The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, which celebrates the best of Canadian and global cinema, is set to run from September 10th through 20th. There are two hundred and ninety three films that will be screened over the eleven day fest with many North American and world premieres as well as special events and talks. The festival's opening film is "Being Heumann" by Sian Heder, the director's first feature since her film, "CODA" received the 2021 Academy Award for Best Picture. This biopic is based on the life of Judy Heumann, an American disability rights activist, played by Ruth Madeley.
Some of the Galas and special presentations will include "Prima Facie", directed by Susanna White and adapted by Suzie Miller from her 2019 stage play, which stars Cynthia Erivo as successful defense barrister who rose from a working class background and whose life is upended following the actions by a colleague. "Atonement" from Reed Van Dyk is about a troubled US marine (Boyd Holbrook) seeking to reconcile with the survivors of a family that his unit fired upon in Iraq. Oscar-winner, Mahershala Ali stars in "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother", an action-thriller from writer/director, Bassam Tariq, about a devoutly religious hitman who goes on a desperate journey across Texas to protect his family from dark forces closing in around him. "Diary of a Mad Old Man", a drama from Wayne Wang, that follows an aging widower (Lily Franky) having an intimate relationship with his caregiver daughter-in-law (Fan Bingbing). "Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo" is the third instalment of the series, this time set in Japan from Takashi Miike, which involves a Tokyo police officer (Shun Oguri) who finds himself being investigated by an FBI agent (Lily James) after a politician's daughter (Liv Morgan) goes missing. The actor, Tim Blake Nelson offers his latest as a director with "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd" about a teacher (Amanda Seyfried) that takes a job at a maximum security prison where she falls for a charismatic inmate (Scoot McNairy). "Elsinore" stars Andrew Scott as Ian Charleson, a Scottish actor who appeared in "Chariots of Fire", who gets a dream opportunity to play "Hamlet" at the National Theatre but is seriously ill from AIDS. And "I Play Rocky", from director, Peter Farrelly, tells the incredible story of how Sylvester Stallone, at the time a struggling actor, wrote the movie about a down-on-his-luck boxer that would change his life.
The closing night film will be "Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend" which is about the early life of Canadian race car driver, Gilles Villeneuve (played by Rémi Goulet) and his early efforts to establish his career in racing.
The TIFF Tribute Awards will include Rosalind Eleazar (appearing in Chris Rock's "Misty Green") and French icon, Isabelle Huppert (with her latest comedy, "Ni vue, ni connue (All About Corinne)") as the winners of the Performer Award. Lee Chang-dong received the Director Award for his latest, "가능한 사랑 (Possible Love)", filmmaker, Sian Heder was selected for the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media and Penélope Cruz (with her latest films, "Bunker" and "La bola negra" will be screened during the fest) is the recipient of the Special Tribute Award.
To see the complete list of films, events and purchase tickets, please click below:
This year in cinema has continued to heat up as the summer season has just ended with over four billion dollars earned, adding up to seven billion dollars total at the box-office year to date. These are impressive numbers that clearly indicate a robust enthusiasm for the theatrical experience. And the year is hardly over with plenty of more hotly anticipated movies are on the horizon. Out of the numerous movies that will make their way to theaters over the next four months, here is a highlight of some of those films that stand out for me:
"THE WEIGHT"
Release date: September 18, 2026
"The Weight", a dramatic thriller from director, Padraic McKinley, finds Samuel (Ethan Hawke) being sent to a brutal prison in 1933 Oregon, forced to leave his beloved, young daughter behind. The Warden (Russell Crowe) makes offers him an appealing yet highly risky proposition: smuggle gold out of a remote mine with a crew of other dangerous felons and he'll earn his freedom.
"MISTY GREEN"
Release date: October 9. 2026
With his fourth feature film as a writer and director, the comedian, Chris Rock delivers some drama with "Misty Green". Misty Green (Rosalind Eleazar) was once a popular, award-winning actress and currently facing the downslide of her career. She now has to deal with her past and addresses her personal demons as she struggles to make a comeback after reconnecting with her former agent (Rock). Adam Driver, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace and Daniel Kaluuya also star.
"OTHER MOMMY"
Release date: October 9, 2026
Jessica Chastain headlines the supernatural horror drama, "Other Mommy" where she plays an ordinary wife and mother who has a paranormal entity take on her appearance. Her young daughter (Arabella Olivia Clark) is able to see through this creature, referring to it as "other mommy", and must convince her father (Jay Duplass) of the change before serious harm comes to them all. Rob Savage directs this thriller based on the popular novel, "Incidents Around the House".
"THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK"
Release date: October 23, 2026
John Turturro stars as the title character in "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York", the latest feature film by actor and filmmaker, Noah Segan. As an old-time, low stakes thief, Harry Lehman (Turturro) is a relic from the past, struggling to make it in today's world and winds up getting way over his head when a heist goes very wrong. Giancarlo Esposito, Tatiana Maslany, Steve Buscemi, and Jamie Lee Curtis also star.
"A TALENT FOR MURDER"
Release date: October 23, 2026
Based on the 2014 stage play, "Switzerland" by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith (who also wrote this screenplay), "A Talent For Murder" offers an intriguing yet fictional premise: a young American publisher (Alden Ehrenreich) tracks down the reclusive writer, Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) living in the Swiss Alps to try and convince her to write one more installment in her famous Tom Ripley series. Anton Corbijn, well known for his innovative work in music videos and documentaries, directs his fifth feature film.
"CLUB KID"
Release date: November 6, 2026
Fringe performer, Jordan Firstman, who broke out in the recent HBO comedy series, "I Love LA", has made his debut as a writer and director with "Club Kid". Firstman also stars as a gay New York City club promoter whose wild life is upended with the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had. "Club Kid" made its world premiere at Cannes this year and was met with an enthusiastic response and critical acclaim, leading to a bidding war with the indie studio, A24 as the victor.
"THE DEBUT"
Release date: December 11, 2026
In "The Debut", the latest film as a writer/director from actor, Jesse Eisenberg, Julianne Moore stars as a quiet and shy housewife who is unexpectedly cast in a New Jersey community theater production of an original musical. The strong-willed director (Paul Giamatti) pushes the inexperienced performer hard so she will lose herself in the role which helps begin to open up her world outside of the play. Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu and Bernadette Peters also star.
"WERWULF"
Release date: December 25, 2026
The filmmaker, Robert Eggers returns to the holiday season with another dark reimagining of a classic character in gothic horror. Following his grisly version of the vampire lore, "Nosferatu" two years ago, "Werwulf" explores the blood-thirsty beast that threatens a small farming community. Set in 13th-century England and spoken entirely in Middle English, Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as a farmer who is trying to protect his family from an unknown dangerous entity which could possibly be himself. Lily-Rose Depp and Willem Dafoe also star.
The 2025 AFI Film Festwas another amazing event where I got an early opportunity to see some of new films from across the globe that we will be seeing in theaters later this season and into next year. Here are reviews of a few of the films I saw over the five days of the festival:
Over fifty years ago, the writer Linda Rosenkrantz came up with a project she was conducting involving interviews with several subjects to describe what happened to them on an ordinary day. Her close friend, the photographer, Peter Hujar, one of the queer artists thriving in New York at the time, was asked to narrate a day of his life into a tape recorder. The project was never completed but a transcript of Hujar's conversations was discovered buried in files thirty years later by Rosenkrantz which she donated, including some of his papers, prints and contact sheets, to the Morgan Library in New York. A book was later published from this document in 2021. And then the filmmaker, Ira Sachs got his hands on this, feeling this was an important part of queer history that needed to be told, and set about making a movie based on the work. "Peter Hujar's Day" brings this moment back to life, in a way that fascinates yet still underwhelms, with Ben Whishaw as Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz.
On December 18, 1974, a time when New York City was dirty, crime-ridden and very close to financial ruin, Hujar arrives at Rosenkrantz's East 94th street apartment to tell her about his day. He reveals meeting with an Elle magazine editor about photos from a job; set off to photograph Allen Ginsberg for an assignment, develops negatives, takes a nap and receives calls from friends, Susan Sontag and Fran Lebowitz. And while this might sound fairly routine, Hujar goes into vividly, colorful details, while holding nothing back, about his slightly neurotic, daily routines; dietary particulars; unvarnished opinions on the people he encounters and struggles trying to make a living as a freelance photographer.
And while "Peter Hujar's Day" is only seventy-six minutes long, the film still feels overextended, struggling to maintain momentum and energy throughout the extensive discourse. In an attempt to keep us visually engaged during Hujar's discussions, we change rooms in the apartment and head up to the roof of the building a couple of times yet the film still remains static. This is largely because we are not experiencing an actual conversation: just Hujar going on about what he thinks, which is exactly what he's been asked to do. Rosenkrantz might ask a question or interject a thought or two but the spotlight is completely on Hujar. This leaves Hall, always a commanding screen presence, with very little to do beyond simply nodding and looking deeply engaged. And the charismatic Whishaw does what he can as Hujar, revealing him to be an adept conversationalist with a charming eccentricity, but only has limited success in fully drawing us into his in-depth chatter. "Peter Hujar's Day" is not nearly as accomplished as Sachs' previous works ("Keep the Lights On", "Passages") yet the film still captures an intriguing atmosphere that's intimate and languid.
The latest from Jim Jarmusch, "Father Mother Sister Brother" is a familial comedy-drama that tells three separate stories from locations across the globe. The film, which won the Golden Lion Award at this year's Venice Film Festival, captures many of the complicated situations and long simmering tensions we can have within our families in a way that's intimate, caustic and amusing. We first meet siblings, Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik) in the car on the way to see their father (Tom Waits) in New Jersey. They haven't seen him since the passing of their mother. Emily is curious on how he's managing financially although Jeff admits he's sent him some money when he needed car repairs. When they arrive, their father is happy to see his children yet there's a tension and awkwardness throughout their visit. Next, we're off to Dublin where a popular writer (Charlotte Rampling) awaits the arrival of her two daughters, Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps) for their annual gathering for tea. And while all live in the same city, the family only visits each other in person this time every year. Finally in Paris, Billy (Luka Sabbat) and Skye (Indya Moore) are faced with clearing out their family home, after their parents recently died in a plane crash, while looking back on their unorthodox childhood.
Since this is Jarmusch behind the camera, these stories are more loosely structured as character studies with no real plot. Skateboarders, tea, water and Rolex watches are some of the things that offer a subtle connection to each quirky vignette. And his impressive all-star cast is certainly able to deliver emotional clarity and understated depth of feeling to their characters. But I have to say, I'm surprised that "Father Mother Sister Brother" was selected as the big winner at Venice. It just doesn't feel like a feature by Jarmusch that displays the filmmaker at the peak of his powers, in fact if his name was not attached, I don't think this film would have received nearly as much attention. Settling on entertaining yet routine narratives, Jarmusch doesn't really push himself enough to instill more inventiveness in these fairly common family conflicts.
And the last film I saw at the fest was "The Testament of Ann Lee", the recent feature directed by Mona Fastvold, nominated for an Oscar last year for co-writing the period drama, "The Brutalist" with her partner, director Brady Corbet. The couple have teamed-up again on the screenplay of this riveting story of Lee, the founding leader of the Shakers, a religious sect that began during the 18th century. Fastvold has used their form of worship, which involves extreme bodily movements, to tell this story much like a musical, heightened with surreal imagery, to take this innovative bio-drama into unexpected and fascinating directions.
Born in Manchester, England, Lee (Amanda Seyfried) had a life of formidable hardships since her childhood, then through her marriage to Abraham (Christopher Abbott) where she gave birth and lost four children before each would reach the age of one year. She found solace when she joined a church run by the Wardleys (Scott Handy, Stacy Martin) which was notable for the parishioners to chant and dance as a way to rid their bodies of sin. It was believed that Lee's arrival was a sign of the second coming of God, becoming known as "Mother", and would begin a new religious movement that was referred to as the Shakers. Having traumatic experiences regarding sexuality in her life, Lee was convinced that in their faith sexual relations should be forbidden, even in marriage, as the only way to find true salvation. After several arrests and spending many days in jail for blasphemy, Lee decides to leave England and take her small group of committed followers to America for religious freedom and a fresh opportunity to share their faith. Yet their arrival to the New World is far from welcoming as Lee and her flock are met at various times with combative skepticism and horrific violence.
The film reveals how easily religions can take shape, through one individual's whims and personal worldview, to offer an adaptationist view of Christian theology. But you must have a compelling and charismatic individual at the center in order to convince followers that this is the true path to follow. Since women have rarely evangelized, many were certainly dubious of Lee's claims. Yet she was still able to influence a growing number of apostles through her passionate devout faith despite the impracticalities of her stern insistence of celibacy. Seyfried delivers a mesmerizing performance as a woman, docile yet tough, who uses her unwavering faith to create a sense of personal control and authority over her life and body. Let's be honest, this is still not readily offered to women in today's world yet was even less possible in Lee's time. With a beguiling, offbeat style, "The Testament of Ann Lee" examines a seemingly inconsequential woman, a name largely forgotten through male dominated history, and bringing forward the amazing story of what she was able to accomplish with limited leverage and steely self-possession.
As we move from steamy hot weather into a brisk cooler season, this is reflected in the upcoming movie slate. We had a summer filled with box-office hits of largely sequels, reboots and lighter fare. And now it's time for a shift with movies involving more serious, dramatic subjects and prize-seeking projects. There is a lot of intriguing movies on the horizon over the next four months and here are a few I'm really looking forward in seeing:
"THE HISTORY OF SOUND"
Release date: September 12, 2025
"The History of Sound", based on short stories by Ben Shattuck (who wrote the screenplay), deals with the romantic relationship between two men, Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) after meeting while attending a music conservatory in Boston. Separated due to World War I , they are reunited and, to make up for their lost time together, begin traveling to record traditional folk songs throughout rural Maine. Oliver Hermanus directs.
"KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN"
Release date: October 10, 2025
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" began as a drama in 1985 from director, Héctor Babenco that was set in a Brazilian prison during the military dictatorship and centers on two very different cellmates; a rigid leftist revolutionary (Raul Julia) and an apolitical gay man (William Hurt who would win the Oscar for Best Actor). Seven years later, this film was adapted into a popular Broadway musical by Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. Now this musical of "Kiss of the Spider Woman" will be brought to the big screen by Bill Condon who has had great success previously with the stage-to-screen transfers of "Chicago" and "Dreamgirls". Here Diego Luna will play the revolutionary, Valentin, Tonatiuh is Molina, the gay cellmate and in her first screen musical, Jennifer Lopez appears as Ingrid Luna, Molina's favorite movie star.
"BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER"
Release date: October 15, 2025
The Swiss/Austrian filmmaker, Edward Berger, who made a major splash with his first English-language film, the papal drama, "Conclave" which was nominated for eight Academy Awards last year, is back with another film in English. "Ballad of a Small Player" is set in the high stakes world of gambling with Colin Farrell playing a troubled man deeply in debt and trying to lay low in the Chinese city of Macau. But he can't keep away from the lure of the tables and hopes to be saved by an employee of the casino (Fala Chen) before it's too late. Tilda Swinton also stars.
"GOOD FORTUNE"
Release date: October 17, 2025
After the attempt for his directorial debut was cancelled back in 2022 due to star Bill Murray's alleged inappropriate behavior on set, stand-up comedian, Aziz Ansari went to work on his next project. The comedy, "Good Fortune" tells the story of Arj (Ansari), a man struggling to make ends meet while working for Jeff, a wealthy mogul (Seth Rogen). A "budget" guardian angel (Keanu Reeves) enters Arj's life to help by proving that if he swapped places with Jeff his life wouldn't be any better. But Arj is actually very happy with his newly acquired opulent lifestyle, causing the angel to lose his wings and forced to live back on Earth. Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh also star.
"THE SECRET AGENT"
Release date: November 26, 2025
"The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto)" made it's world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival where it received the Best Director prize for Kleber Mendonça Filho and Wagner Moura won Best Actor. Moura (his first role in his native Portuguese in eight years) plays a teacher caught in the political turmoil during the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship while desperately trying to escape persecution.
"FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER"
Release date: December 24, 2025
Jim Jarmusch, a major force in independent cinema since the 1980s, is back with his latest offbeat comedy-drama. "Father Mother Sister Brother" is an anthology film involving three stories with each concerning the complicated relationships between adult children and their parents. Set in present day and in different countries, Jarmusch offers a series of character studies that features an impressive cast that includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps.
"MARTY SUPREME"
Release date: December 25, 2025
Josh and Benny Safdie began as an indie filmmaking team, making their mark with the compelling crime thrillers, "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems". But like the Coen Brothers, the Safdie siblings have decided to go their separate ways as filmmakers. Josh's first solo directorial venture will be "Marty Supreme", a sports drama based on the life of professional table tennis player, Marty Reisman. Timothée Chalamet will play Reisman in this film which apparently is not an accurate biopic but a more fictionalized version of his life and career. Safdie continues the family tradition of eclectic casting with fellow filmmaker, Abel Ferrara; comedian, Sandra Bernhard; sitcom star, Fran Drescher; "Shark Tank" businessman, Kevin O'Leary and Oscar-winner-turned-lifestyle-guru, Gwyneth Paltrow appearing in the film.
(And Benny Safdie will also be making his solo directorial debut this fall with his own sports biopic, "The Smashing Machine" with Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter, Mark Kerr, premiering during this year's Venice Film Festival and reaching US theaters on October 3rd).
Where & When: Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood, CA. September 20, 2024 8:15 PM
"The Substance", the sophomore feature from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, is a hyper-stylized, pitch-black feminist satire on aging and the low value placed on maturing women in society. But Fargeat pumps up her engaging film by utilizing body horror to convey the extremes that women will go through to maintain their youth and beauty. Between the blood and mayhem, the director has something quite intriguing to say. And while the message is clearly understood, it tends to get a little too muddled through all of the excessive gross-out carnage.
Demi Moore, in her first prominent starring role in some time, plays Elizabeth Sparkle, an award-winning actress in Los Angeles that has been reduced to having to appear as a host of a television fitness show called, "Sparkle Your Life". But following a taping on her fiftieth birthday, Elizabeth is informed by Harvey (Dennis Quaid), a boorish studio executive, that it's time for her to move on, making it clear he's looking for someone younger to host. Devastated by this news, a distracted Elizabeth ends up getting into a car crash. She is uninjured but while getting checked out, a young male nurse, sensing what she's going through, slips a flash drive and phone number into her pocket.
What is discreetly being offered is an experimental drug called, "The Substance" which promises to create a younger and more "perfect" version of yourself. Elizabeth initially rejects the idea but as she spends her newly free time wallowing in booze and her increasing anxiety, she decides to get her hands on this serum. After injecting herself, a fully formed, young being (played by Margaret Qualley) emerges from Elizabeth's cracked open back, leaving the host unconscious while the other is left to sew Elizabeth's body shut. This new form calls herself "Sue", enjoying her youthful body and successfully getting hired back as the host of the exercise program.
But there are strict rules that must be followed: each body can only be out for seven days before exchanging places so that their bodily fluids can recalibrate, they must feed each other intravenously; a "stabilizer" is to be withdrawn from Elizabeth's spine and injected into Sue in order to keep her balanced and most importantly, they must remember that while they are two separate bodies, they are still only one person.
Fargeat was first recognized for her 2017 debut feature film, "Revenge", about a young woman who is sexually attacked by three men and left for dead but she survives and seeks bloody retribution. While it was difficult to sit through at times, I still greatly admired the director's brutal yet razor-sharp cinematic statement. And with her follow-up, Fargeat continues to have no interest in subtlety, preferring to batter viewers severely over the head with her gruesome, surrealistic vision and unsettling themes. She is clearly inspired by fellow filmmakers who embrace the provocative and experimental (Kubrick, Cronenberg, Lynch, Haneke) and with "The Substance", Fargeat liberally borrows visual cues from some of these esteemed directors while still managing to forge ahead with her own distinctively ferocious style. The flashy camerawork by Benjamin Kracun is designed to keep you feeling unsteady, offering full-screen close-ups of eyes and mouths, darting down long narrow hallways, entering vast spare rooms and one particularly unpleasant moment of watching Quaid eating crawfish.
Moore's career took off when she became part of the ensemble of the daytime soap-opera, "General Hospital" in 1982. The following year, she moved on to movie roles, becoming a member of the Brat Pack after her appearances in "St. Elmo's Fire" and "About Last Night...". But it was Moore's tear soaked, moving turn in the 1990 supernatural romance, "Ghost" that helped make her a movie star. She became part of a Hollywood power couple when she married Bruce Willis, starred in several box-office hits and went on to become the highest paid female actor (receiving over twelve million dollars) in 1996 to appear in the movie, "Striptease". But this black comedy was a critical and box-office failure and her marriage to Willis came to an end not long after with Moore largely retreating from the spotlight. She would make the occasional film appearance over the following years, mostly in indie and arthouse fare.
With "The Substance", Moore delivers a bold and fearless performance, revealing herself completely emotionally and physically. She doesn't have much dialogue yet the actress rises to the challenge of expressing all of the anguish, fear and intense desires of Elizabeth, even through moments later in the film when she's no longer recognizable as her former self. And as her other half, Qualley is a compelling presence, a sweetly smiling, malevolent version of Elizabeth with a dark-edged soul. Elizabeth and "Sue" might share the same body however they display vastly different personality traits. While this variance might possibly be due to their age-gap yet over time this conflict leads to complications. Being young and impulsive, Sue begins to abuse the seven day rule, extending her time awake, at first just a few days and then later by weeks, which causes Elizabeth's actual body to age more rapidly.
I will admit that by the time we reach the final act, with the introduction of a third being called "Monstro Elisasue" which leads to an explosive shower of blood, gore and body parts flying in all directions from a stage onto an audience, it felt a little too much, becoming even more silly and excessive. But that's okay. This doesn't take away from "The Substance" being one of the most thrilling, adventurous and uncompromising films I've seen so far this year.
I can also say with complete certainty that no US filmmaker, male or female, would have made "The Substance", at least not in a way that wasn't far more cautious and focused on appealing to the widest audience possible. Fargeat (who actually shot the film in Paris) has made a clever, biting and humorous commentary on the horrors of America's obsession with eternal youth and the emotional torture this causes, especially for women. "The Substance" is absolutely insane and twisted. Yet the film also reveals Fargeat to be a true visionary, a modern filmmaker who respects the historical artform of cinema with no interest in making films that are easily digestible and a strong desire to challenge viewers to open their minds to unexpected and outrageous possibilities.
The summer movie season did not begin promising with the event films released over the Memorial Day weekend, "The Fall Guy" and "Furiosa", failing to generate much excitement or box-office. But as the season progressed, the fortunes managed to bounce back, largely thanks to the sequels and animated movies helping to lure audiences back into theaters. While it fell short from last year, this year's US summer box-office take will be about 3.6 billion dollars which is still quite impressive.
Now we are approaching the fall season that will wrap up this year. The movie output will be effected much like the summer due to two strikes over the previous year that brought production to a standstill with far fewer films to release in theaters in 2024. But there are some intriguing movies on the way and here are a few that have captured my attention:
All dates are subject to change:
"THE SUBSTANCE"
Release date: September 20, 2024
The French filmmaker, Coralie Fargeat is finally delivering a follow-up to her 2017 breakthrough debut, the action-thriller, "Revenge". With "The Substance" (which Fargeat was recognized for the Best Screenplay prize at this year's Cannes), the film is a feminist critique on aging and beauty told through a deranged, body-horror black comedy. Demi Moore stars as a long-time host of a popular aerobics program who is unceremoniously dropped from the show by her crass boss (Dennis Quaid) solely due to her age. After excepting an experimental black market drug, she is transformed into a younger version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley), getting her old job back as a new girl named "Sue". Yet there are also some unexpected side-effects which creates havoc to her mind and body.
"MEGALOPOLIS"
Release date: September 27, 2024
There has been a lot of chatter about Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed new film, "Megalopolis". After making it's world premiere at Cannes, the critical reviews have been decidedly mixed to downright panned, in addition to disturbing reports about Coppola's behavior on set. Yet there is no denying that the filmmaker's longtime passion project certainly appears to be very intriguing and you can see the reported one hundred million dollar budget on the screen. As far as the story, "Megalopolis" is set in the distant future with Adam Driver playing an architect who clashes with a corrupt mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) over how to rebuild the city of New Rome after a devastating disaster. I'm certain Coppola had little difficulty attracting this starry cast which includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Dustin Hoffman.
"ANORA"
Release date: October 18, 2024
Sean Baker, the indie director behind "Tangerine", "The Florida Project" and "Red Rocket", is one of the most thrillingly subversive filmmakers working today, tackling subjects in his films which involve struggling, marginalized people, typically sex workers. Yet Baker is never exploitive, delicately revealing their lives with compassion and humanity. With "Anora" (which won the top prize of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival), Mikey Madison plays Ani who works in a New York City strip club going by the name, "Anora". Since she can speak some Russian, Anora is set up with clients who speak the language. She meets a young man named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) and they fall in love. In order not to be deported, Vanya and Anora get married. But Vanya belongs to a very wealthy Russian family who are not happy about his new bride and will do whatever they have to do to end this relationship.
"A REAL PAIN"
Release date: November 1, 2024
Actor, Jesse Eisenberg moves behind the camera again for the second time as a writer and director with "A Real Pain". This comedy-drama follows two cousins (played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) who take a trip to Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. But the more time they spend together, the more problems resurface between them, particularly around their family history.
"THE PIANO LESSON"
Release date: November 8, 2024
Based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play, "The Piano Lesson" examines the bitter conflict in a family regarding a treasured heirloom: a piano which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The arguments are between a brother, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his sister, Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) who have very different viewpoints on what should be done with this piano. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel and brother to star, John David. Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher, Erykah Badu and Samuel L. Jackson also star.
"GLADIATOR 2"
Release date: November 22, 2024
I will be the first to admit I groaned loudly when I heard a sequel was being made of "Gladiator", Ridley Scott's swords and sandals Roman epic that improbably became the Best Picture Oscar winner in 2000. Now twenty-four years later, "Gladiator 2" will soon be on the big screen with an eighty-six year old Scott back in the director's chair. I will also admit I was won over by the trailer and the cast which features Paul Mescal as our new gladiator along with Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington in prominent roles. The plot doesn't seem to stray too far from the original film with betrayal, revenge and bloody battles in an arena to be the driving force of this story. Yet it still does help make this new "Gladiator" very compelling. And I love the calculated attempt to try and recreate a "Barbenheimer" phenomenon with "Gladiator 2" being released on the same day as the long-awaited, highly anticipated movie version of the Broadway musical, "Wicked". "Wickiator", perhaps?
The summer of "Barbenheimer" has officially come to a close and this unexpected cinematic phenomenon has ended up helping this season become one of the biggest box-office successes of all-time. These two films (that would be Greta Gerwig's colorful fantasia, "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer", the dramatic telling of the creation of the atomic bomb from Christopher Nolan, in case you just came out of hibernation) managed to generate a lot of money but also created an exciting buzz that spurred movie attendance, finally bringing people back to theaters which surprisingly spread across the globe.
With the writers and actors on strike, movie production has essentially come to a grinding halt. So, what does this mean for the fall movie season? The studios, still unwilling to negotiate and realizing that they will have no one to promote their expensive investments as well as running out of product to cover next year, have become skittish and decided to delay some planned upcoming releases. The most notable to date is the second part of "Dune" which was supposed to arrive in theaters in November and has been pushed off until next March. So far, no other major fall releases have announced any date changes however it's still early. It's all so unfortunate that a deal has not come together yet, leaving the momentum created this summer to probably just fizzle out if more movies are taken off the schedule. But at this moment, there are plenty of movies arriving in theaters this fall. Here is my list of upcoming films that I am anticipating and hope to actually see over the next four months:
All release dates are subject to change:
"DICKS: THE MUSICAL"
Release date: September 29, 2023
"Dicks: The Musical" is an absurdist musical-comedy based on an Off-Broadway show, "Fucking Identical Twins" by Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. In a deranged twist on "The Parent Trap", Sharp and Jackson reprise their roles as two adult business adversaries who discover that they are actually identical twins who were separated when their parents divorced. They decide to switch places in a plot to reunite their parents (Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane) so they can all be a real family once again. Hip-Hop royalty, Megan Thee Stallion co-stars and Larry Charles ("Borat") directs.
"FOE"
Release date: October 6, 2023
Based on the novel by Iain Reid (who co-wrote the screenplay with the director, Garth Davis), "Foe" is an intense sci-fi drama set in the not-so-distant future where Junior (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Henrietta (Saoirse Ronan) are visited on their remote farm by Terrance (Aaron Pierre) who represents an aerospace corporation. He has come with an offer for Junior to work in their large space station for a couple of years. However, this invitation is extended only for him, leaving Henrietta behind in the care of a bio-mechanical duplicate of Junior while he is away.
"KILLER OF THE FLOWER MOON"
Release date: October 20, 2023
After a splashy premiere at Cannes in May, "Killer of the Flower Moon", the latest from the legendary filmmaker, Martin Scorsese, will finally reach theaters. This epic drama is an adaptation of the fact-based novel by David Grann that tells this 1920's-set story of several Osage Indians in Oklahoma discovering oil on their lands, making them very wealthy. However, this doesn't sit well with the White people running the administration in the area. Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a war veteran in desperate need of employment, goes to his uncle (Robert DeNiro) looking for a job. After getting work as a taxi driver, Ernest is lured by his uncle into a plot to steal land and money from the Indians. But he becomes further conflicted when he falls in love with Mollie (Lily Gladstone) who is Osage.
"THE HOLDOVERS"
Release date: October 27, 2023
In the dramatic comedy, "The Holdovers", the director, Alexander Payne's welcome return to feature films following the lukewarm reception to his 2017 sci-fi comedy, "Downsizing", a "holdover" is a college student who is unable to return to their homes during Christmas break. Paul Giamatti (who reteams with Payne for the first time since their popular 2004 road trip comedy, "Sideways") plays a much-disliked teacher who is assigned to watching these kids and runs into particular trouble with one student (Dominic Sessa). Da'Vine Joy Randolph also stars as the school's head cook who is struggling with her own personal issues.
"RUSTIN"
Release date: November 3, 2023
"Rustin" puts a long overdue spotlight on the unheralded man who helped organize the March on Washington Movements and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. The celebrated stage director turned filmmaker, George C. Wolfe takes on the story of Bayard Rustin (played by Colman Domingo), a highly influential civil rights activist who promoted nonviolent civil resistance. But his not-so-secret homosexuality would create problems for him, particularly in his advisory role with King on the 1963 March on Washington, leaving some people concerned how this association could negatively impact the movement. Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Audra McDonald co-star.
"THE KILLER"
Release date: November 10, 2023
Following his stiff, Hollywood bio-pic, "Mank" three years ago, David Fincher has returned to the genre he has become best associated with: the psychological thriller. "The Killer" has the director taking on a French graphic novel and putting his distinctive spin on a familiar story involving a hired assassin who is being hunted down after failing an assignment following an existential crisis. But what makes this film even more intriguing is the return to the big screen of Michael Fassbender who plays the hit-man (the Irish-German actor will also appear in Taika Watiti's sports-comedy, "Next Goal Wins" out in November). Tilda Swinton co-stars.
"NAPOLEON"
Release date: November 22, 2023
Napoleon Bonaparte was a military commander in the 18th century who during the French revolution rose to prominence to become an influential political leader. His story will be told in a big budget, English-language, Hollywood epic from acclaimed director, Ridley Scott. With Oscar-winner, Joaquin Phoenix as the Emperor, "Napoleon" will examine his rise to power and his obsessive love with Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby), a widow who was first his mistress before quickly becoming Empress of the French.
"THE COLOR PURPLE"
Release date: December 25, 2023
"The Color Purple", Alice Walker's harrowing yet moving novel about a young girl's coming-of-age and overcoming heart-wrenching obstacles she faced, has come a long way since it was first published in 1982. It was first adapted into a critically acclaimed, 1985 box-office hit film by Steven Spielberg that made stars out of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. Twenty years later, a musical was created of Walker's story that ran on Broadway for three years. Then a stripped-down, more enthusiastically received revival came back to New York ten years later. Now we this musical that has been filmed with Spielberg, Winfrey and Quincy Jones (who did the musical score for the 1985 movie) returning as producers and Blitz Bazawule directing this version of "The Color Purple". Fantasia Barrino (the American Idol winner making her film debut assumed the role in the original Broadway production) plays Celie; Danielle Brooks (who did the role in the 2015 revival) will play Sofia and Taraji P. Henson appears as singer Shug Avery. Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Aunjanue Ellis, Halle Bailey, H.E.R. and Ciara rounds out the cast.
I can't believe that Labor Day is almost upon us. Not only is it a day to honor and recognize the labor movement and the contributions of laborers in the US but it is also long considered the start of the fall movie season. I have usually put together my own list of movies I am highly anticipating to see over the next four months of the year but time has escaped me, which doesn't allow me enough of an opportunity to do the research to properly share my opinion. So I will offer Vulture's round-up of the upcoming fall/winter movies with twenty-four given a special highlight.
One thing I am very glad to see is that the list of films that will be released this season is far more robust that what we had this summer with the month of August, in particular, was depressingly slight. There are some that have already received plenty of buzz (the Marilyn Monroe bio-pic, "Blonde"; the sequel to "Knives Out"; the long-awaited "Black Panther" sequel; the even longer-awaited sequel to "Avatar") and others that will probably soon begin to receive award buzz once they start to appear at the upcoming film festivals (Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, "The Fabelmans"; Damien Chazelle’s period drama, "Babylon" with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie; "Decision to Leave", Park Chan-wook’s follow-up to 2016's "The Handmaiden"; David O. Russell’s first film in seven years, "Amsterdam", a mystery-comedy set in the 1930's). This listing includes streaming titles and a few movies that may or may not appear in theaters before the year's end.
The fall movie season is about to begin yet there is still so much uncertainty on what that will really mean. With COVID still ravaging through society and some theaters are requiring proof of vaccination in order to enter, movie studios are understandably skittish about audience turn-out which will largely determine the fate of their upcoming theatrical releases, quite a few that have been waiting over a year to reach cineplexes. One casualty is the Tom Cruise sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick" which had already been delayed since last year and was supposed to be released in November but recently has been pushed to spring of 2022.
I have normally compiled my own list of upcoming movies I am looking forward in seeing but it is still too challenging to get a clear idea of what will actually be released. So once again, I will share Vulture's list of highlights of the new movies we will (might) be seeing throughout the rest of the year. They have a list of thirty-two movies that the editors are excited to see, arranged by month and what format the films will be seen (theatrical, streaming or a hybrid). There is also a complete list of films set to be released through December including a large number of movies with dates still to be determined.
With the summer movie season a complete loss, we have now reached September and theaters in the US are still struggling to be allowed to open in much of the country. I fully understand that we continue to be very much in a middle of a deadly pandemic and there are far more important things to worry about. Yet as I see the rest of the world cautiously reopening businesses, I am incredibly frustrated that there is no clear leadership in this country to help guide us safely in that direction (I will refrain from diving deeply in to my political views on this subject but will simply state that I hope in November there will be a much needed change at the top).
I have previously expressed how I don't understand at all how some state officials believe that gyms, museums and casinos are somehow safer for people to enter than movie theaters. And my opinion on that has not changed. There has always been risk in life and if theaters will invest in taking thorough safety measures in order to reopen, we should be allowed to make our own informed decision whether to reenter their establishments.
At this time, I would normally be sharing some of the upcoming movies coming out over the next four months that I can't wait to see. But with so much up in the air, I'm not really in the mood to invest the time. Luckily, Vulture has continued the tradition and rounded up a collection of thirty-nine feature films that plan to be released in movie theaters, streaming services or possibly both this fall. I'm hopeful that most of these films will actually be able to keep their planned release but all dates are most certainly subject to change.
With Netflix and other streaming services gaining more influence and Disney not only swallowing up one of the last of the original movie studios, 20th Century Fox but they have just set an industry record by reaching an incredible 13 billion dollars at the global box-office, the movie business is definitely in flux. Nobody knows what in store for the future of the movie-going experience or what type of films will actually reach theaters as more streaming services are emerging with Apple and Disney recently getting in on the action. While remaining slightly optimistic, I am still very concerned that we will reach a point when all that will play in theaters are big-budget, visual effect-heavy spectacles with modest stories involving the human experience will be regulated to the small screen. But for now, there were still great adult fare to be found playing in theaters last year although Netflix was behind some of them, giving them brief theatrical runs before moving them on their network.
Here is my list of favorite films from 2019 in no particular order: "MARRIAGE STORY"
I think Noah Baumbach is, without a doubt, one of the most important filmmakers working today. And with "Marriage Story", an emotionally blistering yet darkly comedic account of the end of a marriage, the writer/director has made what can easily be called the best work of his career. The couple, Charlie and Nicole, are played by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson who both deliver incredible nuanced performances. He is a successful New York theater director and she is an actress who had fame in Hollywood as a teen. They plan to separate amicably (and without lawyers) for the sake of Henry (Azhy Robertson), their eight year old son. But after Nicole goes to L.A. for work, she is advised to get legal council and hires a zealous family attorney (a blazing Laura Dern). This leaves Charlie scrambling to find a lawyer; first meeting with a brash attorney (Ray Liotta) but is too expensive before settling on a retired lawyer (Alan Alda) to help his case. Once in court, the case turns ugly and contentious, weaponizing innocuous comments and mistakes from their past. Baumbach has used his own experiences with divorce involving his parents (which was the basis for his 2005 breakout feature film, "The Squid and the Whale") and himself (he was married to actress, Jennifer Jason Leigh) for inspiration in his work. "Marriage Story" is a sharply written, emotionally complex drama that expertly displays all of the passionate joy and intense pain that can come from a loving relationship.
"LITTLE WOMEN"
What actress-turned-exceptional filmmaker, Greta Gerwig has done with the seventh feature film version of "Little Women" is absolutely astonishing. While faithfully adapting Louisa May Alcott's cherished story, Gerwig has deftly restructured the plot timeline and brought a fresh perspective to the characters while maintaining the spirit of this inspirational book. We still have the March sisters; the eldest, Meg (Emma Watson) the headstrong, Jo (Saoirse Ronan) the shy, Beth (Eliza Scanlen) and the youngest, Amy (Florence Pugh) as we look at their childhood with their mother, Marmee (Laura Dern) lovingly instilling in her girls the importance of altruism. But the film begins with the sisters as young adults trying to make their way in a world that proves challenging for women. With a fantastic cast (including Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Louis Garrel, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep as Aunt March) and beautifully photographed by Yorick Le Saux, Ms Gerwig has made this "Little Women" a modern classic and has proven with only her second film (her debut, "Lady Bird" made it on this list in 2017) as a writer/director that she is a considerable talent to watch.
"THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO"
"The Last Black Man In San Francisco", the debut feature film from co-writer and director, Joe Talbot, is a haunting and soulful look at a young man trying to regain his sense of home (literally and figuratively) in a city that is shifting and leaving a large part of the population displaced in it's wake. This winner at last year's Sundance Film Festival for Best Director and a Special Jury Award for Creator Collaboration tells the story of Jimmie Fails (played by Jimmie Fails who co-created the story with Talbot and is loosely based on his life) who is obssessed with a Victorian home in the Bay Area his family once owned that his grandfather had built. A white family is currently living in the home but after it is abruptly vacated and put on the market, Jimmie finds this the perfect opportunity to take back ownership. Currently crashing with his best friend, Montgomery (Jonathan Majors, in a breakout role) at the home of his blind grandfather (Danny Glover), the two simply break in and begin living in the house. This beautifully rendered, surrealistic film touches on the history of African-Americans in San Francisco and the growing threat of gentrification while we watch these two outsiders struggling to find their place in to a society that they don't neatly fit in.
"JOJO RABBIT"
With "Jojo Rabbit", Taika Waititi has managed to make a warm, touching and hilarious movie involving the unlikely subjects of Hitler, Nazis and WWII. Jojo Betzler (an amazing Roman Griffin Davis) is an earnest Nazi youth-in-training yet has some doubts despite encouragement from his wacky, imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi). After discovering that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) has been hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home, Jojo's indoctrinated beliefs become further challenged. While "Jojo Rabbit" may subtly point out the similarities to our current turbulent political climate, the gifted filmmaker has stated that the film is actually a love letter to mothers, particularly single mothers.
"1917"
"1917" is a stunning visual achievement from director, Sam Mendes and cinematographer, Roger Deakins that takes us on a harrowing journey with two young soldiers on a life-or-death mission during WW I. Two British men, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are assigned to hand deliver a message across no-man's land to the Devonshire Regiment, telling them to call off their planned attack on the German forces. The Germans have not actually retreated from the front and are planning to ambush the battalion of over one thousand men with Blake's brother among them.
This terrifying ordeal, which is based on stories that Mr. Mendes heard from his grandfather who served during this war, is heightened with the film appearing to have been made in one continuous shot, making the audience feel like they are part of this traumatic undertaking. Some may find the single camera move too much of a distracting gimmick but "1917" remains an effective and moving drama that pays tribute to the fearless, dedicated soldiers who sacrificed their lives and a somber reminder of the senseless tragedy of war.
"HUSTLERS"
Based on a New York magazine article, "Hustlers", Lorene Scafaria's razor-sharp and deviously entertaining drama, is about a group of strippers who create an inventive yet highly corrupt way to earn some extra money. Constance Wu plays "Destiny", a new girl at the New York strip club, Scores, who struggles to get noticed. Enter Ramona (played by Jennifer Lopez in a career-redefining performance), a magnetic showstopper whose stage routine climaxes with her showered in cash. Mesmerized by her seemingly effortless talent, Destiny approaches Ramona and she decides to take the novice under her wing. Destiny learns some valuable tricks-of-the-trade and finds success with the two becoming close friends. But the 2008 financial collapse forces the ladies to get very creative on trying to make a living. The women (with some help by fellow strippers played by Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart) begin to spike the drinks of their wealthy clients so they can max-out their credit cards. "Hustlers" may be a twisted crime caper but it's also a sexy, funny and emotional story involving vulnerable women trying to regain control of their lives with a strong emphasis on female bonding and empowerment.
"BOOKSMART"
"Booksmart", the impressive feature film directorial debut by actress, Olivia Wilde, is a raunchy, coming-of-age comedy yet told from a decidedly female perspective. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play childhood best friends, Molly and Amy who are now high-school seniors. The two have devoted all their time to studying hard so they can get into a good college. But they discover that many of the other kids who partied hard throughout the year also were accepted in to good schools. Frustrated that they wasted their prime school years with their noses buried in books, Molly and Amy decide to go to a big graduation party in order to make up for the time lost. Unfortunately, neither of them know the actual address and spend the evening trying to find the location. This leads to the girls encountering strange, drugged-out people and getting involved in some very odd situations. While we are familiar with the standard teen comedy, Ms Wilde brilliantly shakes up the routine with a colorful, inclusive look at friendships and self-acceptance. "Booksmart" is further enhanced by the spirited chemistry between Ms Feldstein and Ms Dever.
"FORD V. FERRARI"
I am not particularly a fan of fast cars and auto racing but I am an enthusiastic admirer of "Ford v. Ferrari", a masterful fact-based drama from James Mangold which is anchored by two pitch-perfect performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon. After a business deal to buy Ferrari goes sour with the American company and CEO insulted in the process, Ford Motor Company's Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) is furious and determined to build a car to defeat the Italian luxury car manufacturer at the 24 hour Le Mans Grand Prix. Ford VP, Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) hires Carroll Shelby (Damon), a former racing driver who had to retire due to health issues and now a auto engineer, to create a car to compete in the 1966 race. Shelby brings on British driver and mechanic, Ken Miles (Bale) to help with this project. But he's difficult and hot-headed which makes him problematic with the higher-ups at Ford, particularly with Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), a senior VP who has made it his mission to get Miles off the team. The racing sequences are absolutely electrifying (shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer, Phedon Papamichael) but it's the compelling emotional dynamic between the characters that truly makes this film standout. "UNCUT GEMS"
Adam Sandler, the king of the low-brow comedies, has miraculously become a serious thespian with his outstanding performance in the Safdie brothers' latest, "Uncut Gems", a raw and brutal dramatic thriller. He plays Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler with a serious gambling problem. He's gotten his hands on a rare black opal and had it smuggled in from Africa with plans to sell the jewel for big money at auction. But in the meantime, he has to deal with his estranged wife (a superb Idina Menzel) and their kids, a much younger girlfriend (Julia Fox, who is one-to-watch) and his loan shark brother-in-law (Eric Bogosian) that he owes a lot of money. When Howard's associate, Demany (Lakeith Stanfield) brings NBA player, Kevin Garnett (playing a version of himself) in to the store, he wants to impress by showing him the opal. However, Garnett becomes obsessed with this gem and wants to hold on to it for good luck before his game. Reluctantly, Howard agrees in exchange for Garnett's championship ring as collateral. But Howard pawns the ring in order to place a huge bet and plans to buy it back from the winnings. It should be no surprise that nothing goes according to Howard's outrageous scheme. Much like the Coen Brothers at the beginning of their career, Josh and Benny Safdie have their own offbeat cinematic style that will take some time before becoming viewed as mainstream and their accomplished sixth feature, "Uncut Gems" displays that these brothers are certainly on their way.
"KNIVES OUT"
The only thing "Knives Out" has in common with those Agatha Christie whodunit mysteries is that there's a dead body and nobody knows (or admits) how it ended up that way. Writer/director, Rian Johnson has taken the murder mystery and refreshed the genre with a cleverly plotted, unexpectedly funny and thoroughly entertaining film. And a top-notch, all-star cast is the perfect cherry on top. Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy mystery novelist, invites his family to celebrate his 85th birthday. There's his real estate mogul daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband (Don Johnson); the youngest son (Michael Shannon) who helps run his father's business, the lifestyle guru (Toni Collette) who is the widow of Harlan's deceased son and a couple of grandchildren (Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell). But Harlan ends up dead the next day and it appear to be murder. Police detectives (Lakeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a world-class private detective, are called upon to investigate the crime with everyone as a potential suspect. Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas, in a star-making turn), Harlan's nurse and caretaker, wants to help the investigators but also knows more than she's willing to reveal. But Hugh Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), Harlan's much despised, estranged grandson, discovers Marta's secret and tries to use it to his advantage.
"AVENGERS: ENDGAME"
After twenty-one previous films in the series and one of the most expensive ever made (with a staggering $356 million dollar budget), "Avengers: Endgame" delivers a thrilling, charming and surprisingly heartfelt "conclusion" to the MarvelCinematic Universe. While we know for certain that Disney is not going to stop making these movies yet we have come to the end with many of the actors in these roles as well as some of the characters. For now, the future of MCU is still a big question mark. "Endgame" continues where we left off with "Avengers: Infinity War" after Thanos (Josh Brolin) succeeded in getting all of the Infinity stones to use with the gauntlet to disintegrate half of life in the universe. The surviving Avengers (which includes Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (the very busy, Scarlett Johansson) and Chris Hemsworth as Thor) locate Thanos to reverse his act but he has already destroyed the stones. Five years later, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) has escaped from the Quantum realm and learns what has happened. He devises a plan to use the realm to go back in time in order to get the stones in order to prevent Thanos's plan in the future. And the highlight of this incredibly entertaining film is the breathtaking epic battle near the end that features virtually all of the heroes in the MCU.
Honorable mention: "The Art of Self-Defense", "Climax", "The Farewell", "Gloria Bell", "Good Boys", "Her Smell", "Honey Boy", "Parasite", "Portrait of a Lady On Fire", "Shazam!", "Slut In A Good Way", "The Souvenir","Queen & Slim", "Under The Silver Lake"
The summer movie season has officially come to a close. And while the U.S. box-office did ring in with over four billion dollars (which was up 1% from the previous year), much of that money went to only a few select films while many of the usually sure-fire sequels and remakes failed to generate much interest and ultimately doing lackluster business.
Now we are moving in to my favorite time of the year with the fall movie releases. This is really only because the studios (with their eyes fixated on gold prizes) tend to save much of the interesting and offbeat films for the last few months of the film season. Somehow they always seem to forget that people will actually go to the movies every week of the fifty-two in a year. Here is a small selection of upcoming films that I am eagerly awaiting to see: All U.S. release dates are subject to change:
"THE GOLDFINCH"
Release date: September 13, 2019
Based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Donna Tartt, "The Goldfinch" tells the story of thirteen year old, Theodore Decker (Oakes Fegley) who suffers a terrible tragedy after surviving a terrorist bombing at a New York art museum. This event leaves him struggling from grief and guilt, then down a path of crime involving art forgery. Luke Wilson, Sarah Paulson, Jeffrey Wright, Nicole Kidman and Ansel Elgort as the adult Theodore star.
"HUSTLERS"
Release date: September 13, 2019
Inspired by a 2015 New York magazine article, "Hustlers" looks at how a few exotic dancers who worked at the famed Manhattan strip club, Scores got even with some abusive Wall Street clients by drugging, then relieving them of their credit cards. Jennifer Lopez leads the strip club crew (which includes Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart of TV's, "Riverdale", rising r&b singer, Lizzo and former stripper-turned-rap artist, Cardi B.) to turn the tables on the men who marginalized them simply due to their line of work. Lorene Scafaria directs.
"WHERE'S MY ROY COHN?"
Release date: September 20, 2019
The title of the documentary, "Where's My Roy Cohn?" comes from when President Trump was feeling the pressure of all the mounting investigations against him and was seeking someone who was going to make all his problems disappear like his one-time personal lawyer and fixer had done for him in the past. This film examines the life of the reptilian and unscrupulous Cohn who first made a name for himself as the U.S. prosecutor during the espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg before becoming Senator McCarthy's chief counsel during the Senate subcommittee investigations seeking out Communists and other undesirables. The man who was Trump's role-model would later become disbarred due to unethical conduct and shortly after dying of AIDS-related complications in 1986. Matt Tyrnauer, who brought us the docs, "Valentino: The Last Emperor", "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" and "Studio 54", directs.
"THE CURRENT WAR" Release date: October 4, 2019
"The Current War" looks at the battle of the electrical systems between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and partners, George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) and Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) over which one would succeed in powering the modern world. Each inventor has systems that worked well but had limitations. The competition reaches a conclusion as each offers proposals to supply power to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The film was originally was supposed to be released in 2017 by The Weinstein Company but became collateral damage due to the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
"THE LIGHTHOUSE"
Release date: October 18, 2019
In the follow-up to his acclaimed 2015 feature film debut, "The Witch", writer/director, Robert Eggers has returned with another dark and eerie film, "The Lighthouse". Shot in black and white, this winner of the Fipresci Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two nineteenth century lighthouse keepers, while facing the endless solitude, begin to slowly unravel and lose hold of their sanity.
"BLACK AND BLUE"
Release date: October 25, 2019
Naomie Harris, the British actress who received a well-deserved Oscar-nomination for her supporting role in the 2016 Best Picture winner, "Moonlight", has finally been given an opportunity to shine in a leading film role. In "Black and Blue", Harris plays a New Orleans rookie cop who witnesses her partner (Mike Colter) and his crew gun down a drug-dealer which is captured on her body camera. With the corrupt cops blaming the murder on her, she is being tracked down not only by the police department but also from other gang members seeking revenge. This cop's only hope is a stranger (Tyrese Gibson) in the community to help her stay alive in order to get the film out and clear her name.
"HONEY BOY"
Release date: November 8, 2019
Shia LaBeouf wrote the script for "Honey Boy" which began originally as a part of his therapy during his stint in rehab. Alma Har'el directs this drama loosely based on the actor's life which includes his struggles with mental health and his difficult relationship with his father. Noah Jupe plays Otis Lort, a child actor who grapples with his emerging fame and Lucas Hedges plays the older Otis where he begins to abuse drugs as a way to cope with his successful career. And LaBeouf appears as his former rodeo clown and felon father.
"FORD V. FERRARI"
Release date: November 15, 2019
"Ford v. Ferrari" is a testosterone-driven sports drama about the Ford Motor Company’s desire to beat the undefeated racing team of the Italian automaker, Ferrari during the 1966 Le Mans auto race in France. But Ford will need a car. They assign a team of skilled engineers, lead by Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), an expert pro driver, behind the wheel to help make sure they will be victorious at the end of this twenty-four hour endurance race. James Mangold directs.
"THE GOOD LIAR" Release date: November 15, 2019
Ian McKellen teams up with director Bill Condon once again (following "Gods and Monsters" and "Mr Holmes") in "The Good Liar". The actor stars as a veteran con artist who meets his latest mark online through a dating app. Helen Mirren plays a wealthy widow who becomes completely enamored with him, easily offering her heart and home. What he thought would be a simple job becomes more complicated when he finds himself actually caring for her.
"KNIVES OUT"
Release date: November 27, 2019
The latest from writer/director Rian Johnson ("Looper", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi") is "Knives Out", a modern spin on the classic whodunit murder mystery with a little black comedy thrown in to spice it up. The family of a wealthy crime novelist (Christopher Plummer) comes together to celebrate his eighty-fifth birthday. But during the party, he is found murdered and a detective (Daniel Craig) is brought in to solve this crime. An impressive cast has been assembled which includes Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfiled and Don Johnson.
