10 Upcoming Movies That Will Be Serious Oscar Contenders

We've seen some truly brilliant films so far this year, but whether any of them scream "Oscar" is debatable. Out of what has hit screens so far in 2014, the only movie I really expect will be getting some serious attention on that front is Wes Anderson's whimsical period piece The Grand Budapest Hotel (for its visuals, his direction, Ralph Fiennes' performance and possibly Best Picture). The Lego Movie is a lock for Best Animated Feature, and "Everything is Awesome" should earn a nomination for Best Original Song, but I don't imagine that the Academy will honor it elsewhere. And Noah is divisive, but not in a way that has anyone claiming it will hold a place as a cinematic classic.

Isaac Feldberg Jun 25, 2014 4:18 pm2014-08-10T17:14:54-05:00

9. Gone Girl

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Will David Fincher be able to deliver another Oscar-worthy crime thriller in Gone Girl? Fox is surely hoping that he can – the studio has handed him the same release date that Oscar winner Gravity got last year and The Social Network got a few years back. This one may be too commercial for the Academy, but if the movie turns out to be really, really good, which it might be considering all the talent involved, it could become the popular choice for Best Picture.

Gone Girl stands a chance at Best Director (for Fincher), Best Original Score (for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), Best Cinematography (for Jeff Croneweth), Best Editing (for Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Gillian Flynn, working from her own novel). Best Picture is also a strong possibility, though neither Ben Affleck nor Rosamund Pike seem like automatic shoe-ins for acting awards. If Gone Girl is really good, though, they could ride the wave of acclaim to nominations.

Gone Girl opens October 3rd.

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