With the conclusion of the Golden Globes, which was led to wild success by host Ricky Gervais, the Hollywood award season is just getting started, with the Academy Awards, which will air on Sunday, February 9th, serving as the season’s conclusion. While the awards themselves have yet to be granted, the nominations are out, and even these alone are full of surprises and snubs.
To get ready for the upcoming awards, here are is a breakdown of the 10 most nominated films of 2020.
Bombshell: 3 Nominations
This topical look into sexual harassment and women’s rights follows the sexual assault lawsuit against Roger Ailes that led to a multitude of other women coming forward with their own sexual harassment stories.
Starring Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron, this film could very well snag a surprise Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress Oscar. It was nominated for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Makeup/Hairstyling.
Ford V Ferrari: 4 Nominations
It is surprising that a film with this kind of legendary star power did not get more Oscar attention. Led by none other than Christian Bale and Matt Damon, Ford V Ferrari follows Caroll Shelby, the American carmaker, and Ken Miles, the famed English race car driver, as the pair strives to win the 1966 Le Mans race.
It was nominated only for Film Editing, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing, with both of the powerhouse leads missing out on personal recognition.
Little Women: 6 Nominations
This latest adaptation of the 1868 novel of the same name follows the March sisters in post-Civil War America. With stars like Emma Watson and Florence Pugh (from Midsommar), and expertly directed by Greta Gerwig, the only surprising thing is that this film didn’t get more nominations.
It was nominated for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Score, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Marriage Story: 6 Nominations
This incredibly emotional Netflix original follows Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanson as young parents going through a painful divorce. It was filmed in a beautiful parallel of the content on-screen, with both characters unable to fully see things from their spouse’s point of view.
This heartrending film is likely one of Adam Driver’s best performances and was nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Score, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay.
Parasite: 6 Nominations
From the South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, who was behind the 2013 film Snowpiercer, comes Parasite, a dark comedy intent on revealing poignant class issues. Full of clever twists and turns, complicated storylines, and stunning acting, Bong Joon-Ho is definitely getting buzz for that Best Director award.
It was nominated for Best Director, Film Editing, Best International Film, Best Picture, Best Production Design, and Best Original Screenplay.
Jojo Rabbit: 6 Nominations
From the same mind that created the masterpiece that was Thor: Ragnorok, the heartfelt joy of Hunt For The Wilderpeople, and the hilarious What We Do In The Shadows, comes Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi’s 4th film. When Jojo, a lonely German boy, discovers that his mother is harboring a Jewish girl (during World War II), he is fraught between loyalty to his country and loyalty to his mother. His imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, helps him work through this dilemma.
It was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Best Production Design.
The Irishman: 10 Nominations
This stunning 3-hour long Netflix original, headed artfully by Martin Scorsese, is packed with a star-studded cast, including Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, and Al Pacino. It tells the story of Frank Sheeran, who reflects on his long and bloody mob career. The Irishman was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (x2,) Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Film Editing, Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Another masterpiece to add to Scorsese’s portfolio, regardless of a win, The Irishman will go down with the likes of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Departed.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: 10 Nominations
Set at the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood, 1969, Once Upon A Time, Quentin Tarrantino’s 9th film follows actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his longtime friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they struggle to revitalize their careers. In the unsurprisingly bloody vein of Tarrantino, their story quickly becomes entangled with that of Charles Manson and his army of murderous cultists.
This film received nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Screenplay.
1917: 10 Nominations
This World War I film follows two young British soldiers who are sent to carry a message through enemy territory that could save nearly 2,000 men from certain death. It was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Makeup/Hairstyling, Best Score, Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Screenplay.
In a field that is more competitive than any we’ve seen in a while, the odds are high that 1917 will win this year’s Best Picture; beyond being another amazing film, it was filmed in the incredibly rare ‘one-shot’ style, which means that it, essentially, used only one extended take.
Joker: 11 Nominations
This dark, grisly, gory take on the famed villain’s backstory met with equal parts praise and criticism. But it is still widely regarded as one of the best films of the year, with a whopping 11 Academy Award nominations. Joker received nominations for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Film Editing, Best Makeup/Hairstyling, Best Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
This is a big moment for DC, whose last critically acclaimed film, The Dark Knight, received only 6 nominations. It seems likely that Joker will take home a decent handful of the little gold statues come February.