Golden Globe-Nominated Films Ranked by Box Office Returns

Release date: Nov 17, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $182,341 across 43 theaters

Opening weekend: $17,395 across 3 theaters

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature

Based on a bestselling novel, The Breadwinner tells the story of Parvana, a young girl growing up under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. Against a harrowing backdrop, Parvana struggles to find her father and bring her family back together. To cope with the harsh reality, she frequently escapes to a realm of her own creation, weaving fantastic stories of courage and hope. Executive produced by Angelina Jolie, this is an animated film best seen without the kids.

Release date: Dec 08, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $548,644 across 5 theaters

Opening weekend: $264,155 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Starring Australian actress Margot Robbie as the infamous ice skater, I, Tonya offers a striking behind-the-scenes glimpse into Tonya Harding’s meteoric rise and scandalous fall. Robbie went all in for the role, training in the rink the way one might train for an Olympic skating event. As a result of her intense dedication and already formidable acting chops, she completely nailed the performance, as did Allison Janney as Harding’s erratic mother, hence their nominations for best actress and best supporting actress.  

Release date: Aug 25, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $1,119,282 across 70 theaters

Opening weekend: $74,233 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language

Skewering the world of fine art might seem like shooting fish in a barrel, but few films have pulled it off with the same panache as The Square. Writer/director Ruben Östlund’s follow up to 2014’s Force Majeure puts high society in its crosshairs and hits the bullseye, with the Palme d'Or at Cannes to already show for it. The movie would be completely hysterical if so much of it didn’t feel accurate.

Release date: Nov 24, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $1,992,829 across 30 theaters

Opening weekend: $412,932 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

A story about two adolescent boys forming a sexual relationship in Northern Italy in 1983, Call Me by Your Name is pure cinematic perfection. Accordingly, the film has been steadily reaping all sorts of awards and acclaim leading up to the Golden Globes (and the Oscars). In fact, the 10 minute standing ovation it received at the New York Film Festival was the longest in the festival’s history.

Release date: Nov 22, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $2,338,373 across 84 theaters

Opening weekend: $175,006 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Gary Oldman has always been a chameleon of an actor with the ability to champion any role that comes his way. Naturally, his turn as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour is no exception. In the movie, Churchill must decide whether to try and reason with Hitler or go to war against him. To complete his transformation, Oldman spent over 200 hours in makeup and nearly doubled his weight using prosthetics.

 

You may also like: Best 2001 movies

Release date: Dec 08, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $3,593,375 across 158 theaters

Opening weekend: $166,564 across 2 theaters

Nominated for: Best Director, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Best Original Score in a Motion Picture, Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture

Every year, there are usually a few films that land Golden Globes nominations in almost every category. The Shape of Water is one of those films. From horror and sci-fi legend Guillermo Del Toro comes the story of the relationship between a mute janitor and an experimental sea creature during the height of the Cold War era. Representing a balancing act between Del Toro’s penchant for hard sci-fi and heart-wrenching drama, the film is like high art for the comic con crowd, and thereby likely to win at least a few Golden Globes. The awards show does aim to please, after all.  

 

Release date: Nov 10, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $5,131,300 across 229 theaters

Opening weekend: $157,553 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Last seen making a movie about transgender prostitutes on his iPhone, writer/director Sean Baker takes his lo-fi spirit to a budget motel located just outside Disney World. Dubbed The Florida Project, the film follows motel residents Halley and her daughter Moonee, who live on welfare and aren’t very fond of strangers. Willem Dafoe is nominated for his portrayal of Bobby, the motel’s manager who lets Halley and Moonee stay there long-term even though it’s against policy.

Release date: Sep 22, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $5,969,959 across 218 theaters

Opening weekend: $23,180 across 1 theaters

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

What better way to tell a story about Vincent Van Gogh then through oil painted animation resembling his very own work? That’s the method employed by Loving Vincent, about a young man who begrudgingly delivers Van Gogh’s final letter, and then uncovers all sorts of interesting (and often conflicting) information about the artist along the way. This is the world’s first fully painted animated feature film.  

Release date: Nov 22, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $11,729,747 across 1,669 theaters

Opening weekend: $61,999 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Another actor who’s always reliable for award-winning performances is Denzel Washington, and in 2017 he didn’t disappoint. In Roman J. Israel, Esq, Washington plays an idealistic and idiosyncratic defense attorney who finds himself in over his head after joining a cutthroat firm. Entailed in the movie’s dramatic plot are themes of justice and race that strike a poignant, contemporary chord .

 

Release date: Sep 29, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $12,634,281 across 1,822 theaters

Opening weekend: $518,332 across 21 theaters

Nominated for: Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

It's boys vs girls in Battle of the Sexes. The film is about a famous 1973 tennis match between female champion Billie Jean King and retired male tennis star Bobby Riggs. Of course, the showdown was far more than just a game, and likewise the movie is about equality, gender, fame and sexuality within a rapidly growing media landscape. To play the role of Billie Jean King, Emma Stone put on 15 pounds of muscle.

You may also like: The 25 best films turning 50 in 2025

Release date: Dec 08, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $13,012,368 across 1,010 theaters

Opening weekend: $1,211,345 across 19 theaters

Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor - Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Commonly touted as the worst movie of all time, The Room has transcended its innate awfulness to earn a massive cult following across the nation. Here to tell the tale behind the legendary misfire is The Disaster Artist. Starring James Franco (who also directs) as famously incompetent filmmaker Tommy Wiseau, the movie is a testament to the power of sheer, stubborn will in the face of no discernible talent. In other words, it’s a tale that can only come out of Hollywood.  

Release date: Dec 15, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $13,401,586 across 3,621 theaters

Opening weekend: $13,401,586 across 3,621 theaters

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

A children’s classic book comes to vivid life in Ferdinand from 20th Century Fox. As one might expect, the animated comedy takes some liberties as far as adapting the source material. In the movie version, Ferdinand is a bull with a big heart who’s taken away from his family, after which he must find his way back home. 

 

Release date: Nov 10, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $21,336,065 across 1,620 theaters

Opening weekend: $322,168 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Best Original Score in a Motion Picture, Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture

From the man who brought us In Bruges comes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The film--about a mother who takes on the local authorities when they fail to find her daughter’s killer--is another across-the-boards contender that has critics and audiences gushing. Look for yet one more incredible performance from Frances McDormand, for whom the role was written.

Release date: Oct 06, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $22,179,115 across 1,060 theaters

Opening weekend: $158,845 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

The story of an unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria and a young Indian clerk, Victoria & Abdul has “awards season contender” written all over it. That said, it was only able to rack up a solitary Golden Globe nod, which was for Judi Dench’s performance as Queen Victoria. Should she win, she can put the award on her mantel next to two others just like it, as well as the Oscar she won after playing a different queen (Elizabeth I) in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love.  

Release date: Feb 15, 2018

Lifetime domestic box office: $25,968,628 across 1,557 theaters

Opening weekend: $364,437 across 4 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture

Greta Gerwig's filmmaking debut is a smash in every sense of the word. For one, Lady Bird was the best reviewed film of all time on Rotten Tomatoes until some troll critic intentionally brought it down a percentage point. The movie has also grossed over $25 million to date, which is well over its $10 million production budget. Appraisals aside, Lady Bird is an endearing and frequently hilarious coming-of-age story about a free-spirited teenage girl dealing with drab high school reality and a stubborn mother. Uncompromising, dramatic, and funny, the movie is like awards season catnip.

You may also like: Best 1993 movies

Release date: Jun 28, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $107,825,862 across 3,226 theaters

Opening weekend: $20,553,320 across 3,226 theaters

Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Falling somewhere between an endless music video and an action packed car chase movie is Baby Driver, about a getaway driver who’s forced to participate in a doomed heist. Directed by Edgar Wright, the film is a mishmash of hyperkinetic editing, killer music and an ample touch of homage. Ansel Elgort picked up a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Baby, who keeps it cool even when the heat goes all the way up. In spite of all the modern vibes, the movie rarely (if ever) resorted to CGI or green screen effects, giving those driving stunts a palpable and impressive edge.

Release date: Nov 22, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $150,735,367 across 3,987 theaters

Opening weekend: $50,802,605 across 3,987 theaters

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

Leave it to Pixar to craft what’s arguably not just the best animated film of the year, but one of 2017’s best films, period. In the movie, a young, aspiring musician named Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead to find his ancestor, a famous singer. It’s all in hopes of lifting a ban on music so that Miguel might achieve his destiny as a performer. Given the film’s near universal acclaim and tremendous box office receipts, it’s a surefire winner. 

Release date: Mar 31, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $175,003,033 across 3,829 theaters

Opening weekend: $50,198,902 across 3,773 theaters

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

Does the story of an entrepreneurial baby joining forces with his 7-year old brother to take down an enemy CEO really sound like the stuff of awards season? Probably not. The movie may be a long shot, but it's hard to not love a movie filled with babies acting like adults. 

 

Release date: Feb 24, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $175,484,140 across 3,143 theaters

Opening weekend: $33,377,060 across 2,781 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

If there’s one true indicator that 2017 was the year original, mid-range films made an extraordinary comeback, it’s Jordan Peele’s Get Out. The movie--about an African American man who gets ensnared in a vicious trap set by his girlfriend’s parents--explores traditional horror tropes and prescient themes of racism with a deft and comedic hand. Regardless of whether it wins any awards, Get Out’s impact will be felt for years to come.  

Release date: Jul 21, 2017

Lifetime domestic box office: $188,045,546 across 4,014 theaters

Opening weekend: $50,513,488 across 3,720 theaters

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director, Best Original Score in a Motion Picture

In 1940's Battle of Dunkirk, allied forces from the UK, Belgium and France found themselves surrounded by German enemy soldiers. The ordeal was harrowing, desperate, violent and ultimately heroic, and acclaimed director Christopher Nolan basically makes you feel like you're there for every minute of it in Dunkirk. To go into greater detail is to give the plot away--just go experience it for yourself. And don't forget to breathe when you do.  

You may also like: Best 2000 movies