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 darkly comedic, unpredictable, and unsettling Korean thriller from Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho that offers a timely tale of class warfare as a young man from a poor family begins working for a wealthy household. (If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to avoid spoilers.)
Why is it a contender? It is the best-reviewed film of 2019 (as well as the best of Bong's storied career). It was the unanimous winner of the Palme d'Or as the top film at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it defeated Tarantino's Once Upon a Time and other favorites.
What are its chances? Only 11 films not in the English language have ever received an Oscar best picture nomination. (And none have won.) But one of those was last year's Roma, and Parasite has a similar level of critical acclaim while also offering a more entertaining story. The film's terrific word of mouth is translating into impressive box office numbers during its current rollout at arthouse cinemas in North America, where it has been setting records for a foreign film. So consider it one of this year's best picture frontrunners. It's also a lock to become South Korea's first-ever nominee in the foreign language (now "international") category.
When can I see it? It's in theaters now, and is still in the process of rolling out to additional cities.
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