For many years now, December has been the month when we would meet the films expected to be in the race for the incoming Oscars. Here are some of the candidates, one or two titles that might come as guilty pleasures, but also something that we could watch in February, on Valentine’s Day.

The Dig (r. Simon Stone)

There’s a special kind of charm about films with ordinary people who, in spite of all the obstacles that might appear on their path, keep with their own agenda and bring some light on the unknown. Such is the case with The Dig, a film with Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James about an archaeologist (Fiennes) who’s determined to conduct a dig of what he believes to be an important historical site near the British town of Woodbridge. Everyone tells him that his initiative is doomed to failure, but a little patience might be best… what’s left to say is that a special collection at the British Museum shows who was right in the end. The film premieres on Netflix on January 29.

The Marksman (r. Robert Lorenz)

Liam Neeson, who seems determined to step into Clint Eastwood’s shoes, recently stated that “there’s a couple of fights left in him”, now at almost 70 years old. Yes, The Marksman seems to make use of all the typical features of the action film with grumpy protagonists forced by circumstances to go up against some criminals, but sometimes we really need to be reminded that inaction can be the most toxic decision. Neeson is Jim, an Arizona farmer who takes Miguel under his wing, a Mexican teenager hunted by the members of a drug cartel. Oh, and Jim was a sniper in the US military … We don’t know when and how we’ll see the movie in Romania.

Wonder Woman 1984 (r. Patty Jenkins)

Postponed for several times now, this DC sequel has released teasers and trailers by the hour and we decided to include the latest one in our list just because Wonder Woman 1984 will be the first Warner Bros. movie that will be released on HBO Max, as part of a drastic change in strategy regarding the future release of American blockbusters. As HBO Max will be available in Romania only in the second half of 2021, the local fans of the franchise will probably turn to inventive methods to watch the movie right after its global release.

Lupin (serial Netflix)

Few are the cases that could match or overcome the success story of Omar Sy, the French actor turned into a global star after his performance in the French mega hit The Intouchables (19.2 million viewers in France alone). And there are few literary heroes who have got a grip on so many generations of teenagers like Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin. Netflix France conveys Lupin’s spirit into our times, by bringing Sy on the screen as Assane, a man who sets his eyes on the Louvre Museum and what else if not da Vinci’s Mona Lisa … It premieres on January 8th.

Red Dot (r. Alain Darborg)

You take your pregnant girlfriend and you go in the middle of the frozen wilderness to enjoy the northern lights together, when suddenly an incandescent red dot appears on the outside of the tent … Who is on the other side of the sniper rifle and what are their intentions ? This Swedish film premieres on Netflix on February 11, intended probably for those couples who would rather go for some Netflix and chill, than drown into the sappy programs showing on TV, in movie theaters or on various streaming platforms on Valentine’s Day.

Equinox (miniserie Netflix)

We remain on Scandinavian territory with this Netflix miniseries about Astrid, a radio host who finds out in a live broadcast, during a phone call with an anonymous speaker, that there is new information related to a trauma from her past. The heroine’s reaction suggests that she would do anything to get closure after being haunted by this past event for the last two decades. Equinox premieres on Netflix on December 30.

Little Fish (r. Chad Hartigan)

This past year, I’ve watched and revisited a lot of movies depicting epidemics of all kinds, and Little Fish offers at least a unique approach: in this film by Chad Hartigan, humanity is haunted by a virus whose effect is the loss of memories. In this context, a young couple (played by Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell) is struggling to save the memories that define their relationship and past together. The American premiere is scheduled for February 5, 2021, but there is no news of its distribution in Romania yet.

Pieces of a Woman (r. Kornél Mundruczó)

Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó makes his English debut with this film released in the competition of the Venice Film Festival, where Vanessa Kirby won the Best Actress Award for her role in the drama. She plays Martha, a young woman who, together with her husband Sean (Shia LaBeouf, without a paper bag on his head here), is waiting to give birth to their first child. But the baby dies due to the negligence of the midwife hired to help with the birth, or at least that’s what Martha thinks. Pieces of a Woman – premiere on January 4, 2021 – increases Netflix’s chances on receiving a record number of Oscar nominations in 2021.

The Midnight Sky (r. George Clooney)

Directed by George Clooney, who also plays the lead role, The Midnight Sky will keep us company on Christmas, as the Netflix premiere is scheduled for December 23. The film’s premise – a group of astronauts (Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler) is looking forward to revealing an important discovery to humanity – becomes even more offering when we find out that no one is waiting for the heroes at home: the human race disappeared after a global catastrophe. Clooney plays Augustine, apparently the only survivor on the planet, who is ready to give his life to alert the astronauts of the immense danger that awaits them on Earth.