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 Guillermo del Toro-directed film noir thriller adapted from the novel by William Lindsay Gresham (which was previously adapted into a 1947 feature film, though del Toro's version is reported to be a very different take on the material).
Why is it a contender? Del Toro's previous film, The Shape of Water, was a best picture winner, and Alley appears to be a more natural fit for the Academy, as it lacks any sci-fi or supernatural elements. The film also boasts a big-name cast featuring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Rooney Mara, and Willem Dafoe.
What are its chances? The film is still in post-production and likely won't be finished until the end of the month, which makes Alley one of a few potential contenders yet to be screened for anyone. It also may be del Toro's darkest film yet. Nevertheless, most experts are expecting the film to make the best picture field based solely on the director's track record and the names attached. (And distributor Searchlight has had recent best picture success, most notably with last year's Nomadland.) Obviously, if reviews turn out to be disappointing, those expectations will change. And if reviews turn out to be great, expect some of those stars to add to their career Oscar nomination totals.
When can I see it? In theaters beginning December 17.
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