88th Annual Oscar Nominee Predictions

I don't normally make predictions of the potential films to be honored with Academy Award nominations in the Best Picture category, but I figured I would give it a shot this year.  I am pretty good at selecting the winners once the nominees are known, but figuring out what will be the choices, especially in a category that doesn't narrow the field to a single amount of films, is a little tougher.  This may crash and burn after only one attempt and next year I will stick to picking the winners among the smaller field of nominees in each category.

 

So here are my potential list of nominees along with those that will be considered but likely miss the mark.

 

Definite Nominees:

The following films are the minimum amount that can be selected for the Best Picture category.  The rules of the Academy Awards are that a minimum of five and maximum of ten films can be nominated, but there is no limit to how many can be selected within that field.  So one year it could be five, the next ten, and then the following it could be eight.  You just never know.  So here are the five films I believe will definitely be nominated in the Best Picture category:

Bridge of Spies

Carol

The Martian

The Revenant

Spotlight

 

Probable Additions:

Now that I've got my minimum covered, I will go out on a limb and add a few additional movies I think are worthy of receiving a nomination.  The group of films to be included with the above five are:

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

Room

 

So I guess I believe the field of Best Picture nominated films will be eight this year.  But that doesn't mean I am right with the ones I predicted (especially Mad Max: Fury Road, which is more of a hope than a belief).  Also, it leaves the possibility of including some other films that I have omitted.  So here are some other films that have a shot at receiving a nomination.

 

In The Hunt:

These movies are getting enough buzz lately to be considered likely contenders:

The Big Short

The Danish Girl

The Hateful Eight

Steve Jobs

 

Dark Horses:

And finally we have the longshots.  These movies have garnered some nominations in other award ceremonies and received just enough critical acclaim to give it a chance at a Best Picture nomination.  Those films include the following:

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Joy

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Straight Outta Compton

Trumbo