Top 10 Movies You'll See at the Oscars 2020
Top 10 Movies You'll See at the Oscars 2020
Top 10 Failed Oscar Bait Movies of 2020
Let the buzz begin! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movies You’ll See at the Oscars 2020! For this list, we’re looking at the films most likely to receive Oscar nominations - and wins - at the 92nd Academy Awards.
#10: “Just Mercy” (2019)
Top 10 Best Movies of 2020
As a legal drama, “Just Mercy” may not break the mold. But the performances from Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan have stirred instant Oscar chatter. Based on the memoir of lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, the film relates Stevenson’s defence of Walter McMillian, who was falsely convicted of murder. According to reviews, Jordan shines as Stevenson, and Foxx knocks it out of the park as McMillian, delivering a commanding, powerful performance that The Wrap’s Steve Pond described as his “strongest . . . in years”. Could Foxx soon have another golden statue to accompany the one he won for “Ray”?
#9: “Knives Out” (2019)
Early Reviews: Jojo Rabbit, Knives Out, The Lighthouse
From “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson, here is something . . . completely different. “Knives Out” is an old-fashioned, Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnit, with an incredible ensemble cast: Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer . . . the list goes on. But while they all turn in solid performances - particularly Ana de Armas - what really blew away the critics at TIFF were Rian Johnson’s clever screenplay and deft direction. Described as “ingenious” and “fiendishly well-engineered”, it’s a fresh take on the genre that could see Rian Johnson cracking the case of “who’ll win Best Director or Original Screenplay?”.
#8: “The Lighthouse” (2019)
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2020
Robert Eggers made waves in 2015 with his feature directorial debut “The Witch”, an atmospheric, slow-burning horror that culminated in a devastating and supremely satisfying finale. His follow-up “The Lighthouse” is another masterclass in psychological horror, ramping up the sense of isolation that made “The Witch” so effective. Critics have praised both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s performances, although Dafoe’s scathing, salty lighthouse keeper Thomas Wake has the lion’s share of dramatic dialogue. They’ve also commended the macabre atmosphere created by the production design, sound, and Jarin Blaschke’s black-and-white cinematography. Best Actor? Best Cinematography? Production Design? “The Lighthouse” could be up for quite a few.
#7: “Jojo Rabbit” (2019)
Top 10 Reasons JoJo Rabbit has Critics Divided
It’s an audacious premise: a World War II satire featuring Hitler as an imaginary friend. And to tell the truth, critics are somewhat divided about whether writer-director Taika Waititi pulled it off. As with 1997’s wartime comedy “Life Is Beautiful”, Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” has provoked polarized responses. Based on the novel “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens, the movie tells the story of Hitler Youth Jojo, who discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic. His moral dilemma is complicated by his imaginary best friend Hitler, played with panache by Waititi. Despite the controversy, “Jojo Rabbit” could still have a shot at Best Adapted Screenplay. And there’s also buzz around Scarlett Johansson for Best Supporting Actress as Jojo’s mother Rosie Betzler.
#6: “Judy” (2019)
Top 10 Best Judy Garland Musical Numbers
A biographical drama about showbiz? Check. An Academy Award winning actress? Check. A standing ovation at TIFF? DOUBLE check. Variety's Jenelle Riley wrote that she’s “never seen a standing ovation like the one for Renee Zellweger at JUDY”. In fact, Zellweger had to tell the audience to stop. Based on the Tony-nominated musical drama “End of the Rainbow”, the film is about Judy Garland’s swan song performances in London before her overdose in 1969. While not all critics loved the film, Zellweger’s performance as Judy has been described as a “career-defining” “tour de force”. A nomination for Best Actress seems almost sure to follow.
#5: “Ford v Ferrari” (2019)
Top 10 Things Ford V Ferrari Got Right and Wrong
Turns out . . . they actually DO make ‘em like they used to! In a world of blockbuster franchises, “Ford v Ferrari” is a standalone drama that goes back to basics: celebrated actors, an uplifting story, and thrilling action sequences. Directed by “Logan’s” James Mangold, the racing biopic stars Christian Bale as race car driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon as automotive designer Carroll Shelby, who in 1966 helped Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans. It also stars an up and coming Noah Jupe as Peter Miles. At this point in the race, it would be quite a surprise if the film didn’t at least get nominated in one or more categories.
#4: “Parasite” (2019)
Top 10 Reasons Why Parasite is the Best Movie of the Year
Director Bong Joon-ho seems to revel in the unexpected. His films “The Host”, “Snowpiercer”, and “Okja” all marry the mundane with the fantastic and unpredictable. But he may have outdone himself with “Parasite”, a comedy-thriller about a poor family that sneakily secures employment in the same wealthy household. It’s a gripping satire that returns to the theme of class struggle explored in “Snowpiercer”, but with far more narrative twists and turns. Having already won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, it seems a strong contender for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Admittedly though, it faces fierce competition in that category from the scintillating “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, which picked up both Cannes’ Queer Palm and Best Screenplay.
#3: “Marriage Story” (2019)
Another Top 10 Movie Marriage Proposals
“Intimate”, yet “painful”; “heartbreaking” yet “hilarious” . . . critics have described Noah Baumbach’s comedy-drama as all of these and more. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as an actress and stage director going through divorce, “Marriage Story” wowed audiences at the Venice International Film Festival, winning universal acclaim. The focus has been on Baumbach’s screenplay and direction, as well as the raw, emotional performances from Johansson, Driver, and in a supporting role Laura Dern. Going by the reviews, “Marriage Story” could be up for several awards, including best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actress, and/or screenplay.
#2: “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019)
Top 10 Things A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Got Factually Right
What do you get when you cross “America’s Dad” with “America’s Favorite Neighbor”? One hell of a likeable film! 2018 brought us the documentary “Won't You Be My Neighbor?”, and 2019’s “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” continues the Fred Rogers nostalgia. The movie is director Marielle Heller’s third foray into biographical films, after “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”. Could the third time be the charm for an Academy Award win? The buzz is that the heartfelt biopic could be nominated for best picture, director, supporting actor, and/or screenplay. Who says “nice” finishes last? Before we reveal our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions: “Uncut Gems” (2019) “Motherless Brooklyn” (2019) “The Two Popes” (2019) “Honey Boy” (2019) “Ad Astra” (2019) “The Aeronaut” (2019) “Harriet” (2019)
#1: “Joker” (2019)
Top 10 Reasons Joker Will Sweep at the Oscars
“Joker” turned out to be a more divisive film than expected for critics. While some praised it as a “masterpiece”, others called it “superficial” and “predictable”. But even the haters praised Joaquin Phoenix’ performance as the Clown Prince of Crime. Phoenix has been nominated thrice for an Academy Award, for his roles as Commodus in “Gladiator”, Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line”, and Freddie Quell in “The Master”. Critics have described his performance as the tortured Athur Fleck in “Joker” as “magnetic”, “phenomenal”, and “astonishing”. Isn’t it time Jaquin won an Oscar already? Now that DiCaprio’s got his, we say it’s time for Phoenix!
