Top 5 Movies To See Before The Oscars

We are a little over three weeks from the Oscars and there is a chance that you may not be able to see all the nominees in the time that remains. I would go out on a limb and say there are some of you that haven’t seen ANY Oscar nominated movies. With such little time and so many movies to see, allow me to break down what’s worth prioritizing.

Honorable Mention – Hidden Figures

A long shot to walk away with any awards on February 23rd, but Hidden Figures is delightful. Currently in theaters this movie did just happen to win the SAG Award for Best Ensemble, so you could make a case for it as a dark horse contender, but it’s up against some heavier hitters. Still, no one does inspirational in a lighthearted way quite like Disney does. Hidden Figures also happens to boast three terrific performances from its trio of leading ladies. I have never before been worried whether or not John Glenn made it back to Earth after his orbit, but while watching this there was a moment of doubt and that is a credit to the movie makers.

5) La La Land

Okay let’s get this one out of the way because it’s the most obvious movie you should see. For starters, La La Land is the odds-on favorite to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It also happens to be the movie that everyone loves to hate, due in part to the fact that it is the front runner for so many awards and people love hating on the favorite (go Falcons). It doesn’t help that a ton of movie snobs (myself included) have been yelling from the rooftops, trying to tell you how good this movie is. La La Land is still in theaters and probably will be for the next month, but if you want to be involved in the Oscar conversation you have to see this movie.

4) O.J. Made In America

I am one of those people that thought, “Well, I saw The People vs O.J. Simpson, do I really need to watch O.J. Made in America?” While both series deal in the same subject matter, O.J. Made in America takes a more in depth look into the subject. The series expands on his rise to fame before the murders and the aftermath. The last episode focuses entirely on what happened after O.J.’s victory in court, both personally and how the court case affected the country. While the total run time is a daunting seven and a half hours, it is currently streaming on both Hulu and the ESPN app. Not only that but it is the favorite to win Best Documentary (3 to 10 odds).

3) Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea is certainly in contention for the night’s biggest prize, but it is much more likely to win Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Casey Affleck, though Denzel is catching up to him. Manchester by the Sea is currently in theaters but at 50 to 1 odds to win Best Picture this movie will be in increasingly fewer theaters as time goes by, so see it while you can.

2) Moonlight

If any movie is going to beat La La Land it is going to be Moonlight. Not only is it currently sitting on 14 to 1 odds to win Best Picture, but it also happens to be the favorite to win a Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, Best Adapted Screenplay, and is a serious contender for Best Director. If your goal is to see all the Best Picture nominees, Moonlight should be one of the first two you see, possibly even priority one given the limited number of theaters it is playing in.

1) Zootopia

Not only is Zootopia favored to win the Oscar for best animated movie (1 to 10 odds) but it is also probably the easiest to see as it is currently streaming on Netflix. Meaning you don’t even have to leave your couch. Heck you could probably exit out of this article and watch it on your phone or computer right now. Originally I thought this movie was a little overhyped when it was released and still don’t know if it is as good as its 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes indicates, but Zootopia is a good movie. Not only that, but the message is worth seeing especially considering the current political climate. And if none of that does it for you, then see it for Jason Bateman being his Jason Bateman-est and for sloths working at the DMV.