There is so much content out there! Any ideas?
Well, naturally we all have different tastes, but I figure I’ll throw out a few suggestions each week, just in case one strikes your fancy.
I may not get to do this every week, because- well- there may not be things I aim to passionately recommend. Last week’s big movie news came in the form of the Snyder Cut of Justice League. While it was an obvious improvement on it’s previous, messy version, I didn’t love it. However, many of you out there may enjoy it (it is still entertaining at time) in all of it’s four hour glory. If so, head over to HBO Max.
In other Comic book news, we received our next Marvel series last week on Disney+ with Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This six part limited series has currently dropped two episodes and it’s must watch for any MCU fans out there. There is a lot of exploration into characters that we haven’t gotten yet.
Also- the animated adaptation of Invincible arrived on Amazon Prime this week. It’s already given us 3 episodes to gobble up, and this one- I would definitely recommend! Quite the stacked cast.
For this week I figured I talk about the Best Picture Oscar nominees you can watch before the big day. There’s eight this year and all of them are now available to watch. Yay!
2020 (The lost year) may have sucked for many reasons, but for film, you’ll find it was quite stellar. I really feel like it was the year of the indie, and there’s a lot of new and seasoned voices providing some incredible and beautiful art. It’s a wonderful thing for these all to be available to everyone. With the Oscars about a month away, there’s plenty of time to catch up. These are all available on a wide variety of streaming services too, making it easy to experience them. There are also several styles and genres on display (still no horror, sadly, but the lack of representation of that genre in the Oscar’s is a whole other story…) with two female helmed films (making me very happy). There are some heavy emotional hitters in this list, making them quite unforgettable in their own ways:
Mank (David Fincher) “1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish Citizen Kane.” It is streaming on Netflix!
Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell) “Nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be — she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.” It is available to rent on Amazon Prime (regular rental fee)!
The Father (Florian Zeller)”A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.” It is available to rent on Amazon Prime (19.99 price)!
Nomadland (Chloé Zhao) “>A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.” It is streaming on Hulu!
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin) “The film is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.” It is streaming on Netflix!
Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King) “Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.” It is streaming on HBO Max!
Minari (Lee Isaac Chung) “A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of this new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.” It is available to rent on Amazon Prime (19.99 price)!
Sound of Metal (Darius Marder) “A heavy-metal drummer’s life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.” It is streaming on Amazon Prime!
Do I have favorites? Of course! However, I know that each of movies deserves a place here, which means that some of you might love ones that I don’t. For that reason alone, I’m keeping my personal picks out of it (feel free to ask me though and I’ll tell you) and encouraging you to decide for yourselves! There are also many other films in other categories worth seeking out, but for now, watch away!
Let me know what you think!
Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying 