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The Academy Awards are almost two weeks away, and the race for the night’s biggest awards are heating up. The best movies of 2017 are in competition for Best Picture. With a strong lineup, it’s unclear who could take home the statue for the top honor. Here’s who is least likely to most likely to win big:
9. Call Me By Your Name — The gay coming-of-age film is beautiful in the way it tells the story, but it lacks a certain quality that makes it stand out. It’s going up against a list of mostly biographical pictures, which hurts its chances. And the other fictional tales pack a punch that was missing from Call Me By Your Name’s innocent plot.
8. Darkest Hour — The political side of the Dunkirk rescue led by Winston Churchill has a great performance from Gary Oldman, but that’s about it. The film doesn’t measure up to the spectacle of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, which is also nominated for Best Picture. That will split the votes in favor of Nolan's film.
7.The Post — This journalism film does a great job of explaining the importance of the fourth estate and examining gender roles, but journalism movies don’t fair well in the Best Picture category. Spotlight has a bigger story to tell, and The Post doesn't compare to the Best Picture Winner.
6. Phantom Thread — The movie about dressmaker Reynold Woodcock came out of nowhere in the movie circuit. The film was only nominated for one Golden Globe, and it was mostly unheard of until the Oscar nominations came out. Because of that, it is hard to determine where it falls compared to the rest. The film has some leverage because it is legend Daniel Day-Lewis’ last film.
5.Dunkirk — Nolan’s 10th feature film was the war spectacle audiences wanted. It created tension in an unusual way and contained very little dialogue. The film was great, but it was released in July, which was way before the thick of Oscar season. Since then, the film has lost some buzz, and it probably won’t take home the award for Best Picture. Looks like Nolan will have to wait to get a statue in that category.
4. Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut was more than a coming-of-age film — it was about a mother-daughter relationship. It made people laugh and cry, and soared to Rotten Tomatoes’ list of most well-reviewed films of 2017. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, but it’s coming off of the hype. Other films are coming to the forefront, so Lady Bird won’t win the statue.
3. Get Out — Time also plays a factor into the social satire Get Out. Jordan Peele’s insightful film was released in February 2017, more than a year before this year’s ceremonies. It’s almost a miracle the film was nominated for as many awards as it received. Because of its shocking number of nominations, Get Out is definitely in the running for any award it’s up for.
2. The Shape of Water — This fishy tale landed the most Oscar nominations, so there must be components of the film people like. Guillermo Del Toro's love story is beautifully made, even if the plot is a little strange. Despite facing copyright challenges, the film could likely shock audiences with a win.
1.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — This introspective film boasts a strong cast of talented actors and actress led by Frances McDormand. The film won the top award at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Award. There’s no telling if any of the other films nominated will pick up steam, but it appears Three Billboards is the favorite to take home the award for Best Picture.
