Awards season is officially upon us, which means alllll the best movies with the best casts and best directors are now available to watch—including Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age story Licorice Pizza, which is up for Best Picture during Sunday’s Oscars. The film stars Alana Haim (yes, THAT Alana Haim) and Cooper Hoffman and is set in sunny Los Angeles. Like, the trailer alone is guaranteed to put you in a good mood (watch above ^^^ to get into your feels).
The return of movies on the big screen is obviously great news for both the film industry and everyone who needs an excuse to eat a ton of Red Vines and escape reality (read: their families) for at least 60 minutes. Buuut what if you aren’t quite ready to put on pants and reenter society? Good news: A bunch of production companies inked fancy new streaming deals during the pandemic, and at least a handful of this year’s Oscar movies should be available to watch at home if that’s your vibe.
So…is Licorice Pizza going to be available to watch for everyone who prefers not to leave the house and would rather just weep into a pillow at home? Answer:
Yes! So…Where Can I Watch Licorice Pizza?
Licorice Pizza is now available to stream on Amazon Prime, but only after you pay $20 for it…which honestly isn’t that bad since you get to keep it!
ICYMI, the film was released by MGM for a limited theatrical run on November 26, 2021, and then it got a wider national theatrical release on December 25, 2021. When it comes to streaming, MGM just happens to be coming off a “mega deal” with Amazon (as in Amazon bought MGM for $8.45 billion, casual), so that’s why the film is on Prime as opposed to other platforms.
Wait, why did it take so long to hit streaming platforms?
Ah, I’m glad you asked. Movie releases were kinda in flux for a while, but the standard timeline is this: A movie comes out in theaters and then heads over to the internet. More specifically, most movies are getting a normal pre-pandemic theatrical release (just like old times), then spend 45 days in theaters only, and *then* can be found on a streaming service—usually for $$$.
Just FYI, here’s the situation with other production companies:
- Paramount movies head to Paramount+ after 45 days.
- Warner Bros. movies head to HBO Max after 45 days.
- Disney movies head to Disney+ (obvs) after 45 days.
You get the idea!
P.S. Here’s the Deal With Licorice Pizza’s Name
While we’re here, lemme go ahead and answer the burning question on your mind: What is up with this movie’s name? Turns out, Licorice Pizza was a record store chain in Southern California (where the movie is based) in the ’70s. Anderson is from San Fernando Valley, so clearly this store was around when he was growing up!
Anyway, Licorice Pizza the movie has a 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with absolutely gushing reviews like “Paul Thomas Anderson’s sunniest movie yet, this San Fernando Valley palimpsest is so buoyant and bubbly, it practically floats off the screen” (from Time Out) and “It’s such a delectable film: I’ll be cutting myself another slice very soon” (from The Guardian). Literally can’t wait to run-not-walk to my couch to stream it.
