Watch 7 out of 9 Best Picture nominees from your couch

If you want to see the films most likely to take the Best Picture Oscar, you need to see the Big Four: 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite, and The Irishman. If you want to see the film with the most nominations, see Joker. And if you want to see all nine nominees for Best Picture, you may need this guide to what you can rent or stream at home. Good luck!

Ford v Ferrari
This tale about a revolutionary racecar built for Ford Motor Company runs a little long, but it runs with sparks flying and tires squealing. Christian Bale turns in a stellar acting performance. Matt Damon is in this film too. (In theaters now, and available to buy on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, etc.)

The Irishman
This is GOAT cinema. Scorcese. De Niro. Pacino. Pesci, and a greatest hits cast of supporting mobsters fill this Mount Rushmore of mobsters film. It’s over three hours long, but it’s worth it — the last, reflective, heartbreaking hour separates it from other films of the genre. (Available on Netflix.)

Jojo Rabbit
A bold film that answers the question “What if Wes Anderson made a film about young Nazis?” It’s funny, touching and completely overrated. Probably because it pulled off the first two so well. And ScarJo. (In theaters. Available to buy on iTunes and Amazon on February 4.)

Joker
To me, this unnecessary, predicable film played out exactly as I would have sketched out a film, book or comic titled Joker. The jokes on me, however. Joker has more nominations (11) than any other Oscar film this year and is the first R-rated movie to gross more than $1 billion. (Available to rent or buy on iTunes, Amazon and more)

Little Women
Once a decade, this film is recreated, but there's something special going on here...apparently.  I need to see what all the fuss is about this weekend. (In theaters.)

Marriage Story
Be warned, it should have been titled Divorce Story. It’s one of the best films of 2019 and if you miss Adam Driver's “being alive” scene — that’s on you. (Available on Netflix.)

1917
Proof that a masterful, epic war film can be just two hours. See it on the big screen.

(In theaters.)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino certainly knows how to milk a scene. This time the story paid off with a satisfying third act. Plus, Leo, Brad and Margot. (Available to rent or buy on iTunes, Amazon or to purchase on DVD.)

Parasite
Visionary director Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer) has created a social commentary, black-comedy thriller, in subtitles, about a family in modern-day Korea. I probably lost you there, but it’s ironically the biggest, thrilling crowdpleaser of all nine nominated films. (In theaters, available to rent or purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and more.)

American Factory

American Factory is a documentary film about a Chinese company’s factory in Ohio, a plant once inhabited by GM motors in a community that is struggling for jobs. As the camera follows the story of Fuyao Glass, viewers witness culture clash, unlikely friendships, two-sided xenophobia, big business battling unions, unions battling big business, and the resiliency of community. The film, now playing on Netflix, is the first film from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground Productions.

If you’re still reading this, you’ll likely be apt to meet the people of Moraine, Ohio. There a no clear villains or heroes here, but the doc is filled with complex characters. Like the evolving story it follows, American Factory has an uneven rhythm, but by the time it closes you’ll feel vested in its outcome.

In a nutshell: It’s an uneven documentary due to its complex story and some surprises along the way, but the camera access to this moment in time is noteworthy. It’s a discussion-worthy piece that should be seen. (Now streaming on Netflix.)

Award Potential: American Factory played well at Sundance and has been nominated for Best Documentary in the 2020 Oscars.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Like a Boss

Somebody should be fired.

It seems like it would be oh so easy to watch Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) in an office comedy for two hours. Especially if paired with Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), but somehow this one hour and twenty-three-minute film felt longer than The Irishman.

The ridiculous cosmetic company business story parallels 2018's I Feel Pretty, but without the clever gimmick and the humor. To make matters worse, Salma Hayek joins in. She comically overacts in dramas so it seems like she’d do well in comedy, but it hurts to watch her trying so hard to. As far as Haddish and Byrne, what a waste of talent.

This work-comedy should be titled Work, Work, Work  because everyone is sweating so hard just to make something work out. It sucks like a boss.

In a nutshell: Somebody should be fired.

Award potential: None. I’d say it could win a Golden Raspberry, but not up against Cats.

The Ten Buck Review: Not worth ten bucks.

1917

There are many good impossible-mission World War II dramas of course, but not many about World War I. And none have been shot with the flow of a single camera. This trick was done by master Alfred Hitchcock in his otherwise average Rope (1948), but it's not a gimmick here.

The seemingly singular take puts the viewer into the action immediately and the cinema experience lands somewhere between frightening and magnificent to watch. At times, cinematographer Roger Deakins’ (Blade Runner 2049) visuals are artistically beautiful. Other times, horrific, as you would guess.

Many of the best war films rely on following multiple, strategic details of war play but 1917 benefits from the simplicity of its storyline— young British soldiers need to take a message from there to there. It’s a movie to look at and feel, not analyze. Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall) has crafted a masterpiece that will sit on the shelf with films Bridge Over River Kwai, Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima, Das Boot, Patton and Platoon, yet it’s truly an original.

In a nutshell: Breathless. Uniquely brilliant by craft and by the fact that an epic WWI movie can take place in just two hours.

Award potential: Already a winner at Golden Globes and a nominee for the Best Picture Academy Award, 1917 seems poised to win four Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, and Original Score.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Who gets nominated for an Oscar tomorrow?

Why wake up early Monday morning when you can get a good look at the nominees now? Will subtitled masterworks Parasite, The Farewell and Pain and Glory get nominated? Will the Academy give two poops about Netflix's Two Popes? WIthout, ahem, touting The Ten Buck Review's 83% accuracy rate too loudly, let's find out. The likely nominees are:

PICTURE (If full ten)
1917
Ford v. Ferrari
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Parasite
The Irishman
The Two Popes

Spoiler: Uncut Gems, or Knives Out

DIRECTOR
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Spoiler: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story, Todd Phillips, Joker or Taika Waititi, JoJo Rabbit


ACTOR
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leo DiCaprio, Once Upon A Time
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Spoiler: Robert De Niro, The Irishman, Taron Egerton, Rocketman or Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

ACTRESS
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Rene Zellweger, Judy

Spoiler: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet or Luppita Nyong’o, Us

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Spoiler: William Dafoe, The Light House or Song Kang-ho, Parasite


SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, JoJo Rabbit
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell

Spoiler; Nicole Kidman, Bombshell, or Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell


SCREENPLAY - Adapted
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
The Two Popes
Joker
Little Women

Spoiler: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood


SCREENPLAY ORIGINAL
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Marriage Story
Parasite
1917
The Farewell

Spoiler: Knives Out, Pain and Glory

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE (formerly Best Foreign FIlm)
Atlantics, Senegal
Les Miserables, France
Parasite, South Korea
Pain and Glory, Spain
The Painted Bird, Czech Republic

ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen 2
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Spoiler: Klaus

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
American Factory
Apollo 11
For Sama
Honeyland
The Cave

Spoiler: One Child Nation Midnight Family, or The Biggest Little Farm
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1917
Ford v. Ferrari
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman

Spoiler: The Lighthouse

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Dolemite is My Name
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
The Irishman

Spoiler: JoJo Rabbit or Joker

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING (5 nominees this year)
1917
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Rocketman

FILM EDITING
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman

Spoiler: Parasite, or Uncut Gems

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
1917
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Spoiler: Motherless Brooklyn

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Glasgow (No Place Like Home), Wild Rose
(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, Rocketman
I’m Standing With You, Breakthrough
Into the Unknown, Frozen 2
Stand Up, Harriet

Spoiler: Spirit, The Lion King 

SOUND MIXING
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Spoiler: Avengers: Endgame

SOUND EDITING
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Spoiler: Avengers: Endgame

PRODUCTION DESIGN
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman

Spoiler: The Two Popes or Parasite

LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
Brotherhood
Refugee
Little Hands
Miller & Son
The Neighbors’ Window

Spoiler: A Sister

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
After Maria
Fire in Paradise
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
St. Louis Superman
The Nightcrawlers

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Sister
The Physics of Sorrow

VISUAL EFFECTS (5 nominees this year)
1917
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Lion King
The Irishman

Spoiler: Gemini Man

Bombshell

In Bombshell, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie portray the female employees who drop the bomb that brings down Fox News mogul Roger Ailes for harassment. Is it #toosoon from real-life events to make an accurate movie? Or is it perfectly timed as one of the first #metoo movies of its time? #ProbablyBoth.

Witnessing and absorbing the frightening situations as they unfold followed by the joy of a skewering payback ­— in just under two hours ­— may be unnatural, but it sure makes for satisfying cinema. Jay Roach (director of Trumbo, Meet the Fockers, and the Austin Power films) steers this story at a brisk pace that adds energy to the static office setting and serious social commentary at hand.

Bombshell opens with just Theron’s voice (Or should I say Megyn Kelly’s voice?) and she fully inhabits the role without turning it into a Saturday Night Live caricature. However, Robbie plays a composite character. It is her bright-eyed character whose vulnerability conveys the degrading horrors of the icky situation that gives this film its soul.

When Theron and Robbie's characters finally share the screen, it’s not the meeting of heroes in a finale comeback arc that you'd expect; it’s a powerful conversation about complicity and sounding the alarm too late.

Interesting to anyone who’s seen a trailer or poster for this film, none of the three leads share much screen time with the other aside from a tense moment in an elevator that's worth about ten bucks alone.

In a nutshell: A quality film made during the time of its topic that works most impressively as a showcase for its female stars.

Award potential: Expect (only) the stars to be noticed come Oscar nomination time. Standouts Theron and Robbie (also in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) should get nominations. Kidman, with much less to do, is only a possibility.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

The Biggest Little Farm

Harmony and habitat.

If you're looking for inspiration to chase your 2020 dreams while laying on the couch for just one more night, streaming this documentary could do the trick.

After a barking dog forced eviction from their Santa Monica apartment, Emmy-winning wildlife filmmaker John and traditional food chef Molly bought 200 acres of land outside of Los Angeles and set out to be organic farmers. The Biggest Little Farm chronicles the struggles and successes of their eight-year journey.

Unlike other food and farm movies, this is not a fear-based doc. The conflict doesn't come from greedy corporations, but from birds, rain, lack of rain, and coyotes.

It's a beautifully shot film about a couple chasing a dream with the help of their community — and Mother Nature. (Available now on Hulu. Available to rent on Amazon Prime and YouTube.)

In a nutshell: A deliciously feel-good documentary worth a watch during the winter months.

Award potential: With wins at Sundance and Palm Springs, The Biggest Little Farm is a contender for Best Documentary Feature Academy Award. In December it was announced as one of the 15 films that will advance for voters. Working against it? The too-sunny soundtrack may be tough to swallow for the doc voters.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Golden Globes Time...in Hollywood — here's who wins

Will it be a night of Chicago gangsters or old Hollywood actors? Probably both. The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood should both take top prizes in a night that will celebrate big stars.

Historically, the Hollywood Foreign Press is all-over-the-place; Working Girl, Mrs. Doubtfire The Hangover and The Martian have actually won Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical.

But rest easy, The Ten Buck Review has an 82% correct prediction rate that could help you win your awards pool (or at least look really darn smart during the telecast). Here's what's gonna happen:

Best Picture, Drama
Winner: The Irishman
Spoiler: 1917

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
Winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Spoiler: Dolemite Is My Name

Best Director
Winner: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Spoiler: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Surprise: Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Best Actor, Drama
Winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Spoiler: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Surprise: Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Best Actress, Drama
Winner: Renee Zellweger, Judy
Spoiler: Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
Winner: Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
Spoiler: Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Surprise: Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Winner: Awkwafina, The Farewell
Surprise: Anybody else

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Spoiler: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Spoiler: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Best Screenplay
Winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Spoiler: Marriage Story

Best Animated Film
Winner: Toy Story 4
Spoiler: The Lion King

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: Parasite
Spoiler: Pain and Glory
Surprise: Les Miserables

Best Original Score
Winner: 1917
Spoiler: Marriage Story

Best Original Song
Winner: I’m Gonna Love Me Again, Rocketman
Spoiler: Spirit, The Lion King