The top Oscars front-runners and dark horses of 2018 so far

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Lynne Frank, Josh Berger, executive producer Sue Kroll, actors Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Blair Rich and producer Bill Gerber at ‘A Star Is Born’ UK Premiere at Vue West End on September 27, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros)

Best Picture

Okay, let’s get down to business and discuss the big one we all wait with bated breath for: Best Picture. Hopefully, there are no Moonlight/La La Land type catastrophes this year.

As Vulture put it, the film festivals in Venice, Telluride, and Toronto are usually seen as the “Oscar race’s opening gun” and there are some clear front-runners right out of the gate. A Star Is Born got a fantastic reception on the festival circuit, with Lady Gaga even getting a well-deserved standing ovation. Another film that got a rapturous reception in Venice was First Man, Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma got a great reception in Venice as well, but we already discussed the roadblocks that may stand in its way to Oscar glory. A Netflix original winning Best Picture could be major for the streaming service, which has already proved to be a dominating force in the television world.

Right now it’s hard to say which film is a definite front-runner, but those three are surely the ones to watch out for. Other films that are on everybody’s lips that you shouldn’t count out are If Beale Street Could Talk, The Favourite, and even Black Panther, because Disney’s planned a huge Oscar campaign for the film.

Dark Horse(s): Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is a film with a serious message about intolerance, and that could play in its favor. It’s controversial but important. Another film with a message to watch out for is Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased, which features faves like Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, as well as newcomer Lucas Hedges, who could very well end up with his own nomination for his performance as a gay teen forced into gay conversion therapy.

This season is proving to be full of surprises, so we can’t wait to see how it’ll all turn out!