Here's How To Watch Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans At Home
If you need a periodic reminder that Steven Spielberg is one of our greatest living filmmakers, look no further than "The Fabelmans," which /Film's Chris Evangelista raves about in his review. It could have been really easy for Spielberg to construct another half-hearted love letter to the movies, but there's so much more going on under the surface than its saccharine marketing would lead you to believe. The semi-autobiographical feature is less about how his fictional childhood counterpart grew up to become a filmmaking wizard, and more about how a gifted child builds his cinematic language around his parent's deteriorating marriage.
"The Fabelmans" is not only one of the best films of the year, but a personal favorite as well. It plays like Spielberg confronting a series of complicated feelings throughout his childhood, while on his way to becoming the blockbuster legend we know today. The film is stacked with a tremendous ensemble featuring Julia Butters ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"), Paul Dano ("The Batman"), Oakes Fegley ("Wonderstruck"), Gabrielle LaBelle ("American Gigolo"), Sam Rechner ("Ruby's Choice), Seth Rogen ("Pineapple Express"), and Michelle Williams ("My Week With Marilyn).
In a film loaded with standout performances, you also have supporting players like Judd Hirsch ("Ordinary People"), David Lynch ("Mulholland Drive"), and Chloe East ("The Wolf of Snow Hollow") making the most of their brief, yet memorable roles. Given that all of the Oscar hopefuls are distributed roughly around the same time frame, it can be difficult to play catch up while they're still in theaters. In this case, you can now catch Spielberg's latest emotional rollercoaster from the comfort of your home.
The Fabelmans is now available on VOD
"The Fabelmans" may still be in theaters, but it looks like the folks at Universal have decided to make it more accessible on VOD services such as YouTube, Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV+, and beyond. With this decision comes two options. You can either rent Spielberg's latest for $19.99, or purchase the digital copy for $24.99. Unfortunately, there's no streaming option available just yet.
While I'm excited to revisit it, the fact that "The Fabelmans" is coming to VOD barely a month after the start of its theatrical run bums me out. Spielberg is one of the biggest names in entertainment, and yet this will be the second feature of his in a row that underperforms at the box office, with his spectacular reimagining of "West Side Story" being the other one.
It seems like the industry titan behind some of the greatest blockbusters ever made ("Jaws") has slowly lost his box office appeal, as the film has only grossed about $7.5 million on a $40 million budget. The international expansion planned for next month is bound to get a few more eyeballs on it, but given that the James Cameron machine is going to dominate theaters, Universal is unlikely to recuperate its investment. I highly recommend setting out to see it in a theater if it's still playing near you, but if you aren't able to find any showtimes, the magic of "The Fabelmans" will play just nicely at home.
When does The Fabelmans arrive on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD?
If you're hoping to bring home "The Fabelmans" home on physical media, you'll have to wait until Valentine's Day on February 14. That's when the movie will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the movie will be packed with special features. This is what's listed in the official press release for the home video release:
BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAYT, DVD & DIGITAL:
- THE FABELMANS: A Personal Journey - Steven Spielberg reflects on how THE FABELMANS is inspired by his own personal story and family.
- Family Dynamics *- Discover how the film's cast brought THE FABELMANS to life as Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and more build a bridge between their onscreen personalities and their true-life counterparts.
- Crafting the World of THE FABELMANS *- From costume and set design to music and cinematography, the filmmakers behind THE FABELMANS reveal how they created movie magic while capturing the film's unique look.
*Not on DVD
That's a bit of a bummer. But we can keep our fingers crossed for the Criterion Collection to add the film to their roster and hopefully dig up a lot more on the making of the movie. At the very least, we'll be able to watch Steve Spielberg's