Eleven 2018 Oscar-Winning Films You Should Watch Immediately
Catch up on the best films of the last year, from 'The Shape of Water' to 'Get Out' to 'Call Me By Your Name'.
While we were pushing through our first autumn Monday — fittingly caffeinated to the nines — the best actors, directors, cinematographers and costume-makers were walking the red carpet leading to Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. And they were collecting a slew of well-deserved gold statues on stage, too. At the 90th Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel didn't shy away from discussing #MeToo, Weinstein and last year's Best Picture fiasco, Jodie Foster took the stage on crutches (and blamed Meryl Streep) and Frances McDormand made a rousing speech, encouraging the telling (and funding) of more women's stories in Hollywood.
On the awards front, some hot favourites battled it out for the 2018 titles. There were big winners — The Shape of Water, going in with a massive 13 nominations, took home four — and others you may believe were cheated (Timothée Chalamet is a winner in our hearts), but, regardless, this year's Oscar winners make for a stellar must-watch list. Here's who took home the gongs, and who you should be watching on the big (or little) screen. Some are still in cinemas, so hop to it tout de suite.
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Won: Best Picture, Directing (Guillermo del Toro), Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Production Design (Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin)
What our critic said: "Equally vivid and violent as it jumps between matters of the heart and moments of espionage, the film entrances with its sweet, soulful, delicate approach while never shying away from weighty themes of persecution or oppression." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In cinemas.
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Won: Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Rockwell)
What our critic said: "Packed with dark, hilarious, nigh-unprintable dialogue, McDonagh's script mightn't be subtle, but it is teeming with complexity... Taking his cues from gunslinging revenge tales gone by, the filmmaker crafts a complicated rumination on humanity's contradictions." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In cinemas.
DARKEST HOUR
Won: Actor in a Leading Role (Gary Oldman), Makeup and Hairstyling (Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Mlinowski and Lucy Sibbick)
What our critic said: "While both Churchill and Dunkirk are clearly no strangers to cinemas of late, Darkest Hour has one particular weapon all of its own: recent Golden Globe winner Oldman. The veteran actor gives a captivating performance, even coming hot on the heels of Brian Cox's excellent work in Churchill just months ago."— Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In cinemas.
DUNKIRK
Won: Film Editing (Lee Smith), Sound Editing (Richard King and Alex Gibson), Sound Mixing (Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landarker, and Gary A. Rizzo)
What our critic said: "Unrelenting from start to finish, there's never a moment that's easy to watch, but there's never one devoid of hope either. This is an astonishing feat of storytelling, aesthetics and emotion, one from which you will not be able to look away."— Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes.
COCO
Won: Animated Feature Film, Original Song ('Remember Me')
What our critic said: "Coco enchants with warmth and authenticity from start to finish. In fact, as bright as its images shine, as high as its heartfelt emotions soar, and as perfectly as its voice cast fill their roles — including Gael García Bernal stealing scenes as a dead prankster — it's the film's embrace of its setting and culture that truly makes it sing." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In cinemas.
PHANTOM THREAD
Won: Costume Design (Mark Bridges)
What our critic said: "Every textile metaphor you can think of applies to Phantom Thread. It's a film that's carefully woven from the fabric of human urges, teeming with hidden layers and positively bursting at the seams with emotional detail. It's also one made by the finest possible craftspeople, with Anderson and his three stars fashioning the cinematic equivalent of haute couture." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In cinemas (but the run is almost over).
A FANTASTIC WOMAN
Won: Foreign Language Film
What our critic said: "It can't be overstated how wonderful it is to see transgender representation on the big screen (no offence Eddie Redmayne, but this is how it should be). Vega's performance as Marina feels authentic, in no small part because it is authentic. Every movement, every delivery is subtle, considered and real." — Imogen Baker
Where to watch it: In selected cinemas.
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Won: Visual Effects, Cinematography (Roger A. Deakins)
What our critic said: "For a film that overwhelms with its extraordinary sights and echoing sounds, Blade Runner 2049 revels in the little things, and in the potent cumulative toll that they can have...Villeneuve achieves the cinematic equivalent, making each moment resound with meaning while honouring the legacy of the original." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes.
GET OUT
Won: Original Screenplay (Jordan Peele)
What our critic said: "One of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes.
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
Won: Adapted Screenplay (James Ivory)
What our critic said: "Weaved from quiet, tender, everyday encounters that pepper every love story, it swells and surges, taking both its characters and its viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Think of it as perhaps the greatest example of cinematic show and tell there is: to watch it is to experience the same heady, heated feelings as its central couple." — Sarah Ward
Where to watch it: In selected cinemas (but the run is almost over).
I, TONYA
Won: Actress in a Supporting Role (Allison Janney)
What our critic said: "I, Tonya seems intent on reversing the popular consensus around its title character. The real Harding appeared at premieres of the film in the US, standing alongside Margot Robbie on the red carpet. But while she might finally have gotten the chance to prove she's not just the butt of a joke, you can't help but feel that the filmmakers – intentionally or not – treat her abuse as exactly that." — Kat Hayes
Where to watch it: In cinemas.
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