4. Zero Dark Thirty
Now we enter prime Prestige Picture territory. Zero Dark Thirty falls into the last two criterion like a glove, considering it's been a little shy of two years since the Osama Bin Laden was taken out of the picture. The only way this film wouldn't be nominated is if either the voting controversy surrounding The Hurt Locker came back to haunt Bigelow and company, or - even worse - the controversy involving how much information was given to the production through official sources somehow emerged. Neither seem likely to be derailed, as The Academy likes to be seen as both in touch with the modern era, as well as politically/historically reverent. The big question is: is it better than The Hurt Locker? We'll have to wait and see.