If you’ve been paying attention to awards season news, you may have noticed talk about the Phoenix Critics Circle lately—that’s because we’ve officially announced our picks for 2019’s award-winning movies!
I am proud to have spent my fourth year with the Circle. If you want to learn more about our organization of top critics, check out the PCC website—otherwise, read through our picks below to seize the advantage for your 2020 Oscar Ballot.
This was a group vote, so many personal picks differ from the majority opinion.
I agree with six out of these seventeen choices—can you guess which ones?
BEST PICTURE
Nominees:
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Winner: Parasite
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Winner: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
BEST ACTOR
Nominees:
Robert De Niro, The Irishman
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Winner: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
BEST ACTRESS
Nominees:
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Winner: Lupita Nyong’o, Us
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominees:
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Song Kang-ho, Parasite
Winner: Song Kang-ho, Parasite
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominees:
Annette Bening, The Report
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
Winner: Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit
BEST Cinematography
Nominees:
Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Roger Deakins, 1917
Hong Kyung-pyo, Parasite
Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman
Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Jörg Widmer, A Hidden Life
Winner: Roger Deakins, 1917
BEST SCREENPLAY
Nominees:
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
Rian Johnson, Knives Out
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Winner: Rian Johnson, Knives Out
BEST SCORE
Nominees:
Michael Abels, Us
Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Thomas Newman, 1917
Winner: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Nominees:
American Factory
Apollo 11
Hail Satan?
Honeyland
One Child Nation
Winner: Apollo 11
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Nominees:
Frozen 2
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Winner: Toy Story 4
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Nominees:
Atlantics
The Farewell
Monos
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Winner: Parasite
BEST COMEDY FILM
Nominees:
Booksmart
Dolemite Is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Winner: Jojo Rabbit
BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
Nominees:
Ad Astra
Alita: Battle Angel
Avengers: Endgame
High Life
Terminator: Dark Fate
Winner: Ad Astra
BEST HORROR FILM
Nominees:
Doctor Sleep
The Lighthouse
Midsommar
Tigers Are Not Afraid
Us
Winner: Us
Special Achievements
Ensemble Acting:
Knives Out
Lifetime Achievement In Editing:
Thelma Schoonmaker
The Phoenix Critics Circle is established as an association for professional film critique and analysis. Administered by the 501c3 non-profit Phoenix Film Foundation, the Phoenix Critics Circle is committed to the progression and preservation of film and is composed of print, television, radio and online film critics from Arizona.
For questions, contact Phoenix Film Foundation Executive Director Jason Carney at Jason@phxfilm.com or 480-513-3195.