5. The Glass Castle
Short Term 12 was one of the best movies of 2013. Though many people consider Room to be Brie Larson’s breakthrough performance, it was Short Term 12 that really put her on the map. Now, four years later, the director of Short Term 12 is adapting one of the most critically acclaimed memoirs of the 21st century.
The Glass Castle is widely considered to be an essential autobiography for avid readers. Jeannette Walls weaves together a fascinating and irresistible tale of her life growing up with an unconditional family. The upcoming adaptation has everything going for it in order to be an Oscar hit.
Brie Larson looks to be giving it her all once more in a potentially Oscar-worthy performance as Jeannette Walls. On top of that, Destin Daniel Cretton seems to have a solid grasp on the source material. It really looks as if he’s putting in the effort to bring the source material to life.
The supporting cast is incredible, the cinematography looks gorgeous, and the dialog appears to be both naturalistic and gut-wrenching. In theory, this should be the adaptation we’ve been waiting for. It could easily wind up disappointing viewers, but so far, all signs point to a critical and commercial hit.
4. Victoria and Abdul
The Oscars love Judi Dench, Stephen Frears, and biopics. Victoria and Abdul just so happens to be a biopic starring Judi Dench directed by Stephen Frears. So really, all it has to do to succeed is not be an utter trainwreck.
Based on trailers and set photos, we can all assume that won’t be the case. Victoria and Abdul looks just as delightful as anything Stephen Frears has ever done. It borders on being Oscar-bait, but it looks to have enough charisma to help it stand out from the crowd.
The movie hasn’t been screened for critics yet, but it will debut at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF is no stranger to Oscar contenders, so that already seems to be a good sign. The September release date also means that the studio is confident enough to release the film during “Oscar season.” If Victoria and Abdul doesn’t end up being a major threat, it should at least pick up a few nominations.
3. Downsizing
Alexander Payne is a three-time nominee of the Academy’s Best Director award. His past three directorial efforts have earned sixteen Oscar nominations in total. In other words, Alexander Payne is the type of director people count on when it comes to dominating awards.
Downsizing doesn’t have a poster or trailer, but it’s already getting Oscar hype. The fascinating premise, combined with the terrific cast and crew, ensures that people will have their eyes on this movie when it releases near the end of December.
Downsizing is science fiction satire film about a man who decides to shrink himself. The cast consists of Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Alec Baldwin, Neil Patrick Harris, Laura Dern, and Jason Sudeikis. This ensemble cast is enough to get excited, but there’s so much more that makes this movie an Oscar contender. As stated, Payne has yet to really let his audience down.
Additionally, the collaborative screenplay between him and Jim Taylor oozes with potential. The only thing holding the movie back is the fact that it may be too strange for Oscar voters. Then again, the voters have recently shown that they’re willing to embrace new things. Expect Downsizing to impress voters this holiday season.
2. Call Me By Your Name
As of right now, Call Me By Your Name is the best reviewed movie of the year. Luca Guadagnino isn’t exactly a household name at this point, but his latest film may be his big break.
While he’s also working on a remake of Suspiria, Call Me By Your Name looks to be the movie he’ll be remembered for in 2017. The coming-of-age drama has an astounding 98 Metascore, which makes it one of the best reviewed movies on the entire website. If these types of reviews keep coming, Call Me By Your Name will certainly be the most acclaimed movie of the year.
Critical acclaim doesn’t always equal Oscar success, but this movie in particular seems poised to do incredibly well during awards season. After the recent Moonlight victory, Call Me By Your Name hardly seems out of the question.
The movie has been described as a queer cinema masterpiece. Everything about it has been praised, from the acting to the editing. Nearly every review has given the movie a perfect score. Simply put, the movie seems too big to ignore at this point. It may just be a future classic.
1. Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan hasn’t really had the best of luck when it comes to the Oscars. Inception did well enough, but his other movies have unfortunately fell relatively flat. In some cases, the lack of Oscar attention was completely warranted.
In other cases, one could assume that the Academy had some kind of vendetta. Regardless, Nolan’s losing streak will almost certainly come to an end next year. Dunkirk is the director’s best reviewed movie to date. With a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and an even more impressive Metascore of 94, Dunkirk is the movie Nolan fans have been hotly anticipating for years.
The minimalist approach to storytelling has been described as both unique and effective. Dunkirk doesn’t rely on exposition to tell its story. This relatively lean movie instead gives viewers a grand spectacle that’s hard to forget. Acting nominations seem out of the question at this point, but a Best Picture nomination is easily within reach. That, combined with the countless technical nominations it will earn, ensures that the movie will be a hit at the Oscars.
Author Bio: Justin is a paraprofessional teaching assistant and full-time film enthusiast with a degree in English. When he’s not writing about films, he’s probably watching them in his spare time.