up. Minari has already snagged the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance and is currently sitting on a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s sure to be another slam dunk from every film bro’s favorite new production company.  

And those are my thoughts on the nominees. All I can say is it looks like an amazing and diverse roster of films from newcomers and established greats of the industry. We’ll see how it all unfolds in 2021.