Oscars 2019: The field for the Oscar race so far

With the Summer film season coming to a close, the field for the Oscars race is opening up. But which films have the lead?

Hot off the heels of a busy and profitable summer at the box office, the moviegoing experience isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Though the summer was filled with successful blockbusters such as Mission Impossible: Fallout and Avengers: Infinity War, plus some surprise success stories like The Meg and Crazy Rich Asians, it’ll be time to move on as we inch closer to Oscar night early next year.

This is the time of year where critics and Oscar voters alike begin to pay closer attention to film releases in order to form their Oscar opinion by the time voting starts. It is where films normally have the best chance to be considered for an Oscar (with some notable exceptions). It’s also notable for filmmakers releasing what they consider to be their A-game material around this time, in the hopes of getting recognized. It’s really just one big competitive race towards awards love and fame, which can be fairly vapid, but it can also lead to filmmakers receiving more control over their future projects, so take in the bad with the good.

It is impossible to predict exactly how things are going to go this year, since as of now, there are no real frontrunners to keep an eye on. Yes, some favorites have done a remarkable job at standing out among this year’s crowded race, but it’s difficult to pinpoint the definitive Oscar darling of this Fall season without making some guesses. That won’t stop me from predicting the films that could have a respectable chance at showing up at next year’s Oscar ceremony.

These upcoming films are ones that have gotten a level of Oscar buzz after their release in theaters and/or film festivals. Some are nuanced indie-dramas, while others are surprise studio genre films that have gone above and beyond with their marketing. What these films all have in common is a chance at becoming next year’s beloved Oscar darlings.

For now, I will examine the race in terms of only the major categories, in that I will examine the following:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Adapted Screenplay