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Best Director nominees at the 2020 Oscars: the full list

All five Best Director nominees at the 2020 Oscars, from Bong Joon Ho to Scorsese, Tarantino, Mendes and Todd Phillips, and the night Parasite made history.

By Rankiew · · 2 min read

The 92nd Academy Awards, on February 9, 2020, brought together some of the biggest names in cinema. Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino were there, but the night belonged to Bong Joon Ho, whose Parasite changed Oscar history.

The five Best Director nominees of 2020

1. Parasite (2019) · Winner

A poor family slowly works its way into the home of a rich family in Seoul, until everything spins out of control.

Worth it if: you want a thriller that is funny, sharp and surprising.

Oscars: Winner: Best Director

2. The Irishman (2019)

Hitman Frank Sheeran looks back on decades of crime and his bond with Jimmy Hoffa.

Worth it if: you have patience for a long, melancholy gangster epic.

Oscars: Nominated: Best Director

3. Joker (2019)

Failed comedian Arthur Fleck slides into violence in a decaying Gotham.

Worth it if: you like dark character studies with a huge lead performance.

Oscars: Nominated: Best Director

4. 1917 (2019)

Two British soldiers cross enemy lines in 1917 to deliver a message that can save 1,600 men, in what looks like one continuous shot.

Worth it if: you want a war film that feels like real time.

Oscars: Nominated: Best Director

5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

A fading TV actor and his stunt double try to survive the changing Hollywood of 1969.

Worth it if: you love cinema history and Tarantino's style.

Oscars: Nominated: Best Director

Who won Best Director at the 2020 Oscars?

Bong Joon Ho won Best Director at the 2020 Oscars for Parasite, which also became the first film not in English to win Best Picture.

Which one is your favorite?

Pick your favorite on Rankiew: rate every film, write reviews, build lists and start clubs to talk movies with friends.

More from the series: Oscars 2025: every nominee and winner, category by category

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