21 Movies To Watch To Get A Head Start On Awards Season

We're about to enter into the most exciting time of year. And no, I'm not talking about the holiday season. I'm talking about awards season — a time of going to the movies, having fervent debates over which film deserves Best Picture, and narrowing down Oscars bets.

Unless you're a member of the Academy, you can't take an active role in determining which of these films will walk away from the ceremony on March 4, 2018 with a gold statuette. However, you can still be an active participant in the Oscars, simply by watching the movies. The three hour-long ceremony is about a million times more exciting if you've seen the films, and have favorites in the running. The victories are sweeter when you've been rooting for them for months; the losses, more bitter — I'm still angry about Boyhood losing to Bird Man in 2014.

All of the following movies, already in theaters, are likely to garner Oscars nominations. These are all the movies currently available to watch before nominations come out on January 23.