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 drama going behind the scenes of the recent sexual harassment scandal involving late Fox News head Roger Ailes (played by John Lithgow).
Why is it a contender? The cast is absolutely loaded with big names playing recognizable figures, including Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and Allison Janney as Susan Estrich. (Seeing Richard Kind as Rudy Giuliani should be worth the price of admission alone.)
What are its chances? Good. While veteran comedy director Jay Roach's first big-screen foray into drama (2015's Trumbo) was a dud, he has tread similar ground more successfully in Emmy-nominated HBO films Game Change and All the Way. While full reviews are still embargoed, critics have been hinting about their admiration for the film (especially the performances) since an industry screening last month. At a minimum, it'll score a bunch of acting nominations and better reviews than the similar TV miniseries from earlier this year. And if the similarly star-studded, politically charged Vice could get a best picture nomination last year despite less than stellar reviews, then even a mixed reception from critics for Bombshell should not be an obstacle.
When can I see it? The theatrical release was recently moved up one week to December 13th (though many cities won't get it until the 20th).
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