6 Movies I’m Most Excited To Stream Over The Holidays

2020 has not panned out the way movie fans had hoped. The most anticipated films of the year have either been postponed indefinitely or moved to 2021. But thanks to streaming platforms and virtual film festivals, we didn’t have to miss out all together. The Oscars were pushed out to April this awards season giving films a larger window to contend for this year’s ceremony and under the circumstances we are likely going to see the first-ever Oscar wins from major streaming platforms. Say what you will about the debate over whether streaming services are killing the movie-going experience, we weren’t given much of a choice this year and the Academy even adjusted their rules to allow for streamers to win major prizes at the 2021 ceremony.

There are a few potential awards season contenders hitting major streaming platforms this holiday season and while I’m bummed to not enjoy the theatrical experience I look forward to during awards season, I’m also excited and grateful to catch these titles during my quiet, home-bound holiday celebrations.

Here’s what I’m most looking forward to.

Mank

Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network), Mank is set in 1930s Hollywood and follows Herman Mankiewicz, the screenwriter behind what’s arguably the best film of all time: Citizen Kane. This movie is a major draw for film nerds. It’s directed by one of the most influential filmmakers of the past two decades in a style that pays direct homage to the time period in which it’s set and the genius himself, Orson Wells. The cast is rounded out by recent Oscar-winner Gary Oldman and the delightful Amanda Seyfried.

I’m hopeful Mank will have a little something for everyone. The classic Hollywood style and look behind the curtain into the creative process of one of the most lauded films of all time may draw in a larger audience and is sure to be entertaining with Fincher at the helm. I for one will be one of the first to tune in when it hits Netflix on December 4th.

Sound of Metal

Ever since The Night Of I’ve been anxiously awaiting a feature film role for Riz Ahmed that would be able to showcase his talents. In what’s rumored to be a career best performance, Ahmed plays a punk-rock drummer who is slowly losing his hearing, and in essence, his reason for existing.

A recovering addict, his girlfriend, played by a seemingly brilliant Olivia Cook, pushes him towards a rehab center for the hearing impaired. It looks like a heartbreaking and mesmerizing film and I can’t wait to watch it when it drops on Amazon Prime on December 4th.

The Prom

A movie musical event directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden is sure to be over the top, but The Prom still has a lot of heart. I was able to catch the Broadway play with a friend last year and the production was a really good time.

The movie follows a young high school girl in a small town in Indiana who is banned from taking her girlfriend to the prom. When a troupe of self-obsessed theater stars looking for good press catch wind of the controversy, they show up in the small town to support the young girl. Compared with a few of the other hard-hitting dramas on this list, The Prom is sure to be a lighthearted watch with a few entertaining musical numbers. Catch it on Netflix when it hits the streamer on December 11th.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

In his final performance before his untimely death, Chadwick Boseman plays an ambitious trumpet player in 1920s Chicago. Supported by what’s sure to be a knock out performance from Viola Davis as a no-nonsense singer and leader of their band, the movie looks like a vibrant portrayal of the Jazz/Blues culture and I’m fairly optimistic it could be the vehicle for a posthumous oscar win for Boseman. The Netflix movie drops on December 18th.

Soul

After a disappointing pre-pandemic release with Onward, I was glad Pixar had another project in store for 2020 and even more glad when it was announced it would be released on Disney+ on Christmas Day instead of moving to 2021 like so many other highly anticipated movies this year.

The story seems heartwarming - following a musician whose accidental death leads to his soul trying to make his way back to his body on earth. Even if it hints at something derivative when compared to Pixar’s similarly meta Inside Out, it seems like a feel good watch. And we can all use a feel good movie these days.

Wonder Woman 1984

The earning potential for superhero movies in theaters is so high these days, I never thought I’d see the day when a major studio released an already-proven franchise on a streamer, but never say never. Just last week, HBO Max announced it would be streaming Wonder Woman: 1984 on the platform on Christmas Day in addition to its premier in theaters. I’ll always remember the empowering feeling of seeing Wonder Woman portrayed on the big screen a couple of years ago, so I’m excited to see what Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot bring us with this follow up.

What movies are you looking forward to watching this holiday season? (Christmas movie call outs absolutely encouraged).