The Oscars are right around the corner and we can’t wait! Many of the films from the 2018-2019 year have been groundbreaking, and we are excited to see who wins. This year’s films have inspired and informed: they touched on topics of oppression among people of color, drug addiction, issues within the British monarch and much more. Here is a list of seven films that need to be on the Oscar nominations list this year!
1. Black Panther (for Best Picture and Production Design)
This was a ground-breaking film about a king fighting to protect his people while contemplating the moral issue in opening up his kingdom to society in order to help his brothers and sisters around the world risking future threats. This was an African American dominated cast that made history in the box office as well making a strong statement about diversity within society and Hollywood.
2. Crazy Rich Asians (for Best Production Design and Costume Design)
This film follows the story of a woman who falls in love with a man but later finds out more about him when she travels to meet his family in Singapore. Tensions rise between her and his family as they determine whether or not she is “good enough” to marry into one of the richest families in Singapore.
3. Beautiful Boy (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Actor- Timothee Chalamet)
This film is about a close father and son relationship, and the son’s drug addiction that creates tension between them. This stars Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carrell, and it talks about how a family dealt with their son’s methamphetamine addiction and its effect on others around him. It is sad, yet heartwarming and very real.
4. The Favourite (Best Story and Best Actress- Olivia Colman)
This film is set in 18th century England during the war with France. It follows the reign of Queen Anne and her health issues ruling. It also follows the story of her love for two women who fight for her affection. These women go to great lengths to tear each other down as well as to gain the favor of the queen.
5. Roma (for Foreign Language Film and Best Actress in a Foreign Language Performance-Yalitza Aparicio)
This is a foreign film shot in Mexico that follows the story of a maid named Cleo who works for a fairly wealthy family. It is set in 1968 in which there were protests against government repression in Mexico.
6. Blackkklansman (for Best Picture and Best Actor- John David Washington)
Spike Lee’s genius strikes again! This is a story about an African American man who infiltrates the KKK. This film speaks a lot to the racial issues of today’s society and is one of the few culturally relevant movies of our time.
7. Mary Poppins Returns (for Best Original Musical)
If you are a fan of the first Mary Poppins film then you are sure to enjoy this one. This fills audiences with hope, love and warmth, not to mention a great sense of nostalgia. It is filled with Disney’s timeless music and magic that lifts the heart. This film picks up about 20 years later when the Banks children have families of their own. Tragedy falls among the family and they are in desparate need of Mary Poppins’s light.
All these films have made an impact on the way we view our society and at the end of the day, isn’t that what film really is, a reflection of our lives with better edits? As an aspiring filmmaker, I hope to create works of art like the ones listed above and I definitely hope to see these in the 2018-2019 Oscar pool.