Meet This Year's Best Picture Contenders
As we head into the holiday season, we also head into the heart of film awards season. And once again, we are looking at a rather unpredictable year. Though cinemas have mostly reopened this year, the Oscar race is once again being impacted by the pandemic, with many films failing to reach the large audiences that would have greeted them in a normal year—or reaching them directly in their homes rather than on the big screen.
But the uncertainty doesn't mean we don't have a general idea of which films will contend for best picture nominations at the upcoming Oscars. We have surveyed industry experts, calculated the Metascores, and examined the top performing films at this year's major film festivals to come up with a list of 20 potential best picture contenders from 2021, plus a few bonus wildcards.
What is it? A look at the childhoods of legendary tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, who are guided and coached by their father, Richard Williams (played by Will Smith).
Why is it a contender? It's Smith's best-reviewed film in ages (and possibly of his entire career, if the current Metascore holds up after more reviews come in), and Oscar buzz began building immediately following the film's Telluride debut in late summer. It also doesn't hurt that the film has been collecting audience awards at additional festival stops since then.
What are its chances? Excellent. It certainly won't be the highest-scoring film to open this fall, but positive reviews overall coupled with the film's safe, feel-good underdog story led by a beloved actor delivering a terrific performance makes it one of this year's best picture frontrunners. (Look at it this way: The Blind Side was a best picture nominee, and Richard is a much better movie.) And Smith is a lock to score his third best actor nomination—and could be on his way to his first Oscar win.
When can I see it? King Richard opens in theaters on November 19, the same day it begins a one-month streaming engagement on HBO Max.
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