Oscars 2020: Predicting The Winners In Every Category

2. Best Director

1917 Sam Mendes
Universal

WINNER

Sam Mendes (1917)

NOMINEES

Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)

Todd Phillips (Joker)

Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)

Well, we can discount Todd Phillips right away, because him even being a nominee is a tad ridiculous, but this is clearly a battle between Sam Mendes and Bong Joon-ho.

Though giving Joon-ho the Best Director win would be a welcome consolation prize for Parasite likely coming up short in the Best Picture field, Sam Mendes has scooped the lion's share of the major directing awards so far, and his showy work on 1917 announces itself far more blatantly to the audience.

Quite poetically, this would be Mendes' second Best Director win on his second nomination, coming some 20 years after he first won the award for his feature debut, American Beauty.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.