Whether we like it or not, streaming is here and here to stay and what that means for us is that the way we consume film and television will never be the same. We are spending less and less time at the theatre and more and more time on the couch at home. What content reaches our eyeballs and the things we fall in love with now often premiere on the small screen. Some of the most talked about movies in recent years have come from streaming services like Netflix, rather than a traditional Hollywood studio. 

An elite few of these films have even made serious runs come awards season. Roma’s success last year seems to have marked a significant shift in what can be considered “Oscar fare.” It’s just a year later now and the path which that movie paved seems to have completely altered industry expectations for this fall/winter film season. At least six of the buzzed about movies screening at Venice, Telluride, TIFF, and other film festivals are all projects backed by major streaming services. The Report, which stars Adam Driver and screened at Sundance earlier this year to relatively favorable reviews is being distributed by Amazon who also has another Oscar hopeful in The Aeronauts which will reteam The Theory of Everything duo, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. 

Netflix is entering the game in an even stronger way, putting out at least four major films(The Irishman, Dolemite is My Name, The Laundromat, Marriage Story) all by big name directors, starring big time actors. Even just a couple of years ago, a 210 minute Martin Scorsese gangster epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci would have never been released in such a way. It shows how pivotal streaming services are becoming to the industry and also highlights a company like Netflix’s ability to attract major talent by investing tons of time and capital into these creators’ projects. They are willing to give a director like Scorsese the finances he needs and creative freedom he wants to helm something like the Irishman. It makes anyone wonder why someone like him would go to a studio anymore. Perhaps it would make his movie seem more “legitimate” but his last project, Silence, which did get a major theatrical release seemed to be dead on arrival and with Netflix building up their investment into original content, it’s only a matter of time until movies released by them have just as much cachet as any other typical studio project.

The other issue that the possible success of these films could bring is the running debate of what should and should not be considered as awards eligible entertainment. It seems to be something which is causing a bit of a divide in Hollywood and the limited theatrical run which all these movies need to be Oscar eligible seems more and more like a useless obligation. It creates unnecessary costs and is being received poorly by the big movie theatre chains who don’t want to lose money by screening a movie which they know most people will wait to watch at home in a month. The age of the movie theatre is already slowly dying out and Netflix and Amazon’s push into the awards race may be another nail in the coffin for and AMC or Regal. 

This changing landscape, along with the entrance of new services like Disney and Apple Plus this fall are already making Hollywood one of the most transformative industries in the world. It’s a constantly evolving place and streaming is yet another major phase of its life. Only time will tell what this new and exciting period will look like and the 2020 Oscar race could be a pivotal moment in its development.