Films you have to watch before the Oscars 2019

One of the biggest award shows of the year is approaching—the Oscars.

If you are unfamiliar with the Academy Awards, they award different areas of the film industry, ranging from best actor, best actress, director, cinematography, costume design and music.

1) Black Panther

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Congratulations to #BlackPanther on its seven Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture!

A post shared by Marvel Studios (@marvelstudios) on Jan 22, 2019 at 5:43am PST

This Marvel film may seem like just another superhero film, but Black Panther is so much more. It's the first superhero film to have a predominantly black cast, which is why it was so successful. Raking in over $1.3 billion at the box office, this is the first superhero film to ever be nominated for Best Picture—the biggest award of the night. With a total of seven nominations, this blockbuster is already making history before the awards show even begins.

2) A Star Is Born

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#AStarIsBorn has been honored with nominations including #DGAAwards, #WGAAwards, #ACE, #CDG, #ADG, #MUAHS, #MPSE and #CAS. Now nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

A post shared by A Star Is Born (@starisbornmovie) on Jan 31, 2019 at 4:37pm PST

Whilst this marks the fourth remake of the film, the 2018 adaption has been by far the most successful adaption—which is largely due to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's performances as Ally and Jackson Maine. A Star Is Born discusses important issues such as alcoholism and addiction, mental health, and the struggles of breaking into the music industry. The film, which was Bradley Cooper's first-ever directorial debut, made an impressive $400 million. The soundtrack has been topping charts and the lead single, 'Shallow' has already won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for Best Original Song.

Gaga and Cooper are both nominated for Best Actress/Actor respectively, and the film itself is nominated for Best Picture. A Star Is Born is up for eight nominations, with this being Gaga's second nomination for Best Original Song after her 2016 nomination for 'Til It Happens To You'.

3) The Favourite

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The Queen requests your presence. #TheFavourite is on Digital February 12 & Blu-ray March 5. Link in bio.

A post shared by The Favourite (@thefavouritemovie) on Jan 29, 2019 at 11:19am PST

The Favourite is set in 18th Century England and follows Queen Anne's (Olivia Coleman) relationship with advisor Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and Sarah's cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone). The two battle it out to win the affection of the Queen, who suffers from ill-health as well as comedic temper tantrums. All three leading ladies have nominations for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. The film features lots of dark comedy and leaves you questioning whether you should laugh or be concerned about the main characters. The film holds an impressive ten nominations, with Olivia Coleman coming close between Lady Gaga and Glenn Close for Best Actress. It could be a very successful night for this British film.

4) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

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Congratulations to the #SpiderVerse⁠ ⁠cast and crew on their #Oscars⁠ ⁠nomination for Best Animated Feature! ?️?

A post shared by Sony Animation (@sonyanimation) on Jan 22, 2019 at 6:12am PST

Whilst this may be the fourth version of Spider-Man to hit the big screen in the past two decades, Into the Spider-Verse is the most ambitious of the franchise—with the film being the first one to be animated for wide release. Unlike its predecessors, Into the Spider-Verse uses the incarnation of Miles Morales—rather than Peter Parker—who is an Afro-Latino teenager living in Brooklyn. The film uses a unique animation style that makes it stand out from others within the Best Animated Feature category.

The animated film has already won awards at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, making it the favourite to win at the Oscars on the 24th of February—where it will be competing against the likes of The Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Mirai and Isle of Dogs.

5) Roma

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I’m here to bless your timeline, your Monday, your entire week with something truly beautiful from @alfonsocuaron

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Roma is Netflix's first feature film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, with a total of ten nominations which is a first for the streaming giant. The black and white film is an autobiographical take on the director, Alfonso Cuarón's upbringing in Mexico City across the early 1970s. Both Roma and The Favourite are the most-nominated films at the Oscars this year. It's difficult to see the success of the film as it was made available to watch on Netflix—with a limited release in approximately 100 cinemas across the US.

However, with a Best Picture win from the Critics Choice Awards, Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and four wins at the Satellite Awards—Roma is almost guaranteed to leave its mark on the 2019 Academy Awards.

The Oscars will be taking place on the 24th of February in Los Angeles, with the awards being broadcasted on Sky in the UK in the early hours of the 25th of February.

Featured image: MidoSemsem / Shutterstock.com