The eight contenders for the best picture Oscar

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is nominated for his portrayal of Abbie Hoffman in best picture nominee "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

This year, eight films are in contention for the best picture Oscar

In a year that saw movie theaters boarded up due to Covid-19, eight new films that did reach our screens impressed Academy voters enough that they are in contention for Hollywood's biggest award -- the Oscar for best picture.

The blockbusters may be absent, but an eclectic array of titles are in the mix, from a lavish Netflix ode to Tinseltown's Golden Age to a tiny indie drama about Korean immigrants scraping out a living off the land in rural America.

- 'The Father' - 

The film is set in a London apartment where ailing but stubborn father Anthony (Hopkins) has chased off his latest caregiver, forcing daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) to find a replacement before her departure for Paris.

Widely praised at its Sundance premiere in January 2020, the film has many admirers -- particularly for Hopkins' tour-de-force lead performance -- but is a long shot for best picture.

In a year that produced several acclaimed movies led by Black casts and filmmakers, only "Judas and the Black Messiah" made the Academy's best picture shortlist.

Produced by Ryan Coogler -- director of Marvel superhero film "Black Panther" -- the 1960s Chicago-set movie follows Hampton's efforts to galvanize activists against police violence, even as the FBI encircled him and his followers.

- 'Mank' - 

Conceived as a booze-soaked ode to Hollywood's Golden Age, it features a who's who of movie titans of old, including David O. Selznick, Louis B. Mayer and "Kane" creator Orson Welles himself.

Despite its multiple nods and bona fide credentials, "Mank" has left critics and voters bitterly divided, and its best picture hopes appear to have gone the way of Rosebud.

Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung was on the verge of leaving his film career behind for teaching when he shot "Minari," a final throw of the Hollywood dice, based on his own childhood.

The film -- which brings together Korean-speaking actors from both sides of the Pacific, including "Walking Dead" star Steven Yeun and veteran South Korean actress Youn Yuh-Jung -- focuses on intimate, family relationships rather than broader issues of race or ethnicity.

- 'Nomadland' -

A daring and distinctive blend of road movie, Western, drama and documentary, "Nomadland" depicts a community of older Americans who live off the grid in run-down vans after losing everything in the global financial crisis.

Few analysts see any film other than "Nomadland" taking the top prize, and it is likely to earn several other Oscars.

With its pop soundtrack, colorful pink costumes and largely unknown director, "Promising Young Woman" is not a typical Oscar film -- but then, it is not a typical film at all.

While she's at it, Cassie's avenging angel sows broader terror among her hometown's misogynist men and the women who help them -- and bops along to a Paris Hilton song in a grocery store aisle. 

- 'Sound of Metal' - 

That alone is hugely impressive for a tiny-budget, indie movie about a rather unfashionable and potentially depressing subject -- Ruben, a drummer (Riz Ahmed) who suffers hearing loss while also battling with addiction issues.

Among the least likely to convert its best picture nomination, "Sound of Metal" has brought significant attention to the deaf community, and could win in technical categories -- including sound.

With its mouth-watering ensemble cast, cerebral writer-director and extraordinary timeliness of release during 2020's mass protests and divisive election, there is no doubting the Oscar credentials of "The Trial of the Chicago 7."

"West Wing" creator Sorkin eventually took on directing duties too, and brought in acting greats such as Mark Rylance and Frank Langella alongside younger A-listers like Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne.

amz/sst

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Originally published as The eight contenders for the best picture Oscar