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While the local rep theaters are out of commission, we'll be putting together weekly watchlists of films readily available to stream. To celebrate the Dec. 4 release of director David Fincher's new drama Mank, here are five films to get you in that gin-soaked Old Hollywood spirit. And also Gone Girl. Because Fincher directed Gone Girl. And because Gone Girl rules.
Mank (2020)
The great David Fincher's first film in six years tells the tale of alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he scrambles to finish his magnum opus, Citizen Kane. Shot in dazzling black-and-white that pairs well with the sleazy glamor of 1930s Hollywood, Mank is generating rave reviews and Oscar buzz. Netflix.
Citizen Kane (1941)
To prepare for Mank's premiere, check out the classic that inspired it all. Widely touted as one of the greatest films of all time, Orson Welles' iconic drama chronicles the rise and fall of narcissistic newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (Welles) and the mystery of his last word before his death: "Rosebud." Amazon Prime, Google Play, HBO Max, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.
Gone Girl (2014)
Fincher's last film before Mank was this blistering adaptation of Gillian Flynn's ice pick-sharp mystery novel. When Amy (Rosamund Pike, in an Oscar-worthy performance), the wife of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), suddenly goes missing, he instantly becomes the prime suspect, finding himself at the center of an insatiable media circus. But did he really do it? Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Cobbled together from almost 100 hours of footage, Orson Welles' final feature was filmed throughout the '70s, but sat tragically unfinished for 48 years. This documentary-style drama centers on the last day in the life of an aging infamous director (John Huston) before a fatal car accident and his struggle to complete his final film. Art imitates life! Netflix.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
If Mank leaves you craving more old Hollywood razzle-dazzle, look no further than Billy Wilder's seminal film noir. When a down-on-his-luck screenwriter (William Holden) happens upon reclusive silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), she hires him to doctor a script she wrote for her return to the silver screen. How could he have known this would lead to his untimely demise? Amazon Prime, CBS, Google Play, iTunes, Pluto TV, Vudu, YouTube.
