Detour: Our 2021 Pre-Oscars Watchlist
this took too long to post
You can’t go to the cinema this year but, in a way, isn’t it a blessing? Gone are the days of waiting for a hard-encoded-Korean-subtitles version of the newest film to show up on r/SceneReleases; the studios have been forced to send them to their respective streaming platforms. I say this as a person who gladly watched The Irishman in theaters: maybe we needed a break.
When it’s safe to return to our beloved cinemas, I’ll be the first in line. Until then, let’s see what’s streaming:
Ammonite
Synopsis: 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
Directed by: Francis Lee
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet, Fiona Shaw, Gemma Jones
Release Date: November 13
Where you can watch: In theaters (yes, I know). Presumably it’ll be on Hulu soon since Neon has a deal with them.
First Cow
Synopsis: A skilled cook has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful business.
Directed by: Kelly Reichardt
Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, and Ewen Bremner
Release Date: March 6
Where you can watch: Showtime
Let Them All Talk
Synopsis: A famous author goes on a cruise trip with her friends and nephew in an effort to find fun and happiness while she comes to terms with her troubled past.
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Gemma Chan, Lucas Hedges, and Dianne Wiest
Release Date: December 10
Where you can watch: HBOMax
Mank
Synopsis: 1930's Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane (1941).
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins
Release Date: November 13
Where you can watch: Netflix
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Synopsis: Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play.
Directed by: George C. Wolfe
Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo
Release Date: December 18
Where you can watch: Netflix
Minari
Synopsis: A Korean family moves to Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s.
Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton
Release Date: December 11
Where you can watch: Video on demand.
News of the World
Synopsis: A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Marvel, Ray McKinnon
Release Date: December 25
Where you can watch: Netflix (outside of the U.S.)
Nomadland
Synopsis: After losing everything in the Great Recession, an old woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Directed by: Chloé Zhao
Starring: Frances McDormand, Gay DeForest, Patricia Grier
Release Date: February 19, 2021
Where you can watch: Unknown
One Night in Miami
Synopsis: On the night of Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Cassius Clay joins Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Malcom X, and they discuss the responsibility of being successful black men during the civil rights movement.
Directed by: Regina King
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge
Release Date: December 25
Where you can watch: Amazon Prime
On the Rocks
Synopsis: A young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York.
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans
Release Date: October 23
Where you can watch: Apple TV+
Promising Young Woman
Synopsis: A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who cross her path.
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie
Release Date: December 25
Where you can watch: Will likely be available through video on demand in January.
Sound of Metal
Synopsis: A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.
Directed by: Darius Marder
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Release Date: December 4
Where you can watch: Amazon Prime
The Father
Synopsis: 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.
Directed by: Florian Zeller
Starring: Olivia Colman, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Gatiss
Release Date: February 26, 2021
Where you can watch: Unknown.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Synopsis: The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Directed by: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen
Release Date: September 25
Where you can watch: Netflix