What to watch December 1, 2023: Movie awards contenders
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It’s a big week for digital debuts. Four movies likely to clean up when the Oscar nominations are announced in January are now available on a TV near you, including two features from A-list auteurs releasing their best work in years.
The contender to watch this week: “May December“
More from GoldDerby
Todd Haynes‘ playful psychodrama got an awards boost this week when supporting actor Charles Melton won honors at the Gotham Awards and New York Film Critics Circle for the film, right in time for its Netflix debut. The “Riverdale” alum holds his own in a complicated turn opposite Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Both women deliver career-defining performances, with Portman flexing all of her muscle as a vulturous actress observing a tabloid notable who later married the teenage co-worker she preyed upon. “May December” is a thorny but accessible masterstroke about Hollywood exploitation, predatory relationships, and destructive self-mythology. (Screenwriter Samy Burch also won Best Screenplay at the New York Film Critics Circle.)
Other contenders:
“The Holdovers“: Having collected a decent $13.5 million and counting at the box office, Alexander Payne‘s ’70s-style dramedy is now available to rent on VOD. In addition to Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, the Christmastime gem set at a Massachusetts boarding school seems likely to earn Oscar nominations for Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (winner of Best Supporting Actress at the New York Film Critics Circle), who join newcomer Dominic Sessa in a three-hander with just the right amount of prickly charm.
“American Symphony”: Matthew Heineman is known for making gonzo geopolitical documentaries like “City of Ghosts” and the Oscar-nominated “Cartel Land,” but his latest tackles a very different subject: musician Jon Batiste and his wife, author Suleika Jaouad. The intimate film follows the couple’s rich artistic processes as Jaouad undergoes a bone marrow transplant. It’s available on Netflix.
“Beyond Utopia“: Like “American Symphony,” this is among a handful of Best Documentary Feature front-runners. “Beyond Uptopa” goes deep inside North Korea to chronicle defectors attempting to escape the totalitarian country. Rent it on VOD.
“What Happens Later”: Meg Ryan doesn’t make many movies these days, so when she does, it’s worth paying attention. She directed this one, too, playing one-half of a former couple who find themselves stranded at the same airport during a snowstorm. Even if the film doesn’t reach the heights of her rom-com glory days, it’s nice to spend time in Ryan’s company. You can do exactly that on VOD.
PREDICT the 2024 Oscar nominees through January 23
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Best of GoldDerby
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
