9 Superb Nominees For 2020 Oscars: From "Joker" To "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood"

It is not until February next year that the 92th Academy Awards Oscars will take place, but right now, the race to the most prestigious award has been extremely intense.

The best films of 2019 have gradually represented and it is difficult to say in advance which piece will bring home the golden statue.

1. Bombshell

Bomshell narrates the story of the 2019 US scandal at the headquarters of Fox News, the top popular news channel. Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) - a powerful man of the media has been sued by reporter Gretchen Carlson (played by Nicole Kidman) for sexual harassment in the workplace and fired her when his needs were not met.

Advantage: While the #MeToo movement is still flaming, Bombshell brings about many profound social messages. The female judges will definitely like this movie.

Drawback: Although the Oscars has paid efforts to ensure gender equality, the most recent film featuring the all-female cast won the Best Film Award was Chicago in 2003. Bombshell is not necessarily able to make a miracle.

2. The Irishman

The Irishman is about Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) - a labor union president and also a mafia hitman. He is suspected to be involved in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) - former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Advantage: No film has a more monumental cast than The Irishman. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese whose eight movies have been nominated for Best Film category at the Academy Awards. The cast is also full of august faces like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

Drawback: Martin Scorsese's public criticism of Marvel movies may offend the panel members who love the studio's works. Besides, The Irishman was released on Netflix - a non-traditional distribution form. Many experts in the industry still do not support this.

3. The Farewell

The film tells the story of when a Chinese family discovers that their beloved grandmother is dying. They decide to keep it a secret from her and set up a wedding to get together before she dies. The granddaughter Billi feels uncomfortable with the family's decision and cannot face her grandmother.

Advantage: The film was highly rated by critics and it stars Awkwafina - the rising Asian actress in recent years.

Drawback: The Farewell's A24 publisher sent two films, Eighth Grade and First Reformed, to 2018 Oscar but neither of them was shortlisted. Will The Farewell have better luck this time?

4. Joker

The film tells the origin of Joker - the notorious and dangerous criminal of DC Comic. His real name is Arthur Fleck, a poor working-class guy who lives with his mother and occasionally has to earn a living by playing the role of a clown. The cruelty of Gotham society has made Arthur turn into Joker.

Advantage: The film won the Golden Lion - the highest award of Venice Film Festival. Joker also has a very high box-office income. The film has now reached the billion-dollar mark even though it was not released in China.

Drawback: The film got backlashed for promoting violence controversy. Many details are considered the rip-off of masterpiece Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

5. Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit is set in World War II, when a German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) believes in Nazi idealism. But one day, he discovers that his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is covering up for a Jewish girl.

Advantage: Jojo Rabbit won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the last 7 years, the owner of this award has at least one Oscar gold statue. Last year, The Green Book also won in Toronto before winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Drawback: The topic of fascism is quite sensitive and can easily offend the audience.

6. Little Women

Adapted from the famous same-name novel, Little Women portrays the story of four sisters of the March in Concord, Massachusetts during the Civil War. The film praises the strength of women and the importance of family.

Advantage: Little Women saw the participation of Meryl Streep and Saoirse Ronan, two brilliant and recherché actresses of the Academy.

Drawback: The 1993 Little Women was nominated at the Oscars. It would be hard for the 2019 version to grab the prize if it doesn’t have any bold difference comparing to the previous.

7. Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson and Adam River’s Marriage Story centers around the divorce process and custody dispute between a theatre director and an actress.

Advantage: The film received a load of bouquets from both critics and the mass audiences with its clever storyline and impressive acting.

Drawback: The Academy has the tendency of opting for films that have a more macro and grandiose topic than a simple family story.

8. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Set in Los Angeles in 1969, the film revolves around two main characters, Rick Dalton - the former star of a Western TV series - and his longtime stuntman Cliff Booth. When new things come and replace the outdated guys like Rick and Cliff, they have to fight to survive and rebuild their careers.

Advantage: Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood is lavish with nostalgia, reminding of America's golden age. Very few films exploit this kind of topic. Rumor has it that director Tarantino will "retire" after this film and it may lead the judges to make hunch decisions.

Drawback: It is perplexing that the movies released in the summertime are always marginalized in the Oscars race. The reason may be because they were published long before the award event takes place and it diminishes their effect on the audience.

9. Parasite

The blockbuster of Korean cinema revolves around two completely opposite families: one is extremely rich, and the other has been living in poverty since forever. They happen to meet and know each other after an unexpected event.

Advantage: Parasite won the highest award - Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is widely popular with international audiences and can repeat the exploit of Roma - the movie that received 10 nominations at Oscar 2018.

Drawback: No foreign-language film has ever won the Best Film Award at the Oscars.

The 92nd Academy Awards (Oscar 2020) will take place on February 10, 2020 at Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.