Oscars Best Picture Nominees 2021

My wife, Sammantha, and I have an annual tradition of watching all the nominated films for Best Picture (as well as any other films with Oscar-nominated performances). Here are my personal rankings for the eight nominees, ranked from bottom to top.

Best Picture Rankings

8) Mank

Mank is at the bottom of my list. Director David Fincher did an incredible job capturing the time period and making this feel like it was filmed in the 1930s, from the black and white protography, the camera angles, lighting, and sound. (Even the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross feels like an old movie!) Gary Oldman, as always, disappears into the lead role of Herman Mankiewicz as he works on completing the screenplay of the classic film, Citizen Kane.

From a technical standpoint, this film is excellent. The story and dialog is good, too, but it just didn’t resonate with me as much as the other Best Picture nominees. I was familiar with Citizen Kane, but to a degree, I felt that this film assumed that viewers were already a familiar with 1930s Hollywood history and Herman Mankiewicz.

7) The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 ironically sits at number 7 in my list. It’s classic Aaron Sorkin. If you’ve seen some of the TV shows & movies he’s written, like The West Wing, The Newsroom, and The Social Network, you’ll know what to expect: great dialog and story.

The entire cast is great, but I was especially surprised by Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance (having only previously seen him in comedies). His nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role is much deserved.

I really enjoyed this film. Definitely check it out!

6) Sound of Metal

Sound of Metal follows the story of Ruben (played by Riz Ahmed), a heavy-metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing and has to cope through his new reality of being deaf. Riz Ahmed learned American Sign Language and how to play drums for this role and the result is a performance that is incredibly moving and authentic. He totally deserves the nomination for Actor in a Leading Role.

This one is definitely worth checking out.

5) Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman is perhaps the most unique of the eight nominees. I’ve never seen a film quite like this one! I found myself thinking about this movie for several days after seeing it. Emerald Fennell’s directoral debut is a roller-coaster ride. The tone shifts constantly, from being a thriller, to dark comedy, to romantic-comedy, and back to drama.

The story follows Cassie (played by Carey Mulligan) as she finds revenge against those who are complicit in sexual assault of women. I thought that this film did an incredible job of not only condemning the men who directly assault women, but also the men AND women who condone and allow these men to get away with their crimes.

Fennell takes some bold risks in telling this story, and those risks pay off spectacularly. Don’t miss out on this one. Definitely watch it if you have a chance!

4) Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah is based on the true story of Bill O’Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield) as he infiltrates the Black Panther Party as an FBI informant. LaKeith Stanfield is incredible in this film, as well as Daniel Kaluuya as Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. Both deserve their nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role.

I was not previously familiar with the story of Bill O’Neal, so I found this film very compelling. Director Shaka King does a great job of showing the multiple sides of the Fred Hampton, the Black Panther Party, and the struggle that Bill O’Neal faced as an informant. Great film! Check it out!

3) Minari

Minari is a beautiful story of a Korean family in the 1980s as they pursue their own American dream, starting a farm in rural Arkansas. Writer/director Lee Isaac Chung perfectly captures his real-life experience and translates it into a story that feels deeply human, real, and authentic. Steven Yeun gives the performance of his career. I would love to see him win the award for Actor in a Leading Role. Yuh-Jung Youn as the grandmother was incredible (and I hope she wins, too!). The two child actors are excellent as well.

This is a very heartwarming story that I believe everyone should see. It perfectly captures the humanity of our nation’s immigrants.

2) The Father

The Father is an excellent film that centers around Anthony (played by Anthony Hopkins) as he battles dementia. The film tells the story from Anthony’s point of view, putting us in his shoes. This often results in the audience feeling confused about what’s going on. At any given moment, it’s hard to understand when this story is happening, where it’s happening, or even who the other characters are. Anthony Hopkin’s performance is perhaps the best of his entire career. Definitely add this to your watch list.

1) Nomadland

And at the top of my list is Nomadland. This was an incredibly beautiful film. It follows Fern (played by Frances McDormand), a woman who loses everything during the financial collapse in 2008 and starts living in her van and traveling with other nomads and the camps that they setup across the country. (Many of the people in the film are actual nomads!)

Chloé Zhao deserves to win Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Frances McDormand for her performance.

This film tops my list because of it’s authenticity and realism. Chloé Zhao perfectly captures the truth and humanity of a population of people we never get to see in film. I highly recommend that you check out this film!

Closing Thoughts

It’s hard to compare 8 films that are so different in story and tone. I’d be happy to see any of my top 5 win Best Picture.

What do you think? Did you get to see any of these films? What was your favorite?