The 91st Annual Academy Awards is 6 months away. There are plenty of Oscar contenders that have yet to hit screens this year, from director Steve McQueen’s (12 Years a Slave) Widows to Damien Chazelle’s (La La Land) Neil Armstrong biopic First Man. There are also plenty of films that are already bound to get multiple nominations this winter. Today we’re going to run through some of the films that stand a chance at a nomination as of now.
Visual Effects
There’s already a handful of films that are highly likely to be shortlisted for Best Visual Effects this year. Ready Player One is an almost guarantee for Visual Effects, with Solo: A Star Wars Story and either Black Panther or Avengers: Infinity War fighting it out for a nomination as well. There’s an argument to be made for Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as well, but those both seem like tough sells. I’d be willing to put money on it that in the end, Ready Player One and Black Panther end up with a nomination alongside one of the later films this year like Aquaman, Alita: Battle Angel (purely thanks to a James Cameron bump) or Bumblebee.
Animated Feature
There isn’t a single person who wasn’t excited for The Incredibles 2. While animated sequels don’t always get much love at the Oscars, I have a feeling that this film will not only be nominated but will take home the Oscar come this February. The only other big contender thus far is Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, which is facing an uphill battle thanks to arguments on cultural appropriation and racial stereotyping.
Screenplay
This is a category (or categories with Original and Adapted) that may see some interesting nominations this year. While there are plenty of “Oscar bait” films that could sweep up some nominations this winter, there are actually some solid contenders already in the race. The coming of age film, Love, Simon, could easily see an Adapted Screenplay nomination. BlacKkKlansman and Crazy Rich Asians also stand a decent chance at getting a nomination as of now. For Original Screenplay it’s hard to argue against Sorry to Bother You, which is one of the most ingenious screenplays written in the past thirty years. Eighth Grade and Blindspotting are also getting some talk due to their realistic views on the world we live in. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is getting some talk as well, but that film may be overshadowed by the upcoming Boy, Erased. Both films deal with the subject of gay conversion therapy, but it’s unlikely that the Academy will double dip here, no matter how good each film may be.
Documentary
There are plenty of good documentaries out there, but I would be hard pressed to find one that has as much of an impact as Won’t You Be My Neighbor. In a time where the world is tearing itself apart, a documentary on Mister Rogers is something we can all get behind. The film has seen enormous success, and it’s almost guaranteed to get a nomination and possibly win. As of now, its biggest contenders are Three Identical Strangers, and the Whitney Houston biopic, Whitney.
Other Contenders
A Quiet Place is all but guaranteed to get nominations in the technical categories, especially Sound Editing and Mixing. Mission Impossible: Fallout may see some love amidst things like Visual Effects. Kelly Macdonald has been getting some good word-of-mouth for her role in the independent film Puzzle. Glen Close has also received rave reviews for her role in the film The Wife, with some calling it a career high for the veteran actress.
Overview
Looking at all the films already mentioned, there’s also a good chance that many of them will see nominations in other categories. BlacKkKlansman, Sorry To Bother You, Black Panther, and Crazy Rich Asians all stand a good chance at getting multiple nominations, especially when you consider the recent push for more diverse nominees.
Keep Following Poor Man’s Spoiler as we continue our coverage of the Awards Season leading up to the Oscars! The 91st Academy Awards will take place Sunday February 24th on ABC.
