Believe it or not, the first half of 2018 is already behind us. And as usual, we've seen some pretty great movies during the last six months, from terrifying horror movies to astonishing Marvel blockbusters. Steven Spielberg made his best movie in years, the comedies delivered in full force, and the darkest dramas have reflected our modern climate with unflinching, disturbing clarity. Put simply, I have no complaints whatsoever about the first half of the year. It has been a blast to go to the theater and explore amazing films each and every week.
In a year stacked with cinematic riches, it's remarkable that we still have another 6 months to go. There are more amazing films left to be discovered, and I can't wait to see what awaits us in the months of July to December. So without further ado, here are some of my most anticipated movies for the rest of 2018, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions- NETFLIX MOVIES
I love Netflix, I really do. Even if many of their films are sub-par, they're spending money on things that most studios wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. But there's one thing about the streaming giant that irks me to no end, and it's something that most people wouldn't even think about. It's a simple complaint: they never announce release dates.
So while there are a TON of upcoming Netflix movies that I would love to include on this list, I'm holding off, simply because it's impossible to know if they'll actually debut in time to qualify as 2018 movies. This is a list that includes....
-Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier's Hold the Dark, starring Alexander Skarsgard, Jeffrey Wright, and Riley Keough
-Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, the filmmaker's long-awaited follow-up to Gravity
-Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw, which reunites Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo
-Gareth Evans' Apostle, the director's first outing since The Raid 2
-Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie's Outlaw King, a potential awards player led by Chris Pine
-A new project from Noah Baumbach, starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver
-Paul Greengrass' mass shooting drama Norway
-And potentially, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, which could be the biggest cinephile event of 2018
So yeah, these are really big movies, ones that would place extremely high on my list. But since there has been zero news on when any of these will actually arrive, I'm keeping them off the list.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN- Most of the upcoming Disney live-action remakes sound derivative and exhausting, but I'm fairly excited for their new spin on Winnie the Pooh. The gentle spirit of the stories is on full display in the trailers, and Ewan McGregor is a perfect choice to play an older Christopher Robin. The presence of these iconic characters on the big screen is more than enough to get me back in the theater. AUGUST 3
THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS- My enthusiasm for this movie is a testament to the power of a great trailer. A new Eli Roth film isn't exactly an event in my world, but I absolutely adored the teaser trailer for The House With A Clock In Its Walls, which looked like old-school Amblin shaped for the modern world. The latest clip teased something a bit more kid-friendly, but I'm thrilled for Jack Black and Cate Blanchett to lead a macabre haunted house movie. SEPTEMBER 21
OVERLORD- At the time of this publication, we have seen zero footage from Julius Avery's Overlord, once rumored to be the latest installment in the Cloverfield franchise. But the buzz alone has me eagerly awaiting this World War II horror film, which will take audiences into the nightmarish Nazi experimentation camps. CinemaCon audiences were stunned be the footage, and I'm ready for a stronger Bad Robot project after the disappointment of Cloverfield Paradox. OCTOBER 26
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY- It hasn't been the easiest road to the big screen for Bohemian Rhapsody, a tumultuous journey that culminated with the replacement of controversial director Bryan Singer. However, none of this will dim my excitement for a music-driven biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, which looks to feature a star performance from Rami Malek. The teaser trailer was utterly thrilling- can the full film match up? NOVEMBER 2
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE- Phil Lord and Chris Miller might not be delivering a new directorial outing in the foreseeable future, so I guess I'll have to settle for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an innovative new animated comedy produced by the duo. If you're sick of all Marvel movies looking the same, Into the Spider-Verse will shake things up with its wildly original and colorful style. The initial footage caught my attention, but a fresh new look sold me on its must-see status. DECEMBER 14
And now, the Top 15....
15. AD ASTRA
Image: Amazon/IMDb
Original, big-budget sci-fi is already a rarity in modern Hollywood. Original sci-fi stories made by auteurs are practically an endangered species. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why Ad Astra, the latest from Lost City of Z director James Gray, is so high on this list. Led by the formidable trio of Brad Pitt, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones, Gray's newest project follows an astronaut on the search for his father, who disappeared while searching for alien life. With Gray and frequent Christopher Nolan cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema behind the camera, Ad Astra is almost surely going to be an unfathomably beautiful, eerie experience. Could this be the finest sci-fi film of the year? DECEMBER 25 (limited), JANUARY 11 (wide)
14. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Image: A24/IMDb
While some were keenly aware of Barry Jenkins' talents thanks to Medicine for Melancholy, I don't think it's a radical statement to say that Moonlight was one of the most spectacular surprises of the decade. A film that was barely on anyone's radar prior to its festival premiere became the most acclaimed film of 2016, winning Best Picture at the Oscars in dramatic fashion and cementing Jenkins as a talent to watch. The anticipation for Jenkins' third feature, If Beale Street Could Talk (set to be distributed by Annapurna), has been breathless, but the buzz is surprisingly mixed so far. General consensus from the swirling insider reports is that Jenkins won't be making a return to the Oscar race. Nevertheless, awards recognition has no bearing on quality, and I'm eager for my chance to check out what Jenkins has created with his latest project. TBA
13. BACKSEAT/CHENEY
Image: Paramount/IMDb
Another Annapurna project, Backseat/Cheney (there have been conflicting reports on the actual title) will be one of the must-see holiday movies come December. At the start of 2015, nobody expected Adam McKay, the creator of goofball comedy classics like Anchorman and Step Brothers, to direct perhaps the greatest film yet about the housing crisis. But The Big Short delivered well above expectations, even winning McKay an Oscar for his fast, funny, and sobering screenplay. For his follow-up act, McKay will be turning his attention to another hot topic of the 2000s: Vice President Dick Cheney. It'll be interesting to see if Cheney's idiocy will feel tame in comparison to our modern predicament, but McKay has earned my trust at this point. And with an astonishing ensemble led by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Carell, McKay's latest could push him into the Oscar race again. DECEMBER 21
12. MANDY
Image: RJLE Films/IMDb
Audiences at Sundance and Cannes went wild for Panos Cosmatos' Mandy, which supposedly delivers a Nicolas Cage performance for the ages. I was certainly intrigued by the reports of wild violence and unhinged Cage, but I was fully sold by last week's trailer. Mandy looks as trippy, vicious, and flat-out insane as any film I've seen in a long time, a maddening heavy metal odyssey of demons and chainsaws. Even if Cosmatos' second feature is only debuting on VOD, I can't wait to soak in every second of what looks like 2018's wildest ride. SEPTEMBER 14
11. THE OLD MAN & THE GUN
Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight
I've been thoroughly disappointed by David Lowery's films in the past, raising my hopes for Pete's Dragon and A Ghost Story and subsequently finding little to enjoy. If The Old Man & the Gun doesn't connect, then I think I'll finally solidify that Lowery's movies just aren't for me. That being said, I was utterly entranced by the trailer for this film, a low-key bank robber drama that seems like it was filmed in the 1970s and transported to the present day. Robert Redford looks magnetic as the charming thief, and you can't go wrong with a supporting cast that includes Sissy Spacek and Danny Glover. The brief glimpse at the grainy cinematography was dazzling, but the real draw is Redford, in what could be one of his final performances. He's in his comfort zone here, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us. SEPTEMBER 28
10. THE PREDATOR
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Do we need another Predator movie? I dunno, I barely have any attachment to this franchise in the first place. But I'll never turn down a new movie from Shane Black, the master of the modern action/comedy. I became a Black fan for life after 2016's The Nice Guys, which is undeniably one of my favorite films of the decade. Black will be returning to blockbuster territory (he previously directed Iron Man 3) with The Predator, a film that seems to blend R-rated, big-budget action with the filmmaker's own idiosyncrasies and comic tendencies. The teaser trailer was a little shaky, and behind-the-scenes reports have given plenty of reason for skepticism. However, with Black behind the camera and an insanely talented cast (Sterling K. Brown, Jacob Tremblay, Trevante Rhodes, Boyd Holbrook, and many more), The Predator is undeniably the sci-fi/horror event of the fall. SEPTEMBER 14
9. THE SISTERS BROTHERS
Image courtesy of Annapurna
A neo-Western with Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riz Ahmed- need I say more?
The latest from Rust and Bone and A Prophet director Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers looks like a blast of the highest order. Everything I read about the film led me to believe that this would be a rather grim, serious affair, but those expectations were completely shattered by the first footage, which teased an unexpectedly comedic take on the genre. Phoenix and Reilly look like a dynamic duo for the ages, and the humorous touches don't seem to be too overwhelming. I don't know if The Sisters Brothers is an Oscar player or a pure genre outing, but whatever it ends up being, I'm unbelievably excited. TBA
8. BLACKKKLANSMAN
Image: Focus/IMDb
Spike Lee took Cannes by storm with BlacKkKlansman, a provocative new film that will surely touch a nerve with American audiences upon its August release. While Lee has maintained that this is not a comedy, BlacKkKlansman promises to be both a satirical look at the Ku Klux Klan and a sobering look at racism in the 21st century. And in the aftermath of the Charlottesville march, the story of Ron Stallworth's KKK infiltration is a movie that America needs to see right now. Adam Driver, John David Washington, Topher Grace, and Laura Harrier lead the stellar cast, while Lemonade cinematographer Chayse Irvin looks to deliver one of the most visually innovative movies of the summer. Oh, did I mention that Jordan Peele is on board as a producer? This one can't be missed. AUGUST 10
7. WIDOWS
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
There are a billion reasons to be excited for Widows. I don't know how anyone couldn't place this near the top of their must-see list for the fall. The primary reason is the return of Steve McQueen, the director of the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, after a five-year filmmaking hiatus. McQueen is a brilliant cinematic artist, and he looks to be in prime form here. Then there's the cast, which is perhaps the finest ensemble of the year. Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Colin Farrell- the list goes on and on. Plus, there's a screenplay by Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn, and a trailer that teased something akin to a modern Michael Mann movie. So yeah, I'm looking forward to this one just a bit. NOVEMBER 16
6. THE FAVOURITE
Image: Fox Searchlight
Word on the street is that Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek auteur behind utterly strange dark comedies like The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, has finally made a normal movie. Well, "normal" by Lanthimosian standards at least. Nonetheless, Fox Searchlight is set to give a major Oscar push to The Favourite, a unique and darkly funny comedy of manners that will aim to please both young and old members of the Academy. Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman lead the cast, but the real draw here is Lanthimos. He's one of the most distinct filmmakers working today, and I'm beyond intrigued to see what he's cooking up in this more mainstream outing. As a fan of his oddly disturbing tendencies, I can't wait to see how it all translates to 18th century royal hijinks. NOVEMBER 23
5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- FALLOUT
Image: Paramount/IMDb
If you're not excited for Mission: Impossible- Fallout, you're probably lying to yourself. Summer 2018 has delivered some pretty solid blockbusters, but Christopher McQuarrie and company may have saved the very best for last. After taking things to new heights in 2011's Ghost Protocol with his daring climb on the Burj Khalifa, Tom Cruise jumped on an airplane, held his breath underwater, and zipped around on a motorcycle in 2015's Rogue Nation. For his latest trick, Cruise....well, actually broke his ankle during the filming of this movie. At 56 years old, Fallout could be Cruise's latest outing as superspy Ethan Hunt, but if it is, he's going out with a hell of a bang. With almost all of his previous M:I co-stars returning and the new additions of Henry Cavill and Angela Bassett, Fallout looks poised to be the biggest and craziest installment in the franchise's history. Running an awesome 147 minutes, Cruise's latest act of mayhem could be a spy epic for the ages. JULY 27
4. HALLOWEEN
Image: Universal/IMDb
There's no real reason for another Halloween movie. If we're being honest, between unnecessary sequels and Rob Zombie's remakes, this franchise has been done to death at this point. But if you're going to make a new Halloween movie in 2018, this looks like the way to do it. Jamie Lee Curtis is back, John Carpenter is writing a new original score, and hugely talented people like producer Jason Blum and director David Gordon Green are involved. And just like that, you have what might be the blockbuster horror event of October 2018. Just like Andy Muschietti's IT became a cross-generational hit, the return of Laurie Strode could capitalize on nostalgia and a seemingly endless hunger for horror. Plus, that trailer channeled the vibe of the original classic to perfection. This might be the first great Halloween movie since Carpenter's masterpiece. OCTOBER 19
3. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Early in June, I remember going to see Hotel Artemis shortly after watching the just-released teaser for Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale. And while Artemis had its own unique set of problems beyond this comparison, I couldn't help but wish I was heading on a trip to a different hotel- one where Chris Hemsworth plays a shirtless cult leader in a mysteriously violent Western locale. Goddard has surprised viewers before with The Cabin in the Woods and his screenplay for The Martian, and I think he could take the film world by storm again with this ensemble crime picture. A cross between Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and Goddard's own clever sensibilities, the 1969-set Bad Times ironically looks like (please forgive me) a very good time at the theater. Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman, and a whole lot of violent style- please, sign me up. OCTOBER 12
2. SUSPIRIA
Image courtesy of Amazon Studios
Just like a new Halloween movie, a remake of Dario Argento's Suspiria is a terrible idea. The original giallo is a masterpiece, so why mess with it? But when you throw Luca Guadagnino into the mix, that changes things. The Italian director made a bona fide masterpiece with last year's Call Me By Your Name, a lush and luxurious European romance that practically turned Timothée Chalamet into a star. Guadagnino's shift to the horror genre is genuinely unexpected, but if the teaser trailer is any indication, we're in for the nightmare to end all nightmares. Scored by Thom Yorke, the 90-second teaser was chilling in ways that even I didn't expect, combining 1970s-inspired visuals with Guadagnino's own meticulous sensibilities. Reuniting the filmmaker with A Bigger Splash stars Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, Suspiria looks to be the arthouse horror event of 2018, the rare remake that stands on its own as a work of art. And if the reports from CinemaCon are to be believed, we've barely scratched the surface of the brutality in this one. NOVEMBER 2
1. FIRST MAN
Image: Universal/IMDb
Damien Chazelle's La La Land was far and away my favorite film of 2016, a masterful work that didn't deserve the backlash it received. Naturally, First Man, Chazelle's follow-up, is my most anticipated film for the rest of the year. Despite a reunion with star Ryan Gosling, it looks like Chazelle will be doing something markedly different with this one, even if he's exploring familiar themes of sacrifice and determination. Early buzz indicates that the music-driven filmmaker will venture into Christopher Nolan-esque territory, delivering an IMAX-sized action epic with a few scenes that will blow you away. Chazelle and everyone else involved maintains that this is not a traditional biopic of Neil Armstrong; instead, this is an action/thriller about the intensity of the iconic trip. As a Chazelle fan, I was already sold. But if that description doesn't entice you, I don't know what will. OCTOBER 12
That's all for now. More reviews will be arriving shortly.
In a year stacked with cinematic riches, it's remarkable that we still have another 6 months to go. There are more amazing films left to be discovered, and I can't wait to see what awaits us in the months of July to December. So without further ado, here are some of my most anticipated movies for the rest of 2018, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions- NETFLIX MOVIES
I love Netflix, I really do. Even if many of their films are sub-par, they're spending money on things that most studios wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. But there's one thing about the streaming giant that irks me to no end, and it's something that most people wouldn't even think about. It's a simple complaint: they never announce release dates.
So while there are a TON of upcoming Netflix movies that I would love to include on this list, I'm holding off, simply because it's impossible to know if they'll actually debut in time to qualify as 2018 movies. This is a list that includes....
-Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier's Hold the Dark, starring Alexander Skarsgard, Jeffrey Wright, and Riley Keough
-Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, the filmmaker's long-awaited follow-up to Gravity
-Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw, which reunites Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo
-Gareth Evans' Apostle, the director's first outing since The Raid 2
-Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie's Outlaw King, a potential awards player led by Chris Pine
-A new project from Noah Baumbach, starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver
-Paul Greengrass' mass shooting drama Norway
-And potentially, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, which could be the biggest cinephile event of 2018
So yeah, these are really big movies, ones that would place extremely high on my list. But since there has been zero news on when any of these will actually arrive, I'm keeping them off the list.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN- Most of the upcoming Disney live-action remakes sound derivative and exhausting, but I'm fairly excited for their new spin on Winnie the Pooh. The gentle spirit of the stories is on full display in the trailers, and Ewan McGregor is a perfect choice to play an older Christopher Robin. The presence of these iconic characters on the big screen is more than enough to get me back in the theater. AUGUST 3
THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS- My enthusiasm for this movie is a testament to the power of a great trailer. A new Eli Roth film isn't exactly an event in my world, but I absolutely adored the teaser trailer for The House With A Clock In Its Walls, which looked like old-school Amblin shaped for the modern world. The latest clip teased something a bit more kid-friendly, but I'm thrilled for Jack Black and Cate Blanchett to lead a macabre haunted house movie. SEPTEMBER 21
OVERLORD- At the time of this publication, we have seen zero footage from Julius Avery's Overlord, once rumored to be the latest installment in the Cloverfield franchise. But the buzz alone has me eagerly awaiting this World War II horror film, which will take audiences into the nightmarish Nazi experimentation camps. CinemaCon audiences were stunned be the footage, and I'm ready for a stronger Bad Robot project after the disappointment of Cloverfield Paradox. OCTOBER 26
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY- It hasn't been the easiest road to the big screen for Bohemian Rhapsody, a tumultuous journey that culminated with the replacement of controversial director Bryan Singer. However, none of this will dim my excitement for a music-driven biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, which looks to feature a star performance from Rami Malek. The teaser trailer was utterly thrilling- can the full film match up? NOVEMBER 2
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE- Phil Lord and Chris Miller might not be delivering a new directorial outing in the foreseeable future, so I guess I'll have to settle for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an innovative new animated comedy produced by the duo. If you're sick of all Marvel movies looking the same, Into the Spider-Verse will shake things up with its wildly original and colorful style. The initial footage caught my attention, but a fresh new look sold me on its must-see status. DECEMBER 14
And now, the Top 15....
15. AD ASTRA
Image: Amazon/IMDb
Original, big-budget sci-fi is already a rarity in modern Hollywood. Original sci-fi stories made by auteurs are practically an endangered species. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why Ad Astra, the latest from Lost City of Z director James Gray, is so high on this list. Led by the formidable trio of Brad Pitt, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones, Gray's newest project follows an astronaut on the search for his father, who disappeared while searching for alien life. With Gray and frequent Christopher Nolan cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema behind the camera, Ad Astra is almost surely going to be an unfathomably beautiful, eerie experience. Could this be the finest sci-fi film of the year? DECEMBER 25 (limited), JANUARY 11 (wide)
14. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Image: A24/IMDb
While some were keenly aware of Barry Jenkins' talents thanks to Medicine for Melancholy, I don't think it's a radical statement to say that Moonlight was one of the most spectacular surprises of the decade. A film that was barely on anyone's radar prior to its festival premiere became the most acclaimed film of 2016, winning Best Picture at the Oscars in dramatic fashion and cementing Jenkins as a talent to watch. The anticipation for Jenkins' third feature, If Beale Street Could Talk (set to be distributed by Annapurna), has been breathless, but the buzz is surprisingly mixed so far. General consensus from the swirling insider reports is that Jenkins won't be making a return to the Oscar race. Nevertheless, awards recognition has no bearing on quality, and I'm eager for my chance to check out what Jenkins has created with his latest project. TBA
13. BACKSEAT/CHENEY
Image: Paramount/IMDb
Another Annapurna project, Backseat/Cheney (there have been conflicting reports on the actual title) will be one of the must-see holiday movies come December. At the start of 2015, nobody expected Adam McKay, the creator of goofball comedy classics like Anchorman and Step Brothers, to direct perhaps the greatest film yet about the housing crisis. But The Big Short delivered well above expectations, even winning McKay an Oscar for his fast, funny, and sobering screenplay. For his follow-up act, McKay will be turning his attention to another hot topic of the 2000s: Vice President Dick Cheney. It'll be interesting to see if Cheney's idiocy will feel tame in comparison to our modern predicament, but McKay has earned my trust at this point. And with an astonishing ensemble led by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Carell, McKay's latest could push him into the Oscar race again. DECEMBER 21
12. MANDY
Image: RJLE Films/IMDb
Audiences at Sundance and Cannes went wild for Panos Cosmatos' Mandy, which supposedly delivers a Nicolas Cage performance for the ages. I was certainly intrigued by the reports of wild violence and unhinged Cage, but I was fully sold by last week's trailer. Mandy looks as trippy, vicious, and flat-out insane as any film I've seen in a long time, a maddening heavy metal odyssey of demons and chainsaws. Even if Cosmatos' second feature is only debuting on VOD, I can't wait to soak in every second of what looks like 2018's wildest ride. SEPTEMBER 14
11. THE OLD MAN & THE GUN
Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight
I've been thoroughly disappointed by David Lowery's films in the past, raising my hopes for Pete's Dragon and A Ghost Story and subsequently finding little to enjoy. If The Old Man & the Gun doesn't connect, then I think I'll finally solidify that Lowery's movies just aren't for me. That being said, I was utterly entranced by the trailer for this film, a low-key bank robber drama that seems like it was filmed in the 1970s and transported to the present day. Robert Redford looks magnetic as the charming thief, and you can't go wrong with a supporting cast that includes Sissy Spacek and Danny Glover. The brief glimpse at the grainy cinematography was dazzling, but the real draw is Redford, in what could be one of his final performances. He's in his comfort zone here, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us. SEPTEMBER 28
10. THE PREDATOR
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Do we need another Predator movie? I dunno, I barely have any attachment to this franchise in the first place. But I'll never turn down a new movie from Shane Black, the master of the modern action/comedy. I became a Black fan for life after 2016's The Nice Guys, which is undeniably one of my favorite films of the decade. Black will be returning to blockbuster territory (he previously directed Iron Man 3) with The Predator, a film that seems to blend R-rated, big-budget action with the filmmaker's own idiosyncrasies and comic tendencies. The teaser trailer was a little shaky, and behind-the-scenes reports have given plenty of reason for skepticism. However, with Black behind the camera and an insanely talented cast (Sterling K. Brown, Jacob Tremblay, Trevante Rhodes, Boyd Holbrook, and many more), The Predator is undeniably the sci-fi/horror event of the fall. SEPTEMBER 14
9. THE SISTERS BROTHERS
Image courtesy of Annapurna
A neo-Western with Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riz Ahmed- need I say more?
The latest from Rust and Bone and A Prophet director Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers looks like a blast of the highest order. Everything I read about the film led me to believe that this would be a rather grim, serious affair, but those expectations were completely shattered by the first footage, which teased an unexpectedly comedic take on the genre. Phoenix and Reilly look like a dynamic duo for the ages, and the humorous touches don't seem to be too overwhelming. I don't know if The Sisters Brothers is an Oscar player or a pure genre outing, but whatever it ends up being, I'm unbelievably excited. TBA
8. BLACKKKLANSMAN
Image: Focus/IMDb
Spike Lee took Cannes by storm with BlacKkKlansman, a provocative new film that will surely touch a nerve with American audiences upon its August release. While Lee has maintained that this is not a comedy, BlacKkKlansman promises to be both a satirical look at the Ku Klux Klan and a sobering look at racism in the 21st century. And in the aftermath of the Charlottesville march, the story of Ron Stallworth's KKK infiltration is a movie that America needs to see right now. Adam Driver, John David Washington, Topher Grace, and Laura Harrier lead the stellar cast, while Lemonade cinematographer Chayse Irvin looks to deliver one of the most visually innovative movies of the summer. Oh, did I mention that Jordan Peele is on board as a producer? This one can't be missed. AUGUST 10
7. WIDOWS
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
There are a billion reasons to be excited for Widows. I don't know how anyone couldn't place this near the top of their must-see list for the fall. The primary reason is the return of Steve McQueen, the director of the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, after a five-year filmmaking hiatus. McQueen is a brilliant cinematic artist, and he looks to be in prime form here. Then there's the cast, which is perhaps the finest ensemble of the year. Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Colin Farrell- the list goes on and on. Plus, there's a screenplay by Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn, and a trailer that teased something akin to a modern Michael Mann movie. So yeah, I'm looking forward to this one just a bit. NOVEMBER 16
6. THE FAVOURITE
Image: Fox Searchlight
Word on the street is that Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek auteur behind utterly strange dark comedies like The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, has finally made a normal movie. Well, "normal" by Lanthimosian standards at least. Nonetheless, Fox Searchlight is set to give a major Oscar push to The Favourite, a unique and darkly funny comedy of manners that will aim to please both young and old members of the Academy. Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman lead the cast, but the real draw here is Lanthimos. He's one of the most distinct filmmakers working today, and I'm beyond intrigued to see what he's cooking up in this more mainstream outing. As a fan of his oddly disturbing tendencies, I can't wait to see how it all translates to 18th century royal hijinks. NOVEMBER 23
5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- FALLOUT
Image: Paramount/IMDb
If you're not excited for Mission: Impossible- Fallout, you're probably lying to yourself. Summer 2018 has delivered some pretty solid blockbusters, but Christopher McQuarrie and company may have saved the very best for last. After taking things to new heights in 2011's Ghost Protocol with his daring climb on the Burj Khalifa, Tom Cruise jumped on an airplane, held his breath underwater, and zipped around on a motorcycle in 2015's Rogue Nation. For his latest trick, Cruise....well, actually broke his ankle during the filming of this movie. At 56 years old, Fallout could be Cruise's latest outing as superspy Ethan Hunt, but if it is, he's going out with a hell of a bang. With almost all of his previous M:I co-stars returning and the new additions of Henry Cavill and Angela Bassett, Fallout looks poised to be the biggest and craziest installment in the franchise's history. Running an awesome 147 minutes, Cruise's latest act of mayhem could be a spy epic for the ages. JULY 27
4. HALLOWEEN
Image: Universal/IMDb
There's no real reason for another Halloween movie. If we're being honest, between unnecessary sequels and Rob Zombie's remakes, this franchise has been done to death at this point. But if you're going to make a new Halloween movie in 2018, this looks like the way to do it. Jamie Lee Curtis is back, John Carpenter is writing a new original score, and hugely talented people like producer Jason Blum and director David Gordon Green are involved. And just like that, you have what might be the blockbuster horror event of October 2018. Just like Andy Muschietti's IT became a cross-generational hit, the return of Laurie Strode could capitalize on nostalgia and a seemingly endless hunger for horror. Plus, that trailer channeled the vibe of the original classic to perfection. This might be the first great Halloween movie since Carpenter's masterpiece. OCTOBER 19
3. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Early in June, I remember going to see Hotel Artemis shortly after watching the just-released teaser for Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale. And while Artemis had its own unique set of problems beyond this comparison, I couldn't help but wish I was heading on a trip to a different hotel- one where Chris Hemsworth plays a shirtless cult leader in a mysteriously violent Western locale. Goddard has surprised viewers before with The Cabin in the Woods and his screenplay for The Martian, and I think he could take the film world by storm again with this ensemble crime picture. A cross between Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and Goddard's own clever sensibilities, the 1969-set Bad Times ironically looks like (please forgive me) a very good time at the theater. Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman, and a whole lot of violent style- please, sign me up. OCTOBER 12
2. SUSPIRIA
Image courtesy of Amazon Studios
Just like a new Halloween movie, a remake of Dario Argento's Suspiria is a terrible idea. The original giallo is a masterpiece, so why mess with it? But when you throw Luca Guadagnino into the mix, that changes things. The Italian director made a bona fide masterpiece with last year's Call Me By Your Name, a lush and luxurious European romance that practically turned Timothée Chalamet into a star. Guadagnino's shift to the horror genre is genuinely unexpected, but if the teaser trailer is any indication, we're in for the nightmare to end all nightmares. Scored by Thom Yorke, the 90-second teaser was chilling in ways that even I didn't expect, combining 1970s-inspired visuals with Guadagnino's own meticulous sensibilities. Reuniting the filmmaker with A Bigger Splash stars Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, Suspiria looks to be the arthouse horror event of 2018, the rare remake that stands on its own as a work of art. And if the reports from CinemaCon are to be believed, we've barely scratched the surface of the brutality in this one. NOVEMBER 2
1. FIRST MAN
Image: Universal/IMDb
Damien Chazelle's La La Land was far and away my favorite film of 2016, a masterful work that didn't deserve the backlash it received. Naturally, First Man, Chazelle's follow-up, is my most anticipated film for the rest of the year. Despite a reunion with star Ryan Gosling, it looks like Chazelle will be doing something markedly different with this one, even if he's exploring familiar themes of sacrifice and determination. Early buzz indicates that the music-driven filmmaker will venture into Christopher Nolan-esque territory, delivering an IMAX-sized action epic with a few scenes that will blow you away. Chazelle and everyone else involved maintains that this is not a traditional biopic of Neil Armstrong; instead, this is an action/thriller about the intensity of the iconic trip. As a Chazelle fan, I was already sold. But if that description doesn't entice you, I don't know what will. OCTOBER 12
That's all for now. More reviews will be arriving shortly.
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