The Oscars are only two weeks away and Hollywood is already buzzing about the nominees and potential winners, especially for Best Picture — because we all know that even snagging a nomination means you’ve unlocked the ultimate achievement of tinsel town.

We’ve got nine films up for the prestigious award, and regardless of which movie takes home the golden statue, we can confidently say that each film in the running put on memorable performances.

And the nominees are…


Arrival
Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner embark on a journey to communicate with aliens. As spaceships touch down on Earth, the human race is in the hands of Adams and her ability to keep the aliens from waging war. Throughout the film, we find that Professor Louise Banks’ (Adams) and Ian Donnelly’s (Renner) ability to communicate and need to communicate is rooted much deeper than just seeing what these aliens have to say. There’s also a heartbreaking love story intertwined in this plot, which makes the Oscar nomination very warranted.


Fences
Denzel Washington (who won the SAG award for his performance in this film) and Viola Davis (who took home a SAG, Golden Globe, and Critic’s Choice award for her role) bring August Wilson’s classic play, Fences, to life on the big screen. The film takes place in 1950s Pittsburgh where Troy Maxson (Washington) struggles to provide for his family as a sanitation worker while also dealing with race relations and life as an African American man during this time. Rose Maxson (Davis) rides the hectic wave of deciding whether or not to stand by her unfaithful husband and juggling the struggles of her family.


Hacksaw Ridge
Based on the true story of Desmond T. Doss (played by Andrew Garfield), this film follows his journey in WWII and his refusal to bear arms due to his religious beliefs. Directed by Mel Gibson, this drama reveals Doss (Garfield) as the first conscientious objector to be awarded a medal of honor for his heroic service. Best Picture is just one of the six Oscar nominations this film received this year.


Hell or High Water
An all-star cast including Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster illuminates this western-inspired crime drama. The movie will keep you on edge as you watch Tobby Howard (Pine) and Tanner Howard (Foster) carry out robberies to try and better the lives of their families. While the two are trying to fend for their lives, Texas Ranger, Marcus Hamilton (Bridges) is out to make sure these two never rob again. This thriller tows the line of betrayal, fighting for your life, and doing what’s right.


Hidden Figures
This film follows three African American women who were the brains behind the first successful launch by NASA. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae have to fight segregation for not only their skin color but also their sex — and they ultimately persevere.


La La Land
Set in Los Angeles, this film romanticizes the trials and tribulations of a struggling actor trying to make it in the city of angels. Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, this musical comedy is getting critical acclaim for its acting, original songs, and cinematography, which paints LA in a perfectly glowing light. We get to see what happens when two aspiring artists, with their heads in the clouds, find the balance between love and fame.


Lion
Saroo Brierley (Dev Patel) lived as an orphan amongst street children before he was adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham).  This film then jumps ahead 20 years and follows the journey of Saroo and his continuous search for his brother while trying to discover who he really is.


Manchester by the Sea
This Massachusetts-based drama follows Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) as he goes from quiet handyman in Quincy to becoming the (unexpected) guardian of his recently deceased brother’s son who lives in Chandler’s hometown of Manchester. While Chandler wants to bring his nephew back to Quincy with him, he’s forced to deal with haunting memories of his time in Manchester and the family he left there. Chandler is now faced with the heavy decision of caring for his nephew while living in a city he cannot bare. Every decision is life changing for everyone in this film and none of those decisions are easy.


Moonlight
If you’re looking to see one of the most powerful films in our lifetime, this is it. Moonlight shows us the life of Chiron (Alex Hibbert) and his life with his abusive mother and mentorship from a crack dealer. The film follows Chiron into his teenage and adult life where he becomes a drug dealer himself. Chiron has the choice to forgive the people from his past who have made him a hardened adult or to continue living with the heavy burden of hatred that he has for his past.

xx, The FabFitFun Team