CLIFFHANGERS, SLAM DUNKS AND DARK HORSES AT THE OSCARS

HOLLYWOOD: Hollywood’s awards season reaches its climax at Sunday’s Oscars, with a cliffhanger over the top prize after a season marked by dark horses, renewed anguish over diversity, and a

South Korean underdog that could snatch victory from the biggest names in show business. While dark comic book movie “Joker” goes into the ceremony with a leading 11 nominations, it’s the immersive World War One movie “1917” that has emerged as the film to beat in the best picture race after winning a slew of accolades in the last five weeks.

Yet a win for “1917” is far from a foregone conclusion, with South Korean social satire “Parasite” and sentimental favorite “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” from Quentin Tarantino also jostling for attention from the 8,000 voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“Right now, it’s looking like ‘1917’’s to lose,” said Alison Willmore, film critic at pop culture website Vulture.

“I can see a world where ‘Parasite’ could be a dark horse candidate. It’s so beloved. Once we get past that, there is probably a chance for ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’,” she said.

Korean-language film “Parasite” seems certain to take the renamed best international feature Oscar and would make history if the black comedy about haves and have-nots in modern Seoul also takes home the best picture statuette. Martin Scorsese’s mob saga “The Irishman” seems to have lost momentum despite lavish early praise and a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and

Joe Pesci. But it has failed to take home major acting or directing awards this season, likely dashing Netflix’s best hope so far of picking up its first best picture Oscar.

The best director category, a controversially all-male affair, is equally hard to call according to Oscar pundits, with a lineup featuring Sam Mendes (“1917”), Scorsese, Todd Phillips (“Joker”), Tarantino and Bong Joon Ho etc.