Some of the best so far:
1. NOMADLAND - (Theaters February, 2021 - Streaming Later) Frances McDormand lives in a van and loves her life on the road. Part western, part broken promises, all interesting.
2. MINARI - (Theaters January 26 - Streaming Later) A Korean immigrant moves his family to Arkansas in the 1980's hoping to achieve his dream as a farmer. His wife is not impressed.
3. MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM - (NETFLIX) - Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman deal with music and racism in the 1920's.
4. SOUL - (DISNEY PLUS) - Pixar considers the thing that makes us us in the story of a middle school music teacher who dreams of playing jazz.
5. MANK - (NETFLIX) - classic Hollywood story of art versus commerce in the creation of CITIZEN KANE.
6. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 -(NETFLIX) - Aaron Sorkin's legal drama belongs with the best of them.
7. HAMILTON - (DISNEY PLUS) The film version improves on the extraordinary musical. American history told in hip hop.
8. NEWS OF THE WORLD (PRIME) Tom Hanks returns a young girl to civilization in a perilous journey through post Civil War Texas.
9. PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN - (THEATERS/STREAMING MID JANUARY) Carey Mulligan unnerving good in this dark "Me Too" revenge comedy/horror parable that never goes where you expect.
10. KILLIONAIRE - (PRIME) - Evan Rachel Wood learns grifting from parents Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger. Made me laugh out loud.
Honorable Mention:
Boys State - APPLE TV - 1,000 outstanding Texas teens gather to build a government from scratch engaging in some of the worst excesses of our time.
Sound of Metal - AMAZON PRIME - Punk rock drummer loses hearing, finds himself. Never does what you expect.
First Cow (PRIME) - The frontier of two hundred years ago was a tough place, especially when you steal another guy's milk.
The Personal Life of David Copperfield - (PRIME) playful classic remake.
Emma - (HBO MAX) yet another playful classic reimagined with magical Anya Taylor-Joy
The Assistant - (HULU) Julia Garner (Ozarks) ducks her head in a sea of workplace menace. I watched with a knot in my stomach throughout.
I'm thinking of ending Things - (NETFLIX) Boy meets girl in metaphor turned ballet. This is not your usual romance.
Good Trouble - (HBO MAX) Timely documentary of the life of inspiring activist Congressman John Lewis.
Bad Education - (HBO) Hugh Jackman against type as a slick educator with a taste for the high life.
