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Well, you did it. Over the last year-plus of pandemic living, as you got more and more desperate for stimulation, you gradually caved and subscribed to every possible streaming service. Somehow, these monthly fees actually do add up, but while you’re busy being too lazy to cancel any of them, you might as well make the most of your plethora of options. The only problem is, sometimes getting to the good sh*t on these streaming libraries takes way more effort than it seems like it should. To kickstart your viewing, I’ve made this list of the best (read: my favorite) movies currently available on seven of the top streaming services. Go!
Netflix – ‘Lady Bird’
These days, I mostly just use Netflix to watch the same three seasons of Grey’s Anatomy (I miss George, sue me), but they still have a solid movie selection if you do a little digging. Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig’s hilarious-yet-painful coming of age story, is an evergreen rewatch option, and I’m honestly thinking about watching it right now before I write the rest of this article.
Hulu – ‘Nomadland’
Somehow it’s only been two months since the Oscars, but we all know time isn’t real. Nomadland won several top prizes during this year’s award season, but if you weren’t in a movie mood at the time, you may have missed it. Well, it’s streaming on Hulu, and it really lives up to the hype. I’ll warn you, the beautiful Southwestern scenery will probably make you want to plan a trip, but now that you’re all vaxxed up, you actually can!
HBO Max – ‘In The Heights’
One of my favorite movies of the year so far, In The Heights is probably best seen in theaters, but if you’re feeling lazy, it’s also available to stream on HBO Max. In The Heights is the musical that put Lin-Manuel Miranda on the map, so if you or a loved one won’t shut up about Hamilton, this is an absolute must-see. Hot take: personally, I prefer In The Heights over Hamilton, but you can decide for yourself after watching.
Amazon Prime – ‘Sound of Metal’
Like Nomadland, Sound of Metal is a 2020 award season favorite that you can stream right now. Riz Ahmed is incredible in this movie about a drummer who struggles to figure out how to live his life after losing his hearing. It sounds super depressing, and I guess it kind of is, but in a good way?
Peacock – ‘Jurassic Park’
Even if you’re the kind of person who rolls your eyes at big blockbuster movies, there’s no denying that the original Jurassic Park is a classic. This movie has everything: giant dinosaurs, a sweeping score and scenery, and Laura Dern! I dare you not to enjoy it. Peacock also has the second and third movies, which are not nearly as good, but sometimes you just need to watch all three.
Paramount+ – ‘Spontaneous’
Paramount+ has only been around for a few months, but the service has a lot more to offer than just reboots of iCarly and Rugrats. They’re adding a lot of great movies from the Paramount catalog, and one of my personal favorites is Spontaneous. It has many of the trappings of your typical high school rom-com, but things get real very quickly when members of the senior class start spontaneously combusting. It sounds dumb, but it works, I promise.
Disney+ – ‘Hidden Figures’
With a wide assortment of classics from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, it’s usually not difficult to find something to watch on Disney+, but there are some surprising titles in the mix if you dig a little deeper. Like, who knew that Hidden Figures was on there? This true story about three Black women working as NASA mathematicians during the Space Race works for whatever mood you’re in, and whomever you’re watching with.
Images: Surface/Unsplash; Giphy (3); Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Movies / YouTube
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching (seriously, where did this year go), we can now finally say that holiday season is here. Some of you may have been blasting Mariah Carey for a few weeks now, but for those of you who abide by some made-up guidelines about when you’re allowed to watch Christmas movies, I hereby give you permission to begin. Every year, there are dozens of new Lifetime, Hallmark, and Netflix holiday movies, so if that’s your thing, go off—but I understand that mindless Christmas cheer isn’t for everyone. So I decided to go through all the major streaming services and choose the best holiday movies that are available this year, whether you’re trying to find something for family movie night or just getting drunk in bed by yourself.
Now, before you yell at me in the comments, let me clarify that “best” is relative, and I don’t mean these are all the highest-quality movies available. They’re all great options in different ways, just like we all have our favorite side dish at Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re about to DM me about how The Princess Switch is an objectively bad movie, I suggest you take an edible and let the spirit of Christmas take hold.
‘Knives Out’ – Prime Video
Many of the films on this list are Christmas-centric, but Knives Out feels more like a Thanksgiving movie. Okay, it’s not technically a holiday movie, but with wintry vibes and a large family all together for the first time in a while, it feels appropriate. Set at a New England mansion that will make you wish your fireplace worked, Knives Out is a thrilling murder mystery, with enough twists and turns that even your most annoying cousin at Thanksgiving won’t be able to complain that he’s bored.
‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ – Prime Video
You probably haven’t seen It’s A Wonderful Life unless your dad made you watch it every year growing up, but it’s actually pretty good. Thankfully, it’s streaming on Prime, so you won’t have to dig out the VHS tape this year—a Christmas miracle! In the movie, a guy who’s about to commit suicide on Christmas Eve is rescued by an angel who shows him how much of a difference he’s made in the world. Sounds bleak, but there’s a reason it’s been a Christmas classic for over 70 years.
‘Carol’ – Netflix
Does Carol meet the traditional definition of a holiday movie? Perhaps not, but it’s an excellent movie, and there are more than enough holiday moments for me to include it here. Cate Blanchett stars in this 1960s-set drama as a depressed housewife who has an affair with a younger woman who works at a department store, played by Rooney Mara. If you want to drink a whole bottle of wine and watch something holiday-adjacent but not like, jolly, this is a perfect choice.
‘Klaus’ – Netflix
A lot of Netflix’s holiday offerings are kind of cringe, but this animated Christmas movie from last year is adorable, creative, and was nominated for an Oscar. The voice cast includes favorites like Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones, and the main character is a postal worker, so we obviously stan. This is an ideal choice if you have younger kids around during the holidays, but also, you’re never too old for a good animated movie.
‘The Princess Switch’ – Netflix
Obviously, I didn’t want this list to be full of sh*tty direct-to-Netflix holiday movies, but I had to make one exception, and it’s The Princess Switch. This delightfully bad piece of cinema stars Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens as a regular woman and a princess who happen to look exactly alike. It’s ridiculous, and it’s perfect. And this week, Netflix is giving us a sequel! The Princess Switch: Switched Again stars Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens, AND Vanessa Hudgens, and as you can imagine, it looks absolutely bonkers. Sign me the f*ck up!!!
‘The Family Stone’ – HBO Max
There’s nothing like a holiday movie about a dysfunctional family to take your mind off your own dysfunctional family for a couple hours. Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton lead an all-star cast in this dramedy about spending Christmas with the in-laws. If your top holiday concern is making sure you don’t run out of alcohol at your parents’ house, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
‘Home Alone’ – Disney+
I don’t think I need to explain what Home Alone is about, but I wanted to make everyone aware that all three movies in the series are available to stream on Disney+. Considering Macaulay Culkin turned 40 this year (still not over it), this is the perfect holiday season to revisit this classic and think about how f*cking old you are. Too real? Sorry. If you’re going to watch all three movies, just make sure to fast-forward through Donald Trump’s cameo in the second one; no one needs to see that.
‘The Santa Clause’ – Disney+
The Santa Clause happens to be my family’s yearly Christmas movie rewatch of choice, so I have seen this more times than I can count. Tim Allen stars in this family comedy about a not-very-jolly guy who, through some wild circumstances, inherits the position of Santa Claus. If you haven’t seen it, I totally recommend—it’s one of those family movies that actually has a lot of adult humor, so you won’t feel like you’re watching something for people half your age. Also, the kid is super cute.
‘Last Christmas’ – Hulu
This 2019 rom-com stars Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding, so if for no other reason, you can watch it for the hotness factor. Emilia plays Kate, a 26-year-old hot mess who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop (bleak). She meets Tom (Henry Golding), who is (obviously, just look at him) a handsome charmer, and as the two fall in love, things start turning around for her. UNTIL the ~dramatic twist~ happens, which I won’t go into so I don’t spoil it. I’ll say that it’s very on-the-nose given the title, and you might hate it. That’s all I’ll say!
Images: Courtesy of Netflix; Giphy (4)
