With the 2018 Oscars just around the corner, it’s time to look back on 2017 and remember how many great movies there were. The nominations for best picture are now available to the public, so now we can all start to theorize and argue with each other about which of the films will win the best picture award, and which deserve to win. In case you want to watch all the films nominated here’s a helpful list to guide you.
Dunkirk
Dunkirk was written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan and has an all-star cast of actors such as Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Jack Lowden, as well as many others. The film depicts the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk during WWII. Using an ensemble cast, the film tells the story from the perspective of land, sea, and air, to give the audience a full view of the events. The movie contains little dialog and is told mostly in the fantastic visuals and score, written by Hans Zimmer. Because the film is a mostly visual piece, as opposed to the others, it is best to experience Dunkirk in a theater.
Get Out
Get Out is the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, who has mostly been known his comedic roles, and was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, being one of the few movies to receive a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The story follows Chirs (Daniel Kaluuya), an African American photographer who is about to meet the family of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams). He starts to notice how strange the family and the servants of the house are acting, so he begins investigating to learn more about the family as things slowly begin to escalate. This movie has been praised for being an incredibly nerve-racking film, along with how it portrays the issue of race relations.
The Post
The Post is a political thriller written by Liz Hannah and Josh Dinger while being produced and directed by Stephen Spielberg. The Post tells the true story of how in the 1970s The Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers, which were classified documents that gave previously unknown information about America’s 30-year involvement in the Vietnam War. The film stars Meryl Streep stars as Katherine Graham, president of The Washington Post, and Tom Hanks who plays Ben Bradlee, chief editor of the post, as they work with their other journalist to get the papers published. Many people are noting how now is a good time to tell this story as Trump’s presidency has many similarities to Nixon’s.
The Shape of Water
The Shape of Water is the fantasy film written and directed by the famous horror and fantasy filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The film’s story involves mute janitor Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and her friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer) befriending a captured amphibian man (Doug Jones) who is captured and held in the government facility that the two clean. As Elisa bonds more with the amphibian man she decides, along with the help of Zelda, to help the creature escape. While they attempt to free the creature the leader of the government experiments on the amphibian man, Richard (Michal Shannon) attempts to stop them. The film is being praised for its excellent performances, especially from Hawkins, along with being called del Toro’s best film since Pan’s Labyrinth.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri is the new dark comedy written and directed by Martin McDonagh. The story follows Mildred (Frances praised), a greaving mother of a murdered teenage girl whose killer has not been found. Mildred decides to rent three billboards outside of town to draw attention to the lack of arrest or investigation into her daughter’s murder, which angers the police chief (Woody Harrelson) along with many others in the town.
Darkest Hour
Darkest Hour, Directed by Joe Wright, follows Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as the Nazi’s close in on Britain during WWII. Churchill must make the difficult decision of whether or not to negotiate with Hitler or to continue fighting against incredible odds. Critics and audiences are claiming that Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill is the best performance of his career. The film has already grossed $79 million worldwide and has received phenomenal praise from critics.
Lady Bird
Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, stars Saoirse Ronan as “Lady Bird,” a high school senior in Sacramento California who is artistically inclined and feels out of place in her hometown. Lady Birds is always at odds with her more conservative mother who does not agree with her daughter’s actions and lifestyle. In this coming of age story, Lady Bird attempts to find herself, an understanding with her mother, and what she wants her future to be.
Call Me By Your Name
Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is a romantic coming of age story. The story revolves around a seventeen-year-old boy living in Italy (Timothée Chalamet), who slowly grows a romantic relationship with his fathers assistant (Armie Hammer). The two begin as friends, but as they grow closer, they struggle to figure out what their feelings are and if they should act on them. The film is based on the 2007 novel written by André Aciman and is the final installment in his Desire Trilogy
Photos from IMDB
