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 fictionalized look at the relationship between departing Pope Benedict XVI and the soon-to-be Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican in 2013.
Why is it a contender? Reviews were excellent out of the fall festivals and the film features two strong performances from its leads, Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. The crowd-pleasing, often humorous screenplay comes from Anthony McCarten, whose last three films (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, Bohemian Rhapsody) were all nominated for best picture.
What are its chances? It's hard to imagine Netflix getting more than one—or maybe two—entries in the best picture field, thanks to the streaming service's ongoing antagonism toward the film industry (or at least toward film exhibitors). And with Marriage Story and The Irishman receiving much stronger reviews out of the fall festivals, that would seem to leave The Two Popes on the outside looking in. Nevertheless, many experts list it among their strong favorites for a nomination.
When can I see it? A limited theatrical release starts November 27 ahead of a Netflix debut on December 20.
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