Written by Charissa Roberson
The holiday season has arrived—and so have the movies! After a slew of summer blockbusters, movie-going typically drifts into a dead period. Major premieres rarely occur in early autumn, and theaters are left relatively deserted.
As winter approaches, cinemas become increasingly busy. Perhaps it is the cold forcing people indoors that causes this rush to the theaters during Thanksgiving and Christmas, or perhaps the magic of the season draws people to the fanciful escapism of movies such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec. 2015) and The Greatest Showman (Dec. 2017).
Light-hearted entertainment pieces are not the only kinds of films released around the holidays, however. Surprisingly, this season often sees the arrival of serious, realistic dramas on the big screen, such as Hacksaw Ridge (Nov. 2016), The Post (Dec. 2017) and The Green Book (Nov. 2018).
Why release challenging, sobering films during a season wrapped up in whimsy and cheer? One answer lies in which season comes next: awards season. Potential Oscar contenders must be released during the current calendar year to be considered for the upcoming awards, and by premiering at the end of the year, these films are fresh in people’s minds when awards season begins.
For the remainder of the movie-going public, the situation is clear—whether one is in the mood for a fun flick or a thought-provoking drama, the holidays are a perfect time to go to the movies.
