At the 90th Academy Awards, held on March 4, 2018, the Oscar for Best Picture was awarded to The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film led a diverse field of nine nominees, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Get Out, Lady Bird, Dunkirk, Call Me by Your Name, Darkest Hour, Phantom Thread, and The Post.
The 2018 awards season remains one of the most culturally significant in recent cinema history. It was a year defined by a transition toward more inclusive storytelling, the recognition of genre films (such as horror and fantasy) in major categories, and a tense race between a whimsical adult fairytale and a gritty, modern morality play. As we look back from the perspective of 2026, the 2018 lineup serves as a masterclass in the "pre-streaming dominance" era of the Oscars, where theatrical prestige still dictated the narrative.
The Winner: The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water was the night's big victor, securing four Academy Awards out of its field-leading 13 nominations. The film, a Cold War-era fantasy romance, tells the story of a mute custodial worker (Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with a captured amphibian creature in a high-security government laboratory.
The victory was a milestone for several reasons. It was only the second time in Oscar history that a film with significant "fantasy" or "monster movie" elements won the top prize, following The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Del Toro’s meticulous production design and Alexandre Desplat’s whimsical score created an immersive atmosphere that resonated with the Academy’s diversifying voter base. The film’s message—the celebration of "the other" and the power of silent communication—felt timely in a year marked by significant social upheaval.
The Full List of 2018 Best Picture Nominees
The 2018 field was praised for its variety, ranging from intimate coming-of-age stories to massive historical epics. Below is the complete list of films that competed for the 90th Academy Award for Best Picture:
- The Shape of Water (Winner)
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Get Out
- Lady Bird
- Dunkirk
- Call Me by Your Name
- Darkest Hour
- Phantom Thread
- The Post
Deep Dive into the Top Contenders
To understand the 2018 race, one must look at the films that challenged the eventual winner until the very final moments of the ceremony.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Directed by Martin McDonagh, this film was the primary rival to The Shape of Water throughout the season. It won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and the BAFTA for Best Film, leading many to believe it was the frontrunner. Starring Frances McDormand as a grieving mother who challenges the local police to solve her daughter’s murder, the film was a powerhouse of acting. Both McDormand and Sam Rockwell won Oscars for their performances. However, the film faced criticism regarding its handling of racial themes and the redemption arc of Rockwell’s character, which some critics believe may have hindered its chances for the top prize.
Get Out
Jordan Peele’s Get Out was perhaps the most culturally impactful nominee of the year. Historically, the Academy has ignored the horror genre, but Get Out’s sharp social commentary on "liberal racism" and its massive box-office success made it impossible to overlook. It became a rare genre film to earn a Best Picture nomination and secured Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In hindsight, many critics in 2026 argue that Get Out has had the longest-lasting cultural legacy of any film in the 2018 cohort.
Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk represented the "technical achievement" wing of the nominees. A visceral, non-linear depiction of the British evacuation from France during WWII, the film was a marvel of practical effects and sound design. It won three Oscars (Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing) and was a major box-office hit. While it was a favorite among technical branches, its lack of character-driven dialogue was sometimes cited as a reason it didn't capture the top honors in a year focused on personal narratives.
Lady Bird
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut was a critical darling, briefly holding the record for the best-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird offered a poignant, funny, and deeply relatable look at a mother-daughter relationship in Sacramento. Its nomination was a significant win for female directors, though Gerwig’s snub in the Best Director category that year sparked significant debate before she was eventually nominated in 2018 (becoming only the fifth woman ever nominated at that point).
The Technical and Artistic Achievements
The 2018 nominees were not just narratively diverse; they were technically groundbreaking. For instance, Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson’s meticulous drama about a 1950s dressmaker, was a showcase for costume design and cinematography (the latter famously handled by Anderson himself, though uncredited).
Darkest Hour and Dunkirk provided a unique "double feature" of World War II history. While Dunkirk focused on the soldiers, Darkest Hour focused on the politics, earning Gary Oldman a Best Actor Oscar for his transformation into Winston Churchill.
Meanwhile, Call Me by Your Name became a landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in the Best Picture category. Its lush cinematography and James Ivory’s Oscar-winning adapted screenplay captured a summer romance in Italy with a sensitivity that resonated globally.
Summary of Winners and Nominee Statistics
The following table compares the 2018 Best Picture nominees based on their total nominations, total wins, and primary genre.
| Film | Primary Genre | Total Nominations | Total Oscar Wins | Key Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shape of Water | Fantasy / Romance | 13 | 4 | Best Picture |
| Dunkirk | War / Action | 8 | 3 | Best Film Editing |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Crime Drama | 7 | 2 | Best Actress |
| Darkest Hour | Historical Drama | 6 | 2 | Best Actor |
| Phantom Thread | Period Drama | 6 | 1 | Best Costume Design |
| Lady Bird | Coming-of-Age | 5 | 0 | - |
| Get Out | Horror / Satire | 4 | 1 | Best Original Screenplay |
| Call Me by Your Name | Romance / Drama | 4 | 1 | Best Adapted Screenplay |
| The Post | Historical Thriller | 2 | 0 | - |
The Legacy of the 90th Academy Awards
The 2018 ceremony took place at a crossroads for the film industry. It was the first Oscars following the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the rise of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. The Academy was under intense pressure to prove its relevance and its commitment to diversity.
While The Shape of Water was a relatively "safe" winner in terms of its traditional narrative structure, the field itself was revolutionary. Seeing a $4 million horror film like Get Out compete against a $100 million war epic like Dunkirk showed that the Academy was finally broadening its definition of what "prestige" looked like.
From the 2026 perspective, we can see how this year paved the way for future "untraditional" winners like Parasite and Everything Everywhere All At Once. The 2018 nominees broke the mold of the "stuffy period piece" being the default winner, allowing for more imaginative and socially urgent films to take center stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which film had the most nominations in 2018?
The Shape of Water led the pack with 13 nominations, falling just one short of the all-time record of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. It eventually won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.
Did any actor win an Oscar for their role in a Best Picture nominee?
Yes, the 2018 acting categories were dominated by Best Picture nominees. Gary Oldman won Best Actor for Darkest Hour, Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Sam Rockwell won Best Supporting Actor for the same film. Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress for I, Tonya, which was not nominated for Best Picture, though its lead Margot Robbie was nominated for Best Actress.
Why was "The Post" considered a significant nominee despite only two nominations?
The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, was produced at breakneck speed specifically to address contemporary concerns regarding freedom of the press. While it only received two nominations (Best Picture and Best Actress), its presence was seen as a major statement by Hollywood's "old guard" on the political climate of the late 2010s.
Was "Get Out" the first horror movie nominated for Best Picture?
No, but it was a rare occurrence. Get Out followed in the footsteps of The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and The Sixth Sense (1999). Its nomination was particularly significant because it was a "social horror" film that used genre tropes to explore contemporary racial dynamics.
Who hosted the 2018 Academy Awards?
The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the second year in a row. Kimmel’s monologue and bits throughout the night focused heavily on the previous year’s "envelope-gate" blunder and the ongoing #MeToo movement, striking a balance between humor and the serious tone of the industry’s cultural shift.
How did the Academy's voting membership change in 2018?
Beginning in 2016 and accelerating through 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) significantly expanded its membership to include more women, international filmmakers, and people of color. This diversification is often cited as the reason why films like Get Out, Lady Bird, and The Shape of Water fared so well compared to traditional Oscar bait.
Final Recommendation for Viewers
If you are looking to revisit the best of 2018, start with The Shape of Water to understand the visual and emotional peak of that year's cinema. However, for a true understanding of the cultural shift that occurred, a double feature of Get Out and Lady Bird is essential. These films represent the moment the Academy began to embrace the "new" Hollywood—stories that are specific in their cultural identity but universal in their emotional impact. Most of these titles are now available in 4K HDR on major streaming platforms as of 2026, offering a significantly enhanced home viewing experience compared to their original release.
