Meet This Year's Potential Best Picture Contenders
The decorations at your local mall may say "Christmas," but the movie release schedule suggests a different time of year: Awards Season. The next five weeks will introduce some heavy hitters—including new films from David O. Russell, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Haynes, and Alejandro González Iñárritu—into what is already shaping up to be a crowded field of contenders. Actually, history suggests that the next best picture winner may already be playing in a theater near you. No December release has won the top Oscar in over a decade.
With that in mind, browse our quick guide to the 25 films that still appear to be in the running for best picture consideration, including titles released earlier this year as well as those arriving over the next month.
Even if it doesn't ultimately crack the best picture shortlist—it may be a little too average overall, though that certainly hasn't hampered past nominees, and many pundits still rank Black Mass among this year's major contenders—Scott Cooper's look at famed gangster Whitey Bulger seems likely to secure an acting nomination for star Johnny Depp.