The 90th Academy Awards are now one month away (Sunday, March 4, 8 pm EST on ABC), and once again – for the discerning filmgoer – this is the best time of the year to take a break from all the superhero flicks and aim for something with more dialogue than CGI. But it also means having to do your research. If you’re not closely following the film industry, it’s quite possible to have only heard about Star Wars and Jumanji in the past few months.
So the clock is now ticking. If you’re going to watch the Oscars, you’ll need to see at least a few of the movies nominated for Best Picture, right? Below are the trailers, plot descriptions (from the Academy), and the best places to find all 9 films:
Call Me By Your Name
Seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman lives in Northern Italy with his translator mother and professor father, who welcomes American doctoral student Oliver to help with his work for the summer. The cultured yet shy Elio is impressed with the confident Oliver, and their friendship blossoms into a relationship that transforms his life.
Now playing in 815 theaters nationwide – Click for theaters & showtimes
Darkest Hour
Controversial politician Winston Churchill is appointed prime minister during the early days of World War II and is faced with the momentous choice of continuing to fight or trying to parlay with Hitler. With the fall of France imminent and the possibility of a German invasion of Britain looming, Churchill knows his decision will affect the entire free world.
Now playing in 1,333 theaters nationwide – Click for theaters & showtimes
Dunkirk
In the Spring of 1940, hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are trapped by German forces on the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France. The terrain precludes the use of large ships, compelling the military to request that civilian boats join the rescue efforts. While soldiers endure attacks and wait in fear, the RAF provides cover for the hundreds of small boats sailing the 26 miles from Britain.
Available to buy/rent on Blu-ray/Digital
Get Out
Photographer Chris Washington is nervous about meeting his girlfriend Rose’s parents for the first time, especially when he learns that she has not told them that he is black. Their awkward behavior, along with the oddness exhibited by their two African-American servants, puts Chris on alert but even so, he is unprepared for the family’s true motivations.
Available to buy/rent on Blu-ray/Digital
Lady Bird
Strong-willed teenager Christine McPherson, who has dubbed herself Lady Bird, yearns to leave her hometown of Sacramento and attend college on the East Coast. Her equally opinionated mother, Marion, who is struggling to provide for her family, tries to prepare her daughter for life’s inevitable heartbreaks while also encouraging her to be her best self.
Now playing in 1,172 theaters nationwide – Click for showtimes
Phantom Thread
In 1950s London, middle-aged couturier Reynolds Woodcock is at the height of his fame and creative powers. His sister Cyril helps to manage his precisely ordered world, but when he falls for a younger, high-spirited waitress, Reynolds finds that his new muse has transformed his life in more ways than he thought possible.
Now playing in 1,021 theaters nationwide – Click for showtimes
The Post
In 1971, Washington Post owner Kay Graham, the first female publisher of a major newspaper, and executive editor Ben Bradlee debate whether they should publish the top-secret, politically sensitive Pentagon Papers. Facing certain legal action, the pair must decide if their duty to inform the public is more important than protecting their careers and the paper itself.
Now playing in 2,640 theaters nationwide – Click for showtimes
The Shape of Water
In 1962, janitor Elisa Esposito works at a classified government laboratory that tests new technology to help defeat the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Isolated and lonely, the mute Elisa finds her life changing forever when she uncovers the truth about the facility’s most unusual and top-secret project.
Now playing in 1,854 theaters nationwide – Click for showtimes
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
In 1950s London, middle-aged couturier Reynolds Woodcock is at the height of his fame and creative powers. His sister Cyril helps to manage his precisely ordered world, but when he falls for a younger, high-spirited waitress, Reynolds finds that his new muse has transformed his life in more ways than he thought possible.
Now playing in 1,457 theaters nationwide – Click for showtimes
