Will it win? Mark Rylance and Eddie Redmayne in The Trial of the Chicago 7. And for better or worse, it’s peak Sorkin. The historical courtroom drama seems like a classic Oscar film. The Trial of the Chicago 7: Our mixed feelings about the movie and its director Aaron Sorkin, explained What makes this film appealing to Academy voters? What makes it emblematic of the year? And should it win? We’ll publish a roundtable discussion for each of the nominees as we approach these most unusual Oscars, in a most unusual year. In the run-up to the delayed-by-two-months Oscars on April 25, the Vox staff is looking at each of the Best Picture nominees in turn.

And finally, two films explore the promise and peril of the American Dream: one about a family of Korean-Americans in 1980s Arkansas, and one set in the contemporary West. There’s a biting and satirical revenge thriller in the mix. Two more films explore the politics and activism of the late 1960s, one focusing on a court case and one on a state-sanctioned assassination. Two films center on characters who are struggling to retain part of themselves in the midst of memory loss and hearing loss, respectively.

The most-nominated film overall is about the politics, business, and history of Hollywood - no surprise, since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the professional organization that gives out the Oscars) tends to love movies about movies. A brief guide to the Oscars’ Best Picture nominees

Oscar nominations 2021