Award season is upon us. The Golden Globe nominations have been announced, and it's just the first show in a month of entertainment awards for movies and television.
After the Golden Globes on Jan. 7, we've got the People's Choice Awards on the 10th and the Critics' Choice Awards on the 11th. Then it's the SAG Awards on the 21st and finally the Oscars on March 4.
Keep the popcorn on hand, grab your cozy slippers and settle into the couch because these are the must-see movies making waves for award season 2018.
1. The Shape of Water
The Shape of Water is leading Golden Globe nominations with seven under its belt. It's also a strong contender to be an Oscar darling in 2018.
Synopsis: "In a 1960s research facility, a mute janitor forms a relationship with an aquatic creature."
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Nominated for six Golden Globes, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is getting a lot of buzz. The colorful trailer doesn't hurt either. NSFW.
Synopsis: "A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit."
3. The Disaster Artist
So bad yet so good. James Franco and brother Dave Franco team up to make this movie about the making of Tommy Wiseau's cult-classic, The Room.
Synopsis: "When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true."
4. Lady Bird
Saoirse Ronan and Odeya Rush beautifully capture the mother-daughter relationship in this coming-of-age story.
Synopsis: "In the early 2000s, an artistically-inclined seventeen year-old comes of age in Sacramento, California."
5. Mudbound
Mudbound has been getting buzz for a while now, and with two Golden Globe nominations, it seems that buzz was well-deserved.
Synopsis: "Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war."
6. Call Me By Your Name
A complicated and controversial coming-of-age story about a young boy who has a relationship with an older man.
Synopsis: "In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape."
7. Darkest Hour
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill promises to be a brilliant and fascinating character study into one of England's most beloved prime ministers.
Synopsis: "During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds."
8. The Greatest Showman
Musicals have a good past at the Oscars with films like Chicago and La La Land, and The Greatest Showman could very well follow suit.
Synopsis: "Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation."
9. All the Money in the World
Despite the last-minute casting swap between Kevin Spacey and Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World is being deemed an overwhelming success. It's nabbed three Golden Globe nominations.
Synopsis: "The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom."
10. Dunkirk
It's been a while since Dunkirk was in the news, but that doesn't mean Academy voters have forgotten its powerful storyline.
Synopsis: "Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II."
11. The Post
Anything Meryl Streep touches turns into Oscar gold. Throw in Tom Hanks and a captivating story, and this is a movie the Academy can't ignore.
Synopsis: "A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government."
12. I, Tonya
Margot Robbie's transformation for I, Tonya is worth the watch. Plus, the story of Tonya Harding and her career downfall is one for the records.
Synopsis: "Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes."
13. Phantom Thread
This is Daniel Day-Lewis' final film, so obviously the voters will take note.
Synopsis: "Set in 1950's London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover."
14. Roman J. Esq.
Denzel Washington is an absolute master of the screen. Though the movie has gotten mixed reviews, Washington's character work has not gone unnoticed.
Synopsis: "Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action."
15. Molly's Game
Aaron Sorkin wanted to show a new kind of heroine in Molly's Game. Though the actual crimes took place about a decade ago, the themes of this movie about a woman trying to survive no matter the cost are definitely timely.
Synopsis: "The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target."
16. Get Out
Haunting and eerie, Get Out is still one of the highest-rated movies of 2017. It has a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Synopsis: "It's time for a young African American to meet with his white girlfriend's parents for a weekend in their secluded estate in the woods, but before long, the friendly and polite ambience will give way to a nightmare."
17. The Florida Project
The Florida Project got a lot of buzz at the Cannes Film Festival, and it seems the buzz is carrying over to award season.
Synopsis: "Set over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World."
18. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Don't knock it. The Last Jedi is being hailed by many as the best film in the franchise yet. Though it is an underdog in terms of awards, Star Wars: The Last Jedi could very well nab some nominations.
Synopsis: "Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order."