Oscars 2020 Predictions: '1917' and 'Parasite' Will Go to War, But Who Will Win?

Up to a certain point, this year’s Oscars seem to be one of the most predictable in recent memory. The four acting races seem to have been decided long ago, and many of the other categories have strong frontrunners as well — if Roger Deakins doesn’t win Best Cinematography and “Parasite” isn’t named Best International Feature Film, 3,000 people in the Dolby Theatre will go into shock en masse.

But how much do we really know? Best Picture has a clear frontrunner but also the tantalizing possibility of an upset that wouldn’t surprise too many people. And a number of other categories — including animated feature, documentary feature and short and film editing — could go in a few different directions.

The obvious favorites are “1917” and “Parasite,” both of which should go home from the ceremony with some shiny new statuettes. Meanwhile, the two epics that were once thought to be frontrunners have faded: Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” will certainly win one award and might take home one or two others, but Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” could become his second film, after 2002’s “Gangs of New York,” to go 0-for-10 at the Oscars.

Also Read: Pre-Oscar Awards Scorecard: 'Parasite' Won the Most, but '1917' Won the Big Ones

Assuming that PricewaterhouseCoopers hasn’t contracted the ballot counting to the Iowa Democratic Party, here’s what we expect to find in those envelopes on Sunday evening.

BEST PICTURE
Nominees:
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

“Parasite” is positioned to win this award like no film not in English has ever been. It won the SAG ensemble award and the Writers Guild Award, it picked up more guild awards than any other film, it’s by far the critical favorite of 2019 and its director and cast have been the hit of the awards circuit since Cannes. It also fits the recent pattern at the Oscars, in which a big, bold movie wins Best Director but a smaller, actor-driven film wins Best Picture: “Gravity”/”12 Years a Slave,” “The Revenant”/”Spotlight,” “La La Land”/”Moonlight” and “Roma”/”Green Book,” all within the last six years.

And yet “1917” won the Producers Guild Award, the only major award that uses the same preferential system of counting votes that the Academy does. And it won the Golden Globe for drama, the Directors Guild Award and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). Films can win those awards and still lose Best Picture — “La La Land” and “Brokeback Mountain” did — but it’s rare.

Unless “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” or “Jojo Rabbit” pulls off a shocker, a film is going to make history on Oscar night: “Parasite” as the first non-English film ever to win the award, “1917” as the first film since “Grand Hotel” in 1932 to win without an acting or editing nomination. The question is which one will be favored by the Oscars’ preferential voting system, in which the second-place choices of the films that receive the fewest votes come into play, or whether that will end up helping “Once Upon a Time” or “Jojo” in unexpected ways.

“Parasite” is a tempting pick that would fit with recent trends, but it also has a de facto best picture category where it will win, Best International Feature Film. And given what else “1917” has won this year, it seems foolish to bet against it.

Predicted winner: “1917”

Also Read: '1917': How Sam Mendes & Co. Re-Created World War I in a Single Take

San Mendes on the set of “1917”

BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

To split or not to split? In recent years, the Best Director and Best Picture awards have gone to different movies more often than not. But here’s an even more powerful stat: Over the last 71 years, this award has gone to the director who wins the Directors Guild Award for feature film 63 times — and in the last 16 years, the only time the two awards didn’t match was when the Academy’s Directors Branch forgot to nominate Ben Affleck for “Argo.”

This year, the DGA win gives a big edge to “1917” director Sam Mendes, who pulled off a huge movie that looks like a single shot. “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho would be a popular alternative, and it’d be hard to argue with giving this to Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino, but all signs point to Mendes.

Predicted winner: Sam Mendes, “1917”

BEST ACTOR
Nominees:
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

The four acting categories seem to be all but locked, with the same four actors winning at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, SAG Awards and BAFTA. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t win this award for “Joker”: The film is the overall leader in nominations, even people who don’t like it are impressed by his performance, and the massive “Joker” backlash that’d need to happen for voters to give this one to, say, the subtle perfection of Antonio Banderas’ performance in “Pain and Glory,” has never materialized.

Face it: If Phoenix has any disappointment on Oscar night, it’ll be that the menu at the Governors Ball is mostly, but not completely, plant-based.

Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”

Also Read: Director Todd Phillips: 'Joker' Sprang From Concern Over World Without Empathy

BEST ACTRESS
Nominees:
Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renée Zellweger, “Judy”

This category provided the biggest surprise at last year’s Oscars, when presumed winner Glenn Close lost to Olivia Colman in “The Favourite.” But Colman had won at BAFTA, so her upset win didn’t come completely out of the blue. Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy,” on the other hand, hasn’t faced any serious competition all season — while Charlize Theron got some initial buzz for playing Megyn Kelly in “Bombshell,” the movie never quite got the traction it needed to make her a serious challenger. (It doesn’t help that she’s asking Hollywood to identify with and root for a Fox News personality.)

Like Best Actor, this should be one more walk to the podium for a performer who’s been there all season.

Predicted winner: Renée Zellweger, “Judy”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominees:
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

The supporting categories provide surprises more frequently than the lead categories, but you won’t see a surprise here this year. In a lineup of pretty iconic actors, the effortless charm of Brad Pitt’s performance has carried over into a string of delightful acceptance speeches, and who doesn’t want to see him deliver one more on the stage of the Dolby? Barring a last-minute decision to make it up to Tom Hanks for 19 years of snubs (nope, that’s not gonna happen), Pitt is the one sure winner for “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Predicted winner: Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

Also Read: Quentin Tarantino on What Happened to Leonardo DiCaprio's Character After 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominees:
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Lately, there’s been a growing buzz for two women who could be saluted for more than one 2019 performance: Florence Pugh, who was terrific in “Little Women,” “Midsommar” and “Fighting With My Family,” and Scarlett Johansson, who was nominated for both “Jojo Rabbit” and “Marriage Story.” But Laura Dern was in two movies last year, too, “Marriage Story” and “Little Women,” and everybody in Hollywood loves her. She’s been winning all season and she’s not about to stop now.

Predicted winner: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nominees:
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“The Two Popes”

For a while, this category seemed to be one of the best chances for “The Irishman” to avoid an Oscar-night shutout. But “Little Women” won the Scripter Award and seemed poised to win here, too — until “Jojo Rabbit” had a very good final weekend before the Oscars, winning at the Writers Guild Awards on Saturday and at BAFTA on Sunday.

Barring a surprise from “The Irishman” or “Joker,” this now appears to be a showdown between “Little Women” and “Jojo Rabbit.” And it might be the prime opportunity for voters to recognize the latter film, which we underestimate at our own risk.

Predicted winner: “Jojo Rabbit”

Also Read: Taika Waititi Says He Didn't Even Try to Pitch Studios on His WWII Comedy 'Jojo Rabbit'

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nominees:
“Knives Out”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Even as Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” began to slip from its status as one of the Best Picture frontrunners, the Best Original Screenplay category seemed likely to give him an Oscar win. But “Parasite” has been coming on very strong in the homestretch: It won the Writers Guild Award, which you can’t hold against Tarantino because his script wasn’t eligible, and then won the next day at BAFTA, where “Once Upon a Time” was eligible and had been nominated.

Academy voters do like Tarantino, who has been nominated four times and has won for “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained.” But BAFTA voters gave him those same four nominations and those same two wins, plus another nom for “The Hateful Eight” — so for “Parasite” to win there is a real danger sign for Tarantino. Plus, this could be the voters’ only chance to give “Parasite” writer-director Bong Joon Ho an Oscar win of his own — the Best International Feature Film Oscar will officially go to South Korea, not to Bong.

Predicted winner: “Parasite”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees:
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“The Lighthouse”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

When “1917” first screened for voters and press in late November, viewers and pundits agreed on three things: It was a strong Best Picture contender and it was going to win for its score and its cinematography. The first of those is clearly true, the second has turned into a big question mark and the third seems to be a lock. Roger Deakins, who couldn’t catch a break from Oscar voters for the longest time, is poised to win his second Oscar in three years for planning and executing the one-take look of “1917,” and for that astonishing sequence in the bombed-out French town.

If he somehow doesn’t win, Robert Richardson probably has the best chance to take this one for “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” But this award is Deakins’ to lose … and he’s not going to lose.

Predicted winner: “1917”

Also Read: How '1917' Cinematographer Roger Deakins Pulled Off Sam Mendes' One-Shot WWI Film

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Nominees:
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

There may have been a time when the smart move in this category was to pick the frilliest and poofiest nominee to win — but that time is no more, what with “Black Panther” beating “The Favourite” last year and “Mad Max: Fury Road” topping “Cinderella” and “The Danish Girl” a couple of years earlier. Still, this year’s frontrunner does appear to be the one nominee with some (relatively) frilly dresses, “Little Women.” And it might help that this is one of the few places to honor that film, which was popular enough to land a Best Picture nomination.

Of course, every other nominated film in the category is a best-pic nominee, too. And you can’t rule out the lure of those groovy period threads in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” … or the appeal of “Jojo Rabbit,” the costumey-est of the nominees … or even the power of that red suit in “Joker.”

Predicted winner: “Little Women”

BEST FILM EDITING
Nominees:
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Parasite”

Some people say you need a Best Film Editing nomination in order to win Best Picture (though 2014’s “Birdman” didn’t have one), but you don’t need to be the Best Picture winner to win here: In the past 10 years, only “The Hurt Locker” and “Argo” have turned that trick. Typically, this award goes to a film that is nominated for but doesn’t win Best Picture, and one with a liberal amount of action. That seems to favor “Ford v Ferrari,” but “Jojo Rabbit” and “Parasite” won the top awards from the American Cinema Editors, so you have to take them seriously.

And you certainly have to take legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker seriously. She’s been nominated a record-tying eight times and could become the first editor to win four Oscars if her work on “The Irishman” prevails here. But could complaints about the film’s excessive length hurt her chances? Sure — if it wins, it’ll be the category’s longest winner since “Lawrence of Arabia” won 57 years ago.

Predicted winner: “Ford v Ferrari”

Also Read: 'Ford v Ferrari' Editors Say Those Auto-Racing Scenes Weren't the Biggest Challenge

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Nominees:
“Bombshell”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”

Make an actor look like a famous person, win an Oscar. That worked two years ago for “Darkest Hour” (Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill) and last year for “Vice” (Christian Bale as Dick Cheney), and it should happen this year for “Bombshell,” which features Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. By contrast, “Judy” had only one transformation, of Renée Zellweger into Judy Garland — and neither it nor any of the other nominees’ work was startling enough to make voters forget that they had trouble telling Charlize from Megyn.

Predicted winner: “Bombshell”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nominees:
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

After 14 nominations without a win, this was supposed to be the year for Thomas Newman, whose music for “1917” was essential to the movie’s power. But over the last few weeks, Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, only the ninth woman ever nominated for scoring, has been winning awards for her ominous score to “Joker,” including the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, Society of Composers and Lyricists and BAFTA. Though Newman still has a shot, the momentum seems to be with Guðnadóttir.

Predicted winner: “Joker”

Also Read: How 'Joker' Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir Used 'Macho Chords' to Get Inside the Character's Head

Paramount

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Nominees:
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4”
“Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”
“I’m Standing With You” from “Breakthrough”
“Stand Up” from “Harriet”

Could Diane Warren actually win her first Oscar after 11 nominations for “Breakthrough,” a faith-based indie that’s probably the least-seen nominee this side of the shorts? Sure, she could — it wouldn’t be any stranger than her and Lady Gaga losing the Oscar a few years ago to the worst James Bond song ever written. But she’s a longshot behind the song that Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote for the movie about Elton John and Bernie Taupin, “Rocketman,” and behind Cynthia Erivo’s song from “Harriet.”

And while you can never write off Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who are 2-for-2 at the Oscars with songs from animated features, their song from “Frozen II” is more adventurous and less inescapable than “Let It Go” from the first “Frozen.” Elton will likely get to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his “Lion King” win with another trophy.

Predicted winner: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Nominees:
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

This probably comes down to two amazing sets (the rich and poor homes in “Parasite”) v. a recreation of 1969 Los Angeles (“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”) v. miles of trenches, tunnels and countryside (“1917”). In recent years, voters have been leaning toward elaborate fantasy over period reconstructions — and maybe the nominee that comes closest to fitting that bill is the one that brings the “once upon a time” to Hollywood.

Predicted winner: “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

Also Read: How 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood' Turned Back the Clock on L.A.'s Streets

BEST SOUND EDITING
Nominees:
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

The eternal question in predicting the sound categories: Will voters pick the same movie in both categories or will they differentiate between editing (the creation of artificial sounds and sound effects) and mixing (the overall audio balance)? In three of the last four years and seven of the last 10, the same film has won both, which is one of the reasons why the Academy is considering consolidating the two categories.

So if the same movie wins both categories, will it be the war movie, “1917,” or the car-racing movie, “Ford v Ferrari”? The latter film won the top award from both of the Hollywood sound organizations, the Cinema Audio Society and the Motion Picture Sound Editors, but war movies typically do well here, and “1917” figures to be a voter favorite up and down the ballot. If there’s a split between the categories, editing is where “Ford v Ferrari” could well prevail.

Predicted winner: “1917”

BEST SOUND MIXING
Nominees:
“Ad Astra”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

There’s only one difference in the nominations between sound editing and sound mixing, with the artier, lower-budget space movie “Ad Astra” slipping into the spot vacated by “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” But like the other sound category, this is a race between “1917” and “Ford v Ferrari” — and, we suspect, another narrow win for the WWI movie.

Predicted winner: “1917”

Also Read: Oscars 2020: A Great Year in Film Means a Packed Party Schedule

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Nominees:
“Avengers: Endgame”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

“The Lion King” won the top prize at the Visual Effects Society Awards, and a film that consists of nothing but visual effects ought to be a serious contender in this category. But in recent years, Academy voters have usually gone for lower-key visual effects, with last year’s win for “First Man” over “Avengers: Infinity War” only one example. In addition, a Best Picture nominee has lost to a non-nominee only once in the last 49 years, when the low-budget “Ex Machina” somehow beat “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Martian” and “The Revenant” in 2015.

The best-pic stat should give “1917” and “The Irishman” the edge here — but with the de-aging effects in the latter film drawing a decidedly mixed reaction, the war movie could be an easier one for voters to embrace.

Predicted winner: “1917”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Nominees:
“Corpus Christi”
“Honeyland”
“Les Miserables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”

There are other easy categories to predict at this year’s Oscars, but nothing quite this easy. The five previous films nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film in the same year all won in the latter category, and there’s really no chance that streak will change just because they’ve renamed the category.

Unless the Academy voters all got together when we weren’t looking and decided to give this award to “Pain and Glory” or “Les Miserables” so they can save “Parasite” for Best Picture, Bong Joon Ho’s film is going to follow in the footsteps of “Z,” “Life Is Beautiful,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Amour” and “Roma” with an easy win here.

Predicted winner: “Parasite”

Also Read: Inside 'Parasite' Director Bong Joon Ho's 'Embarrassing' Oscar Season

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Nominees:
“American Factory”
“The Cave”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“For Sama”
“Honeyland”

There’s talk that “Honeyland” could win because all the Academy’s international members will vote for that Macedonian film, which is also nominated in the Best International Feature Film category. But the category also contains two films set in Syria and one in Brazil — so if regional loyalties figure in the voting, it might benefit the one nominee that is from the United States, “American Factory.”

“American Factory” is also a formidable contender because it’s about American and Chinese relations at a time when those are in the news; it’s made by two acclaimed and well-liked filmmakers, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert; it’s executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the first film from their Higher Ground Productions; and it’s on Netflix, making it the most seen of the nominees. But “For Sama” is an emotionally wrenching doc that focuses on a mother and child bond in a ravaged Syrian town, and “Honeyland” does get some boost from that international nomination. In a very close race between those three films, “American Factory” may have a slight edge.

Predicted winner: “American Factory”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Nominees:
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”
“Life Overtakes Me”
“St. Louis Superman”
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”

If you watch these five top-notch nominees back-to-back, the one that hits hardest is probably the Korean film “In the Absence,” a heartbreaking and infuriating indictment of the government response to the Sewol ferry disaster. In the days when voters had to see all the nominated films at AMPAS screenings, that would probably give it the win.

But the BAFTA-winning “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” has the same things going for it that 2017’s winner “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405” did: a great title and a story that leaves you with some uplift. (It’s also a better movie than “Heaven.”) And “St. Louis Superman” is a timely reminder that politics can sometimes do good, and one of the few nominated films with a black protagonist. Like doc feature, this is a very close race.

Predicted winner: “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”

Also Read: Oscar Short Doc Nominees Discuss Tackling Tough Subject Matter

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Nominees:
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”

“Toy Story 4” must overcome a couple of hurdles here. The first is that in the 18-year history of this category, only one sequel has ever won. (Good news: It was “Toy Story 3.”) The second is that the Academy’s love for Pixar has cooled in recent years: After winning the Oscar for six of its eight releases between 2001 and 2010 (with nominations for the other two), it has put out 10 movies, landed five nominations and won three times. For most studios, that’d be great; for Pixar, it’s a slump.

But what can beat it? Netflix’s “Klaus” won big at the Annie Awards, but it’s hard to trust its sweep at an awards show historically prone to manipulation. A different Netflix film, “I Lost My Body,” will get the arthouse vote and might have an outside chance if it is widely seen, which is doubtful. Laika’s “Missing Link” isn’t that studio’s best but has been campaigning hard and has a shot if Pixar fatigue has truly set in. And it feels a little late for the Academy to recognize DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” series.

Pixar has won nine times in 18 years, and “Toy Story 4” has already won at five of the six guild awards shows that honor animated films. Pixar fatigue or not, there’s nothing really positioned to take it down.

Predicted winner: “Toy Story 4”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Nominees:
“Dcera (Daughter)”
“Hair Love”
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Sister”

The French film “Memorable,” about an aging artist with dementia, may be the most artistic and substantial of the nominees — but if voters in the category were looking for artistic and substantial, they would have nominated Theodore Ushev’s masterful “The Physics of Sorrow,” which made the shortlist but inexplicably did not advance. So even though “Memorable” and the Chinese-American film “Sister” are imaginative and moving, this race may well come down to the two big-studio offerings, Sony’s “Hair Love” and Pixar’s “Kitbull.”

Of the two, “Hair Love” tells a charming and winning story, and is one of the few ways in which voters can recognize diversity in this #OscarsMostlyWhite year. But “Kitbull” is a touching tale of cooperation and friendship between a stray kitten and abused dog — and since the rules in this category were changed to allow the entire membership to vote without attending special screenings, Pixar and Disney have won four times in seven years, including two Pixar wins in the last three years.

Predicted winner: “Kitbull”

Also Read: ShortList 2019: 'Sister' Director Reflects on Growing Up in China's One-Child Generation (Video)

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Nominees:
“Brotherhood”
“Nefta Football Club”
“The Neighbors’ Window”
“Saria”
“A Sister”

“The Neighbors’ Window,” the narrative debut from two-time documentary nominee Marshall Curry, is the category’s only English-language nominee, and the kind of expertly-made, crowd-pleasing film that veers from comedy to sorrow and once would have coasted to a win in this category. With a more international Academy, though, it faces strong competition from “Saria,” which tells a devastating story and packs a real punch; “Brotherhood,” a disquieting family drama that speaks to issues that plague the Middle East; and even “Nefta Football Club,” a comedy with the kind of twist ending that voters sometimes appreciate.

While the Academy often makes confounding choices in this category, all of the nominees are strong. This will be the fifth time in the last decade with only one American nominee in the category — and three of the first four times, that film has won. That may give “The Neighbors’ Window” a slight edge in a competitive field.

Predicted winner: “The Neighbors’ Window”

All 38 2020 Oscar-Nominated Features, Ranked Worst to Best (Photos)

The Oscar nominations are hard to keep up with, even for those of us who try, and every year brings surprise nominations, unthinkable snubs and a series of films that, darn it, we haven't all been able to catch up with. Watching all the feature films nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards is a time-consuming task, and mainlining all these movies doesn't always paint a clear picture of what the Academy actually likes. A few of these nominees are practically inexplicable. Quite a few of the nominees are technically impressive but thematically empty (or troublesome). Some are merely mediocre, except for that one incredible, Oscar-worthy element. And, mercifully, quite a few others are truly brilliant from beginning to end.
38. "The Lion King"

Nomination: Best Visual Effects

Jon Favreau's remake of the animated classic "The Lion King" offers uncannily realistic CG-animation, but at the sacrifice of the entire story. The animated cast is stiff and unemotional, robbing the tragedy of its power, and the staging denies even the film's zippiest musical number its power to captivate. The temptation to give "The Lion King" bonus points for technical wizardry fades quickly, and all that remains is a tedious, lifeless remake with no new take on the material.
Disney
37. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Nominations: Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects

The (allegedly) final installment in the official "Star Wars" saga is an overstuffed mess that bends over backwards (and breaks) to hastily rewrite backstories and then bring them to an epic conclusion, even though the frantic pacing and half-developed storylines had no opportunity to take hold, let alone resonate. A few memorable moments and characters can't compensate for the slapdash editing, underdeveloped character arcs and seemingly important moments that, instead, read as merely laughable.
Lucasfilm/Disney
36. "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

Nominations: Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Aggressively silly but, at least, somewhat aware of its camp value, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" finds Angelina Jolie returning to her iconic role. Unfortunately she's written out of significant chunks of the movie, forcing the preposterous storyline (involving faery-poisoning flowers and, in the film's most baffling moment, its pipe organ delivery system) to struggle, and fail, to capture our imagination without her. Michelle Pfeiffer, as the villainous queen, appears to be having fun, and the scene where she and Jolie trade catty barbs over a dinner table is an undeniable highlight.
Disney
35. "Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design

Sometimes movies are less than the sum of their parts, and Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" is one of them. Masterful production design and memorable performances can't prevent the film from feeling like a shiftless tourist attraction featuring Tarantino's favorite 1960s obsessions. The film's unapologetic adoration of male artists who put women in danger -- those men, in the film's ugly climax, are given a contrived excuse to indulge in their violence and get celebrated for it -- comes across as unintentionally disturbing. Impressive in fits and starts, "Once Upon a Time" ultimately seems misguided, mean-spirited and immature.
Sony
34. "Richard Jewell"

Nomination: Best Supporting Actress

In many respects, "Richard Jewell," Clint Eastwood's down-to-earth biopic about a man who stopped a terrorist bombing only to be falsely accused of the crime, is a smart and finely acted drama. Paul Walter Hauser brings depth and sympathy to a man who otherwise could have seem merely naive, and Oscar-nominee Kathy Bates is captivatingly dignified in undignified situations. Unfortunately, the film's entire raison d'être -- to expose and decry character assassination in the media -- is undermined by the arch and two-dimensionally villainous portrayal of reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde). Eastwood's movie turns into the very thing it rails against.
Warner Bros.
33. "Bombshell"

Nominations: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Jay Roach's exposé of the sexual harassment claims at Fox News boasts impeccable makeup and excellent performances by Charlize Theron (as Megyn Kelly), John Lithgow (as Roger Ailes) and Margot Robbie (as a composite character based on multiple real-life Fox News employees). But from the outset, the film struggles to find a meaningful perspective, asking the audience to detest Fox News while simultaneously sympathizing with its figureheads. Either Roach's film is trying to humanize Fox News for audience members who don't respect the network, or to attract Fox News fans and then undermine their faith in the network. "Bombshell" doesn't seem to function either way.
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Lionsgate
32. "Frozen II"

Nomination: Best Original Song

The follow-up to Disney's breakout smash "Frozen" has the same characters but little of the subversive charm and only one memorable musical number. ("Lost in the Woods," which isn't even nominated.) "Frozen II" sends the ensemble into a mystical forest, where two feuding factions have been trapped for a generation, and where Elsa (Idina Menzel) learns the truth behind her identity. It's certainly better than last year's other disappointing and underdeveloped Disney sequel (*cough* "The Rise of Skywalker" *cough*), and some of the animation is eye-poppingly beautiful, but it never presents a convincing argument for why this chapter of the story needed to be told (apart from the money, of course).
Disney
31. "Breakthrough"

Nomination: Best Original Song

Roxann Dawson's adaptation of the memoir "The Impossible" is a modest but effective melodrama about a teenage boy who falls into a frozen lake, was underwater for 15 minutes and miraculously survived. Anchored by a strong performance by Chrissy Metz, and a fine supporting turn by Topher Grace as the family's young pastor, "Breakthrough" is one of the strongest faith-based dramas to emerge in recent years, but one's mileage may vary depending upon personal beliefs.
Allen Fraser/20th Century Fox
30. "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World"

Nomination: Best Animated Feature

The third and, by far, the least interesting installment of Dean DeBlois' "How to Train Your Dragon" series finally answers the question of why there used to be dragons in the world and why there aren't any now. But after the triumphant and dramatically intense conclusion to "How to Train Your Dragon 2," "The Hidden World" doesn't make much of an impact. It's another entertaining feature, but it's pulling all of its emotional punches, and so this formerly exceptional franchise ends with a weary sigh instead of a mighty roar.
DreamWorks Animation
29. "Joker"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Todd Phillips' take on the DC supervillain "Joker" is how unremarkable it is. Aside from Joaquin Phoenix's all-or-nothing performance, "Joker" is a loving pastiche to the films of Martin Scorsese -- "King of Comedy," in particular -- but it has little to add to Scorsese's perspective on captivating antiheroes. Phillips' film portrays Arthur Fleck, soon to be a costumed murderer, as a victim of a failed social system but never ventures deeper into how that system works, or even what made Scorsese's approach so radical. The seriousness of "Joker" is all window-dressing, like a C+ term paper submitted in a fancy binder. But taken strictly as a supervillain origin story, it's a mostly satisfying genre movie.
Warner Bros.
28. "Harriet"

Nominations: Best Actress, Best Original Song

It's hard to believe that there had never been a major motion picture made about Harriet Tubman before Kasi Lemmons' biopic. Perhaps that's why the film feels conventional; it's the old-fashioned, slick and fawning production Tubman probably should have received years ago. Cynthia Erivo delivers a forceful performance, only occasionally hindered by arch writing, and Lemmons' take on Tubman as a slightly larger-than-life folk hero -- who essentially has her own superpowers -- is a bit simplistic but effectively rousing.
Focus Features
27. "Toy Story 4"

Nominations: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song

Ambitious but undercooked, "Toy Story 4" finds Woody (Tom Hanks) on an all-new adventure with an all-new toy, Forky (Tony Hale), a spork who doesn't understand how he came to life or why he's supposed to act like a toy. Kudos to Pixar for finally addressing some of the weirder elements of the "Toy Story" franchise, and for a well-intentioned subplot about disabled toys trying to be loved, but it's too easy to interpret the themes of "Toy Story 4" in unsettling ways for the film to live up to its nuanced predecessors. Woody genuinely seems to be denying Forky his right to his own identity, and in most films Woody would learn a valuable lesson about letting other people be who they are, but instead the film argues the best thing Forky can be is defined by someone else's expectations.
Pixar/Disney
26. "Ad Astra"

Nominations: Best Sound Mixing

James Gray's expensive art-house sci-fi spectacle plays like "Apocalypse Now" meets "2001: A Space Odyssey," without the extreme innovation that came with either of those classic films. Still, the story of an astronaut (Brad Pitt) who ventures to the edge of the solar system to contact and then retrieve his missing father is an impressively slick production, filled with astounding imagery and unexpectedly pulpy action sequences. At its best, "Ad Astra" is a rarefied space opera. At its worst, it's an overly languid, albeit stunning VFX showcase.
Fox
25. "I Lost My Body"

Nomination: Best Animated Feature

A severed hand squirms its way across the city, trying to reconnect with the rest of its body in an animated film unlike anything else in theaters in 2019. Those bizarre and distinctive sequences show "I Lost My Body" at its finest, but it's also a somewhat familiar and oddly conceived drama about the young man who will eventually lose his hand, as he stalks a girl he kinda-sorta met while delivering pizzas. About one-third of "I Lost My Body" is absolute genius. The other two-thirds are a more conventional tale, occasionally punctuated by inspired animation and sound design.
Netflix
24. "The Edge of Democracy"

Nomination: Best Documentary Feature

The swift rise and almost immediate downfall of democracy in Brazil is the subject of a highly informative, deeply unsettling documentary which, for American audiences, offers disturbing and specific parallels to the contemporary political landscape. But most fascinatingly, those parallels aren’t neat and tidy, and aspects of the Brazilian government’s slide into absolute corruption seem to apply to either side of the American political landscape. “The Edge of Democracy” is a eulogy for a country, but although its commentary is valuable, its delivery is often depressive and dreary, which makes the pacing drag and leaves some of the messaging lost in a narrative haze.
Orlando Brito/Netflix
23. "Judy"

Nominations: Best Actress, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Renée Zellweger delivers a phenomenal performance as Judy Garland, giving some of the last live performances of her career, in an otherwise well-intentioned but unremarkable biopic. Rupert Goold's film tries to explore Garland's early life as a child star, abused by the studio system and addicted to drugs at an extremely early age, and juxtapose that tragedy with the undeniably brilliant but absolutely frayed human being Garland eventually became. Every element of "Judy" seems designed to bolster Zellweger's talent, and succeeds, but at the cost of feeling unnecessarily slight.
David Hindley/LD/Roadside
22. "The Two Popes"

Nominations: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay

Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins star as, respectively, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, in a stagy two-hander designed to let two great actors talk about serious issues -- faith, politics, fascism, church scandals -- with witty dialogue and clever asides. Sometimes, "The Two Popes" feels absolutely sublime, with both Pryce and Hopkins at the top of their game, biting into the juicy roles of popes with opposing views. But for all the film's heavy talk, it skirts some of the most pressing issues surrounding the two Popes and the Catholic church, opting instead of let the audience feel good about this friendship rather than experience complicated emotions about the Catholic church's role in horrifying cover-up of sexual abuses.
Netflix
21. "Les Misérables"

Nomination: Best International Feature

The French submission this year is not another adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel, but does take place in the area where he wrote it. Ladj Ly's absorbing drama is about corrupt cops struggling to keep order amidst a variety of complex social tensions. When altercation results in a child being shot, the cops will do whatever it takes to avoid the consequences."Les Misérables" has many structural similarities to Antoine Fuqua's "Training Day," for better and for worse, but the searing conclusion makes up for the familiarity and brings the film's title back into question in a confrontational, troubling and fascinating way.
Amazon
20. "Marriage Story"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score

Noah Baumbach's stressful drama about the dissolution of a marriage features nuanced performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, as the couple in question, and a series of distinctive and memorable supporting turns from Ray Liotta, Alan Alda and Laura Dern as their opinionated attorneys. Straightforward in its delivery, sometimes subtle in its execution, "Marriage Story" works best as a slice-of-life drama about falling out of love and into a heartless legal system. Sometimes, however, it slides into cloying melodrama and overwrought theatricality, and the unique backdrop of the affluent entertainment industry makes the film sometimes feel alienating when, it seems, its aim is to connect on a universal level.
Netflix
19. "Corpus Christi"

Nominations: Best International Feature

The Polish Oscar submission is an ethically complicated take on a seemingly Capra-esque story: An ex-con, who's unable to enroll in the seminary, impersonates a priest in a small town and ultimately does more good than harm. On paper, "Corpus Christi" should be a crowd-pleaser: It's filled with love and redemption and mistaken identities and a small-town healed by an outsider with good intentions. But Jan Komasa's feature is also solemn and earnest about its moral, ethical and faith-based questions, and avoids coming to any trite conclusions. It's a smart, absorbing, impressive drama.
Film Movement
18. "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

Nomination: Best Supporting Actor

Marielle Heller's "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" isn't a biopic about Fred Rogers, the beloved children's show host. Nor is it even so much a biopic about the film's protagonist, reporter Lloyd Vogel (a fictionalized version of "Esquire" writer Tom Junod). At heart, it's an episode of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" designed specifically for adults, to remind them -- just as Mr. Rogers reminded children every day -- that it's OK to feel what you're feeling, and to be present for and understanding about the other human beings in your life. Unabashedly good-natured but genuinely affecting and sincere, "A Beautiful Day" relies on Tom Hanks' nuanced performance as Rogers. He seems saintly, but pay close attention and you can tell that all his seemingly boundless kindness is, if nothing else, an awful lot of work.
Sony
17. "For Sama"

Nomination: Best Documentary Feature

A Syrian journalist makes a documentary about the horrifying air strikes and encroaching Russian war machine in Aleppo. But “For Sama” is not an educational film for the masses, it’s a letter to an infant daughter, from a mother who herself is struggling to decide whether the film is about how her parents tried to stand up for what’s right or how they failed. “For Sama” takes a harrowing large-scale crisis and whittles it down to an intimate family drama, set against a backdrop of death and fear. It’s a gut-punch movie, but its lack of subtlety is wholly justified, its imagery is staggering and disturbing, and its tale is undeniably powerful.
PBS
16. "Ford v Ferrari"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Editing

James Mangold's finely tuned biopic about automobile designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and mechanic/race-car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who helped Ford compete against Ferrari at Le Mans, is a slick sports story welded onto a smart drama about talented individuals fighting against conventional corporate marketing mentalities. It's also one of the most positive and healthy portrayals of masculinity in years. Sharply edited and thrilling, "Ford v Ferrari" is just as precisely calibrated and powerful as the cars it lovingly photographs.
Merrick Morton/Fox
15. "Missing Link"

Nomination: Best Animated Feature

In many respects "Missing Link" is the slightest film in LAIKA's impressive slate of stop-motion animated films. It's a whimsical adventure about a turn-of-the-century explorer who befriends Bigfoot and tries to bring him to Mount Everest to meet his estranged yeti kinfolk, who learns the importance of friendship along the way, nowhere near as creepy or eccentric as "Coraline," "Paranorman," "The Boxtrolls" or "Kubo and the Two Strings." But that simple, sensitive storyline masks just what a flabbergastingly complicated production "Missing Link" is, with even minor dialogue scenes produced with an eye for incredibly subtle humor and dazzling visual detail. It's one of the most deceptively impressive movies of the year.
Laika Studios / Annapurna Pictures
14. "1917"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

Sam Mendes' World War I epic is an overwhelming piece of sensationalist filmmaking, depicting a typical, formulaic men-on-a-mission B-movie storyline as though it was (mostly) one, dynamic, endlessly complicated and breathtaking shot. "1917" seems to be aiming for immersion, and at that it fails miserably: The gimmicky showiness is always on full display, overwhelming our eyes, and evoking first-person video game storytelling throughout the whole journey. (Don't forget to search the shack! It'll solve a puzzle later!) But despite its artificiality and relatively shallow ideas about war, it's a dazzling spectacle, with thrills that most bigger, flashier, more expensive whiz-bang blockbusters couldn't come close to providing in 2019.
Universal
13. "Knives Out"

Nomination: Best Original Screenplay

Rian Johnson's ode to all-star Hollywood ensemble flicks of old, and to the grand tradition of Agatha Christie-esque murder mysteries, assembles probably the most impressive cast of the year -- Jamie Lee Curtis! Toni Collette! Michael Shannon! Chris Evans! Don Johnson! More! -- to play rich a-holes who each have a perfectly good motive for killing their family's rich patriarch. And embroiled in the whole shocking mess is the old man's seemingly innocent nurse, played by Ana de Armas, and Daniel Craig's somewhat cartoonish Southern-gentleman detective. Deftly conceived and pointedly written, "Knives Out" is simultaneously old-fashioned and refreshingly relevant to modern issues.
Claire Folger/Lionsgate
12. "American Factory"

Nomination: Best Documentary Feature

The story of Chinese company Fuyao buying an American factory in Ohio begins as an optimistic drama about bridging divides between cultures and economies, but as “American Factory” progresses, we learn that was just wishful thinking. Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s rich, layered and captivating documentary catalogues the way capitalistic motivations completely undermine good intentions, and how the eagerness to solve immediate economic problems can open doors for greater calamities down the road. Sobering, captivating, deeply sad and borderline profound.
Netflix
11. "Rocketman"

Nominations: Best Original Song

Dexter Fletcher's biopic about music legend Elton John hits many of the same beats as other, more conventional stories about real-life performers, but by framing John's life as a glitzy, full-blown, old-fashioned movie musical, "Rocketman" eludes cinematic conventionality by leaning into dynamic artificiality. Taron Egerton goes full tilt as Elton John, singing and dancing and weeping his way through every gigantic moment in the singer's gigantic life, and the fabulous soundtrack, dance numbers and supporting cast keep step with him every inch of the way. "Rocketman" is a delirious delight.
Paramount
10. "Honeyland"

Nominations: Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature

Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov's "Honeyland" is the first film ever nominated for both Best International Feature and Best Documentary Feature, but it's easy to see why. This sumptuously photographed documentary about Macedonian beekeepers couldn't have told a more beautiful story if it had been fully scripted, and no amount of artificial cinematic finesse could have made it seem more natural. "Honeyland" follows Hatidze Muratova, a rural apiarist whose life is changed by a nomadic family moving in next door and threatening her livelihood. Harrowing, lovely, humane filmmaking.
NEON
9. "The Irishman"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (x2), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects

Martin Scorsese's epic biopic about mafia hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) and his close friendship with, and shocking betrayal of, union legend Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) is as big as any Scorsese film, and not just because it's over three hours long. Revisiting themes he's previously explored in "Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas," but from the perspective of a man nearing the end of his existence, "The Irishman" follows a life of crime all the way into old age, where guilt, shame and ossified behaviors take the ultimate existential toll. Impeccably acted -- albeit through sometimes-impressive, sometimes-distracting CG de-aging effects -- "The Irishman" quickly established itself as one of the most significant films in Scorsese's oeuvre, even though it's hardly the best.
Netflix
8. "Avengers: Endgame"

Nomination: Best Visual Effects

The grand cinematic experiment that was the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't always feel impressive anymore; the studio proved that an interconnected series of characters and franchises was manageable, profitable, and capable of telling interesting, sometimes meaningful stories. But no matter how accustomed we've come to Marvel's unique storytelling style, "Endgame" is an undeniable accomplishment, bringing nearly two dozen blockbuster films together into a single, rousing, sometimes daring conclusion that merges disparate genres, combines seemingly disparate story elements, and concluding in one of the grandest action sequences in blockbuster moviemaking history. It's a miracle that the MCU ever worked. That it could eventually come together in such a beautiful fashion is a legitimate cinematic miracle.
Disney
7. "The Cave"

Nomination: Best Documentary Feature

Feras Fayyad’s utterly absorbing documentary, which takes place almost entirely in a retrofitted underground bunker, tells the story of Dr. Amani Ballour, who’s desperately trying to save lives in Syria during the Russian military strikes. Which would be hard enough, given the life-threatening bombings and ever-dwindling medical resources, but she also has to endure lectures about how she, as a woman, shouldn’t be a doctor at all, no matter how many lives she’s saving. “The Cave” captures the nightmare of the Syrian crisis through the lens of familiar office politics and absurd systemic misogyny, and watching Ballour fight until she can fight no more is an impossibly inspirational, daily act of nobility. Multifaceted, engrossing, absolutely invaluable filmmaking on every level.
National Geographic
6. "Pain and Glory"

Nominations: Best Actor, Best International Feature

Pedro Almodóvar's semi-autobiographical "Pain and Glory" stars Antonio Banderas as an aging filmmaker, struggling with memories of lost loves and a string of debilitating physical ailments, who reconnects with an estranged former leading man and takes up, seemingly for the hell of it, heroin. Although clearly influenced by Fellini's "8 1/2," Almodóvar's film refrains from self-aggrandizement and seems eager to implode whatever sense of ego the filmmaker has about himself. Playful, sensitive, mournful, "Pain and Glory" gives Banderas one of his finest roles and beautifully avoids all the usual, cloying pitfalls that come with making films about filmmakers, coming to wise conclusions about the way art can be used to treat, explore and share one's most uncomfortable feelings.
Sony Pictures Classics
5. "The Lighthouse"

Nomination: Best Cinematography

Two salty sea-dogs, alone on a tiny island, hating each other's guts and sneaking off to masturbate and worship a giant lamp at every available opportunity. Say what you will about Robert Eggers' "The Lighthouse," but it's not exactly coasting on formula. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe give wet, musty, gross and captivating performances as the keepers of a lighthouse, while Jarin Blaschke's alarmingly beautiful black-and-white cinematography captures their every nervous tic and hallucinogenic fantasy. Equal parts funny and horrifying, "The Lighthouse" is one of the most distinct artistic visions of 2019, and easily the year's most beautifully photographed motion pictures.
Eric Chakeen/A24
4. "Klaus"

Nomination: Best Animated Feature

Everything about Sergio Pablos's directorial debut feels new and beautiful, from the uncanny hybrid animation style to the storyline, which ostensibly tells the origin of Santa Claus. But you'd never know it from the film's first act, which begins so far afield from any Christmas story we know that we have no idea how "Klaus" is ever going to get there. But then, in a plot that's both impressively complicated and absolutely natural, the legend of Santa comes to life via a combination of capitalistic cynicism and genuine love for mankind. The best animated film of 2019 flew under a lot of radars before its Oscar nomination, but it seems destined to go down as an all-time Christmas classic.
Netflix
3. "Parasite"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing

Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" is a comedy until it's a thriller, and a thriller until it's a tragedy. By running the gamut of cinematic experience, the filmmaker is able to tackle issues of economic disparity more fully than practically any other film in recent memory, keeping the audience perpetually on pins and needles, uncertain of what could possibly come next. A poor family begins conning a rich family into hiring each and every one of them as servants, as they conspire daily against their ignorant employers, but the title doesn't necessarily refer to who you initially think it does. Absolutely vicious, incisive filmmaking, impeccably acted and realized at every level of production.
NEON
2. "Jojo Rabbit"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

Joining in the grand tradition of subversive comedies about fascism, à la "The Great Dictator" and "The Producers," Taika Waititi's "Jojo Rabbit" follows a young, true-believer Nazi through the waning days of World War II, when the fog of propaganda begins to lift and young Jojo (Roman Griffith Davis) gradually realizes he's been indoctrinated into an absurd, evil regime. As he begins to interact with a young Jewish girl his mother has been hiding in their crawl spaces, his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Waititi) devolves from a lovable father figure into the demonic psychological disease he really is. Dancing precariously on the line between humor and tragedy, "Jojo Rabbit" draws clear parallels between modern political groupthink and the Nazi regime. It's disturbingly topical, fascinatingly conceived, and beautifully performed by a cast that is, amazingly, all in tune with Waititi's eerie vision of World War II Germany.
Fox Searchlight
1. "Little Women"

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design

There had already been three classic adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" before Greta Gerwig got around to it, and yet this new version improves on all of them. Gerwig assembles a perfect cast and reframes each beloved character as the protagonist of their own story, finding dignity within often maligned supporting cast members -- and, within its ostensible protagonist Jo (based loosely on Alcott herself), a greater sense of nuance than ever before. Gerwig's greatest gamble, transforming the narrative into a flashback structure, completely recontextualizes the complex love story at the heart of "Little Women" and applies invaluable emphasis to the creation of "Little Women" itself. Gerwig finds at the heart of Alcott's book a story about women telling stories about women, confronting mainstream rhetoric about gendered storytelling and compromising for the sake of populism. Gerwig's "Little Women" is not just "Little Women"; it's the novel's cultural significance, distilled into a glorious, inspiring, funny, sad, unforgettable motion picture.
Sony

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How do this year’s Academy Award contenders stack up against each other?

The Oscar nominations are hard to keep up with, even for those of us who try, and every year brings surprise nominations, unthinkable snubs and a series of films that, darn it, we haven't all been able to catch up with. Watching all the feature films nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards is a time-consuming task, and mainlining all these movies doesn't always paint a clear picture of what the Academy actually likes. A few of these nominees are practically inexplicable. Quite a few of the nominees are technically impressive but thematically empty (or troublesome). Some are merely mediocre, except for that one incredible, Oscar-worthy element. And, mercifully, quite a few others are truly brilliant from beginning to end.

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