Add the Most Anticipated Drama Movies of 2021 to Your Early Oscars Watch List

To be frank, the beginning of the year is usually pretty devoid of solid drama movies. Let's explain why: the Oscar cutoff date typically requires a theatrical run to take place by the very beginning of the year, meaning that the big heavy hitters we've come to expect from the drama canon are already released. Then COVID-19 happened.

That date has been pushed later (the Oscars are in late April this year, by the way), meaning that there's a whole slew of incredible films that are going to be hitting streaming soon enough. And the variety this year is deep and wide. Andra Day is in contention for an Oscar. Regina King is in the conversation for Best Director. Real life American nomads are starring in feature films alongside Frances McDormand, and that's just the beginning of the year.

By year's end, we'll also have a new Wes Anderson flick, a new version of Dune, a full blown Elvis biopic, and we'll see just how uncanny Jennifer Hudson is in the role of Aretha Franklin. Gigantic shoes to fill. So take a breath and get yourself acquainted with this year's slate because 2021 has more in store than we could have ever asked for.