As the calendar turns to October, we’ll begin to see the major Oscar players hit theaters. Some movies from earlier in the year will inevitably have the staying power to find their way into some nominations. But by and large, the contenders (at least for the above the line awards) should come from movies released from October to the end of the year. This post will look at some of these upcoming movies, highlighting which ones to watch for. I’ll be doing this for November and December as well.
A few housekeeping notes before diving in:
- A movie’s inclusion is based off its theatrical release date
- While I may mention other awards, these will primarily focus on the six major awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Lead and Supporting Actor and Address
- Each movie’s title will link to its IMDB page
- All plot descriptions come from IMDB, unless otherwise noted
- These are not predictions, nor should these movies be automatically presumed as front runners
Joker (October 4)
“A gritty character study of Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Picture
- Best Director: Todd Phillips
- Lead Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
- Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro
Joker has received critical acclaim so far, including winning the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival. That’s not as big of an Oscar precursor as other awards, but it’s worth noting the previous two winners (Roma and The Shape of Water) both received Best Picture nominations, with Shape of Water taking home the award. And with a Best Picture nomination, a Best Director nod could likely follow as well.
Phoenix seems to be as close to a lock as possible for a Best Actor nomination. De Niro is De Niro, so you’d have to think he’ll be in the mix here. But he’s also receiving praise for his role in The Irishman. Could voters decide to only push for him in one role versus the other?
Pain and Glory (October 4)
“A film director reflects on the choices he’s made in life as past and present come crashing down around him.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Picture
- Best Director: Pedro Almodóvar
- Lead Actor: Antonio Banderas
- Lead Actress: Penelope Cruz
- Best International Feature Film
Pain and Glory first started making waves at Cannes, garnering a Palme d’Or nomination and a Best Actor win for Banderas.
Dolemite Is My Name (October 4; Netflix on October 25)
“Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Picture
- Best Director: Craig Brewer
- Lead Actor: Eddie Murphy
Initial reactions are almost universally positive, with particular praise given to star Eddie Murphy. Best Picture and Lead Actor should both be very crowded fields, so Dolemite might ultimately fall short of the big prizes. But many people seem happy to see Murphy nail a role like this, so you never know what could happen.
Parasite (October 11)
“All unemployed, Ki-taek’s family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Picture
- Best Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Best International Feature Film
Folks, this is it. Parasite is not just the best movie of the year. And it’s not just the best movie of the last decade. Parasite is the best movie since at least 2007’s No Country for Old Men. It’s a masterpiece. The acting is also easily Oscar-worthy, but those will be difficult categories for a movie like Parasite to gain footing in.
The King (October 11; Netflix on November 1)
“Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.”
Oscar Hopes
- Lead Actor: Timothée Chalamet
- Supporting Actor: Joel Edgerton; Ben Mendelsohn; Robert Pattinson
- Supporting Actress: Thomasin McKenzie
Based on festival reviews, Netflix’s The King doesn’t quite meet the hype generated pre-release. But there are still some heavy hitters here on the acting side; it would be short-sighted to automatically count them out. Chalamet, only 23, already has one Best Actor nomination under his belt. The supporting actors are all quite strong too. McKenzie was robbed of a nomination last year for Leave No Trace. Any time she’s in a movie, she should at least be in the conversation.
Jojo Rabbit (October 18)
“A young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Picture
- Best Director: Taika Waititi
- Supporting Actor: Taika Waititi
- Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson; Thomasin McKenzie
Premiering amid controversy, Jojo Rabbit won the People’s Choice Award, the top prize awarded at the Toronto International Film Festival. This award has historically worked as a lead-in to Oscar success, with many winners receiving multiple nominations and wins at the Academy Awards.
The Lighthouse (October 18)
“The hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.”
Oscar Hopes
- Best Director
- Lead/Supporting Actor: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe
Early reviews are quite positive for what could be the most unique film of 2019. It might be just a little too “out there” to contend for Best Picture, but a Best Director and an acting nomination or two aren’t out of the question. It remains to be seen whether or not Pattinson and Dafoe will both run for the same category, or if one will go for Lead and the other Supporting.
And that does it for October. This month should give us a handful of Oscar contenders. And in looking ahead to November, that slate is loaded. That’s going to be a fun month.
