The 9 films battling for that one Best Picture envelope at the 2018 Academy Awards

THR Staff
Updated

It's the most wide-open race for best picture in years with the nine Academy Award contenders ranging from big, sweeping blockbusters (Dunkirk) to small, independent critical darlings (Lady Bird and Call Me by Your Name) and traditional heavy hitters in the Oscar race with Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom Thread, and Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks with The Post.

And that's not even accounting for the two actual favorites that have all the award-season momentum right now (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Shape of Water) or the horror film that could pull off one of the biggest surprise wins in years (Get Out).

Below is a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each of the nine contending films, plus a critic's take on who should win best picture as well as an Oscar expert predicting who will win the Oscar.

Best Picture nominee breakdowns written by THR Film Editor Gregg Kilday.

View complete coverage of the 2018 Oscars on The Hollywood Reporter.

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