In Contention breaks down the top 10 contenders for best picture Oscar nominations this year.
With all of this year’s Oscar narratives thoroughly dissected and each of the contenders mapped out, it’s time for the first real assessment of this season’s best picture race in this space. Below are the top 10 players as we see it, with nominations just over a month away.
(Also check out In Contention’s full list of predictions in the Academy’s 21 feature film categories.)
“BlacKkKlansman” (Focus)
Spike Lee’s latest has been on a mission since scooping up the Grand Prix in Cannes back in May. It’s a movie that speaks to the zeitgeist, which is always a key ingredient in the best picture derby, and it does so quite directly; footage from the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., closes out the drama.
“Black Panther” (Disney)
In some corners of the web, you’ll uncover actual anger over a Marvel release finding itself in the Oscar discussion . “Superhero movies are for children and teens,” one person sniped on Twitter when asked why so serious. OK, but what about movies that center a conversation about growing up with systemic oppression versus growing up surrounded by an encouraging sense of personal history and achievement? Who are those movies for?
“The Favourite” (Fox Searchlight)
Searchlight is always in the thick of it, but the reigning best picture champ’s broader play, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” appears to be struggling after a great festival-season launch. “The Favourite,” however, is a consistent critics’ fave that has below-the-line appeal, making it more formidable.
