It's Oscar time, baby — well, almost. The 2017 Academy Award nominations won't be announced until Tuesday, Jan. 24, but with awards season already in full swing, it's not too hard to guess which filmmakers will be waking up to early morning calls from the Academy. So, in anticipation of the Oscar nominations, here are the 23 movies to see before Oscar night. These movies range from the most likely to be nominated to the most likely to be snubbed, so if you want to be a total pro come Oscar night on Sunday, Feb. 26, you're going to need to start watching some movies.
If you want to win your Oscar pool this year, you have to come prepared. Yes, reading predictions and odds online will help refine your ballot, but nothing beats seeing the actual movie, especially if you enjoy debating over who was snubbed and who was undeserving (there's always at least one). And, if you are committed to being such an expert this year, then you have a lot of movies to watch. There's everything from the Oscar shoo-in La La Land to the controversial long shot Hacksaw Ridge — so many movies it can be hard to keep track. Hopefully, this list of 23 movies to watch before Oscar night will help you make sense of it all.
1. Moonlight
If you only see one film between now and the Oscars, see Moonlight. The touching and unique drama from director Barry Jenkins is sure to sweep awards at the Golden Globe and the Academy Awards.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Original Score for Nicholas Britell, Best Director for Barry Jenkins, Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay for Barry Jenkins, Best Supporting Actress Naomie Harris, Best Cinematography for James Laxton
2. La La Land
La La Land is an enchanting ode to old Hollywood that has the rare appeal to both younger and older audiences. In other words: it's an Oscar favorite.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Original Score for Justin Hurwitz, Best Original Song for "City of Stars," Best Cinematography for Linus Sandgren, Best Director for Damien Chazelle, Best Actress for Emma Stone, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Original Screenplay for Damien Chazelle, Best Set Design
3. Manchester By The Sea
Fresh off big wins at the New York Critic's Circle Awards, Manchester By The Sea is poised to pick up a few golden statues come Oscar night.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Original Screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan, Best Director for Kenneth Lonergan, Best Actor for Casey Affleck, Best Supporting Actress for Michelle Williams, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Cinematography for Jody Lee Lipes
Longshot Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Lucas Hedges
4. Arrival
Amy Adams is likely to pick up her sixth Oscar nomination for her role in the science fiction thriller, Arrival. And even though the movie might be losing buzz as the Oscars approach, I'd be shocked if it didn't pick up at least a handful of nominations.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actress for Amy Adams, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography for Bradford Young, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Director for Denis Villeneuve, Best Production Design, Best Editing for Joe Walker, Best Adapted Screenplay for Eric Heisserer
5. Jackie
Most of the Oscar buzz around Jackie is focused on star Natalie Portman, but the unorthodox biopic should not be underestimated.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actress for Natalie Portman, Best Original Score for Mica Levi, Best Costume Design
Other Possible Nominations: Best Original Screenplay for Noah Oppenheim, Best Director for Pablo Larrain, Best Cinematography for Stéphane Fontaine
Long Shot Nominations: Best Picture
6. Lion
So far, Lion hasn't really been the most talked about movie in the Oscar race, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. Never underestimate the Academy's love for a heartbreaking movie about family — or for Dev Patel.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Dev Patel, Best Supporting Actress for Nicole Kidman
Other Possible Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay for Luke Davies, Best Original Score for Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka, Best Picture
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for Garth Davis
7. 20th Century Women
20th Century Women might be the dark horse in this year's Oscar race, and could be the movie that finally gets Annette Bening her Oscar. It's also one of the few Oscar contenders to star a group of women.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actress for Annette Bening, Best Original Screenplay for Mike Mills, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Greta Gerwig, Best Director for Mike Mills
8. Elle
Elle is truly on this list for one reason, and one reason only: Isabelle Huppert.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actress for Isabelle Huppert, Best Foreign Film
9. Loving
So many Oscar movies have come out in the final weeks of December, it can be easy to forget about those that came to us a bit earlier in 2016, but Loving shouldn't be one of them.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay by Jeff Nichols, Best Actress for Ruth Negga, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Director for Jeff Nichols, Best Actor for Joel Edgerton, Best Cinematography for Adam Stone
10. Fences
Begone, #OscarsSoWhite, for Fences is here and Viola Davis is unstoppable in this 2017 Oscar race.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Viola Davis, Best Actor for Denzel Washington, Best Adapted Screenplay for August Wilson, Best Picture
Other Possible Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Stephen Henderson, Best Director for Denzel Washington, Best Production Design
11. Hell or High Water
Hell or High Water has proven itself to be the little movie that could this awards season. We'll have to wait and see if this movie about two brothers who decide to rob some banks makes it all the way to the Oscar stage.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Jeff Bridges, Best Original Screenplay for Taylor Sheridan
Other Possible Nominations: Best Picture
12. Moana
Moana is almost guaranteed to pick up the Best Animated Feature Oscar this February, but that's not the only reason to see it before Oscar night. It's also an adorably sweet, moving Disney picture that will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song for "How Far I'll Go," Best Original Score for Mark Mancina
Long Shot Nominations: Best Picture
13. Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures had a lot of steam heading into its late December release, but after Taraji P. Henson failed to pick up a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, awards chatter has died down somewhat. That said, be ready for the winds to turn at a moment's notice.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer
Other Possible Nominations: Best Actress for Taraji P. Henson, Best Adapted Screenplay for Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder, Best Original Score for Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Benjamin Wallfisch, Best Original Song for "Victory"
Long Shot Nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Janelle Monáe
14. American Honey
American Honey failed to get much love from the Golden Globes, but film critics still have a soft spot for the indie film, and if the Academy wants to through audiences a curve ball, no doubt American Honey would be it.
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for Andrea Arnold, Best Picture
15. Florence Foster Jenkins
You really think the Academy is going to let another Meryl Streep gem pass them by?
Most Likely Nominations: Best Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat, Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Grant
Other Possible Nominations: Best Actress for Meryl Streep, Best Costume Design
Long Shot Nominations: Best Picture
16. Nocturnal Animals
Nocturnal Animals will no doubt occupy some space at the 2017 Oscars, but it's unclear how much love Tom Ford's second feature will actually get from the Academy.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Best Cinematography for Seamus McGarvey, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design
Other Possible Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Michael Shannon, Best Adapted Screenplay for Tom Ford
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for Tom Ford, Best Picture
17. A Monster Calls
As Oscar nominations day approaches, it's looking more and more likely that A Monster Calls will end up being one of the biggest Oscar snubs of the season. And you should definitely watch it to find out why.
Most Likely Nomination: Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for J.A. Bayona, Best Actor for Lewis MacDougall, Best Picture
18. The Jungle Book
Yes, the not really live-action, live-action remake of Disney's animated classic is sure to get some Academy love, if not for the flash categories like acting, then for technical awards.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Visual Effects
Other Possible Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay for Justin Marks, Best Original Score for John Debney, Best Picture
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for Jon Favreau
19. Zootopia
Just because Zootopia will (probably) only get one nomination at the Oscars doesn't mean it's not worth seeing. The Best Animated Feature category continues to grow more competitive every year, and 2017 is no different.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Animated Feature
Other Possible Nominations: Best Score for Michael Giacchino, Best Original Screenplay for Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Phil Johnson, Jennifer Lee, Rich Moore, Jim Reardon, and Josie Trinidad
20. Hacksaw Ridge
Hacksaw Ridge might be riding the wave straight to the Oscars, but even though many peope seem to have forgiven Mel Gibson for his indiscretions, that doesn't mean the Academy has. Hacksaw Ridge could get an overflow of love from the Academy, or it could be shut out. Either way, public perception dictates that the film will have a tricky journey either way.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actor for Andrew Garfield
Other Possible Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay for Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight, Best Original Score for Rupert Gregson-Williams
Long Shot Nominations: Best Director for Mel Gibson, Best Picture
21. Silence
Martin Scorsese's historical epic about two missionaries in the 16th century is a tough sell to audiences, but for Academy members who have flocked to his work for decades, it's probably already an insider favorite. Still, the fact that Silence was shut out of the Golden Globes could be a bad sign.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Director for Martin Scorsese
Other Possible Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay for Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese, Best Cinematography for Rodrigo Prieto, Best Production Design
Long Shot Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Issei Ogata, Best Actor for Andrew Garfield, Best Picture
22. Captain Fantastic
Captain Fantastic has had a strange journey to the Oscars in that nobody really thought it was a contender until Viggo Mortensen earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, and, well, here we are.
Most Likely Nominations: Best Actor for Viggo Mortensen
Long Shot Nominations: Best Original Screenplay for Matt Ross, Best Picture
23. Sully
Finally, it would be "Sully" of me to leave Clint Eastwood's most recent feature off the list.
Possible Nominations: Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Director for Clint Eastwood, Best Picture
Long Shot Nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Aaron Eckhart
Other movies to check out before Oscar night include The Edge of Seventeen (which I believe will be the biggest snub of the year), Kubo and the Two Strings, and The Lobster. So, hurry up, buttercup, because if you watch one of these movies per day, you'll be all knowing just in time for the big night. May the movie gods be with you.
