Meet This Year's Best Picture Contenders
Which films from 2019 could contend for a best picture Oscar in early 2020? We have surveyed industry experts, reviewed the reviews, and examined the top performers at this year's major film festivals to come up with a list of 20-ish potential contenders. (They're listed alphabetically in the gallery above.) Of course, the ultimate best picture nominee list will include 10 or fewer titles (likely fewer), so not every one of these films will secure a nomination—but it's likely that all of the eventual nominees will be found in our list. The biggest wildcards are the handful of films that have yet to be screened for anyone; we'll point those out as we get to them.
What is it? A WWI drama centering on a pair of British soldiers who must undertake a difficult mission behind enemy lines in France to prevent a battalion of soldiers from falling into a trap set by the Germans.
Why is it a contender? It's a thrilling war story presented in attention-grabbing fashion—the entire film is designed to look like one continuous take—by an Oscar-winning director (Sam Mendes) who has recently proven capable of handling action-driven films (the 007 efforts Skyfall and Spectre). And it's personal to the filmmaker: The story is loosely based on events involving Mendes' own grandfather.
What are its chances? While the leads (George MacKay and Game of Thrones' Dean-Charles Chapman) don't have a huge draw in the States, the strong supporting cast (Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Colin Firth) helps. And the Academy certainly liked the one-long-shot gimmick when it was used in Birdman. Cinematography from Roger Deakins is another plus. It's certainly not a lock, but it has a chance.
When can I see it? An awards-qualifying run begins on Christmas, followed by a nationwide theatrical release on January 10th.
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