Whether you think they are a “real” Hollywood studio or not, there’s no denying that Netflix has a bevy of award contenders this season. From inspiring documentaries to heartbreaking dramas, there is no shortage of great films that the streaming service will be promoting for contention. Although the exact category submissions are not yet known, these films could be major contenders for the streaming platform. If you want to know what films they will be promoting and when you can watch them, you’ve come to the right place.
7 Prisoners
Available to stream now
18-year-old Mateus (Christian Malheiros) takes up a job at a junkyard in São Paulo run by Luca (Rodrigo Santoro). Unfortunately, he realizes that the job that he and other boys at the junkyard have is eerily similar to modern-day slavery, leaving Mateus with a difficult question of whether the measly payments he receives are worth the pain inflicted upon him.
Army of the Dead
Available to stream now
This first entry in Zack Snyder’s post-DC venture centers around former zombie hunter Scott (Dave Bautista) being recruited for a dangerous mission by mysterious casino hunter, Bly (Hiroyuki Sanada). Along with a ragtag team that includes his estranged daughter, Kate (Ella Purnell), he must recover $200 million from a casino in the middle of zombie-infested Las Vegas.
Audible
Available to stream now
This documentary-short highlights star football player, Amaree McKenstry, who helps the Maryland School for the Deaf team grow an undefeated streak. After the loss of a friend, he and his teammates come together to prove that nothing can stand in their way.
Back to the Outback
Available to stream on December 10
Australia’s most dangerous creatures have had enough of people gawking at them through plexiglass windows. In retaliation, they’ve decided to break out of their zoo and, yes, back to the outback. However, these animals quickly realize that getting to their homeland is a lot more difficult than they ever anticipated.
Bruised
Available to stream now
A mixed martial artist, Jackie (Halle Berry), goes too far in a fight and is cast out of the sport she loves. Years later, and at the behest of her boyfriend, Desi (Adam Canto), she gets a chance to return through an underground fighting ring while her estranged son, Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.), comes back into her life.
Convergence: Courage in a Crisis
Available to stream
It’s difficult to define a hero. However, no matter where in the world you are during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve seen heroes at work. Medical workers, first responders, and everyday people are highlighted in this collaborative and universal documentary.
A Cop Movie
Available to stream
In a melding of documentary and narrative storytelling, actors, Mónica Del Carmen and Raúl Briones, become Teresa and Montoya, two cops following in their family’s footsteps. Through this transformation, they get a first-hand glimpse of life in the Mexican police force, as well as the dysfunctional and often corrupt inner workings of the system.
Don’t Look Up
In select theaters on November 24, available to stream on December 24
Astronomy grad student, Kate (Jennifer Lawrence), and her professor, Dr. Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), discover that a massive comet is on track to hit Earth in six months. If that wasn’t terrifying enough, the 24-hour media cycle and the fact that people are just tired of bad news is causing their warning to fall on deaf ears in this ensemble comedy from Adam McKay.
Fever Dream
Available to stream now
Young mother, Amanda (María Valverde), is on vacation with her daughter, Nina (Guillermina Sorribes Liotta) when she meets a mysterious young boy named David (Emilio Vodanovich) whose mother, Carola (Dolores Fonzi), describes him as a monster. As a nearby environmental crisis inches closer, Amanda and David have little choice but to trust each other in this psychological thriller based on the 2014 Argentinian novel by Samanta Schweblin.
Found
Available to stream now
In this gripping documentary, Lily Bolka, Chloe Lipitz, and Sadie Mangelsdorf all discover that they’re blood-related cousins after taking DNA tests. After connecting online, the trio travel to China in order to find the truth behind their American adoptions, all while figuring out their Chinese identity as adoptees in white families.
The Guilty
Available to stream now
911 dispatcher, Joe (Jake Gyllenhaal), has an unpredictable job, but one call he receives could change his entire life; a young woman named Emily (Riley Keough) calls Joe’s line to say she’s been abducted. However, the deeper he investigates Emily’s abduction, the more secrets around the case are brought to light in this thriller remake from Antonie Fuqua.
The Hand of God
Available to stream on December 15
Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) is a young man coming of age in 1980s Naples. He loves his close-knit family but wants to break free and live life on his own terms. Unfortunately, fate becomes twisted as a family tragedy rocks his world. Fabietto must then come to terms with his purpose and future, even when he doesn’t want it to.
The Harder They Fall
Available to stream now
Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) spends his days traveling the wild west who receives word that his enemy, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), has been released from prison. As he gathers a group of capable allies, Nat finds out that Rufus has a group of treacherous outlaws of his own.
The Lost Daughter
In select theaters on December 17, available to stream on December 31
In The Lost Daughter, Leda (Olivia Colman), a woman alone on a summer vacation, encounters young mother Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter, Leda. She finds herself reliving memories of her own experience in motherhood, one filled with mistakes and consequences in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Available to stream now
Young filmmaker, Katie (Abbi Jacobson), was recently accepted to film school, to the not-so-subtle ire of her technophobic father, Rick (Danny McBride). While the Mitchells are on their cross-country road trip to Katie’s new school, a nefarious AI ironically called PAL (Olivia Colman) has defected from its creators and has begun a mission to kidnap all humans, prompting the Mitchells to fight off against PAL’s robots while also rekindling their familial connections.
Passing
Available to stream now
Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, based on the novel by Nella Larsen, tells the story of two Black women in 1920s New York that can “pass” for white in the eyes of white people. However, Irene (Tessa Thompson) identifies more as a light-skinned Black woman, while her long-lost friend Clare (Ruth Negga) has integrated herself into white society. As the two reconnect, they are both forced to reckon with concepts of obsession and identity.
The Power of the Dog
Available to stream now
In this Jane Campion picture, Rancher Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) believes he can live his life above others, such as widow, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). After his brother, George (Jesse Plemons), falls in love with and marries Rose, Phil’s facade of tough masculinity begins to crack, especially as he vows to take Peter under his wing.
Pray Away
Available to stream now
Conversion therapy organization, Exodus International, was founded on the belief that LGBT individuals can become straight through prayer and intervention. However, many of the people who founded and popularized the organization admitted that their own “urges” never truly went away. Pray Away is a documentary that chronicles the many sides of the so-called “ex-gay” movement that still struggle with its damaging effects.
Prayers for the Stolen
Available to stream now
Three friends in Guerrero meet together in a special hideout, far away from the drug and human trafficking rings dominating their town. Rita (Mayra Batalla), Luz (Norma Pablo), and Zulma (Olivia Lagunas) try their best to come of age in their increasingly perilous situation, but when one of these friends goes missing without a trace, a rippling effect is left in her wake.
Procession
Available to stream now
The lives of six men were forever altered when they suffered abuse at the hands of Catholic priests. Years later, they come together to direct short films based on their experiences as a form of drama therapy in this documentary. Despite the terrors of reliving the past, the men slowly begin to find solace in reclaiming their stories.