With the Venice Film Festival behind us and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) just wrapping up, film fans are finally getting a clearer picture of the forthcoming movies that are likely be awards-season favorites. Are prestigious awards and film-festival buzz the be-all, end-all when it comes to quality entertainment? Absolutely not.
But at a time when Hollywood seems reluctant to spend marketing money on anything that didn’t start out life as a comic book or fantasy novel, following the critical hype is increasingly the best way to discover something new and interesting. I love a Marvel movie as much as the next filmgoer, and there are brilliant blockbusters out there for sure (we’ll talk about a couple of likely contenders) but it’s nice to check out movies that are a little more personal, too.
All of the streaming films listed will receive limited theatrical releases before they’re available online, usually if only to ensure that they’re eligible for various awards. The dates provided are those of their primary, widest releases; if you live in a major city, you might have a chance to see them a little earlier.