Oscars 2019: Five films that could win Best Picture

Awards season is heating up and the frontrunners for Best Picture at the Oscars have emerged. Here are the five films that can take home the top prize.

“And the Oscar goes to…” We will not hear that phrase until the 91st Academy Awards on February 24, 2019. However, we are in the heart of awards season as many films look to gain momentum before the nominations are announced. The races in major categories should be close this year, but one race in particular is shaping up to be one for the ages. That race is for Best Picture.

So far, there have been a few films that have started to separate themselves from the pact. These films vary in star power, budget, and genre. Stars such as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga from A Star Is Born will compete with unknown actors in a black-and-white film like Roma.

Here are five films that could win Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars.

A Star Is Born

In terms of interest and overall attention from the public and media, there was no movie that could match or even come close to the hype surrounding A Star Is Born. Between Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut to Lady Gaga’s first major motion picture, the buzz leading up to its release was unprecedented.

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However, A Star Is Born lived up to the hype and then some. The film was universally acclaimed as critics highlighted Cooper, Gaga, and the movie itself drew tremendous praise. Right now, many believe A Star Is Born is the leader in the clubhouse in terms of Best Picture contenders. What A Star Is Born has on its side is acclaim from both critics and audiences (grossed over $350 million worldwide and counting), which is something that has been missing in recent memory with past Best Picture winners such as The Shape of Water. With Cooper and Gaga’s star power, a stellar soundtrack, and both critical and audience acclaim, A Star Is Born is the clear frontrunner to win Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars.

Roma

Talk about critical acclaim, the film that is about stamp its place in the Best Picture race is Roma. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who won Best Director for Gravity, Roma is a semi-autographical look into Cuarón’s childhood in 1970s Mexico City that follows a middle class family and their housekeeper. The film is not your typical Best Picture candidate in 2019. Roma is a Spanish-language film that was shot in black-and-white with no stars, many of whom have never acted before. However, for the critics that have Roma, many have described it as one of the best movies in recent memory. In fact, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it a “masterpiece” and the “cinematic event of 2018.”

If there is one potential problem that may arise for Roma, it’s how it will be distributed. Roma can be seen in select theaters now, but will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 14. Many renowned filmmakers like Cuarón and Martin Scorsese have begun to work with Netflix, but will the film community as a whole accept the streaming service as a viable option for how movies are distributed in the future? Roma is easily Netflix’s best chance to win at the Oscars, but it will be interesting to see how voters react to its means of distribution on Netflix.

Green Book

The mind behind Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary directed an Oscar contender? That’s the case as director Peter Farrelly has a critical hit on his hands with Green Book. Named after “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” which was a travel guide for African Americans in the 20th century, Green Book is based on the relationship of Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), an African-American classical pianist, and Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), a white-Italian American bouncer. Vallelonga was hired to drive Shirley throughout the Deep South for concerts as well as serve as his security.

Green Book has already picked up huge wins on the awards circuit. In September, Green Book won the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The last six films to win that award, which includes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and La La Land, all went on to be nominated for Best Picture. Also, Green Book was named Best Picture by the National Board of Review. A few more wins on the awards circuit and Green Book might have enough momentum to do damage at the Oscars.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Can Barry Jenkins do it again? In his first film since Moonlight, which upset La La Land for Best Picture in 2016, Jenkins returns to the Oscar race with If Beale Street Could Talk. The film follows a young African-American woman named Clementine “Tish” Rivers (KiKi Layne) and her quest to prove her wrongly accused husband’s (Stephan James) innocence before the birth of their child.

Jenkins has proved he’s a hit with critics and so far, that sentiment remains the same as If Beale Street Could Talk has been praised for Jenkins’ screenplay and direction. The film was also named to the National Board of Review’s Top Ten Films of 2018. Do not sleep on Jenkins and this film in the Best Picture race. Jenkins has proved a small, independent film can win Best Picture. Can he do it again?

Vice

In the “We know nothing about this film, but we have high hopes for it” category is Vice, the latest from director Adam McKay. Back in 2015, McKay, who is known for his creative partnership with Will Ferrell, surprised the film community with his critically acclaimed hit, The Big Short, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Now, critics look forward to his directorial follow-up, Vice, which follows the rise of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), who became one of the most powerful Vice President in U.S. history.

The cast for Vice is excellent and includes Amy Adams, Steve Carell, and Sam Rockwell. However, most critics have not even seen the film yet. There was an early screening of the film a few weeks ago and the early word is that Vice will be nominated for many Oscars including Best Picture. It seems as if Vice might win over voters late in awards season just like The Big Short.

What is your pick for Best Picture? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

The Oscars will take place on February 24, 2019