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Will the Golden Globes be good for once?
Plus: What to watch (and not to watch) on Netflix and other platforms
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I love awards season.
Seeing the year’s best films and shows get recognized by critics groups and awards bodies is a nice reminder that artistry still matters, and that not everything can be boiled down to “content.” (Reading this story about Netflix executives telling screenwriters to dumb down their scripts so viewers won’t get lost while looking at their phones has made me a little bit ornery this week, apologies.)
That has never been the forte of the Golden Globes
Since its inception, the Globes have felt like one big popularity contest, where a tiny and homogenous group of voters base their nominees on getting the most celebrities to attend the ceremony, regardless of the quality of their performances.
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That’s why I was shocked when the 2025 Golden Globe nominations were legitimately good.
There’s still a lot of representation for 2024 blockbusters like “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two,” as well as eye-catching names you won’t see nominated by most other awards bodies, notably “Baywatch” actress Pamela Anderson for her role in “The Last Showgirl.”
But there are also major nominations for “The Brutalist,” a 215-minute tour de force from little-known director Brady Corbet, and “Nickel Boys,” a film whose director RaMell Ross basically reinvents how to shoot a point-of-view drama.
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After purging its membership, going off the air, and recalibrating after a purchase by Penske Media, the Golden Globes may have found the perfect middle ground between nominating genuinely transgressive TV/movies and fan favorites sure to draw an audience.
This year is the hardest to predict in recent memory, but I’ll share my best guesses in the biggest categories below.
Movies
- Best Picture (Drama): “The Brutalist”
- Best Picture (Musical/Comedy): “Anora”
- Best Actor (Drama): Timothee Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
- Best Actress (Drama): Angelina Jolie, “Maria”
- Best Actor (Musical/Comedy): Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain”
- Best Actress (Musical/Comedy): Mikey Madison, “Anora”
TV
- Best Drama: “Shogun”
- Best Comedy: “Hacks”
- Best Actor (Drama): Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
- Best Actress (Drama): Anna Sawai, “Shogun”
- Best Actor (Comedy): Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
- Best Actress (Comedy): Jean Smart, “Hacks”
And for those playing catch-up, here’s where you can stream all of the 2025 Golden Globe nominees before the January 5 ceremony. (FYI: It’s airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m.)
Play or Skip
Add these new movies and shows to your watch list:
- “Juror #2” (One of my favorites of 2024, streaming on Max)
- “Conclave” (Another of 2024’s best, streaming on Peacock)
- “Dune: Part 2” (Newly added to Netflix!)
… but go ahead and skip these:
- “Squid Game” (Season 2 is missing the magic of the biggest Netflix show ever)
- “Missing You” (Yet another Harlan Coben show streaming on Netflix)
End credits
That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.
PS: If you come across a great movie or TV show, send me an email at [email protected]. I’m always looking for things to queue, and your recommendation could appear in a future edition of the newsletter.
Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!
— Kevin
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