Politics have proven to be fertile ground for storytelling on film. Whether it's true stories like All The President's Men. fictional ones like The Ides Of March, or even a mixture of both, like Primary Colors, stories about politics are ultimately among the most human of stories. We see all our aspirations and all of our flaws in them, like those on this list of great political movies. 

All The President's Men

Watergate and the investigative reporting by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein for the Washington Post changed American politics forever. Not only did it lead directly to the downfall of Richard Nixon, but it changed the way journalists reported on politicians completely. All The President's Men is a fast-paced look at that investigation starring Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein. It's one of the best ever. 

The American President

As compared to some of the other movies on this list, The American President is pretty light fare. The Rob Reiner-directed political rom-com, written by Aaron Sorkin and starring Annette Benning and Michael Douglas as the titular president is about the two main characters falling in love, but there is plenty of politics going on in the background to satisfy any political junkie. It also Sorkin to develop The West Wing, so for that we should be forever grateful. 

Wag The Dog

Black comedy is a tough thing to pull off well, but Wag the Dog does it brilliantly. The way it makes the creation of a fake war to build support behind a political candidate is disturbing, but Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro are so great at it, and so charming, that you can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness, just as the creative team behind the movie hoped. 

Don't Look Up

Politics and science are too often at odds with each other. There are a lot of reasons why that happens, and Don't Look Up, from 2021 shows just how hard it can be for the public to focus on anything not directly affecting them at the moment. Even when that is a comet coming to wipe out the world. It also shows how some people still try to exploit even the worst potential tragedies. For a comedy, it's pretty depressing. 

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Jimmy Stewart's performance as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is everything we want in our politicians, but so rarely get. While Mr. Smith is supposed to be a stooge appointed to the Senate to be manipulated, he turns the tides on everyone and makes us all proud to be Americans. The country needs more Mr. Smiths. 

The Darkest Hour

2017 was the year of telling stories about the Dunkirk evacuation early in World War II. While Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk told the story of the actual evacuation, The Darkest Hour shows the political wrangling behind it and Winston Churchill's rise to power as a result. They aren't exactly twin movies, but they are great to watch together as a double feature. 

The Post

The publishing of The Pentagon Papers by the Washington Post and the New York Times in 1971 was a landmark moment in journalism. It was also a watershed moment in the Vietnam War, as it was truly the moment that the entire public lost faith in its political leaders. The Post tells the story from the perspective of the journalists and the Washington Post leaders and features excellent performances from two of the best ever, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. 

Frost/Nixon

Richard Nixon is one of the most enigmatic and interesting men to ever be president. He was brilliant, to be sure, but his paranoia and ego ruined his legacy forever. Frost/Nixon, which was based on a play by the same name, tells the story of a series of interviews that British journalist David Frost conducted with Nixon a few years after the president's resignation in the wake of Watergate. It's a brilliantly written movie and features all-star performances by Michael Sheen as Frost and Frank Langella as Nixon.

Charlie Wilson's War

One thing about politics that makes it so intriguing as a storytelling device is the amount of access politicians have to glamorous high society and, on the other side of the spectrum, the world of spying. Charlie Wilson's War brings that all together and features some knockout performances by Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julia Roberts. 

The Death Of Stalin

The Death Of Stalin is a brilliant and underappreciated film. You might guess that a dark comedy based on the death of Joseph Stalin and the scramble to fill his spot at the. top of the Soviet Union wouldn't be historically accurate, but not only is it really funny, it's surprisingly accurate as well. 

Being There

Comedic legend Peter Sellers left us too soon when he died at just age 54 in 1980. Luckily, he gave us one last legendary performance as Chance the gardener - or, later "Chauncey Gardiner" in Being There. It's the perfect role for the brilliant Sellers, playing an undereducated rube who accidentally finds himself in the middle of big-time Washington DC politics. 

Primary Colors

In one of his finest performances John Travolta plays Bill Clinton...er...Jack Stanton in Primary Colors. Based on a semi-true book by Joe Klein about Bill Clinton's '92 campaign, Travolta is fantastic as the Clinton-esque Stanton. 

Dave

Believe it or not, Dave is not the first time a movie was made in the era about a lookalike taking the spot of a recently deceased president. Richard Dreyfus made a very similarly plotted movie called Moon Over Parador about five years before Kevin Kline starred in Dave. Both are great movies, but Dave is about the American president, so that gets the spot here. 

The Manchurian Candidate

Frank Sinatra starred in a lot of movies over the years, but The Manchurian Candidate is probably his best role and his best movie. The plot revolves around an army sergeant played by Laurence Harvey and an army major, played by Sinatra, who are captured by the Chinese army during the Korean War. Harvey is a changed man, but we won't spoil it for it, except to say it's worth watching. 

Bulworth

Warren Beatty wrote, directed, and starred in Bulworth which is a highly underrated political satire that remains scarily relevant even more than 25 years after its release. It's a commentary on money in politics and what candidates must do to raise enough to be re-elected. 

The Ides of March

The Ides of March is an old-fashion political drama, released in 2011. It's about a messy campaign in more ways the one, with a love triangle in the middle of it. It seems to fly under a lot of people's radar, but if you like written and well-acted political movies, this one deserves to be high on your list of movies to watch. 

City Hall

City Hall was a big deal when it came out in 1996. Al Pacino stars as the compromised mayor of New York City with John Cusack playing his idealistic, and yet extremely realistic aide. It's a far from perfect movie, but it's a rare example of a movie looking at politics, and the corruption in politics on a local level. 

Path To War

Michael Gambon, who plays Lyndon Johnson in Path To Way is, frankly, brilliant in the role. In a movie all about the horrible decisions made in the escalation of the Vietnam War, audiences can see the pain on the president's face as he grapples with the war and the consequences on the people and his true agenda as president. 

Vice

We mostly left movies off that are more or less biopics, rather than political movies. One of the exceptions is Vice because it's really about the political maneuvering Dick Cheney did to land his role as vice president in the George W. Bush administration. It's also impossible to leave off a movie with a performance as amazing as Christian Bale's as the former VP. 

The Candidate

Robert Redford stars in The Candidate, which is kind of everything we wish politics would be, but isn't. It's like The West Wing of movies. It's idealistic and hopeful, something real-life politics rarely is. 

Milk

Harvey Milk was a trailblazer in the fight for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in America. He was one of the first openly gay men elected to public office when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. Tragically, he wouldn't even finish out the first year of his term after being assassinated later in the year. Milk, starring Sean Penn as the titular character, brings Milk's tragic and inspiring story to life. 

Good Night, And Good Luck

Good Night, And Good Luck is really a movie about mass media's role in the public sector in America.  The "fourth estate" as it is often referred to. Edward R. Murrow's public battle with Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare in the 1950s is at the heart of this movie and tells the story brilliantly, highlighting just how important an open and free press really is. 

Network

All you need to know about how Network connects to politics is to watch Ned Beatty's brilliant speech in the movie. "There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and ITT and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today," he bellows. 50 years later, and it still feels all too familiar. 

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is as much a courtroom drama as it is a political one, but politics are at the very heart of the trial, especially the treatment of Bobby Seale, which is a big part of the film.  

The Distinguished Gentleman

The Distinguished Gentleman comes towards the end of Eddie Murphy's golden era that launched his career. It's not as good as Beverly Hills Cop, or Trading Places, but it's not all that terrible either. It's got some very funny moments and Murphy is as charming as ever as a con man-turned congressman. 

JFK

There are quite a few historical problems with JFK, but that doesn't make it a bad movie. You just have to know what you are getting into. The all-star cast carries the far-fetched story, so while it's not an historically accurate film, it is an exciting one. 

Dark Waters

For decades, starting in the late 20th Century, Ohio attorney Robert Bilott has been suing DuPont for chemicals in the environment. In 2019 director Todd Haynes brought his story to the big screen with Mark Ruffalo playing the lawyer. It's an intense movie, filled with great performances, about how one brave man can take on one of the most powerful corporations in the world. 

Fair Game

The Valerie Plame scandal rocked Washington DC in 2003 when Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, and others, leaked her identity as a CIA officer to the press. Libby was eventually convicted of lying to investigators but pardoned in the last days of the Bush administration. The movie highlights how she and her husband dealt with the leak and how it affected their lives. 

Thirteen Days

Another movie on the list that plays a little loose with the historical facts is Thirteen Days about John F. Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The facts of the crisis are correct, and the decision-making process is accurate, but the main character of the movie, Kenneth O'Donnell, played by Kevin Costner, didn't play nearly a big a role in the crisis as the movie claims. 

The Front Runner

What makes The Front Runner so interesting is how innocent the Gary Hart scandal seems today. Senator Gary Hart (played by Hugh Jackman) was a Democrat running for President in 1988 and was on top of the polls when his campaign was torpedoed by the public disclosure of an affair. In the world we live in today, it would hardly even be news. 

Canadian Bacon

This one is the most fun movie on the list. The absurd comedy by director Michael Moore sets out to show how a war between the United States and Canada could happen under the most ridiculous of situations. It's hilarious, wonderful, silly, and stupid all at the same time and if you've never seen it, you should. Pronto. Or we'll level Toronto. 

The Contender

The Contender wasn't a success at the box office, but don't let that fool you. The 2000 film, starring Gary Oldman and Jeff Bridges, is a really good movie about the President's search for a new vice president after the death of the sitting VP. It gets the procedure correct and sets up some realistic issues any president in that situation would face. 

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is on the eve of appearing in what could be one of his biggest roles yet with his upcoming portrayal of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges in Stephen Williams’ historical biographical drama Chevalier. The movie, which follows the French-Caribbean violinist as he rises through the ranks of 18th-Century French high society, will surely introduce audiences around the world to the tremendously talented actor.

But before we watch Harrison brush shoulders with the likes of Marie Antoinette, we should first go back and talk about some of the actor’s best performances up to this point. And as part of our partnership with AMC Theatres, where the film was recently given the distinction of being an AMC Artisan film, and where Chevalier tickets are now available to purchase, we’re going to do just that. 

Waves (2019)

Trey Edward Shults’ 2019 drama film Waves follows the Williams family as they navigate love, loss, and redemption in a series of tragic events. Kelvin Harrison Jr. comes into the picture as Tyler Williams, a promising high school wrestler whose sports aspirations, and just about everything else in his life, go down the drain after suffering a serious injury that will prevent him from ever getting onto the mat again.

Things go from bad to worse there as the Williams family attempts to make sense of the crumbling world around them while still not letting go of the hope and love that has long kept them afloat. 

Elvis (2022)

Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-nominated 2022 biographical drama Elvis tells the life story of the “King of Rock ‘n Roll” (played by Austin Butler) with an enchanting exploration of the icon’s impact on the music industry, American culture, and everyone who met him. And while much of the movie focuses on Elvis Presley’s years-long professional relationship with Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), Elvis’ friendship with other famous musicians is no small part.

One of the most notable is B.B. King, played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., who steals the show with one scene in particular where Elvis, hoping to escape the chaos of Graceland, visits his friend on Beale Street, and has what could best be described as a religious experience.

Cyrano (2021)

Cyrano de Bergerac has been adapted countless times over the years, including Joe Wright’s 2021 musical drama Cyrano starring Peter Dinklage as the talented yet self-conscious wordsmith and swordsman as he takes on the task of making the woman he loves fall for another man.

That man, Christian de Neuvillette, is played gracefully by Kelvin Harrison Jr., who shines in the role. The balance of comedy, drama, and a great singing voice, make Harrison’s version of the iconic character one of the best to date.

It Comes At Night (2017)

Before working with Trey Edward Shults on Waves, Kelvin Harrison Jr. appeared in the director’s tense psychological horror film It Comes at Night. The movie follows two families trying to survive a mysterious plague (and each other) in a small cabin deep in the woods. But as bad as things are outside, they could become much worse for everyone under the impression that four walls bring safety.

Despite being early in his career, Harrison holds his own in It Comes at Night, which is saying something considering the likes of Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, and Carmen Ejogo make up the tense thriller’s stacked cast.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)

Aaron Sorkin’s 2020 courtroom drama, The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors as they are charged with a series of federal crimes for their alleged roles in inciting riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Over the course of the movie, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, and others, the group attempts to plead their case in front of a no-nonsense judge played by Frank Langella.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. comes into the picture as Fred Hampton, the young, charismatic leader of the Illinois Black Panther party who played a role in the proceedings before being shot and killed off-screen. Though brief, the performance is impactful nonetheless.

The High Note (2020)

Released in 2020, Nisha Ganatra’s The High Note follows Maggie Sherwoode (Dakota Johnson), the longtime personal assistant to Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) as she attempts to get the R&B legend to quit playing it safe and record a new album. But with history not on the side of the singer, this is something that is easier said than done.

On top of that, Maggie gets in close with an aspiring musician named David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who thinks she’s a record producer. As her personal and professional life intertwines and becomes one giant knot, Maggie is forced to find a way out of the jam. And we’ll leave it at that…

Luce (2019)

Luce follows Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter Edgar (Tim Roth) as they come to terms with a disturbing and violent essay their adopted son, Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) wrote for a school assignment. Not knowing what to believe or who to trust, the couple is all alone in their quest to figure out what’s going on and how to save their family.

Released in 2019, just a few years after first making a name for himself, Harrison is a tour de force in Julius Onah’s gripping and tense thriller. Without giving too much away, Harrison’s performance is one of great anguish and strength, as well as triumph and tragedy.

The Photograph (2020)

Following the death of her famed photographer mother, Mae Morton (Issa Rae) is left with a multitude of questions and hurt feelings, as well as a mysterious box of old photographs. In trying to piece together the old black-and-white shots, the grieving daughter meets Michael Black (LaKeith Stanfield), an up-and-coming reporter and the man who could change her life forever.

Stella Meghie’s 2020 romantic drama, The Photograph, also features a small yet impressive turn by Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Andy Morrison, Michael’s close friend. Though not as prominently featured as his other movies, this is another example of Harrison making the most of a supporting role.

All of these movies, as well as others like Mudbound and Assassination Nation that feature him in a smaller capacity, have led Kelvin Harrison Jr. to Chevalier, the latest AMC Artisan Film. Ahead of the film’s release, director Stephen Williams spoke to AMC Theatres about Harrison’s talents and the dedication he had portraying Joseph Bologne:

You can catch Harrison take on the role of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges when Chevalier opens on April 21st. Chevalier tickets are now available to purchase at AMC Theatres. 

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I believe that we are witnessing one of the most fascinating success stories in Hollywood in recent years as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II continues to rise in fame and acclaim. Believe it or not, acting was only the second career choice for the supremely talented, award-winning, 35-year-old Candyman cast member and only became his main gig after he was laid off from his job as a city planner in San Francisco.

Well, it appears we have living proof that when one door closes, another opens, with this star of superhero movies and TV shows alike, which is where we will begin in our breakdown of his most notable credits thus far.

Watchmen (HBO Max)

Years after costumed vigilantes have become a thing of the past (and against the law, at that), a detective (Academy Award winner Regina King) decides to adopt her own superhero identity while investigating a group of white supremacists modeled after the infamous crime fighter Rorschach.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Without giving too much away, when Yahya Abdul-Mateen II joined HBO’s Watchmen cast, no one could have guessed the true identity of his Emmy-winning role, much like how few audiences could have expected the strength and powerful relevance of this 2019 miniseries continuation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel from executive producer Damon Lindelof.

Stream Watchmen on HBO Max.

Buy Watchmen on Amazon.

Aquaman (HBO Max)

After a man (Jason Momoa) discovers that he is of Atlantean descent, he struggles to accept his destiny as the heir to and protector of the underwater kingdom in order to save it from the tyrannical ruling of his evil half-brother (Patrick Wilson).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: A year before starring in one of the most acclaimed DC TV shows of all time, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played one of the main antagonists in one of the most commercially successful DC movies of all time, director James Wan’s Aquaman. He will return as Black Manta in the upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, set for a 2022 release.

Stream Aquaman on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Aquaman on Amazon.

Baywatch (Paramount+)

An experience lifeguard (Dwayne Johnson) from Emerald Bay, California, butts heads with his new, younger recruit (Zac Efron), until they decide to join forces in order to investigate a drug epidemic hitting the beach.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Before joining the Aquaman cast, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II took a dive into more humorous waters in the 2017, big screen reboot of Baywatch (only his second feature length acting gig) as a police officer who struggles to explain to Johnson, Efron, and Alexandra Daddario’s lifeguard characters why they have no authority to investigate a drug epidemic hitting the beach.

Stream Baywatch on Paramount+.

Rent/Buy Baywatch on Amazon.

The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall (Showtime)

A detective (Kyle Chandler) embarks on a long journey to track down a best-selling author (Logan Lerman) after copies of his controversial debut novel are found as evidence in a string of destructive arsons across the country.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s very first feature-length acting gig was Oscar-winning filmmaker Shawn Christensen’s A24-produced, 2017 drama, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, in which he plays a former teacher of the title character who was quick pick up on his talents before his illustrious career as a writer began to take off.

Stream The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall on Showtime.

Rent/Buy The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall on Amazon.

The Get Down (Netflix)

In the late 1970s, a group of impoverished youths from the South Bronx pass the time by performing a new art form that would unwittingly change the face of music.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first big break as an actor came in 2016 in the form of Baz Lurhmann’s fictionalized exploration of the birth of hip-hop with Netflix’s The Get Down, in which he plays the dancing aspiring drug kingpin and night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell.

Stream The Get Down on Netflix.

The Greatest Showman (Disney+)

A man with a big heart and an even bigger imagination (Hugh Jackman) defies expectations by rounding up a band of “unique” performers to create a form of entertainment that would later define the modern day circus.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II went from playing a disco-dancing criminal in The Get Down to one half of a brother-sister duo of trapeze artists (along with Zendaya) in The Greatest Showman - a stunning, Oscar-nominated musical that boasts a wonderfully inspirational message about acceptance, despite taking quite a few liberties about the kind of person P.T. Barnum really was.

Stream The Greatest Showman on Disney+.

Rent/Buy The Greatest Showman on Amazon.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Netflix)

What was meant to be a peaceful protest of the Vietnam War in Chicago ends in a horrifying conflict with the police, leading a group of political activists to stand trial and prove their non-violent intentions in 1968.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: In Oscar-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s dazzling, fact-based Netflix original drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 - a more historically accurate biopic than The Greatest Showman by comparison - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives a stunning performance as real-life Black Panther Party founder Bobby Seale.

Stream The Trial Of The Chicago 7 on Netflix.

Black Mirror (Netflix)

A world in which points earned from playing video games count as actual currency, another in which your social media presence determines how you are accepted in society, and other frighteningly plausible futures are explored in creator Charlie Brooker’s brilliant anthology series that just barely counts as science fiction.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: One of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first forays into horror (so to speak) before starring in Candyman was his role as an old friend of Anthony Mackie’s character, whose relationship with one another takes an unexpected turn after he gives him an immersive virtual reality game, in one of the best Black Mirror episodes from Season 5 called “Striking Vipers.”

Stream Black Mirror - Season 5, Episode 1 on Netflix.

Us (Amazon Rental)

While on a summer getaway at a beach house in Santa Cruz, a woman (Lupita Nyong’o), her husband (Winston Duke), and their son (Evan Alex) and daughter (Shahadi Wright Joseph), are stalked and hunted by unexpected visitors who bear a hauntingly identical resemblance to them.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s very first foray into horror and first collaboration with Candyman producer Jordan Peele was the Oscar-winning writer and director’s inventive, terrifying 2019 follow-up to Get Out, Us, in which Abdul-Mateen II stars as Russell, the father of Lupita Nyongo’s character…well, that’s one of the roles he plays, at least.

Rent/Buy Us on Amazon.

First Match (Netflix)

A young woman (Elvirre Emanuelle) channels her frustrations from living in foster care for most other life into a prodigious career on her high school’s boys wrestling team.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: In Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first Netflix original film (and first collaboration with his Candyman co-star Colman Domingo), he plays the father of Elvire Emanuelle’s character (in her starring debut role as), Mo, whom he begins to have a more invested relationship with after she starts to take an interest in wrestling, in First Match - a powerful, coming-of-age sports movie and winning feature-length debut of writer and director Olivia Newman.

Stream First Match on Netflix.

All Day And A Night (Netflix)

As a young man (Ashton Sanders) comes closer to achieving his dreams of becoming a rap musician, his involvement in a local gang war instead pushes him closer to ending up like his father (Jeffrey Wright), who was convicted of murder years earlier.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: A more recent Netflix original film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is All Day and a Night - a riveting, grounded drama from Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole about how a hostile environment can interfere with one’s ambitions, in which the actor plays one-such influencer of hostility for our troubled main character.

Stream All Day And A Night on Netflix.

Sweetness In The Belly (Starz)

An English-born woman (Dakota Fanning) who was abandoned by her parents in Ethiopia when she was a child is forced to return to her native country in the midst of a violent civil war, where she and an African refugee (Lovecraft Country cast member Wunmi Mosaku) collaborate on a mission to bring families estranged by the struggle back together.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Based on the novel by Camila Gibb, Sweetness in the Belly is a powerful fish-out-of water story in which Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays an Ethiopian doctor who forms a romantic relationship with Dakota Fanning’s character.

Stream Sweetness In The Belly on Starz.

Rent/Buy Sweetness In The Belly on Amazon.

In addition to his aforementioned role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a pretty exciting line-up of upcoming roles. For instance, 2022 will also see the release of his latest Netflix original movie - a star-studded, Michael Bay-directed thriller called Ambulance - and he will star alongside Anya Taylor-Joy for the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa in 2024. Arguably, though, his most exciting role is as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, an iconic character previously portrayed by Laurence Fishburne.

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The 2021 Academy Awards are fast approaching, but there is still plenty of time to get caught up on the 2021 Academy Award nominees. The Oscars this year are unique for several reasons. One of those reasons being how our current health crisis has made streaming services even more popular. This has resulted in the film industry making many of the nominated Oscar films available online. The majority of the nominated movies streaming are well worth the small fee you pay to see them. Minari, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and Nomadland are just a few of the many nominated movies streaming or available to rent,.

With so many nominated movies streaming, now is the perfect time to watch the Oscar 2021 nominees before the broadcast. You can even regain some sense of normalcy by enjoying a few with friends through various watch party apps. Let this list make it easy for you to find the Oscar nominated movies streaming and available to rent.

Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman stars Carey Mulligan. She plays Cassie, a woman trying to cope with the death of her best friend. Al Monroe (Chris Lowell) sexually assaulted Cassie’s friend Nina while they were in college and Nina’s life continued to spiral because of it. Now, Cassie spends her nights pretending to be drunk to confront so-called “nice guys” who try to take her home and take advantage of her. The cast includes an array of actors like Adam Brody, Bo Burnham, and Max Greenfield. The cast also includes Laverne Cox and Alison Brie. Emerald Fennell directed Promising Young Woman.

Promising Young Woman is up for the Best Picture Academy Award, along with Best Actress for Carey Mulligan, and Best Film Editing, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately, no major streaming service has grabbed up Promising Young Woman yet, so Promising Young Woman streaming is only an option as a rental or purchase. However, all of your favorite Video-On-Demand (VOD) services have it available.

Rent Promising Young Woman on Amazon

Judas And The Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah is based on the events leading to Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton’s death. Daniel Kaluuya plays Fred Hampton. It focuses on how William O’Neal (played by Lakeith Stanfield) betrayed him and aids the FBI in targeting and killing Hampton. Judas and the Black Messiah’s cast also includes Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, and Lil Rel Howery. Shaka King directed Judas and the Black Messiah.

Judas and the Black Messiah’s Oscar nominations include Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield both earned Best Supporting Actor nominations. Judas and the Black Messiah is no longer available to stream on HBO Max, but it is available to rent on demand.

Rent Judas and the Black Messiah on Amazon

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Aaron Sorkin directed The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the film is based on the events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the trials that followed it. Seven men who were protesting the Vietnam War are arrested and tried for crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot. The Trial of the Chicago 7 depicts the courtroom drama that unfolded at that time, and it looks deeper at the characters at the forefront of these events. The Trial of the Chicago 7 cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

The Trial of the Chicago 7’s Academy Award nominations are Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay. Sacha Baron Cohen earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is available to stream on Netflix.

Stream The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix

Sound Of Metal

Darius Marder directed Sound of Metal, a film about Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed), a drummer who starts to lose his hearing. It’s also about his relationship with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) and how their romance falls apart. Ruben finds some peace when he’s embraced by a deaf community of recovering addicts. Sound of Metal’s cast also includes Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, and Mathieu Amalric.

Sound of Metal received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. Paul Raci received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Riz Ahmed received a nomination for Best Actor. Sound of Metal is available to stream through Amazon Prime.

Stream Sound of Metal on Amazon

Minari

Minari follows Korean immigrants, the Yi family, as they adjust to life in Arkansas. The patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun) dreams of owning his own farm, but it proves more difficult than he expected due to the general difficulty of farming and familial conflicts. Lee Isaac Chung directed Minari, and the cast includes Alan S. Kim, Youn Yuh-jung, Han Ye-ri, and Noel Cho.

Minari received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Steven Yeun and Youn Yuh-jung both received acting nominations. He was nominated for Best Actor, and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The only way to watch Minari streaming is through a VOD service because it isn’t currently available on any major streaming service.

Rent Minari on Amazon

Mank

Mank is a black and white tribute to the films and stars of the 1930s. David Fincher directed this film based on his late father’s original screenplay. It follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (played by Gary Oldman) as he works on the screenplay for Citizen Kane. Mank’s cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, and Tom Pelphrey.

Mank received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried, and Best Actor for Gary Oldman. Mank is available to stream on Netflix.

Stream Mank on Netflix

The Father

Florian Zeller directed The Father, which is based on his play Le Père. Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, and Imogen Poots are all in the film. The Father follows Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) and his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) as dementia starts to take over Anthony’s mind and life. It’s a tragic portrait of how one's mind can betray them.

The Father is nominated for six Academy Awards. Hopkins and Colman both earned acting nominations for leading and supporting roles. It was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Father is currently not available on a streaming service, but it is available on Video-On-Demand platforms.

Rent The Father on Amazon

Nomadland

Chloé Zhao directed Nomadland. The film stars Frances McDormand and is based on Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. The movie follows Fern (Frances McDormand), a woman who begins a journey across the United States after her life falls apart in Nevada. Nomadland features David Strathairn in a supporting role, and the rest of the cast consists mainly of real-life nomads playing fictionalized versions of themselves.

The Academy nominated Nomadland for six Oscars, including a Best Actress nomination for Frances McDormand. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hulu is your source to watch Nomadland streaming.

Stream Nomadland on Hulu

Buy Nomadland on Amazon

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is based on August Wilson’s play of the same name. George C. Wolfe adapted this version, which stars Viola Davis, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and the late Chadwick Boseman. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom depicts the fictionalized events of a 1920 Chicago recording studio session with Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and her band. Tensions escalate into a shocking and tragic ending.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Viola Davis and Best Actor for Chadwick Boseman. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Stream Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is the 2020 sequel to Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Sacha Baron Cohen returns as the title character. To help the mockumentary and prank movie work, Borat has a daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) who joins him in the United States. Borat and Tutar travel across the U.S. so that he can offer her as a bride to former Vice-President Mike Pence. Jason Woliner directed Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm received two Oscar nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Maria Bakalova and Best Adapted Screenplay. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Stream Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on Amazon.

Soul

Soul is a Disney and Pixar film about Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher who dreams of playing jazz music professionally. Joe gets his big break and then has an accident that separates his soul from his body. Joe will do anything to return to Earth, but with 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who wants nothing to do with Earth, as his mentee, she won’t make the trip back to Earth easy. Soul’s voice cast includes Richard Ayoade, Alice Braga, Rachel House, Daveed Diggs, Angela Bassett, and Phylicia Rashad.

The Academy nominated Soul for three Oscars, including Best Animated Feature. Soul is exclusively available to stream on Disney+.

Stream Soul on Disney+

Buy Soul on Amazon

Another Round

Thomas Vinterberg directed Another Round. The movie follows four friends and teachers who set off to become highly functioning drunks by keeping alcohol in their system at all times. They believe it will improve their daily lives. Of course, things start off great but then they become not-so-great. Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, and Lars Ranthe star in Another Round.

Another Round was nominated for two Oscars: International Feature Film and Best Director. Another Round is streaming on Hulu.

Stream Another Round on Hulu

Rent Another Round on Amazon

WolfWalkers

Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart directed Wolfwalkers, an animated film about a young hunter apprentice, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), who journeys with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. She ends up befriending Mebh (Eva Whittaker) and finds herself becoming increasingly drawn to the wolfwalkers world. Wolfwalkers’ voice cast includes Sean Bean, Tommy Tiernan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Simon McBurney.

Wolfwalkers is nominated for Best Animated Feature. The film is available to stream on AppleTV.

Stream WolfWalkers on AppleTV+

Tune into the Oscars on Sunday, April 25, on ABC, to see which nominated movies streaming take home the golden statue.

Last night saw the 78th Golden Globe Awards unfold on NBC, and among the nominees this year were filmmakers David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin, who previously collaborated on 2010’s The Social Network. This time around, Fincher and Sorkin both had skin in the Best Screenplay category, and while the latter ultimately emerged victorious, the former handled the loss quite well with a trusty adult beverage.

In case you missed the awards ceremony, David Fincher stood in for his late father, Jack Fincher, who penned Mank, while Aaron Sorkin was nominated for writing fellow Netflix movie The Trial of the Chicago 7. When it was announced that Sorkin won the Best Screenplay trophy, Fincher responded by taking a shot, as you’ll see below (courtesy of Uproxx writer Mike Ryan).

Hey, if you’re going to take a loss in good spirit, you might as well do so with alcohol. To be sure, I’m sure David Fincher would have been happy to accept the Best Screenplay Golden Globe on behalf of Jack Fincher, who passed away in 2003. But he also didn’t seem to broken up about Aaron Sorkin winning for The Trial of the Chicago 7 instead, and since he was in the comfort of his own home, he was free to indulge in the libation of his choice. The others nominated in the Best Screenplay category were Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman, Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton for The Father, and Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.

It’s worth noting that David Fincher didn’t simply take a shot because he lost to Aaron Sorkin. Later in the night, he took a second shot when he lost the Best Director award to Chloe Zhao. At least he’s consistent, and this time, Fincher could take comfort knowing Aaron Sorkin lost that award as well, with the other nominees including Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman and Regina King for One Night in Miami. Not to worry, David Fincher, with the Oscars still to come, Mank still has other opportunities to shine this awards season.

While The Social Network marks the only time David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin have worked together, it was an impressive outing for the duo, with Fincher directed and Sorkin writing the screenplay. Chronicling the founding of Facebook and starring actors like Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, The Social Network was met with critical acclaim and made nearly $225 million worldwide off a $40 million budget. Among the accolades it received were three Academy Award wins (including Sorkin getting the Best Adapted Screenplay trophy) and nominations in five other categories. Considering that Sorkin has expressed interest in doing The Social Network 2 if Fincher directs again, fingers crossed that project comes together someday.

It’s a good bet that both Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 will get some Academy Awards love, though we won’t know for sure until the nominations are announced on March 15, with the ceremony itself following on April 25. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news concerning those movies and many more. You’re also welcome to discover what’s on the way with our 2021 release schedule.

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By now, you have either watched Judas and the Black Messiah or are at least planning on watching Shaka King’s gripping biographical drama starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, which documents the final days of Black Panther Party icon Fred Hampton. If the movie has you wanting to know more about the events that led to Hampton’s 1969 murder, or at least the Black Panther Party and other associated groups, then you’re in luck because there are numerous movies, shows, and documentaries providing more details on one of the most intense chapters in American history.

From feature films that either feature different portrayals of Fred Hampton or equally significant cultural icons to documentaries that show the fallout of the death of the 21-year-old activist, there is a lot to take in. Here are seven movies, documentaries, and shows to stream after completing Judas and the Black Messiah.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Netflix)

There are few movies that compliment each other better than the tandem of Judas and the Black Messiah and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Though drastically different in tone these two biographical dramas welcome modern audiences into one of the darkest and most tense chapters in the history of Chicago, as well as the United States.

Picking up after the events of the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in downtown Chicago, Aaron Sorkin’s Golden Globe-nominated film follows the core group of activists who served as the scapegoats for the destruction and unrest that painted the streets of the Windy Chicago red with blood from protestors and police alike. The movie also features Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s portrayal of Fred Hampton, who is a major part of Bobby Seale’s (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) defense prior to his brutal death.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Death Of A Black Panther: Fred Hampton (Amazon)

The 1969 documentary Death of a Black Panther: Fred Hampton isn’t the flashiest or most in-depth option out there, but few, if any, capture the sense of pain, loss, and anger experienced by members of the Illinois Black Panther Party and their associates. This 27-minute television documentary consists of various interviews and press conferences that took place just hours after the December 4, 1969 raid carried out by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Chicago Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigations that resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.

Stream it on Amazon here.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967—1975 (AMC+)

The 2011 documentary The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 is the result of Swedish film crews shooting extensively at various locations throughout the United States over the course of eight of the most turbulent years of the 20th Century. The footage, which captures everything from Vietnam War protests to rallies by the Black Panther Party, was compiled decades later by filmmaker Göran Olsson who then split up the footage into nine sections with key figures of the American counterculture providing insight and commentary that then accompanies the footage.

Some of the interviews featured throughout The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 are so raw, unguarded, and powerful, it is amazing the footage sat unused and mostly forgotten for decades prior to its release a decade ago.

Stream it on AMC+ here.

40 Years A Prisoner (HBO Max)

Most of titles on this list have to do with the Black Panther Party or other activist groups in the 1960s, but the 2020 HBO documentary 40 Years a Prisoner touches on a chapter in 20th Century American history that doesn’t get talked about nearly as much. Documenting the 1978 raid by the Philadelphia Police Department on the MOVE (Christian Movement for Life) group that led to the death of an officer and imprisonment of nine of the group’s members, the documentary follows the tragic story of the raid’s aftermath. The main focus on the documentary falls on Mike Africa Jr., the son of two of MOVE's organizers who has spent his entire life fighting to clear his parents' names and free them from prison.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

A Huey P. Newton Story (Starz)

A Huey P. Newton Story, the Spike Lee film adaptation of Roger Guenveur Smith’s solo stage performance does as the title suggests and recounts the life and times of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, in a riveting and explosive manner. With Smith taking on the role of the late activist (who was assassinated at the age of 47 in 1989), the production helps explain all of Newton’s experiences, accomplishments, and fears to the audience (both in the crowd and those watching at home). This enlightening and oftentimes entertaining one-man show shows a side of the revolutionary that few outside of his inner circle got to see.

Stream it on Starz here.

The Black Panthers: Vanguards Of The Revolution (Hoopla)

The 2015 documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguards of the Revolution is a perfect companion piece for Judas and the Black Messiah if you want to know more about the roots of the Black Panther Party as well as the group’s impact on American culture in the decades following its inception. Breaking down multiple aspects of the African-American activist group, this engaging film chronology from filmmaker Stanley Nelson Jr. takes dozens of interviews with key figures in the Black Power movement that are then played alongside rare and never-before-seen footage from the 1960s.

Stream it on Hoopla here.

Malcolm X (HBO Max)

And then there is Spike Lee’s critically-acclaimed biographical drama Malcolm X, which features Denzel Washington taking on the role of the slain activist, who, like Fred Hampton, struck fear into the hearts of the establishment with his teachings in the 1960s. This three-plus-hour epic follows the man formerly known as Malcolm Little from his youth all the way to his February 1965 assassination, providing insight into what radicalized the figure and led to him becoming one of the most polarizing names in American history.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Each of these titles relate to Judas and the Black Messiah in one way or the other. It could be they feature some of the same real-life figures, serve as followup pieces, or even just touch on the same subject matter. And, while each is different and unique, all seven should enlighten and move their audiences.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has skyrocketed himself as a new, impressive star with a growing resumé that includes Watchmen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 with Aaron Sorkin and DC's Aquaman. He isn't slowing down with roles in the Candyman reboot from breakout director Nia DaCosta, The Matrix 4 and George Miller's Mad Max spinoff Furiosa. We managed to cover much of his work, and he proved to yet another incredible guest, a first of hopefully many appearances on the show for the actor moving forward.

This week's show also includes our top 5 most anticipated movies of 2021, Netflix's movie-a-week release schedule for 2021, we review the first 2 episodes of WandaVision and discuss the ever-shifting return of the theatrical experience.

What's your favorite performance or film from the iconic Christopher Walken? We get into our personal picks this week and prepare for next week's game in which we'll debate our favorite movie dogs. Let us know on social using #MovieDogBlend.

This Week In Movies

WandaVision (Disney+)

Outside the Wire (Netflix)

One Night in Miami (Amazon Prime Video)

Locked Down (HBO Max)

Promising Young Woman (VOD)

The Marksman

Timestamps (approx. only)

3:42 - Weekly Poll

13:04 - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Interview

30:40 - Morbius And More Dates Moving?

42:56 - Netflix 2021 Slate

50:44 - Gotham Awards Winners

58:40 - Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2021

1:12:43 - This Week In Movies

1:24:23 - Our Favorite Christopher Walken Movies

1:36:35 - Outro/Review

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Were there any good movie released this past year? For months at a time, it seemed like no movies were being released at all, as we hunkered down in our homes and dealt with the new reality of differing ways to consume entertainment. But Hollywood did figure out how to get new movies in front of audiences (though a heavily balance of streaming, and the occasional branch out into safe-as-possible theatrical distribution), and a handful of them were truly great.

My Top 10 list for 2020 feels so very unusual, which is an accurate representation of the year, itself. There are traditional storytelling powers, major studio fare, some indie darlings, and the best films that I saw on streaming services. But because this year was so nontraditional, I couldn’t think of any other way to capture, via snapshot in time, the bizarre year we just lived through. Looking back on 2020, these are the ten films that moved me, inspired me, spoke to where I was as a person, and entertained at a time when we were all desperate for distractions. These are the 10 best movies I saw this year.

10. Uncorked

I’m a sucker for “chase your dreams” fables. Heck, I write about movies full time, so clearly I had some lofty dreams that I’ve been lucky enough to fulfill. Then, as writer-director Prentice Penny’s inspirational Uncorked unfurled, it pushed every personal button for me as an audience member, and just as a person in general. Obsessed with wine, Elijah (Mamoudou Athie) aspires to be a top-ranked Master Sommelier. His father (the always wonderful Courtney B. Vance) instead wants Elijah to take over the family’s barbecue business. You had me at “wine,” Uncorked! You have to go and throw “BBQ” into the mix?

Even if you think you know where Uncorked is going, the steps along the journey delight and inform. I learned a ton about wine. I invested in the dramatic squabbles of the family. I rooted for Elijah, and connected with every obstacle. Open up a bottle of red and settle in for Uncorked if you haven’t yet seen it. It’s a warm-blanket of a movie that I’ll revisit often.

9. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

No one thought we actually needed a sequel to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat until we finally saw Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. As it turns out, this was exactly the type of controversial, envelope-pushing, boundary-tearing exercise in social and political lunacy that 2020 deserved. It’s the first movie I can recall watching in 2020 that I immediately wanted to start over as soon as it was done because I couldn’t fully process what I had watched. Did that abortion clinic scene really happen? Did Cohen really disrupt Mike Pence’s rally? What was Rudy Giuliani really doing in that hotel room?!

Above all else, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is outrageously funny. Like, “grab your sides and scream out loud” funny. You laugh, but remain in shock at the ridiculous things Borat convinces people to do, with very little prodding. The sequel lands on my Best list, though, for the enormous amount of heart that it also brings, courtesy of the relationship between Sacha Baron Cohen and newcomer Maria Bakalova, playing Borat’s daughter. She’s 2020’s comedic MVP, and if she found her way into the Oscar conversation, I wouldn’t be mad.

8. The Trial of the Chicago 7

An Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama has a damn good chance of making it onto my list just by simply existing, but the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind The Social Network, Moneyball, TV’s The West Wing and the masterpiece A Few Good Men backed up the promise of The Trial of the Chicago 7 with a star-studded historical drama that landed numerous punches aimed at the events of our own time. It was surreal watching America’s streets being clogged with police protests in the Summer of 2020 as Sorkin spun this true-life story about the fallout from police-brutality protests in 1968. Everything old is new again.

Restaging a tense trial is one thing. Sorkin’s movie stands out for the compelling ways that he weaves us into the lives of everyone participating in the circus, from the warring attorneys (Joseph Gordon Levitt and Mark Rylance) to the irascible judge (Frank Langella) to the colorful political voices whose lives and reputations were on the line. Good luck picking the best performance in this stunning ensemble, but I do want to note Sacha Baron Cohen for playing both Borat and Abbie Hoffman, and doing it so well that both movies made my Top 10.

7. One Night in Miami

Here’s the continuation of a trend for 2020: Movies set in the past that say just as much about our present as they do about the time in which they take place. The four icons speaking their truths in One Night in Miami -- Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) -- wrestle with the cultural and civil issues of 1964. But the conversations strike chords in 2020, and it’s the connections made by screenwriter Kemp Powers and director Regina King that force One Night in Miami to linger in our conscience.

Also, hot damn Regina King. The Oscar-winning actress has directed television episodes prior to this feature-film debut. She arrives for One Night in Miami with confidence and swagger, keeping Powers’ stage play from feeling like a stage adaptation. She divides her focus between all four men, and is just as comfortable in a boxing ring following Clay as she is in the hotel room where the action is largely set. Miami is a knockout, a calling-card film that declares King as a storyteller to watch for years to come.

6. Da 5 Bloods

The aforementioned trend of 2020 continues with Spike Lee’s latest masterpiece, a thrilling tightrope walk through history that feels like the movie Lee has been preparing to make his entire career. The Brooklyn legend loves shining a spotlight on our nation’s past indiscretions, this time going all-in on the Vietnam conflict, and the toll it takes on African-American soldiers shipped overseas to die.

Lee’s entry into the commentary this time, though, also works as an exciting treasure hunt that has close friends and former war colleagues returning to Ho Chi Minh City to unearth gold they’d buried back during the fight. Lee recruits a murderer’s row of talent for Da 5 Bloods, unleashing Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., the late Chadwick Boseman and the devastating Delroy Lindo on a brilliant screenplay that connects racial injustice of the 1960s to the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. This is Spike Lee at his most important, and that’s saying something.

5. Promising Young Woman

I can’t remember the last time a movie grabbed me by the collar and just shook me as hard as Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman. The writer-director serves up a vicious anti-date-rape PSA that’s cloaked in a pitch-black comedy, made all the more depressing that lessons included in Promising Young Woman have to be repeated at all in 2020.

Not that Fennell is preaching at her audience. Quite the opposite. She merely turns the keys over to her ingenious lead, Carey Mulligan, and lets the versatile Oscar-nominee dance vividly through the uncomfortable realities included in this eye-opening story, right up until the very last twist. Mulligan has been turning heads with performances like this for years. I’m amazed that this is Fennell’s feature-film directorial debut, and will be curious to see if this was her passion project, or if she’ll bring the same wit, style, bravado and sass to future stories, because damn, this one packs a wallop.

4. The Kid Detective

Too many people slept on Evan Morgan’s brilliant, unpredictable The Kid Detective, even though the films that it resembles -- The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Brick -- are routinely celebrated as underappreciated comedic film noirs. Hopefully like those films, The Kid Detective builds its audience over time, because it’s fantastic.

Evan Morgan essentially has made a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown movie, casting Adam Brody as a once-beloved child crime solver who has outgrown his gimmick but still seeks to unravel mysteries. Kid Detective creates one of those worlds that you simply want to inhabit, soaking in the quirky details and spending more time with the colorful array of weirdo characters. I had such a blast with this movie, and didn’t see the conclusion coming, which helped to make this one of the best movie experiences I had in 2020.

3. News of the World

We spent so much time in 2020 debating whether or not movies could play on the big screen, where they belong. Paul Greengrass’s News of the World, to me, was the only one that fully deserved to be witnessed on the biggest screen possible. The United 93 director re-teamed with his Captain Phillips star, Tom Hanks, to rejuvenate the classic Western, and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski uses every tool in his kit to capture the vast expanse of the American frontier.

What took Hanks so long to make a Western? The history buff seamlessly transitions into the mood and tone of this timeless genre, and Greengrass matches his energy to make a vintage frontier tale about heroism, compassion, trustworthiness in our news providers, and the hope that comes from the bonds of friendship (or newfound family). News of the World is top-notch filmmaking from every contributor, leading to one of the most exhilarating, entrancing and rewarding features released this year.

2. Tenet

I’ve only seen Christopher Nolan’s Tenet once. That’s a crime, as I know that the structure of this mind puzzle will only be rewarded by repeat viewings. Knowing where the story is going and understanding how/why things play out will make more sense the number of times that you return to this riveting spy thriller, but you shouldn’t HAVE to watch a movie more than once to have it work.

Thankfully, even on the first pass, Nolan’s Tenet is groundbreaking visual and mental storytelling, asking the audience to perform acrobatic leaps to reach jaw-dropping conclusions, while the director executes mind-blowing action set pieces that literally other directors aren’t even capable of dreaming up. John David Washington cements himself as a badass but sophisticated leading man. Kenneth Branagh hams it up as an old-school Bond villain. Tenet will be remembered as the movie that pushed the theatrical conversation to the forefront, but I think that overshadows the mastery of Nolan’s accomplishments in this film. It’s astounding.

1. Soul

By now, we should expect this from Pixar. Especially from director Pete Docter, who has used the animation art form to explore such beautifully human topics as grief (Up), loneliness (Inside Out) and fear (Monsters Inc.), still running them through the family-friendly Pixar lens. Those were appetizers for Docter. Soul is the main course, and it’s nothing short of life-changing.

It starts with death. Joe (Jamie Foxx) dies at the worst possible time… as if there’s ever a good time to die. But Joe was just about to achieve his life dream. However his trip through The Great Before teaches him that his “life dream” might have been the wrong quest, which will have all of us wondering if we’ve used our time on this Earth wisely. Soul swings for the fences, and connects over and over. It’s a glorious exploration of expectations, both those that we have in some things, and those that people have in us. It’s creative, emotional, hilarious and heartfelt. It’s the best movie that I saw in 2020.

The film world experienced a terrific number of changes in 2020, but one thing that most definitely did not change for us here at CinemaBlend is our love of movies. It was certainly a strange year for the cinematic experience, as pandemic-related theater closures had us watching in our living rooms instead of on the big screen, but that didn’t really slow us down in the slightest. Collectively, we watched 271 new releases that came out in the last 12 months, and while they certainly weren’t all winners, there are some exceptional titles that deserve special recognition.

It’s become an annual tradition for the CinemaBlend staff to keep track of our watching habits on a company screening log (going back to 2015), and at the end of each year we like to crunch the numbers to determine the site favorites. All movies were given ratings between one (the worst) and five (the best) in half-point increments, and in order to qualify each title had to be seen by at least four team members. Tiebreakers in our ranking included the total number of perfect scores given, and, secondly, the number of viewers. Let’s dig in!

#10. The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Average Score: 4.0526/5

Whether it’s because of films like A Few Good Men and The Social Network, or shows like The West Wing and The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin is a popular filmmaker among the CinemaBlend staff, and this year that’s been reflected in our reception of The Trial Of The Chicago 7. Though it’s a period project that’s been in a decade in the making, the movie very much clicked with what was going on in our world in 2020, and its true story provided an excellent foundation for classic Sorkin drama and an amazing collection of performances by the awesome ensemble cast.

#9. One Night In Miami

Average Score: 4.1/5

Regina King has been on an incredible roll in the last few couple years, following up her Oscar-winning work in If Beale Street Could Talk with the awe-inspiring Watchmen on HBO, and applause is only growing louder now that she’s followed up those projects with her directorial debut. An awesome adaptation of the play of the same name by Kemp Powers, One Night In Miami is a powerhouse drama following a fictional story of four real legends, and it packs a punch. It’s a demanding task to have four actors fill the shoes of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown, but Eli Goree, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr., and Aldis Hodge do brilliant work disappearing into their respective roles, and King’s compelling direction keeps you on the edge of your set throughout the contained story.

#8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Average Score: 4.1/5

Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always is as high-concept as movies come, but the fact that it examines one of the most controversial subjects in the world has it operating in a whole different stratosphere, and it’s remarkable. It centers on a teenager’s struggle with an unwanted pregnancy, forcing her to cross state lines with her cousin so that she can get an abortion that doesn’t require parental consent, and it’s an eye-opening, powerful piece of work. And while the whole film is incredible, the scene that inspires its title deserves to be singled out as one of the most powerful cinematic moments of the year.

#7. The Social Dilemma

Average Score: 4.1111/5

There were a lot of strong candidates to be considered the best horror movies of 2020 (scroll down to see what would be identified as our more traditional choice), but there is a strong argument to be made for Jeff Orlowski’s Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. The film provides a deeper understanding of one of the modern world’s most influential inventions, and with commentary from interviewees that helped found the social media era it presents a stark reality that is sincerely scary. It’s as compelling as it is informative, and may end up forcing you to take a step back and look at your own digital addictions.

#6. Sound Of Metal

Average Score: 4.2273/5

The drama in Darius Marder’s Sound Of Metal is fairly obvious once you learn about its story – following a punk metal drummer who finds himself going deaf – but it’s the remarkable craftsmanship behind it that made the movie a CinemaBlend favorite in 2020. It’s compassionate and beautiful in its representation of the hearing impaired community, with a stunning performance by supporting star Paul Raci, and an awesome character study anchored by the fantastic Riz Ahmed. It’s also its own kind of special sensory experience, and we ache with hope that we will someday all get to watch it on the big screen.

#5. Host

Average Score: 4.25/5

In the last few years, one of the most interesting stylistic subgenres to emerge has been what can be called “on screen” films, which is to say stories that play out entirely across the screens of laptops, smart phones, etc. Open Windows, the Unfriended movies, and Searching have each progressed the idea in their own ways, but Rob Savage’s Host is the best we’ve seen yet, and another perfect zeitgeist 2020 title given the use of a Zoom call during the on-going pandemic. Short and sweet (it’s only 56 minutes long), it was one of the scariest new releases of the year that puts a great twist on the cinematic séance, and one of its best surprises.

#4. Mank

Average Score: 4.25/5

If you love movies, it’s terrifically hard not to love David Fincher’s Mank, and the fact that the CinemaBlend is stacked with movie-lovers should do a pretty good job explaining why it hit number four on our Top 10. It’s not only a tremendous homage both in style and structure to one of the greatest films ever made, but it has a spellbinding story of its own to tell – chronicling Herman Mankiewicz’s battle against the oppressive powers of Hollywood and ultimately crafting a grand protest in his art.

#3. Palm Springs

Average Score: 4.2955/5

The general monotony of staying at home every day led to a whole lot of Groundhog Day jokes in the early months of 2020, but then the year got its very own time loop movie to enjoy, and enjoy we did! Adding a twist to the general idea by having multiple people experience the same cycle instead of just a single protagonist, Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs is an endlessly entertaining genre mashup featuring ace performances by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, and few movies made us laugh as hard in the last 12 months. It’s clever, super creative, and, ironically, can be enjoyed time and time again.

#2. Promising Young Woman

Average Score: 4.6/5

Revenge movies have long been a staple of cinema, with The Count of Monte Cristo getting its first film adaptation back in 1908, and based on that fact you may think you’ve seen every size and shade the subgenre has to offer. Emerald Fennell begs to disagree, and Promising Young Woman is her phenomenal retort. Your best experience watching it will come knowing very little about it, so we’ll keep details to a minimum for now, but prepare to go through every visceral reaction available on the human spectrum, and to truly and finally recognize Carey Mulligan as the exceptional actor that she has always been.

#1. Soul

Average Score: 4.6316/5

Animation has a strong record in the history of these According To CinemaBlend rankings, and this actually marks the third year since 2015 that an animated feature has nabbed the top spot, with past winners being Moana (tied for first in 2016) and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (which earned nothing but five stars across the board in 2018). And if you’ve seen Pete Docter’s Soul, you should understand why we love it so much. Earning 11 five star reactions from our staff, the film is a fascinating examination of life, death, and purpose, and the most mature work produced by Pixar to date. It’s a magnificent work of art, and our collective favorite movie of the 2020.

How do our staff picks line up with your own list of favorite new releases from the last year? If you haven’t seen some of the movies we picked, are you excited now to check them out? Hit the comments section with your thoughts, and please join us here at CinemaBlend for another awesome year of celebrating film in 2021!

While totally unexpected, Netflix had an important role to play in 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit and theaters began to close, the streaming giant was thrust into the spotlight as the most accessible source for new feature films around the world. Some titles were released as planned, and some titles were acquired from other studios, but either way no company consistently produced as many original movies throughout the year. And while the full catalog most certainly didn’t exclusively provide winners, there were some phenomenal premieres on the service, and now that we’ve reached the back half of December we’re taking a moment to celebrate those releases.

There wasn’t a month that went by in 2020 that didn’t see Netflix release at least one legitimately entertaining or fascinating new feature, but we’ve whittled a list down to 10 titles to focus on. There are examples from a wide variety of genres and mediums, and multiple made by some of the best directors in the business. These are titles that should never get buried in the streaming service’s massive catalog – and we’ll start by highlighting what is, full stop, one of the best films of the year…

Mank

It takes a lot of guts for a film to purposefully stand in the shadow of what is arguably the greatest movie ever made, but that’s exactly what David Fincher did in the making of Mank, and the result is glorious. It’s sold as the story behind the making of Citizen Kane, but what it is ultimately is an examination of not only the fascinating man that was Herman Mankiewicz (portrayed brilliantly by Gary Oldman), but also a brilliant snapshot of Hollywood and politics of the 1930s. It’s as smart as it is funny as it is enlightening, and black-and-white visual feast.

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things

If you’re looking to experience cinematic existential angst, you really can’t do much better than the work of Charlie Kaufman, and Netflix has allowed him to do what he does best with I’m Thinking Of Ending Things. The story begins simply enough, following a girlfriend (Jesse Buckley) and boyfriend (Jessie Plemons) as they travel for a dinner at the boyfriend’s parent’s house, but how things spin out from there is brilliant in its strangeness and utterly mesmerizing. It’s a work that demands dissection, but one of the great things about the streaming service is that as soon as the movie ends you can immediately go back and analyze it scene-by-scene.

The Social Dilemma

Do you ever feel like you’re addicted to your phone? Well, there’s a good reason for that, and Jeff Orlowski's documentary The Social Dilemma delves into that reason with frightening clarity. Utilizing a well-done dramatic narrative featuring Skyler Gisondo and Vincent Kartheiser to further illustrate its points, the movie exposes the disturbing inner workings of your favorite social media apps via interviews with a number of people who helped bring them to life. It’s a wakeup call that very well may cause you to start creating some distance between yourself and your mobile devices.

Da 5 Bloods

Netflix has attempted in recent years to paint itself as a haven for the best filmmakers in the world to make projects they are passionate about, the roster including names like Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, and Bong Joon-ho, and this year saw Spike Lee join that awesome collective with the epic Da 5 Bloods. The film sports drama and adventure in equal measure, following a squad of Black former US Army soldiers (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr.) as they return to Vietnam in search of a hidden treasure, and what emerges from journey is a powerful reconciliation of the present and events of the past.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Aaron Sorkin most definitely knows how to handle true story adaptations (The Social Network, Moneyball) and courtroom dramas (A Few Good Men), and the writer/director puts those talents to great use for The Trial Of The Chicago 7. It was a film that was headed to theaters before the pandemic, sold to Netflix in July, but still packs a punch even shown at home – telling the story of a group of anti-war protestors who find themselves on trial facing charges from the federal government in the fallout of the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The all-star cast, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, doesn’t have a single weak link, as everyone in the ensemble delivers excellent performances.

His House

We went without the high profile scares of Halloween Kills and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It this fall, as both movies were delayed until 2021, but Netflix came through in a big way for Halloween by dropping Remi Weekes’ His House on the service at the end of October. Following a couple of Sudanese refugees who try to make a home for themselves in London, the movie weaves a terrifying tale as the husband and wife not only struggle to adapt to their new world, but also find themselves haunted by the past. It provided us with some of the most unnerving sequences of 2020, which is why it also made our list of the year’s best horror films

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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will forever be remembered for featuring the final performance by Chadwick Boseman – a talent who passed away far too young this year – but even standing apart from that sad fact it’s an astonishing work. It doesn’t stretch far from the August Wilson play on which its based, but material packs a spectacular punch, and both Boseman and Viola Davis deliver two of the best performances of their remarkable careers, trading off protagonist and antagonist roles throughout the narrative, and leaving you pressed hard in the back of your chair as the end credits roll.

The Lovebirds

Michael Showalter’s The Lovebirds was originally going to be an early-in-the-year big screen comedy, set to be released theatrically in late March – but then it wound up being one of the first movies delayed by COVID-19. Thankfully, Netflix scooped it up from Paramount, and while it was released about two months after originally intended, it delivered huge laughs at a crucial time. Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae are both stellar in the film and make for a hilarious bickering couple on the run from the law after being framed for murder. Even though it didn’t play in theaters, it still further establishes its stars as talented big screen leads, and we can’t wait to see them heading more features in the near future.

Enola Holmes

It’s easy to dismiss Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes on paper, as it seems like another attempt by Hollywood to take advantage of Sherlock Holmes’ public domain status by telling a familiar story from the perspective of a spunky teen girl. What that perspective overlooks, however, is that spunky teen girl being played by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, who delivers the best performance of her young career. The central mystery is more compelling for younger viewers, but there’s still no denying its wonderful energy, and it still manages to be thrilling. It has tons of franchise potential, so expect to see more chapters on Netflix in the coming years.

Uncorked

Prentice Penny’s Uncorked has the structure of a standard coming-of-age story, following a young man (Mamoudou Athie) as he belies the wishes of his father (Courtney B. Vance) to take over the family barbecue business in favor of pursuing a dream to become a master sommelier. And while it’s actually very successful in that simple fact, building strong characters and emotional relationships, it also goes beyond the familiar by diving into particular culinary worlds not greatly explored in cinema. And if you can swing it, it’s definitely best enjoyed with a smoked brisket paired with a nice red – otherwise you might just be left with cravings during and after.

Is your favorite Netflix movie of the year on our list? Do you think there’s a film that we’ve overlooked? Hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and be on the lookout for more of CinemaBlend’s End of Year features as we get closer and closer to 2021.

After leaving the cast of Hamilton in 2016, Leslie Odom Jr. set out to build a career beyond the stage. While he’s had a good share of big moments in the years since, he’s also had some major disappointments. And there’s one role in particular he was very disappointed to lose out on.

Leslie Odom Jr. put his name on the map with his performance in the groundbreaking 2015 musical, Hamilton. Like other actors in the original Broadway cast, Leslie Odom Jr. has proven he has major range as an actor. After Hamilton, he booked roles in films like Murder on the Orient Express and Tubman. However, he told Entertainment Weekly there’s one project he set his sights on, only to be dealt a disappointing blow:

It’s understandable why Leslie Odom Jr. would have been drawn to The Trial of the Chicago 7. For many actors, working with Aaron Sorkin is a bucket list moment, and the Netflix film, which has seen some major buzz since it premiered in October, has received tons of critical acclaim, including a five-star review from CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell.

Still, Leslie Odom Jr.’s 2020 wasn’t a loss by any means. Hamilton’s arrival on Disney+ has marked a resurgence in interest in the musical and recognition of his stunning portrayal of narrator-turned-villain Aaron Burr. It’s given him a chance to reflect on the significance of the musical, both in his life and in its impact on others around the world.

Missing out on The Trial of the Chicago 7 also, as he pointed out, gave Leslie Odom Jr. the chance to take on another real-life role. In Regina King’s historical drama One Night in Miami, he plays Sam Cooke, who meets up with fellow legends-in-the-making Cassius Clay, Malcolm X and Jim Brown to celebrate the boxer’s historic defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964.

Leslie Odom Jr. also had a chance to star alongside his real-life wife, Nicolette Robinson, in the Freeform miniseries, Love in the Time of Corona, and he lent his voice to the Apple TV+ animated sitcom Central Park. One Night in Miami will be released in theaters and on Amazon Prime Video on Christmas Day.

October was a big month for Sacha Baron Cohen on two fronts. Over on Amazon Prime Video, he could be seen engaging in mustachioed shenanigans in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, with the eponymous character accompanied by his daughter Tutar, played by Maria Bakalova. And over on Netflix, Cohen starred as Abbie Hoffman in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. That project was literally over a decade in the making, as there was a time where actors like Heath Ledger and Phillip Seymour Hoffman would have appeared alongside Cohen.

Needless to say that iteration of The Trial of the Chicago 7 was not able to move forward, but Sacha Baron Cohen stuck with the project for years until Aaron Sorkin, who’d already written the script, finally breathed life into it as the director. As Cohen explained to EW:

So it didn’t take long for the Steve Spielberg-helmed version of The Trial of the Chicago 7 to suffer a devastating blow, as Heath Ledger passed away in early 2008, leaving The Dark Knight and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus as his final movies. The Writer’s Guild of America strike, which lasted from November 2007 to January 2008, resulted in the project being suspended, and from then until Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death in early 2014, there were a variety of other complications, behind-the-scenes changes, etc. But through it all, Sacha Baron Cohen was determined to see that The Trial of the Chicago 7 eventually get made, as he felt this was a real-life story that deserved to be told in a film setting.

By October 2018, it was announced that Aaron Sorkin would sit in the director’s chair for The Trial of the Chicago 7, having made his directorial debut on 2017’s Molly’s Game. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally supposed to be a traditional theatrical release, with Paramount Pictures handling distribution. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing down movie theaters, Paramount sold The Trial of the Chicago 7 to Netflix, and following a limited theatrical release, it was dropped on the streaming service on October 16.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 told the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors who came to Chicago in 1968 to protest at outside the Democratic National Convention, but were arrested and charged with crossing state lines to incite riots, with their trial being held the following year. Along with Sacha Baron Cohen, the ensemble cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Jospeh Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella and Michael Keaton, among others. The Trial of the Chicago 7 has been earned primarily positive critical reception, ranking at 90% among professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of The Trial of the Chicago 7, and if you’re curious about what Netflix is delivering this month, look through our detailed lineup. You can also learn what movies are supposed to hit theaters next year with our 2021 release schedule.

They say that “if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime” - a phrase that, I imagine, takes on a whole new meaning for fans of crime movies since they prefer to spend most of their time watching stories about how people ended up behind bars. I would also imagine that they spend a lot of time browsing through a good chunk of original Netflix movies because, with exclusive Netflix movies such as The Irishman or the recently released The Trial of the Chicago 7, I cannot think of a streaming service better suited for a crime fiction (or even non-fiction) aficionado.

In addition to the other famous gritty thrillers like Drive or Mean Streets, darkly comic capers such as Pineapple Express or the sequels to 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven remake, or twisted documentaries like Abducted in Plain Sight or Surviving R. Kelly, Netflix is the exclusive home for even more criminally entertaining movies and morbidly fascinating non-fiction features about the world’s worst (or, maybe, just the most misunderstood) people. It has made such a killing (no pun intended) off of the genre that you almost wonder if the platform would do just as well by adopting a purely crime-based schtick, a la Shudder’s dedication to providing all horror all the time.

In reality, I do not see such a drastic change in its catalog happening anytime soon, but I have no doubt they will continue to serve plenty more stories of murder, thievery, and other heinous sins for years to come. However, for now, you can enjoy these 12 Netflix original films and documentaries based on such topics, starting with a feature-length spin-off to one of the most acclaimed TV crime dramas of all time.

El Camino (2019)

After escaping the clutches of a neo-Nazi group, a young former crystal meth manufacturer (Emmy-winner Aaron Paul) seeks a new beginning, but must risk life and limb to take care of some unfinished business first.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Picking up immediately after the events of the Breaking Bad series finale, El Camino chronicles Jesse Pinkman’s blistering race against time to break free of his past mistakes, complimented by brutal flashbacks of his life in captivity and fun appearances of a few familiar faces.

Stream El Camino on Netflix here.

1922 (2017)

Strange events begin to plague a farmer (Thomas Jane) and his teenage son (Dylan Schmid) after they carry out a plan to cure their financial woes, which involves the murder of his wife (Molly Parker), in early 1920s Nebraska.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Loosely inspired by true events, 1922 is another classic tragedy in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe’s the “Tell-Tale Heart,” but seeing as it is also based on a novella by Stephen King, you can expect it to go in a much more peculiar, and terrifying, direction.

Stream 1922 on Netflix here.

The Devil All The Time (2020)

A young former soldier (Bill Skarsgard) going to extreme lengths to save his ailing wife (Haley Bennett), a murderous couple (Jason Clarke and Riley Keough) scoping out “model” victims, a devoted preacher on the run (Robert Pattinson), and other accounts of shady individuals are tangentially related to the core story of this haunting, post-World War II morality tale.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Tom Holland leads the star-studded cast of The Devil All the Time - yet another Netflix original rural period piece about ordinary people in very bad situations - based on the book by Donald Ray Pollock, who also serves as the film’s narrator.

Stream The Devil All The Time on Netflix here.

American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)

A widely publicized investigation ensues after the disappearance of Colorado housewife Shannan Watts and her two daughters, leaving her husband, Chris, a prime suspect.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Produced by James Marsh, director of the Academy Award-winning Man on a Wire, American Murder: The Family Next Door is the latest attempt from Netflix to make you question who in your life is worth trusting with this original documentary profiling the heartbreaking 2018 crime.

Stream American Murder: The Family Next Door on Netflix here.

The Irishman (2019)

An aging, former labor union official (Robert De Niro) recalls his long career as a mafia hitman and reveals his connection to the shocking disappearing of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: While The Irishman is, admittedly, inspired by one man’s unproven personal account of an otherwise true story, with direction by Martin Scorsese and a top-notch cast of acting veterans (including an out-of-retirement Joe Pesci), you will be convinced you are seeing history unfold right before eyes by the end of this Oscar-nominee’s three and one half-hour runtime.

Stream The Irishman on Netflix here.

The Highwaymen (2019)

In the 1930s, two former Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson) travel across the country in search of a notorious pair of criminals known as Bonnie and Clyde.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Everybody knows the story of the legendary bank robbing duo, thanks in part to the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, but not as many know about the lawmen who stopped them, which is just what The Highwaymen, from director John Lee Hancock, sets out to do and succeeds beautifully.

Stream The Highwaymen on Netflix here.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)

A group of political activists face unfair treatment and discrimination while attempting to prove their innocence after an intended peaceful protest of the Vietnam War ends in violent conflict with Chicago police in 1968.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: A heavy-hitting cast (including Yahya Adbul-Mateen II and Michael Keaton, to name a few) and genius screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (who also directs) bring the infamous true story of The Trial of The Chicago 7 to life in a highly entertaining and powerfully poignant way.

Stream The Trial Of The Chicago 7 on Netflix here.

Team Foxcatcher (2016)

A documentary examination of the relationship between promising American wrestler Dave Schultz and John du Pont - the elderly, wealthy sports enthusiast who funded his Olympic training before inexplicably shooting him in cold blood.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: While it does follow the events that inspired Foxcatcher, the 2014 film starring Steve Carell in an Oscar-nominated performance as John du Pont, Team Foxcatcher goes even more in-depth about the development of the titular team’s formation at Du Pont’s home wrestling facility and the investigation that followed after he caused his star athlete’s tragic demise.

Stream Team Foxcatcher on Netflix here.

22 July (2018)

A harrowing dramatization of the terrorist attack that killed more than 70 young attendees of a Norwegian Labor Party Youth Camp on July 22, 2011.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: Told in three parts (from the perspective of the survivors, political leaders of Oslo, and lawyers involved in the case), 22 July is a rich, pulse-pounding retelling of the devastating mass murder and its aftermath from the director of Captain Phillips and three of the Jason Bourne movies, Paul Greengrass.

Stream 22 July on Netflix here.

Message From The King (2016)

A drifter from South Africa (Chadwick Boseman) will stop at nothing to find his younger sister in Los Angeles after suddenly losing all contact with her without explanation.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: An expectedly strong performance from the late Chadwick Boseman carries Message from the King, a story of the lengths one will for family and the crushing revelations that tend to come from such journeys.

Stream Message From The King on Netflix here.

Amanda Knox (2016)

An in-depth observation of the sensational trial and eventual acquittal of a young woman for the 2007 murder of her roommate and fellow exchange student in Italy.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: The titular, polarizing subject of the Emmy-nominated documentary feature Amanda Knox is profiled through archive footage and intimate interviews with the many people involved with the case, including the Knox herself.

Stream Amanda Knox on Netflix here.

The Lovebirds (2020)

An average couple (Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani) are suddenly thrown into an unusual night of violence, murder, and mystery that puts their relationship to the ultimate test.

Why It Is A Great Netflix Original Crime Story: I figured that after a long binge of such dark and depressing features (especially that Amanda Knox doc) you might be in need of a lighthearted palette cleanser, and that is what just what the The Lovebirds (a romantic comedy with a criminal edge picked up by Netflix in the wake of Covid-19) can do, without diverting too far the morbid content you may prefer.

Stream The Lovebirds on Netflix here.

What do you think? Is The Lovebirds the kind of comic caper that appeals to the lover of both mirth and macabre in you, or could it have been darker? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the most criminally entertaining movies and TV shows available to stream, as well as the other varieties that can be found among Netflix’s exclusive content, here on CinemaBlend.

Netflix has come a hell of a long way in the last 15 years. It used to be that people would think about the company as that service that mails you rented Blu-rays and DVDs in red envelopes, but now it is not only the biggest streaming service in the world, but also regularly produces some absolutely massive original films. The company has grown to become a powerhouse in Hollywood, and that’s very much continued through 2020 with a slate of awesome Netflix movies including hits like Da 5 Bloods, Enola Holmes, and The Old Guard.

Because their library is so big and because they put out new content so rapidly, it can be easy to lose track of all the best new titles that movie fans should be checking out, but that’s exactly why you have your good friends at CinemaBlend to help you out. Looking back to the beginning of 2020, there have been a number of truly excellent films put out, including those both produced as originals and those picked up for distribution, and we’ve highlighted 12 of the best for you below!

Da 5 Bloods

While there is no denying the power of the big screen, Netflix has managed to get some of the greatest filmmakers of all time to produce original movies, and this past summer we saw a perfect example with the release of Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. It’s an epic story about a group of Black Vietnam War veterans (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who travel back to the South Pacific with two goals in mind: find and lay to rest the body of their fallen squad leader (Chadwick Boseman) and recover a lost, hidden treasure. It’s a powerful and emotional cinematic experience, and one only made more powerful following Boseman’s passing in August.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Courtroom dramas appear few and far between in modern Hollywood (perhaps a side effect of decades of Law & Order?), but there are few in the world that can construct that kind of story quite like A Few Good Men’s Aaron Sorkin, and with his second directorial effort the filmmaker does a brilliant job bringing to screen one of the 20th century’s most notorious cases. The Trial Of The Chicago 7 features not only passionate writing and excellent performances from stars like Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, but also has arrived at a time when it’s incredibly socially relevant to what’s happening in the world.

The Old Guard

With memories of Aeon Flux having dissipated, Charlize Theron has become respected as one of the industry’s most excellent ass-kicking heroes, from Atomic Blonde to Mad Max: Fury Road, and in 2020 she only further bolstered her record with the release of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Old Guard – a badass action film centering on a team of immortals secretly moving through the world and trying to contribute the most good possible. She’s joined by some fantastic co-stars including KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and considering that sequel talks have already begun, you should do yourself a favor and start obsessing now.

I'm Thinking Of Ending Things

If you’re ever looking for a film that can totally turn your brain into a pretzel, the works of Charlie Kaufman are a great resource, and I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is one of his best movies in that regard. It starts out with a premise that’s simple enough, following a girlfriend (Jessie Buckley) and boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) as they travel to have dinner at the boyfriend’s parent’s house, but before too long things start to spin out in surrealist absurdity, and it successfully manages to be both comedic and horrific. It’s a winner, and a perfect Netflix release in that once it’s over you can immediately go back through it to parse all the details and analyze the hell out of it.

The Lovebirds

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, Michael Showalter’s The Lovebirds was one of the first movies to shift from theatrical plans to streaming, as Netflix purchased distribution from Paramount, and we’re incredibly happy that happened because it means that the comedy now exists on a platform to be enjoyed over and over again. Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae make an excellent comedic duo playing an on-the-rocks couple who find themselves having a seriously crazy night when a man claiming to be a police officer commandeers their car and uses it to carry out a murder. It’s one of the funniest films of the year so far.

Enola Holmes

On paper, the idea of telling a story from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes’ teenage sister seems like a way for filmmakers to simply continue to exploit the legacy of the public domain detective, but that just makes Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes that much more enchanting. Millie Bobby Brown delivers the most charismatic performance of her young career thus far playing the title role, and the material is sharp and well-constructed, giving the teenage girl a fun mystery to solve and plenty of her own agency in the rapidly changing Victorian era.

The Willoughbys

It’s always a bit of fun to see dark humor make its way into the animated film realm, and Kris Pearn, Cory Evans, and Rob Lodermeier's The Willoughbys is most definitely a standout in that realm in 2020. Based on the Lois Lowry book of the same name, it centers on a group of brothers and sisters who become fed up with their emotionally abusive and terrible parents and create a plan that will send them on what is hopefully a deadly adventure. It’s kooky and weird, and at times hilarious, and sports an excellent voice cast including Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, and Ricky Gervais.

Uncorked

The story of a son who forgoes taking over the family business in hopes of blazing his own trail in life is one that audiences have seen play out time and time again in cinematic history – but what ultimately matters when it comes to plots like that is execution, and Prentice Penny’s Uncorked is delightful. In this particular case it’s the tale of a young man (Mamoudou Athie) who pursues a dream of becoming a master sommelier, much to the chagrin of his barbeque restaurant-owning father (Courtney B. Vance), and in addition to bucking a number of tropes and takes some surprising turns, it’s an emotional, engaging, and intimate story that features wonderful performances from the leads.

A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

In 2015, Shaun The Sheep Movie turned out to be an absolutely lovely surprise, telling a beautifully animated, dialogue-less story about life on a farm, and its sequel, Will Becher and Richard Phelan's A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, matches it. This time around there is a peculiar alien with strange powers roaming around that makes things quite a bit weird, and the results are laugh-out-loud funny and even a bit emotional.

Project Power

With Marvel Studios being forced to sit out 2020, the year has featured far fewer superhero movies than normal, but Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman's Project Power proved to be a nice substitute this summer – albeit operating on a much, much smaller scale. The film features a tight, awesome, high concept plot that explores what would happen if there was a new drug on the streets of New Orleans that provided users with 15 minutes of random superpowers, and it sports an outstanding cast including Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Its scope prevents the film from fully exploring its biggest ideas in its 114 minute runtime, but that also just means that there are a lot of exciting directions to go in a sequel.

Rebecca

If you’re scrolling through Netflix unsure of exactly what it is that you want to watch, Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca is a pretty damn solid choice in that it covers a lot of genre bases – going from being a romantic drama, to a haunted house horror movie, to a crime thriller. The movie has some big shoes to fill by being a remake of material previously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock, but it’s well-made and beautifully shot in addition to featuring impressive performances from Lily James, Armie Hammer, and Kristin Scott-Thomas.

Extraction

Arriving on Netflix in late April, Sam Hargrave’s Extraction proved to be tremendous medicine for those concerned that 2020 would wind up being devoid of big action blockbusters, as the film is basically 117 minutes of action. Tyler Rake is one of the most exciting heroes portrayed by Chris Hemsworth outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and some of the sequences featured are just down-right impressive, including a 12 minute long chase constructed with multiple battle locations and no obvious cuts. And like the case with The Old Guard and Project Power, it very much looks like the film will prove to be only chapter one of a longer series.

How many of these 2020 Netflix movies have you seen? Which ones haven't you seen, but are now definitely going to check out? Hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news and updates regarding the big titles set to hit the massive streaming service.

Explosive confrontations on the witness stand. Angry judges yelling "You're out of order." Debates carried out while the jury deliberates. A person's freedom, or even life on the line. These are all qualities that make a great courtroom drama as countless films have shown us over the years. Some of these qualities are even seen in Aaron Sorkin's Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7 as well as countless other great movies set within the confines of a crowded and oftentimes stuffy courtroom.

If you are just coming off watching the latest Netflix original and still want more of what you saw but don't know where to start, then I have a few titles I would like to enter into discovery. Over the yeas, there have been countless standouts in the genre with everything from 12 Angry Men to Just Mercy allowing us to enter the courtroom and watch as monumental cases unfold in front of our very eyes. Here are 13 movies that fit that mold.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

When eight anti-war protestors are arrested and charged with conspiracy to start a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, they are put through a series of unconstitutional violations as the United States Department of Justice does everything they can to blame the counterculture for what became a national incident on live TV.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Say what you will about the movie's ending, The Trial of the Chicago 7 provides for a great mashup of modern storytelling techniques with throwbacks to legal dramas of yesteryear. Great performances led by the defense team and a very unruly presiding judge (Frank Langella) provide for a series of confrontations and revelations, as the accused conspirators fight for their freedom and rights in the process.

Stream it on Netflix here.

12 Angry Men

Set in the moments following the closing arguments of a trial to decide the fate of an inner-city teenager accused of stabbing his father to death, 12 Angry Men follows the group of jurors who at first seem all so willing to convict, but slowly change their minds following the pleas from a lone juror (Henry Fonda) willing to listen to reason.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Primarily set in a single overcrowded and stuffy room, the 1957 classic is often considered one of the best legal dramas of all time, and there's good reason for that. On the surface it looks like 12 men trying to come to an agreement, but each vote peels back another layer of social commentary about the history and thought processes of each of the angry men.

Rent it on Amazon here.

Just Mercy

Instead of using his Harvard law degree to ride a wave to fame and fortune, Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) heads to Alabama to become the voice of the voiceless and wrongfully accused defendants fighting for their freedom in southern courtrooms, including Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx). Throughout the legal drama, Stevenson goes through hell and back to prove his client's innocence, even when no one cares to listen.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: There are times during Just Mercy where you will get so angry you want to turn off the TV because of the injustice and blatant racism being shown on the screen. And that's what makes the 2019 legal drama such a great experience. It makes you feel something, whether that be anger, fear, or optimism for a better tomorrow.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Based on the Harper Lee novel of the same name, To Kill A Mockingbird follows Alabama attorney Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) as he attempts to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman in the 1930s south.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Since its release in 1962, To Kill A Mockingbird has been considered to be the standard-bearer in terms of legal dramas. And even though Atticus Finch fails to persuade the (all white) jury to acquit his client and Tom Robinson's life ends in tragedy, the movie (like the book) shows us that sometimes standing up for what is right in the world is a victory in itself.

Rent it on Amazon here.

A Cry In The Dark

The 1988 legal drama A Cry in the Dark (Evil Angels in Australia and New Zealand) centers around the legal proceedings surrounding the disappearance of a baby belonging to a couple vacationing in the Australian outback. The mother (Meryl Streep) is convinced that a dingo took the baby, but law enforcement and a shocked public see things differently.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: The movie is best known for the famous "The dingo's got my baby" line, but there is so much more to the Australian drama that makes it worthy of being considered one of the all-time greats. With characters questioning the mother's religious beliefs, motivations, and innocence, she never backs down from her convictions, even if that means going to prison.

Rent it on Amazon here.

A Time To Kill

The 1996 drama A Time to Kill, which is based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, tells the story of Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) a man who takes justice into his own hands following the brutal rape of his daughter and pays the price. With no one else to turn to, Carl calls Jack Brigand (Matthew McConaughey) to do the impossible: get an acquittal for a black man in a racially divided south.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Being based on one of John Grisham's best novels should be more than enough reason why A Time to Kill is one of the best courtroom dramas, but the back and forth between Matthew McConaughey's defense attorney and the ruthless D.A. Rufus Buckley portrayed by Kevin Spacey doesn't hurt the case.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Rent it on Amazon here.

Kramer Vs. Kramer

More than a year after Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) left her husband, Ted (Dustin Hoffman) and son, Billy (Justin Henry) behind, she comes back to take custody of the boy, resulting in a heated custody battle that plays out in a public courtroom.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: The 1979 classic Kramer Vs. Kramer is not only one of the most engaging and infuriating courtroom dramas, it also created the mold for future movies focusing on divorce and custody battles for years to come. It's hard not to see the DNA of this film in titles like Marriage Story.

Stream and rent it on Amazon here.

The Rainmaker

Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of John Grisham's The Rainmaker follows struggling attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) as he teams up with knowledgeable paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito) to take on a greedy insurance company and its cold attorney Leo F. Drummond (Jon Voight) in a showdown surrounding the company's refusal to cover life-saving procedures for its clients.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: This is an underdog story through and through, and shows a rookie attorney and paralegal who can't pass the Bar Exam to save his life going up against one of the most evil and ruthless attorneys to ever take the screen. Add in some John Grisham conspiracies and you have yourself a recipe for a great drama.

Stream it on Amazon here.

Inherit The Wind

When a Tennessee schoolteacher is put on trial for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in his classroom, he is put on trial for violating a state law prohibiting the subject. What follows is a courtroom transformed into a three-ring circus as two of the biggest lawyers of 1920s America go head to head in a battle over the merits of religion and science.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Loosely based on actual events, the 1960 drama Inherit the Wind not only features great legal arguments and an "Ah ha" moment in its final act, it also features one of the best casts ever put together for a movie of this type. With everyone from Spencer Tracy to Gene Kelly getting time to shine, the intense film is a showcase of great talent.

Rent it on Amazon here.

The Verdict

Coming off years of bad luck and a worse reputation, attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) goes back to the courtroom for one final shot to prove himself when he is tasked with taking a medical negligence case that sees him going head-to-head against one of the most formidable attorneys in the Boston legal community.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Like any good legal drama, everything that happens outside of the courtroom intensifies everything takes place during the trial. With Frank Galvin's redemption story, his back-and-forth with Ed Concannon (James Mason), and that phenomenal and emotional closing argument, The Verdict packs all sorts of punches.

Stream it on Starz here.

Rent it on Amazon here.

Primal Fear

Jaded Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) thinks he's seen it all when he takes on the case of an altar boy accused of brutally murdering the archbishop, but as the case goes on, he learns the truth of what's actually going on.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: Shocking twist ending aside, Primal Fear features some of the best courtroom scenes, especially those involving the testimony of Edward Norton's Aaron Stampler. Another great thing about the movie is the fact that the audience learns what is actually happening as Marvin Vail does, which makes for great drama.

Stream it on Starz here.

Rent it on Amazon here.

A Few Good Men

When military lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is tasked with defending two U.S. Marines accused of killing a fellow soldier, he digs deep to uncover a large-scale conspiracy that may or may not be the work of Colonel Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson).

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: I mean, in addition to the great "You can't handle the truth" line, A Few Good Men offers a lot in terms of a great legal drama. Through the research carried out by Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, the impeccable dialogue from Aaron Sorkin, and the masterful pacing of Rob Reiner's direction, there's not much to not love here.

Stream it on Amazon through IMDbTV here.

Philadelphia

When Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) is fired from his prestigious Philadelphia law firm shortly after he is diagnosed with HIV, he hires ambulance chaser attorney Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) who reluctantly takes on his wrongful termination case.

Why it's one of the best courtroom dramas: The thing about Philadelphia is that it's such a great drama about homophobia in the workplace and society in general that sometimes we forget that it centers around a high-profile court case. But those courtroom scenes, they are nothing short of amazing. From the opening arguments with those great Jonathan Demme close-up shots to Andrew Beckett collapse and subsequent hospitalization, there's a lot of great drama here. Just bring your tissues for this one.

Stream it on Starz here.

Rent it on Amazon here.

Those are just 13 great courtroom dramas that have left a mark on cinema in the past 60 years or so. There are so many other great ones out there, but there just wasn't enough space to include them all. If your favorite didn't make the list, sound off in the comments and let us know.

Frank Langella excels at playing the angry antagonist. Whether it’s Bob Alexander in Dave or Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, he’s kind of got that role down pat. So one would think that you wouldn’t need to get him any angrier for his role in The Trial of the Chicago 7. But co-star Jeremy Strong wasn’t going to settle for anything less than irate; so, he brought a fart machine on set to push Frank Langella’s limits.

In The Trial of the Chicago 7, Frank Langella plays Judge Julius Hoffman, the primary antagonist that consistently makes things harder for the defense, by consistently overruling their objections and putting them in contempt of court. Succession’s Jeremy Strong, who plays one of the Chicago 7 Jerry Rubin, admitted to Vulture that he brought “a whole bag of tricks” to set just to make Frank Langella angrier:

That certainly makes sense. A good chunk of The Trial of the Chicago 7 is set in the courtroom. Being on the same set for that long would likely drive anyone crazy and bored. Unfortunately for Frank Langella, that meant being the target of Jeremy Strong and his “bag of tricks.”

To make things less boring, he said later,

Well, that’s certainly one way to get under Frank Langella’s skin. And, from the way it looks, it worked. Just by watching the movie, Frank Langella’s portrayal of the judge is nothing less than a furious, obtuse, and bigoted man doing everything he can to undercut the defense from winning the trial. Those close up shots certainly made Frank Langella look like he was going over the edge and that final scene had him so mad, I’m surprised he didn’t break his own gavel.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, and tells the story of a group of protesters that were part of the 1968 Chicago riots. Seven men were being tried for inciting the riot. Initially it was eight men, but the eighth man Bobby Seale was removed from the case. The case was a defining moment in American history that sparked more riots.

The film is getting mostly glowing reviews from critics and is available now on Netflix. For more movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Quick question for the peanut gallery here. Does that last courtroom scene in The Trial Of The Chicago 7 work for everyone else? I obviously have my own thoughts about what went down, but one of the great things about seeing a movie in a theater is you can tell what the consensus reaction of the room is. Since I watched it with one other person on Netflix who agreed with me, however, I really have no idea whatsoever how other people felt. So, let’s talk it out.

Spoilers: I can’t believe I have to say this on account of it being so freaking obvious from the title, but if you haven’t seen The Trial Of The Chicago 7 yet and you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading this article. Go watch the movie and then come back. Don’t read the article and then yell about how I ruined it in the comment section. That wouldn’t make any sense.

Alright, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the sentencing scene in The Trial Of The Chicago 7. Basically, after months of real time trial and two hours or so of runtime for viewers, five of our title seven (not including Bobby Seale since he wasn’t a defendant at that point) are convicted and ready for sentencing. The truly outrageous Judge Julius Hoffman (who was apparently like that in real life) tells Tom Hayden he can offer a brief statement in the defense of all five. Instead, in a moment that sort of happened in real life but much earlier in the trial, he has the names of deceased Vietnam War soldiers read into the record.

The judge apparently stopped the display after only a few names were read in the real trial when it happened prior to the sentencing phase. He tries to do the same in the movie, but Hayden keeps talking while everyone stands up and cheers. The other defendants get excited. Jerry Rubin raises his fist. Eventually others join him. The audience in the courtroom stands up and applauds. The buttoned up squares angrily storm out. David Dellinger's kid climbs on his chair. Even the US Attorney Richard Schultz (the lead prosecutor), who is portrayed as a somewhat sympathetic figure, rises to honor the fallen soldiers in a moment that is clearly meant to be the film's emotional crescendo.

Now, on the whole, I really enjoyed The Trial Of The Chicago 7. I would strongly recommend it to most people with an interest in adult dramas, politics, history or just great acting. I thought it was well-written, had some truly spectacular scenes, particularly the argument between Sacha Baron Cohen’s Abbie Hoffman and Eddie Redmayne’s Tom Hayden about what winning means in liberal politics, and was a great introduction into the fascinating world of the late 1960s. But I also thought the last scene was a bit beneath the movie.

I'll actually go a step further. I think the last scene in the movie is bad. It feels forced. The music is sentimental and obvious. It's overly tidy for its subject matter that's much more nuanced and complicated. It has only a passing connection to the facts of what really happened. It feels like something from a lesser movie. I get the bind screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was in. The movie is about the original trial. The original trial ended in defeat for 5 of the 7 defendants. You want a moment for the audience to be able to celebrate with these characters we've been watching, but there had to be a way to do it that didn't feel so contrived. Sorkin is a master at writing. I realize the subject matter did him no favors here, but if a movie is gonna get hit with 5 star reviews and have over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's fair to offer some criticism of what should be its most important moment.

Maybe I’m just being cynical though. Most of the rest of the movie is excellent, and maybe it really deserved that last moment of victory, even if it came amidst a larger defeat. It’s not as if other movies haven’t done some version of the same thing. In fact, there are entire YouTube montages dedicated to movie slow claps. I'll defend it in Cool Runnings for example. What do you think? Does all the clapping in the final scene work for you? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

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I wouldn’t necessarily describe Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 as a comedy. The movie follows the true-life trial of seven protestors who got caught up in a wave of violence and police brutality outside of the Democratic National Convention in 1968. In telling their story, the movie makes shockingly relevant connections to our contemporary headlines… but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that yes, there are laughs in this movie. Well-earned, material-sensitive laughs. They were unexpected, and also appreciated as tension breakers.

When we had the opportunity to interview The Trial of the Chicago 7 co-lead Eddie Redmayne about the movie, I had to ask him about how they approached the humor in the script, because the subject matter could make this story very preachy and overly dramatic. But as he points out, if you are familiar with Aaron Sorkin’s approach as a screenwriter – in movies like The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Moneyball or Charlie Wilson’s War – then you know that humor often is an entry point for the storyteller. Redmayne said:

Redmayne’s right. Aaron Sorkin is a master at seeing what’s humorous in what’s really an absurd situation, and there are moments during the trial that was staged for The Chicago 7 that will have you shaking your head and wondering how we allowed ourselves to get to that point. Then, you might look around and keep asking yourself that question.

But that humor, while subtle, helps Aaron Sorkin’s film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, fly by on its own energies and intelligent creativity. It’s a vital history lesson embedded in a vibrant courtroom thriller, where Eddie Redmayne plays social and political activist Tom Hayden opposite Sacha Baron Cohen’s Abbie Cohen and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Bobby Seale. Here’s Redmayne, talking about Sorkin’s funny bone:

The good news is that you no longer have to wait to watch what I consider to be one of the best movies released this year. Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is now streaming on Netflix, so make it part of your weekend plans. I expect we will be discussing this one during the duration of the crazy Oscar season we are about to wade into.

Nobody does political drama quite like Aaron Sorkin, and this fall he has delivered another fantastic and fascinating depiction of our government and legal system with Netflix’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7. As you can likely draw from the title, the film centers on the court battle waged against the eponymous group of anti-war activists protesting the Vietnam War during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and it not only provides brilliant star-studded drama, but also a fascinating lens to look through at our modern world.

You might know some of the history behind the Trial Of The Chicago 7, but if you’re shaky on the details, this feature will explore not only how the Aaron Sorkin film wraps everything up, but also how it sits side by side with reality. To start, let’s do a bit of recap.

What Happens At The End Of The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Following the dismissal of the damning testimony from former Attorney General Ramsey Clark (Michael Keaton), the state of things seems dire for the defense of the Chicago 7 – and it doesn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse. After learning that their would-be star witness would not be allowed to take the stand in front of the jury, attorney William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) reveals that the prosecutors possess a tape featuring a recording that Kunstler describes as “the sound of [Eddie Redmayne’s Tom Hayden] starting the Chicago riots.”

This is a terrible blow given that Tom was selected as the only defendant in the group who would not plead the fifth and testify in court. Rather than wilt away from the newly introduced evidence, the Port Huron Statement co-author insists that he is willing to stand up against the prosecution and the interrogation from Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Kunstler decides to put this thought to the test by playing out what his experience in the witness box being cross-examined would be like, pressing him on the events that transpired on the night of August 28, 1968 and the words he shouted while on stage in front of a park full of fellow protestors.

As Hayden and Kunstler duel, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 brings the events being described to life – beginning with a group of police officers assaulting a young member of the crowd who attempts to get a better look at the stage by climbing a flagpole. When Tom’s friend/fellow defendant Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) attempts to deescalate the situation, one of the cops beats him on the back of the head with a nightstick. Witnessing this, and ignoring requests from David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch) for him to calm the crowd, Tom grabs the microphone at the center of the stage and says,

Tom begins to crack under the pressure from his lawyer’s faux questioning as the film shows anti-war activists trying to make their way out of the park and into the streets of Chicago – finding resistance in the form of officers launching tear gas and using batons (the original footage cut together with archive footage from the actual event). Clips of “stand-up” performances by Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) begin to add to the storytelling as it’s discussed how herded protestors ended up in front of the Conrad Hilton hotel and were ultimately forced by police through the street-level glass windows.

Recognizing the severity of the situation through William Kunstler’s pressing, Tom appears defeated and notes that what he meant was “our” – as in “if our blood is going to flow, let it flow all over the city” (a suggestion that the goal was not violence and agitation, but rather to have the police brutality witnessed by the people of Chicago). He knows that he can’t take the stand, and tells his lawyer that Abbie Hoffman should speak as a witness instead.

During the trial, Hoffman does just that, and is questioned by both his own lawyer and Richard Schultz. He explains his belief that he is on trial not for starting a riot, but instead for “transporting ideas across state lines,” and in the spirit of a presidential election being seen as a revolutionary overthrow of government, he explains that the anti-war protests during the Democratic National Convention was essentially a voter registration drive. He is asked about Tom Hayden’s statements, which he counters by saying that anything can be manipulated out of context. Finally he is asked if he went to Chicago to start a confrontation with the police, but the scene fades out before his answer is given.

Flashing forward, the 151st day of the trial is the sentencing, and Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), and Abbie Hoffman are led into the court one final time. It’s implied that, as predicted, John Froines (Daniel Flaherty) and Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) were both judged innocent so that the jury would feel less uncomfortable about throwing the book at the main five. Judge Hoffman (Frank Langella) explains that it is the right of the defense to deliver a statement before final judgment is delivered, and Tom is selected for the task.

While he is told that being respectful of the court, remorseful, and brief would earn him and his fellow defendants leniency, Tom chooses to defy the recommendation by reading aloud Rennie’s catalogued list of all the soldiers killed in Vietnam since the beginning of the trial. A furious Hoffman attempts to get him to stop, but the entire gallery stands, applauds and cheers. Richard Schultz also gets to his feet in reverence to the fallen, leading his boss/chief prosecutor Tom Foran (J. C. MacKenzie) to storm out.

In white text over a still frame (the details of which we’ll get into later in this feature), it’s explained what ended up happening with the case following the sentencing and what later happened to the members of the Chicago 7 and Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). First, though, let’s take a look at how the events portrayed line up with actual history.

How The Film Compares To The End Of The Trial

Aaron Sorkin is a filmmaker who knows a thing or two about capturing history honestly in his storytelling – though it should also be noted that, to use an old cliché, he doesn’t make documentaries. Certain parts of stories are changed and details are altered for dramatic effect or structural purposes, with the intent always being to portray an entirely emotionally honest version of events that may not be entirely factually accurate. He did it with The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs, and he does it again in The Trial Of The Chicago 7.

One standout example of a difference between the film and reality is in regards to the courtroom treatment of defendant Bobby Seale. Believe it or not, as horrible as the events depicted in the movie are, Seale’s treatment was even worse in real life.

In Aaron Sorkin’s version of events, Seale is severed from the case against the Chicago 7 just minutes after being chained to a chair and gagged, but things didn’t play out that quickly in the real case. Seale actually spent multiple days sitting in court in those restraints before William Kunstler's pleas against it were heard. Judge Hoffman also tried to sentence the Black Panther co-founder to four years in prison for contempt of court, but that was overruled on appeal.

All that being said, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 might not be a perfect representation of history, but for the most part it is accurate. Some of the more outlandish details, such as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin arriving to court in police uniforms cloaked in judges robes, are taken straight from the true story, as is the key portion of the film where former Attorney General Ramsey Clark is forbidden from providing testimony in front of a jury.

What Happened To The Chicago 7 And Bobby Seale After The Trial

As noted at the end of the film, five of the seven defendants in the landmark case were sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Julius Hoffman, but, as teased earlier in the film, that sentence wasn't permanent. After the verdict was reversed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, a new trial was ordered, but the case was never actually retried – allowing all the members of the Chicago 7 to walk away free. As for their futures individually…

Tom Hayden

In the years after the trial, Tom Hayden only became more involved in politics, and launched multiple campaigns for positions including senator and governor of California. He spent 18 years serving in both the California State Assembly and State Senate, and he was a prolific writer of political works. He passed away in October 2016.

Rennie Davis

Tom Hayden and Rennie Davis went their separate ways for the most part following the trial of the Chicago 7, with the latter spending the early 1970s following Guru Maharaj Ji as a member of the Divine Light Mission. Following the disbandment of the organization in the early 1980s, Davis became a venture capitalist with a focus on emerging technologies.

David Dellinger

David Dellinger continued participating in pacifistic activist work for the rest of his life, notably taking part in events such as a sit-in at the 1996 Democratic Convention (which was held in Chicago) and a march from Vermont to Quebec City to protest the creation of a free trade zone. He died at the age of 88 in 2004.

Jerry Rubin

Like Rennie Davis, Jerry Rubin also became a part of the business world in the years following the trial depicted in the film. With the reported aim of bringing social consciousness to the industry, he became a stockbroker with John Muir & Co in the 1980s, and later became involved in health food-related multi-level marketing. In 1994 he was struck by a car while living in Los Angeles, and while he initially survived the collision he died of a heart attack two weeks later in the hospital.

Abbie Hoffman

Of the members of the Chicago 7, Abbie Hoffman sadly had the shortest life – though he certainly lived loudly. He famously interrupted the performance by The Who at Woodstock in 1969, taking to the stage to protest the jailing of White Panther Party co-founder John Sinclair, and in the mid-1980s found himself in court once again, charged with trespassing after protesting CIA recruitment on the University of Massachusetts - Amherst campus (he was ultimately acquitted). He published a book titled “Steal This Book” in 1971. In 1989, at the age of 52, he committed suicide.

Bobby Seale

Following his separation from the trial of the Chicago 7, Bobby Seale’s legal issues didn’t entirely go away, as he was still a defendant in a murder trial in Connecticut, but he was later ruled innocent. His activist work as a co-founder of the Black Panther Party has continued in the decades since the trial, and he has written multiple books, including an autobiography, titled A Lonely Rage.

Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is now available exclusively on Netflix, and stay tuned for more of our coverage of the film here on CinemaBlend.

The "Summer of Love" in 1967 is often considered one of the most positive and significant stretches of time in American history. What came the following year was anything but peaceful or joyous, with the assassinations of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and the turmoil of that taking place on millions of Americans' television screens as they watched the riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago in August 1968. This pivotal moment and the lengthy court battle that followed will soon be recreated in the Netflix movie The Trial of the Chicago 7.

The soon-to-be-released project has been in the works for years now with writer Aaron Sorkin leading the charge. There were multiple starts and stops and some notable directors attached before Sorkin decided to do it himself. And before we all jump into what will hopefully be a landmark film that is revisited for years to come, we should probably look at the actual Chicago 7 (formerly Chicago 8) and everything that followed their roles in the protests, their indictments, and the battles that played out in the courtroom.

A Group Of Anti-War Protestors Were Charged In Connection To The 1968 Chicago Riots

America was in the middle of the divisive Vietnam War by the time the Democratic National Convention was announced to be held in Chicago in the summer of 1968. In addition to seeing the formal nomination of then-vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey and his running mate Edmund Muskie, millions of Americans witnessed large-scale protests that turned to violent, angry, and bloody clashes between anti-war protestors, including the group who would be known as the Chicago 8. These only escalated as the convention went on.

Following multiple days of protests-turned-riots, leaders of the various protest and student groups — Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin of the Youth International Party (Yippies), Tom Hayden of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers, David Dellinger and Rennie Davies of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, John Froines and Lee Weiner — were all charged with inciting the riots and were put on one of the most highly publicized trials in modern American history, according to Britannica.

The Group Was Originally Called The Chicago 8 Before Bobby Seale Was Gagged And Removed From The Case

The trial against the Chicago 8, which began in September 1969, was anything but a normal trial, thanks in part to the anti-establishment nature of the defendants and their attorneys clashing with the law-and-order tendencies of the presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Not long into the 1969 trial surrounding the group's involvement in the previous year's riots, Bobby Seale, who helped found the Black Panthers a few years earlier, was bound and gagged by courtroom security at the demand of Judge Hoffman following a series of loud outbursts.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Bobby Seale was eventually charged with multiple counts of contempt of court and was sentenced to four years in prison. This temporarily removed him from the case for a later date. No new trial, however, was ever started in Seale's involvement in the matter and his prison sentence was later reversed. Seale's co-defendants would remain on the case and would then become known as the Chicago 7, and would collect more than 100 contempt of court charges as the proceedings carried on.

The Presiding Judge And The Defendants (And Their Attorneys) Had A Constant Back-And-Forth Throughout The Trial

Judge Julius Hoffman's run-ins with the protestors didn't stop when he sent Bobby Seale to prison in late 1969. If anything, Julius Hoffman's behavior only further incited the group now known as the Chicago 7. According to the PBS series Independent Lens, defendants Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin once entered the courtroom dressed in judicial robes, and once ordered to remove the robes, Abbie Hoffman did so and revealed he was dressed as a Chicago police officer.

Tensions between the judge and defendants only intensified as the case went on, with Julis Hoffman and the Chicago 7 exchanging barbs that would often degrade into shouting matches between the two sides. The New York Times reported in February 1970 that Abbie Hoffman, who had no relation to Julius Hoffman, began called the judge "Julie" whenever addressing the court. At another point, the defendants entered a melee with federal marshals when Julius Hoffman ordered one of the defendants to be taken into custody.

The Trial Became A Defining Moment In The American Counterculture And Spawned More Riots

Shortly after the trial began in late 1969, the more radical subset within the Students for a Democratic Society began to call themselves the Weathermen. The Weathermen took it upon themselves to bring the Vietnam War home with the Days of Rage protests, which was inspired by the Chicago 8 and their ongoing legal battles. According to WTTW Chicago, in early October 1969, a small group of student protesters, led by the Weathermen, marched south from the Lincoln Park neighborhood to the Chicago Loop armed with steel pipes, chains, bats, and slingshots, hellbent on destruction.

Although the group wasn't as large as organizers had hoped, the Days of Rage riots ended with multiple clashes with police which resulted in scores of injuries and hundreds of arrests. During that same time, other factions of SDS held more peaceful protests in regards to the Vietnam War and the Chicago 8 and distanced themselves from the Weathermen for their more aggressive tactics.

The Defendants Were Found Not Guilty On Conspiracy Charges But Were Sent To Jail Anyway

As the trial concluded, the jury acquitted John Froines and Lee Weiner of all charges, while the remaining five were found guilty of inciting a riot across state lines (five-year prison sentences) but not guilty of conspiring to do so. According to the Chicago Tribune, however, Judge Julius Hoffman sentenced all seven defendants and two of their defense attorneys to contempt of court charges and ordered all to be sent to prison.

All of the convictions would later be thrown out after an appeals court reversed the convictions in 1972 after judges decided that Judge Julius Hoffman acted out of line throughout the proceedings and also because the FBI had bugged the defense attorneys' offices.

This is just the beginning of the Chicago 7's story. Many more details concerning the 1968 protests, the court proceedings, and the legacy of its players will be presented in full in The Trial of the Chicago 7 when it premieres on Netflix on Friday, October 16.

Rarely do you see a leading Hollywood actor with a name as unique as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, but we can safely assume that it will soon be gracing the top of many movie posters in the near future. Hot off a Primetime Emmy win for his performance from HBO’s Watchmen, in a role that was certainly full of surprises, and with several more projects of enormous anticipation, the 34-year-old is quickly becoming one of the top actors to look out for in his generation.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later raised in Oakland, California, Yahya Abdul-Matteen II has actually achieved a feat few actors do so early in their career: playing two different characters from the same comic book publication in a live action adaptation, starting with Black Manta in 2018’s Aquaman and Cal Abar (who is later revealed to be Doctor Manhattan in disguise) on Watchmen the following year. Most recently, the actor played a different kind of hero, portraying civil rights activist Bobby Seale in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, and will continue his reign of blockbuster movie heroics as the lead in the upcoming fourth installment of the Matrix series.

Some may call even call him a hero in the acting world alone, not just for how much he was able to accomplish in so little time after his breakout role on the music history based Netflix series The Get Down, but also for what he managed to overcome right before his career began. Learn all about about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s biggest early obstacles and more with the following five lesser-known facts about the actor that may fascinate you, inspire you, or even make laugh - the latter of which may not be the case for our first entry.

Acting Became His Main Job After Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Was Laid Off From His City Planning Position

Sharing his acting roots on Build in 2016 while promoting The Get Down, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II revealed that he always had an interest in acting, but originally intended to follow in his construction worker father’s footsteps by pursuing a career in architecture, for which he earned his degree in at the University of California in Berkeley. While there, he took an acting class after a friend described it as “just like recess,” but would begin to take it far more seriously after suffering a lay off from his San Francisco city planning job in 2010, as he recalled during an appearance on Today almost exactly nine years later. It was then when he decided to give his other love a real shot, which would definitely pay off, but not without its little roadblocks.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Refused The Change His Name At The Start Of His Acting Career

We previously mentioned the unique nature of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s full name (which is rooted from his Christian and Muslim faith), which the actor even admitted to the Middle Eastern division of GQ is “no John Wayne” by Hollywood standards. However, that is one of the essential reasons why he kept it instead of adopting an abbreviated stage name (as some people suggested to him when his career was taking off) in addition to the chance to represent his roots in his work. His name has since appeared at the top-billing of Candyman and next to other A-listers in the cast of Aquaman, making him an inspiration to fans and the aspiring artists who share the same cultural background.

Before Filming Aquaman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Did Not Know How To Swim

Speaking of Aquaman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has gone on record about how challenging his elaborate, 70-pound uniform was to wear while shooting the billion-dollar DCEU blockbuster, in which he plays David Hyde, who is better known as Black Manta. However, during a cast interview with Conan O’Brien at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con, the actor revealed that, when he first auditioned for the antagonistic character, he was more concerned by the fact that he could not swim. It was not until Abdul-Mateen got to the set of Aquaman, after spending two weeks learning how to stay afloat by his own teaching, when he learned that no swimming was required for his role as a mortal landlubber.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Found His Watchmen Nude Scenes Liberating

On the other side of that coin, the extensive athletic training that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II would put in for his next comic book role most certainly paid off, as evident by his scenes as a very naked Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen. While that level of full-frontal exposure often tends to be particularly uncomfortable experience for some actors, apparently, that was not so much the case for the star, as he explained to Entertainment Weekly in an interview about his role in HBO’s series continuation of the groundbreaking Alan Moore graphic novel:

I suppose we can add Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s liberating disrobing as an omnipotent vigilante to the list of ways he is an inspiration to others in his craft to remain fearless. However, fear would actually be a key to nailing his first major leading role.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Genuinely Feared The Candyman As A Child

In his second collaboration with writer and producer Jordan Peele following a smaller role in 2019’s Us, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays the protagonist of Candyman, which is described as a spiritual sequel to the 1992 cult favorite from creator Clive Barker, and is scheduled to come out in 2021 following release set backs related to Covid-19. The actor spoke to Total Film (via Magzter) about never actually seeing the original film, but believing the hook-handed supernatural killer (played by Tony Todd) to be a real curse to avoid in his childhood. In the same article, director Nia Dacosta and co-star Teyonah Harris also share their own stories of fearing what might happen if they said his name into a mirror five times, which only makes the concept of this urban legend even creepier.

What do you think? Are Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, his director, and leading lady trying to warn audiences of something real, or is this just what horror fans would consider some good PR? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the talented actor as his career continues skyrocket, as well as even more inside looks into the lives of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

Politics is a potentially dicey topic at the best of times, but it takes on an entirely new dimension for celebrities. By virtue of their public persona, an actor has a platform that would allow them to speak, and be heard, on topics that are important to them. Many choose to use that platform to do exactly that. However, Eddie Redmayne, who appears in the very politically charged Trial of the Chicago 7 admits that he generally avoids political topics because he's not sure that his celebrity platform isn't actually harmful to those causes.

Speaking with THR, Eddie Redmayne says that he finds it "challenging" to speak publicly on political topics because, while he has a more public platform than most, that same platform puts him in a position where he's not sure he's the best possible spokesman. And so, instead, he chooses to remain mostly quiet and advocate for the causes he cares about only to people he already knows. According to Redmayne...

It's a perspective that probably exists not only among some celebrities but also among a lot of people who aren't celebrities. We're all probably a little guilty of doing things that maybe aren't in perfect alignment with the causes we hold dear, and when you stop to think about it, that can really make you question yourself. How do you ask that other people reduce their carbon footprint if you know your own isn't that great? Eddie Redmayne himself doesn't necessarily have an answer to that, and so he has decided to remain silent even though, one can assume from his example, that climate change is a topic that he does find important.

Eddie Redmayne's next film certainly will be making a political statement. The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells the story of seven people who were charged with crimes following protests surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention. While the parallel between the film and the recent Black Lives Matter protests is impossible to miss, it was completely unintentional, as the film had been in development for years. Some of Eddie Redmayne's co-stars in the movie, Jeremy Strong and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, marched in those protests.

The Trial of the Chicago 7, the second directorial effort of Aaron Sorkin, is getting some solid reviews. The movie is opening for a limited theatrical run today and will arrive on Netflix on October 15.

Aaron Sorkin has been a Hollywood heavy hitter on the writing front ever since A Few Good Men came out in 1992, but in 2017, he finally made his directorial debut with the Jessica Chastain-led Molly’s Game… which he also wrote. Now Sorkin is soon delivering the second movie he both wrote and directed: The Trial of the Chicago 7, which will be available on Netflix.

For those unfamiliar with this movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on the real life story of seven defendants who were hit with various charges by the federal government related to anti-Vietnam War and counterculture protests that took place in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It boasts an all-star cast that includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella and Mark Rylance, among others.

So what’s the critical consensus on The Trial of the Chicago 7? Going off the reviews that have been published so far, overall, it looks like Aaron Sorkin has another solid movie on his hands, if not necessarily ranking as one of the best on his filmography.

Starting off, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell awarded The Trial of the Chicago 7 a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars in his review, calling it Aaron Sorkin’s welcome return to the “political-legal realm” that boasts an intelligent script and strongly showcases its entire ensemble, all of which adds to this being one the year’s best movie’s in Sean’s eyes.

While Slashfilm’s Chris Evangelista wasn’t quite as enamored with The Trial of the Chicago 7 as Sean was, he still found it to be a generally decent viewing experience, giving it a 7.5 out of 10 score. Chris felt that the movie does boast strong performances and Aaron Sorkin does a good job with “creating the kind of punchy, snappy, rat-a-tat dialogue that good actors love to sink their teeth into,” but Sorkin’s directorial style leaves something to be desired.

Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly was also similarly positive towards The Trial of the Chicago 7, giving it a B grade. As a history lesson, Leah thought that Aaron Sorkin “plays more than a little fast and loose,” but some of the actors, like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Rylance, get some of the most “fiery material,” and in the end, the movie is able to frame “the past not just as entertaining prologue but a living document; one we ignore at our own peril.”

Collider’s Matt Godberg fell into more mixed territory with The Trial of the Chicago 7, presenting it with a B- grade. Matt noted that the Netflix movie almost plays like a “rebuke” of A Few Good Men, and while the performances and cinematography are strong, and the feature as a whole is entertaining, it doesn’t stick the landing when it comes to political and social commentary.

Finally, Brian Truitt from USA Today especially enjoyed The Trial of the Chicago 7, stamping it with 3.5 stars out of 4. Brian thought that there were some character development issues given how many players are involved in the story, but the movie nonetheless features some incredible acting, particularly when it came to the “courtroom and legal-eagle stuff.” Brian also said that Aaron Sorkin’s second directorial effort is a “more confident and well-executed affair” compared to Molly’s Game.

These are just some of the reviews out now for The Trial of the Chicago 7, so feel free to browse around the interwebs to learn what other critics thought about the movie.You can judge The Trial of the Chicago 7 for yourself once it’s available to the public on Netflix October 16. Feel free to pair it with another Netflix original movie that come out this week, Enola Holmes, which stars Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter.

As for what’s supposed to be hitting theaters in the near future, you can find that information in our 2020 release schedule and 2021 release schedule.

A top-tier Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama. Really, what else do I have to write in this review beyond that to convince you to check out The Trial of the Chicago 7? Sure, I can bloviate about Sorkin’s razor-sharp dialogue, his inspired casting (Sacha Baron Cohen as Flower Power provocateur Abbie Hoffman is a masterful stroke), and his uncanny ability to connect the dots from historical occurrences to our jarring contemporary headlines.

But the main reason to watch The Trial of the Chicago 7 is because it returns Aaron Sorkin to the political-legal realm where he has soared in exercises such as The West Wing, The American President, Charlie Wilson’s War and his masterpiece, A Few Good Men. By recounting the lopsided prosecution of the Chicago 7 (plus Black Panther president Bobby Seale), Sorkin comments on our current divisions – political, social and racial. It’s slick, well-assembled Hollywood entertainment that should entertain as it educates, and hopefully infuriates, its audiences.

Aaron Sorkin’s Trial of the Chicago 7 script unfolds like a melodic symphony of words and ideas.

Again, hardly a groundbreaking statement. Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin arguably is our strongest working screenwriter, no matter the genre he’s choosing to tackle. And he’s masterful at connecting the dots in an historical narrative that retells an important story – the invention of Facebook, the rise of Steve Jobs – from opposing points of view.

In 1968, leaders from various social and political parties converged on Chicago to make their voices and views heard during the run up to the Democratic National Convention. Following a series of violent confrontations that pit area police officers against protestors, eight men were arrested and charged with inciting riots, though the opposition they faced came more from a government establishment being bombarded on all sides by anti-Vietnam sentiment.

Sorkin finds fertile ground to till in explaining how the Chicago Eight ended up on trial. Hippie anarchists Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) got off on pushing the buttons of the D.C. elite. Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) subscribed to the ideals of the anti-war movement, while also believing Hoffman’s laissez-faire attitude did more harm than good for their cause. And Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) resents the fact that he’s only part of the trial so that the controversial Black Panthers can be prosecuted, which leads to unexpected fireworks.

You might need a scorecard to keep everyone straight until The Trial of the Chicago 7 settles into its groove, because Sorkin doesn’t pause to fill in gaps with arbitrary dialogue setting scenes. The kinetic energy created by his intelligent script carries you along until you grasp the big picture, while a repeat viewing allows you to burrow in and find the nuance that’s present for scholars of history and politics.

Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Aaron Sorkin’s full cast play their roles to perfection.

Sorkin’s scripts hardly struggle to lure A-list talent. Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) and the powerhouse duo of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson (A Few Good Men) all have done some of their best work reading Sorkin’s lines. The Trial cast isn’t loaded with marquee names, but the actors chosen fit beautifully into the script’s needs, even if they’re only needed for a brief cameo or significant transition sequence.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 showcases the entire ensemble. Cohen and Strong get to play fast and loose, in comparison to Redmayne’s conservative and book-smart approach, but every portrayal is important to the larger narrative. Bobby Seale’s plight comes off as the most dangerous, as he stares down Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) with no legal representation. And both sides of the judicial argument are expertly represented by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mark Rylance, personifying the parties they’re asked to represent with distinct visual cues and conclusions about the respect the court system deserves.

There’s one slight nitpick on an otherwise ideal The Trial of the Chicago 7.

And that’s the fact that Sorkin chose to direct his brilliant screenplay himself. He’s definitely improving as a filmmaker, moving to the substantially better Trial after the uneven Molly’s Game. And I eagerly anticipate where Sorkin might be as a director in, say, a decade. His work here is efficient. The package is glossy and polished, though the sheen doesn’t distract from the underlying message.

But just as Sorkin’s script attract top acting talent, they also positively hum when he allows genius filmmakers to apply their detached filters to the screenwriter’s material. Think of David Fincher layering an arrogant chill on The Social Network, or Danny Boyle choosing to film the different eras of Steve Jobs’ ascension in varying aspect ratios and competing film stocks. Would a different director have applied auteuristic flair to Sorkin’s masterful Chicago 7 script? Undoubtedly. So while I understand that Sorkin can only improve as a director by directing, I lament ever so briefly the true level of wizardry this already fantastic film might have achieved with that nudge from a generational talent.

Still, not enough of a knock to prevent The Trial of the Chicago 7 from getting a perfect grade from me. It’s one of this year’s very best films.

Something strange is falling over the land, though it isn’t anything to be afraid of. It’s just the season of witches, ghosts, and goblins arriving as per usual, thanks to October 2020 darkening your calendar’s doorstep. Naturally, with a new month comes some new offerings from the folks at Netflix, with the scary and supernatural represented alongside the serious and silly films that come from other genres. If you want to see what September 2020 brought with its own crop of originals and old favorites, you can head over to last month’s Netflix rundown below. Otherwise, let’s get on with the festivities, as the autumnal chill is about to hit with October 2020!

Week of October 1

Bom Dia, Verônica / Good Morning, Verônica - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/1/20

Carmen Sandiego: Season 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/1/20

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/1/20

Pasal Kau / All Because of You - NETFLIX FILM – 10/1/20

The Worst Witch: Season 4 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/1/20

A.M.I. – 10/1/20

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls – 10/1/20

Along Came a Spider – 10/1/20

Bakugan: Armored Alliance: Season 2 – 10/1/20

Basic Instinct – 10/1/20

Black '47 – 10/1/20

Cape Fear – 10/1/20

Code Lyoko: Seasons 1-4 – 10/1/20

The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) – 10/1/20

Employee of the Month – 10/1/20

Enemy at the Gates – 10/1/20

Evil: Season 1 – 10/1/20

Familiar Wife: Season 1 – 10/1/20

Fargo – 10/1/20

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma: The Second Plate – 10/1/20

Free State of Jones – 10/1/20

Ghost Rider – 10/1/20

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past – 10/1/20

Gran Torino – 10/1/20

Her – 10/1/20

House of 1,000 Corpses – 10/1/20

Human Nature – 10/1/20

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – 10/1/20

I'm Leaving Now – 10/1/20

The Longest Yard (1974) – 10/1/20

The Parkers: Seasons 1-5 – 10/1/20

The Pirates! Band of Misfits – 10/1/20

Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire – 10/1/20

The Prince & Me – 10/1/20

Poseidon (2006) – 10/1/20

The Outpost – 10/1/20

Stranger than Fiction – 10/1/20

Superman Returns – 10/1/20

Sword Art Online: Alicization – 10/1/20

Troy – 10/1/20

The Unicorn: Season 1 – 10/1/20

WarGames – 10/1/20

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – 10/1/20

Yogi Bear – 10/1/20

You Cannot Hide: Season 1 – 10/1/20

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/2/20

Ahí te encargo / You’ve Got This - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

The Binding - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Dick Johnson Is Dead - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/2/20

Emily in Paris - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/2/20

Òlòt?ré - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Serious Men - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Song Exploder - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/2/20

Vampires vs. the Bronx - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Week of October 4

Colombiana – 10/4/20

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY– 10/4/20

Dolly Parton: Here I Am – 10/6/20

Saturday Church – 10/6/20

StarBeam: Halloween Hero - NETFLIX FAMILY– 10/6/20

Walk Away from Love – 10/6/20

Hubie Halloween - NETFLIX FILM – 10/7/20

Schitt's Creek: Season 6 – 10/7/20

To the Lake - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/7/20

Deaf U - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/9/20

Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 2: Rio - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/9/20

The Forty-Year-Old Version - NETFLIX FILM – 10/9/20

Ginny Weds Sunny - NETFLIX FILM – 10/9/20

The Haunting of Bly Manor - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/9/20

Super Monsters: Dia de los Monsters - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/9/20

Week of October 11

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: Season 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/11/20

The Cabin with Bert Kreischer - NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL– 10/13/20

Octonauts & the Great Barrier Reef - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/13/20

Alice Junior – 10/14/20

BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/14/20

Moneyball – 10/14/20

A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting - NETFLIX FILM – 10/15/20

Batman: The Killing Joke – 10/15/20

Half & Half: Seasons 1-4 – 10/15/20

Love Like the Falling Rain - NETFLIX FILM – 10/15/20

One on One: Seasons 1-5 – 10/15/20

Power Rangers Beast Morphers: Season 2, Part 1 – 10/15/20

Rooting for Roona - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/15/20

Social Distance - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/15/20

Alguien tiene que morir / Someone Has to Die - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

Dream Home Makeover - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

Grand Army - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

In a Valley of Violence – 10/16/20

La Révolution - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

The Last Kids on Earth: Book 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/16/20

The Trial of the Chicago 7 - NETFLIX FILM – 10/16/20

Unfriended – 10/16/20

Week of October 18

ParaNorman – 10/18/20

Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2 - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/19/20

Carol – 10/20/20

The Magic School Bus Rides Again The Frizz Connection - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/20/20

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/21/20

Rebecca - NETFLIX FILM – 10/21/20

Bending the Arc – 10/22/20

Cadaver - NETFLIX FILM – 10/22/20

The Hummingbird Project – 10/22/20

Yes, God, Yes – 10/22/20

Barbarians - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Move - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Over the Moon - NETFLIX FILM – 10/23/20

Perdida - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

The Queen's Gambit - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Week of October 25

Blood of Zeus - NETFLIX ANIME – 10/27/20

Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt: Season 4 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/27/20

Vilas: Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada / Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/27/20

Holidate - NETFLIX FILM – 10/28/20

Metallica Through The Never – 10/28/20

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight - NETFLIX FILM – 10/28/20

Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY– 10/28/20

Bronx - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

The Day of the Lord - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

His House - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

Somebody Feed Phil: Season 4 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/30/20

Suburra: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/30/20

October TBD

ARASHI's Diary - Voyage - Ep 13 & 14 - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

Brave Blue World

Start-Up - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Netflix’s Movie Highlights For October 2020

While it’s not the bad movie that Adam Sandler promised he’d make after Uncut Gems’ unfortunate Oscar shut out, there’s still a playful energy to be had with The Sandman’s latest film, Hubie Halloween.As Sandler’s Hubie DuBois prepares to save the town of Salem, Massachusetts with his eccentric energy, a serious threat is starting to make Hubie look like the hero he’s always wanted to be. Though should you want your spooky season offering of choice to be more romantic and sinister, Ben Wheatley’s remake of Rebecca dresses up a classic tale of love and the ghosts of the past. Lily James and Armie Hammer bring Daphne du Maurier’s mysterious couple to life in a more modern context, and their performances look as gorgeous as James and Hammer’s period appropriate threads.

Last, but not least, Aaron Sorkin’s dramatic biopic, The Trial of the Chicago 7, finally makes its way into the world. After seeing itself change hands through helmers like Steven Spielberg and Paul Greengrass over the course of more than a decade, Sorkin finally landed the director’s chair on his own script. Depicting the trial of seven activists accused of trying to incite riots outside of 1968’s Democratic convention, this incendiary Netflix original boasts a cast that includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; among others.

Netflix’s TV Highlights For October 2020

While Hubie Halloween is a pretty big deal for some, to other Netflix subscribers that’s not exactly the sort of thrills that spooky season promises. No worries, as creator Mike Flanagan has followed up his terrifying but heartbreaking series The Haunting of Hill House with another adaptation of an old classic. The Haunting of Bly Manor takes Henry James novella, The Turning of the Screw, and for the second time this year puts a more modernized spin on its story of a governess who’s hired to watch after a pair of children in a palatial manor. Oh, and there’s also ghosts, for those of you who don’t think babysitting is horrific enough.

However, if you're looking for something uplifting and hysterical, a double threat is headed to your Netflix queue in October 2020! For those who hunger for adventure, and love the kind-hearted enthusiasm that Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal exudes, the fourth season of Somebody Feed Phil will be here to take you on the vacations you wish you could go on, with the foods that'll make your mouth water. If you like your comedy delivered in the format of an award-winning sitcom, this year's Emmy darling Schitt’s Creek takes its last bow, with the sixth and final season headed to the Netflix lineup. Brace yourselves, because it's been heard on good authority that you will cry by the end of this show's run.

Whether you want to hide under the blankets, or laugh out loud into the crisp fall air, Netflix is here to bring both sides of October to your television! Keep in mind, all titles are subject to availability and change. So if something seems to have moved, you might want to check back here and see what the schedule has to say about that. It’s hard to believe it, but the countdown to November 2020 is about to start soon. So we’ll see you back here around this time next month, when leaves won’t be the only thing we’re raking through.

The streaming war has really heated up over the past few years, as various services compete for supremacy. Netflix has been putting out a ton of original movie content, in addition to their myriad TV series. Plenty of filmmaker have made their way to streaming, including the legendary Aaron Sorkin and his new legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. And Sorkin brought an A+ cast to bring the real-life story to life on film.

Aaaron Sorkin was preparing to film The Trial of the Chicago 7 back in 2007, which eventually fell through due to the writer's strike and Steven Spielberg dropped out as director. Sorkin is directing and wrote the new Netflix movie, which features familiar faces like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, and Michael Keaton. You can check out the trailer for the new drama below.

Aaron Sorkin is the master of legal dramas, and it looks like he's back in the groove for The Trial of the Chicago 7. The story itself is real, and will no doubt make for an even more visceral moviegoing experience when it hits Netflix in just days. And in the process the streaming service further proves itself as as force in the film world.

The trailer for The Trial of the Chicago 7 quickly establishes the movie's setting: 1969 America in the midst of the Vietnam War. It's a time that notoriously divided the country, with protests against the war happening with our continued involvement overseas. We see the tension rising immediately in the footage, as Eddie Redmayne's Tom Hayden organizes protests during in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention.

We're also quickly introduced to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character Richard Schultz, who is ultimately tasked with prosecuting the titular group of activists who were on trial. We watch as armed officers clash with protestors, and ultimately eight people are arrested over allegations of enticing a riot. Yes there are actually eight characters, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Bobby Seale being the outlier.

Fresh off of his Emmy win for Watchmen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a ton of exciting projects coming down the line. The Trial of the Chicago 7 saw him collaborate with Aaron Sorkin, with Abdul-Mateen no doubt thrilled to wrap his lips around the writer's signature dialogue. He's playing Black Panther Party co-creator Bobby Seale, who was notoriously tied and gagged for speaking up during the trial.

Throughout the the trailer for The Trial of the Chicago 7 some of the twists and turns of the legal proceedings are teased. Jurors are removed and Frank Langella's Judge Julius Hoffman puts up various road blocks along the way including Bobby Seale not having legal representation. The details of this real-life trial are infamous, which is no doubt what interested Aaaron Sorkin.

Rounding out the cast are plenty of familiar faces including Sasha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Skins actor Daniel Flaherty, and American Horror Story favorite John Carroll Lynch. Additionally, the great Michael Keaton is playing lawyer Ramsey Clark and Succession's Jeremy Strong is portraying activist Jerry Rubin.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 will be released September 25th on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Thanks to the typical season-long awards race, the fall is generally the home for the year's most prestigious films, and in recent years Netflix has become a major player in that race with films like Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story, and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. That trend is continuing this year with the release of Aaron Sorkin's The Trial Of The Chicago 7, and based on the trailer that has just been released, it looks like it is going to be a seriously intense ride through a tension-fraught period of American history. Check it out below!

Being one of the most well-respected filmmakers in Hollywood, Aaron Sorkin has never had a problem getting talented actors to be a part of his projects, but this film features what is perhaps his best ensemble to date. There are so many awesome actors in this thing that they don't even all appear in this trailer! You likely spotted Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but this is a cast that also includes Michael Keaton, William Hurt, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Rory Cochrane, Frank Langella, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and more.

Set in the late 1960s and featuring a very on the nose title, the film's story centers on the trial of the Chicago Seven – a group of counterculture activists whom the federal government tried to charge with conspiracy following a riot that took place during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film was originally going to be released by Paramount, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the studio sold the distribution rights to Netflix, and now the movie is one of their big releases for the fall season.

This is a film that has been in development for an excessively long time, and thus its pretty amazing to actually see this footage finally arrive. Aaron Sorkin initially wrote the screenplay for The Trial Of The Chicago 7 back in 2007 (so we're talking pre-Social Network and Moneyball), and the original plan was for Steven Spielberg to direct it. Unfortunately, the development of the film also happened to coincide with the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, which led to Spielberg dropping out. Then there was a time when Paul Greengrass was attached to make it, but that relationship lasted all of two months. The silver lining is that Sorkin gained some feature directorial experience in the years while the project sat on a shelf, and it was in 2018 that plans were announced for him to direct it himself.

The Netflix-released feature is just the second that Aaron Sorkin has directed, having made his debut in the big chair with Molly's Game back in 2017. The movie didn't exactly light the box office on fire, but it earned positive reviews and Sorkin's script was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Oscars. To echo the sentiment above, after seeing the trailer for The Trial Of The Chicago 7 it would be none to surprising to see the film earn the filmmaker his fourth nomination at the big show... and possibly even take home a trophy for the second time (his first win being for The Social Network).

Originally the plan was for The Trial Of The Chicago 7 to be released on September 25, but the deal between Paramount and Netflix resulted in the release being pushed a few weeks. Now it is set up so that subscribers to the streaming service will have access to the film starting on October 16 – and given how much anticipation is surrounding the release, you can be sure that we'll have more coverage of the movie coming your way between now and its arrival online.

There was a time when the distinction between theatrical releases and original movies on streaming was clear. These days, with the outbreak of COVID-19 keeping the theater experience almost entirely out of reach, some audiences are looking forward the release of the most anticipated movies on demand more than the re-opening of their local megaplex. The live action update of Mulan is just one film that has recently fallen under that umbrella.

To look on the bright side, some of these films will still have the chance to grace the silver screen, such as the simultaneous release of Bill & Ted Face the Music on VOD and in a limited theatrical run, and a few, including Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, were already set for an exclusive release on streaming anyway. Plus, the option of home viewing is an effective treatment to keep the swelling of anticipation down.

While we still have mad respect for those in the United States who will gladly wait as long as necessary to see Tenet the way Christopher Nolan intended, we also sympathize with those who enjoy the convenience of watching movies from the comfort and safety of their own homes. With that in mind, we present these films we can look forward to streaming or renting on demand, as well as some that are already available now.

Mulan (Disney+ Premium Rental)

Yifei Liu plays the title character of Mulan, Disney's live action remake of their 1998 animated classic about a young woman from who poses as a male warrior in Ancient China, which will premiere on Disney+, for the price of $29.99, on Friday, September 4, 2020.

Bill & Ted Face The Music (Video On Demand)

The third installment of the hilarious fantasy franchise, Bill & Ted Face the Music, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as slackers destined for greatness now middle-aged, will debut both in a limited theatrical run and on demand Friday, August 28, 2020.

Antebellum (Video On Demand)

A best-selling author (singer Janelle Monáe in her first lead role) is abducted into a life of stolen emancipation in Antebellum, the feature-length debut thriller from co-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, set for VOD release Friday, September 18, 2020.

Enola Holmes (Netflix)

Based on the book series by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes stars Millie Bobby Brown as the teenage sister of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary British detective (Henry Cavill) and premieres exclusively on Netflix in September 2020.

The One And Only Ivan (Disney+)

Dropping on Disney+ Friday, August 21, 2020, is The One and Only Ivan, a live action film in which Sam Rockwell provides the voice of the titular CGI gorilla who longs to see the jungle after spending most of his life in captivity.

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things (Netflix)

Acclaimed writer and director Charlie Kaufman's adaptation of Ian Reid's novel I'm Thinking of Ending Things stars Jessie Buckley as a woman who begins to question her relationship with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) on a trip to visit his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) in this unique Netflix original thriller debuting Friday, September 4, 2020.

Phineas And Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe (Disney+)

In Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, premiering Friday, August 28, 2020, on Disney+, the inventive stepbrothers' (Vincent Martella and David Errigo Jr.) return with a new activity for the day: saving their older sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale) from aliens.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Netflix)

Writer and director Aaron Sorkin's retelling of The Trial of the Chicago 7, revolving around the aftermath of a violent revolt at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, premiers Friday, October 16, 2020, on Netflix.

Run (Hulu)

Recently acquired for distribution by Hulu, Run stars Kiera Allen as a homeschooled teenage girl who discovers a shocking secret kept from her by her mother (Sarah Paulson) in this horror thriller which has yet to get a release date.

Run Sweetheart Run (Amazon Prime)

Speaking of running, Run Sweetheart Run is another thriller acquired for streaming (in this case Amazon Prime) with a currently unspecified release date that follows a woman's (Ella Balinska) struggle to ditch a truly disastrous blind date (Pilou Asbæk).

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run (CBS All Access)

Rounding out our unintentional running theme of films with "run" in the title is the third feature-length adventure starring everyone's favorite animated sea sponge, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which is transitioning to an exclusive release on CBS All Access in the US sometime in early 2021.

Black Beauty (Disney+)

Also scheduled for an unspecified release, but in 2020, is a new of Anna Sewell's novel Black Beauty, starring Kate Winslet as the voice of the titular horse, which has been acquired by Disney+.

Now Available On Video On Demand And Streaming

The following movies have already released on VOD or streaming.

The Lovebirds (Netflix)

Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play a couple whose lives, and romance, are threatened by a night of violence, murder, and mystery in The Lovebirds, a Netflix exclusive originally scheduled for an April 3, 2020, theatrical release from Paramount.

Trolls World Tour (Video On Demand)

Also intended for theatrical distribution in April 2020 was Trolls World Tour, the musical sequel to the 2016 animated adaptation of a children's toy starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, which did maintain its original scheduled date of April 10, but as a video on demand release.

Scoob! (HBO Max)

Another spring movie released on demand, and now available to stream on HBO Max, that is perfect for the whole family is Scoob!, a computer animated reboot of the adventures of Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma, and, of course, Scooby-Doo.

The King Of Staten Island (VOD)

A VOD release less suitable for children is The King of Staten Island, starring Pete Davidson as a fictionalized version of himself coming to grips with life years after his fireman father's death on 9/11 in this film that is funnier than it sounds which he co-wrote with Dave Sirus and director Judd Apatow.

Greyhound (Apple TV+)

Tom Hanks is the writer and star of Greyhound, an adaptation of C.S. Forester's World War-II era novel The Good Shepherd about an allied Navy convoy fighting for their lives, which debuted exclusively on Apple TV+ Friday, July 10, 2020.

My Spy (Amazon Prime)

In the tradition of Burt Reynolds in Cop and a Half and Vin Diesel in The Pacifier, Dave Bautista plays a tough CIA agent who must play babysitter to a 9-year-old girl (Chloe Coleman) to avoid his blowing his cover in My Spy, now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Palm Springs (Hulu)

Trust me when I say that the less you know about Palm Springs, Hulu's jovial rom-com with an engaging, fantastic twist starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, the better.

Hamilton (Disney+)

For those who cannot afford a Broadway ticket, now all it takes to see Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning history lesson in rhyme, is Disney+ subscription.

The Old Guard (Netflix)

For those who would love to see an eternity of Charlize Theron kicking butt, Netflix's action-packed adaptation of the Image Comic The Old Guard, which follows a squad of immortal mercenaries, just might do the trick.

Host (Shudder)

Conceived and shot during the COVID-19 lockdown, Host depicts a group of friends' disastrous attempt to contact the dead over a Zoom meeting and is a rare kind of horror film I would highly recommend streaming on Shudder directly from your computer for a more authentic experience.

Project Power (Netflix)

A New Orleans police officer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young street dealer (Dominique Fishback), and a war veteran (Jamie Foxx) take on the distributors of a pill that makes temporary superheroes out of its users in Project Power, a Netflix original from the directors of Catfish.

Magic Camp (Disney+)

In Magic Camp, a Disney+ exclusive comedy that arrived on the platform on August 14, Adam Devine plays a down-and-out illusionist who returns to the camp from which he learned his earliest as a counselor for new generation of aspiring magicians.

What films are you looking forward to stream or rent the most? What is your favorite film released on streaming or VOD so far this year? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates about upcoming movies to be released on streaming or on demand, as well as our own recommendations of movies and TV shows already available, here on CinemaBlend.

If DreamWorks still plans to make The Trial of the Chicago 7, it’s going to have to do it without Paul Greengrass at the helm.

Variety reports that the Bourne director and the studio “have decided to part ways after being unable to agree on a budget” for the period piece, which would focus on the riots caused by activists during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Illinois. The man accused included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. They were charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to protests.

Part of the reason Variety says that the budget was ballooning close to $40 million – as opposed to the $30 million mark the studio sought – is because Greengrass wanted to accurately stage the riots, a costly proposition for whomever takes over the production. Someone will be plugged in soon, though, as DreamWorks remains very high on the screenplay submitted by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network). Scott Rudin is on hand to produce. What are the chances thney would be able to lure David Fincher into their corner, seeing as how the trio collaborated on Social Network an Fincher is between projects (with several irons in the fire)?

Greengrass, meanwhile, is in an enviable spot. His latest film, Captain Phillips, is generating serious heat thanks to his direction and Tom Hanks’ portrayal of an actual commanding officer whose whip is commandeered by Somali pirates. Have you seen the latest trailer?

Variety notes that Greengrass will be quick to locate his next project. Is this the open door that he and Matt Damon want to be able to return to the Bourne franchise for Universal? Because that theory was floated, and then shot down. to me, it kind of sounds like a no-brainer. Greengrass is free now. He and Damon have talked about doing more Bourne stories, and the idea of Damon teaming with Jeremy Renner had potential. Let’s make that happen, people!

As for the Chicago 7, a narrative recreation of those tumultuous political events seems ripe for the picking. But if you want a history lesson on the material Sorkin mined, this Court TV documentary from 1999 can fill in the gaps while you wait to see whom DreamWorks plugs into the hole left vacant by the departing Greengrass.

Paul Greengrass, who's preparing to tug at our heartstrings with this fall's Captain Phillips, will take on yet another huge true story-- but this one with much trickier politics behind it. According to The Hollywood Reporter Greengrass is in final talks to direct The Trial of the Chicago 7, based on the true story of the riots that surrounded the Democratic National Convention in 1968, adapted into a script by none other than Aaron Sorkin.

When the film first started moving way back in 2007, Sorkin was still recovering from the flop of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and was looking toward the winter release of Charlie Wilson's War to turn his fate around (that didn't work out so well-- but The Social Network would pull it off a few years later). At the time Steven Spielberg was actually eyeing the directing job on the Chicago 7 script, and started rustling up a high-profile cast that included Will Smith, Taye Diggs, Adam Arkin, Kevin Spacey and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Then development halted and later that year Greengrass's name was attached to the film, before it fell off the map entirely and Greengrass moved on to make Green Zone and eventually Captain Phillips.

Now Greengrass has looped back around and picked the film back up after all, with DreamWorks funding the film and Disney planning to distribute. There's no word on when production would begin, but after Captain Phillips opens this fall Greengrass has a few other items competing for attention on his schedule. Last month he seemed ready to start production on the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination drama Memphis, for which Forest Whitaker was eyeing the lead role. He had trouble securing financing for the project, though, so it's possible he might prefer Chicago 7 as a sure thing. At one point he was also eyeing a crime thriller with George Clooney attached to produce and star, but given how busy that guy stays, it would be no surprise if it had fallen apart.

The story of the Chicago 7 is one of the most complicated and consistently captivating of the 1960s protest movement, and has already been turned into documentary and, apparently, a Netflix streamable movie starring Mayim Bialik and Gary Cole. The group, which included Yippie founder Abbie Hoffman, was tried for helping to organize the riots that surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention, protesting the Vietnam War. The actual number of people changes from time to time-- seven people went on trial together, while an eighth, Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale, was "severed" from the case after being disruptive in court; the documentary Chicago 10 took its title from a quote from Jerry Rubin: "Anyone who calls us the Chicago Seven is a racist. Because you're discrediting Bobby Seale. You can call us the Chicago Eight, but really we're the Chicago Ten, because our two lawyers went down with us." Will Sorkin pay attention to that and change it to 8? Given how much flak he gets on a weekly basis for the politics of The Newsroom, we're guessing he's long since developed a thick enough skin to ignore pretty much any complaint.