While I certainly wouldn't call Summer 2019 a bad stretch at the movie theater (any summer that gives us a new Tarantino masterpiece, a brilliant Pixar sequel, and a couple terrific blockbusters is pretty solid in my book), it did feel rather thin. For the first time in nearly a decade, the glut of remakes, sequels, and retreads finally caught up with me, which meant that I couldn't even bring myself to suffer through films like The Lion King, Aladdin, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Thankfully, the fall movie season also means that we're destined to get a higher ratio of quality films, all due to the high stakes of the annual Oscar race. Fall 2019 is chock full of exciting titles, many of which I couldn't even include on this list, including new features from Marielle Heller, Steven Soderbergh, Terrence Malick, and more. But if you want to get a good sense of what I'm particularly looking forward to in this jam-packed season, you've come to the right place. Here are my 15 most anticipated movies of Fall 2019, plus five additional honorable mentions!
Honorable Mentions
LUCY IN THE SKY (dir. Noah Hawley, October 4)- For a hot minute, I fully believed that the Fargo and Legion creator's directorial debut was going to be punted to Spring 2020 to avoid the busy awards race. But with Fox Searchlight setting the film for an October release date (and a potential festival bow), the Natalie Portman-fronted space drama will be in the thick of the competitive season. Can Hawley's talents translate to the big screen? We'll find out soon.
TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (dir. Tim Miller, November 1)- Another Terminator movie? Really? Especially after the one-two punch of fan disappointment that came with 2009's Salvation (one of the worst studio films I've ever seen) and 2015's Genisys (which, frankly, I never saw), it's easily to be cynical about the future of the series. However, thanks to the return of Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzanegger, Edward Furlong, and producer James Cameron, it's hard not to feel hopeful for what's on the horizon. Plus, Deadpool director Tim Miller has promised another reason to get excited: a return to the franchise's R-rated roots.
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (dir. Celine Sciamma, December 6)- A film that was not on my radar at all prior to this year's Cannes Film Festival, Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire received a rapturous reception from critics on the Croisette. In fact, it's still the best-reviewed film of the year on Metacritic, sitting at a spectacular 95. I've avoided detailed breakdowns this far out, but to the extent that aggregation scores still matter to me, the intensity of the response to Sciamma's film has me highly enthused.
PAIN AND GLORY (dir. Pedro Almodovar, October 4)- I'm only starting to dip my toes into the impressive filmography of the Spanish auteur, but with his autobiographical drama poised to be a strong player in this upcoming awards season, there's no better time to start. Featuring Antonio Banderas in what's reportedly an Oscar-caliber performance, Pain and Glory was one of the most universally acclaimed films at Cannes, which naturally bumps it to the top of my fall watchlist.
DOCTOR SLEEP (dir. Mike Flanagan, November 8)- Do we really need a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining? Nah, probably not. But after seeing the first trailer for Mike Flanagan's adaptation of the Stephen King-penned sequel, it's going to be hard for me to resist a return to the Overlook Hotel. With Ewan McGregor leading the cast as an adult Danny Torrance, Flanagan's film is likely to be the horror event of the holiday season.
15. UNCUT GEMS- dirs. Josh and Benny Safdie- DECEMBER 13
Image: A24
Unlike 99% of the cinephile population, I wasn't a huge fan of Josh and Benny Safdie's Good Time, the rollicking, frenetically paced crime caper that put Robert Pattinson on the map for a generation of filmmakers. However, despite feeling that the compelling ingredients weren't enough to make the film click, there was more than enough potential in the film's grimy, neon-drenched aesthetic to certify the Safdies as directors to watch. The New York-based auteurs will hope to reach a new level of acclaim with Uncut Gems, another crime film that swaps Pattinson for Adam Sandler. After the recent success of Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories, it's clear that seeing the comedic star in a dramatic role almost always producers interesting results, and I'm sincerely hoping that I can get on this film's wavelength in a major way.
14. JOJO RABBIT- dir. Taika Waititi- OCTOBER 18
Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight
With 2021's Thor: Love and Thunder and the recently announced Next Goal Wins on the horizon, Taika Waititi is one of the busiest filmmakers on the planet at the moment. But before he embarks on his next set of directorial adventures, the multi-hyphenate will hit the festival circuit with Jojo Rabbit, an "anti-hate satire" that has been on my radar for a while now. The story of a German boy (Roman Griffin Davis) and his imaginary friend (who happens to be Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi himself), Jojo Rabbit's seemingly strange mix of dark subject matter and comedic irreverence is certain to court some controversy. Last month's teaser trailer didn't show enough to give audiences a feel for the final product, but with Waititi at the helm, it's a guarantee that we're in for a crazy ride.
13. KNIVES OUT- dir. Rian Johnson- NOVEMBER 27
Image courtesy of Lionsgate
At the start of the year, Rian Johnson's Knives Out was near the very top of my most-anticipated list. A murder mystery with THIS cast and the director of the best Star Wars movie since 1980 at the helm? You can count me in right off the bat. In the months since, the cast hasn't changed one bit: Knives Out still features the talents of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana De Armas, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, and more, which is an all-star cast if I've ever seen one. However, I was less enthused by the film's first trailer, which hinted at a jokier, almost parodic tone. I'm not necessarily opposed to that idea, but I have to admit that I was hoping to see Johnson make something akin to a starrier, more expansive version of his early noir films. But with a TIFF premiere on the horizon, I'm still hopeful that Knives Out will deliver on the lofty expectations surrounding it.
12. LITTLE WOMEN- dir. Greta Gerwig- DECEMBER 25
Image courtesy of Sony
Greta Gerwig's hotly anticipated follow-up to 2017's Lady Bird isn't set for any of the fall festivals quite yet, but it's still one of the cinematic events of the year. Yes, this is another upcoming film with a downright tremendous ensemble, led by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Bob Odenkirk. Yet even with such an over-abundance of on-screen talent, the real draw here is the woman behind the camera. Gerwig's directorial debut was a much-deserved sensation with critics and audiences alike, which naturally means that expectations couldn't be higher for her second outing behind the camera. Thankfully, with early buzz indicating that this will be a decidedly Gerwigian spin on the well-worn period piece material, I couldn't be more excited.
11. QUEEN & SLIM- dir. Melina Matsoukas- NOVEMBER 27
Image: Universal
On a conceptual level, few films this year are as impressively daring as Melina Matsoukas' Queen & Slim. With a story that blends contemporary questions of race and police brutality with the framework of Arthur Penn's classic Bonnie and Clyde, I'm fairly confident that, whether it's good, bad, or somewhere in between, Matsoukas' feature debut will get people talking come November. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Taylor-Smith star as a couple on the run from the law, after a late night encounter with a cop ends with the officer dead on the side of the road. The trailers have been brimming with energy, and I'm thrilled to see Universal leaning into the similarities with the aforementioned Beatty/Dunaway-led New Hollywood classic. Maybe the hype will end up being too intense, but I have a feeling this one is going to be a very big deal.
10. 1917- dir. Sam Mendes- DECEMBER 25
Image: Universal
The trailer for Sam Mendes' 1917, his first directorial outing since 2015's Spectre, debuted just last week, premiering in time to show in front of David Leitch's Hobbs & Shaw. Prior to the first look, very little was known about the film, other than that it starred a few prominent British actors (Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch, among others) and centered on a battle in World War I. The teaser solidified that we're going to see a war film that takes direct inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, even smuggling the ticking clock motif and minimalist aesthetic that made that intense experience completely singular. But if we're going to have to suffer through another series of war films in the aftermath of Nolan's success, I want them all to look as thrilling and visually sumptuous as 1917. Of course, that's not shocking when you consider who's behind the camera: cinematographer Roger Deakins, who could be in the running for another Oscar for his efforts here.
9. MARRIAGE STORY- dir. Noah Baumbach- FALL TBA
Image courtesy of Netflix
With Scorsese's The Irishman opting for a later festival launch, it looks like Netflix's other major 2019 player will be Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Touted as a masterwork from the festival programmers and awards insiders who have gotten an early sneak, the indie icon's latest film follows the supposedly semi-autobiographical split of Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver), who find themselves in a contentious divorce with their child in the middle. It doesn't sound like revolutionary material, but every tidbit of information about Baumbach's follow-up to The Meyerowitz Stories hints at a bold, uncompromising experience. Who knows when Netflix will actually throw it on their service, but I'm hoping to see this one sooner rather than later.
8. FORD V FERRARI- dir. James Mangold- NOVEMBER 15
Image courtesy of Fox
Quite possibly the final huzzah of 20th Century Fox as we know it (from now on, we'll be stuck with endless reboots of Night at the Museum and Diary of a Wimpy Kid), James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari looks to be something of a rarity in contemporary film culture: a star-driven action epic (it even has a staggering runtime of 152 minutes). Okay, so maybe setting the first trailer to The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" was a bit of a misstep, but the footage on display is truly incredible, setting the stage for a tense conflict and two terrific performances. It helps that I'm also generally a fan of racing movies, even counting Ron Howard's Rush as one of the better biopics to emerge this decade. Here's hoping Ford v Ferrari earns a spot in the modern sports movie pantheon.
7. AD ASTRA- dir. James Gray- SEPTEMBER 20
Image courtesy of Fox
Truth be told, I don't know what to expect from James Gray's Ad Astra at this point. Originally expected to arrive during the 2018 awards season, the film was delayed to May 2019, only to be pushed back once again to its current date. With the numerous delays, the internet has obviously had a field day speculating on the cause of the film's hyper-extended post-production process. Some have cited the reaction from test screening viewers to the early trailers, many of whom seem to believe that the film has been radically changed from its original state. Still, it's equally possible that director James Gray simply wanted more time to perfect his vision. After all, the film is premiering at the Venice Film Festival in just a few short weeks, which wouldn't lead one to believe that we're in for some disastrous journey. And even if things did get messy on the cutting room floor, there's no chance I'm turning down a space saga with Brad Pitt and Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. It's a tantalizing proposition that's just too good to pass up.
6. THE LIGHTHOUSE- dir. Robert Eggers- OCTOBER 18
Image: A24
The final film in 2019's unofficial trilogy of "Sophomore Outings from Breakout Horror Filmmakers" (the other entries are Ari Aster's Midsommar and Jordan Peele's Us), Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse looks to be one of the strangest cinematic odysseys of the year. The buzz at Cannes was practically off the charts for the film, which reportedly features two sensational performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Even as someone who admires the aesthetic and themes of Eggers' The Witch without fully loving the entire package, I can't contain my excitement for his latest. Based on the trailer and everything I've heard, we're in for a treat.
5. JOKER- dir. Todd Phillips- OCTOBER 4
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
At this juncture, we can't talk about Todd Phillips' Joker without mentioning the script leak. The screenplay for the first R-rated DC film in recent years has been circulating for some time now, and it has certainly caused a, uh, reaction from those who've read it. To be blunt without citing specific examples of what I've heard, everyone seems to agree that it's going to destroy the internet discourse come October. But there's a wrinkle in this pre-ordained doom and gloom, as programmers for the Venice and Toronto film fests have emphasized that they believe Joker is a genuine Oscar contender. Surprising, yes, but with Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, and Zazie Beetz leading the cast, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. And since reports are already suggesting that the script was massively re-written since the leaked version, it's very possible that Joker has been shaped into some kind of masterpiece. Whatever the case, I just need to see the damn thing at this point.
4. IT: CHAPTER TWO- dir. Andy Muschietti- SEPTEMBER 6
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
It: Chapter Two is, I kid you not, 2 hours and 49 minutes long. It's as long as Christopher Nolan's Interstellar! 8 minutes longer than Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! Only a few minutes shorter than Avengers: Endgame! I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but I certainly never would have anticipated Warner Bros. giving Andy Muschietti and company this much free reign with the upcoming mega-sequel.
Hyper-extended runtime or not, I'm eagerly looking forward to the conclusion of the It saga, which promises to be a gorier, scarier follow-up to the 2017 film's gleefully spooky 80s pastiche. The sequel adds Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and more to the already impressive cast, promising a finale to the story of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) and his reign of terror in Derry. I'm ready for all three hours of the madness.
3. PARASITE- dir. Bong Joon-ho- OCTOBER 11
Since I was introduced to the work of Bong Joon-ho with the weird, often brilliant Snowpiercer in the summer of 2014, I've been a devoted fan of the South Korean auteur. Okja was among my favorite films of 2017, and I've recently caught up with Bong's equally masterful Memories of Murder, Mother, and The Host (his first film, Barking Dogs Never Bite, is the only outlier in his filmography). After the success of his last two blockbuster international productions, the filmmaker returns to South Korea with Parasite, a mysterious film that already took the Cannes Film Festival by storm in May. The film earned the director the prestigious Palme d'Or (and inspired Film Twitter to kick-start the #BongHive), and NEON is likely to push for a major Oscar campaign in the upcoming fall season. What is Parasite actually about? I really don't know- and honestly, I'm hoping to keep it that way until I get the chance to see this one for myself.
2. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER- dir. J.J. Abrams- DECEMBER 20
Image: Lucasfilm
Yes, the Star Wars films are starting to vaguely feel like an obligation. Yes, I'm still unbelievably excited to see how J.J. Abrams wraps up this trilogy. Both statements can be true. After the rousing, franchise-defining artistic triumph of Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi, Abrams- who's returning to the director's chair four years after The Force Awakens- will attempt to end the Skywalker saga in style, reconciling the 8th installment's momentous, groundbreaking changes with his own vision of how this final trilogy should end. Regardless of how you felt about the last two saga films (we all know they've been crazy divisive, sometimes for the wrong reasons), it's impossible not to be excited for The Rise of Skywalker, which promises a potent mix of nostalgia and ingenious character moments. There will be plenty of new Star Wars films over the next few decades, but this chapter will still, thankfully, feel like a grand finale for the series we've all loved for years.
1. THE IRISHMAN- dir. Martin Scorsese- FALL TBA
Image courtesy of Netflix
Unlike most of the hardcore cinephiles on Film Twitter, I wasn't the biggest fan of the first trailer for Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. The footage looks strangely unpolished (at least for a Scorsese film), and I'm still not convinced that the much-discussed digital de-aging technology is actually going to work in the context of the film. But, c'mon, man. It's Scorsese with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. I'm not going to judge anything based on 2 minutes of footage. Anyone who isn't chomping at the bit for this movie is, to put it mildly, out of their damn mind. Plus, the buzz from programmers at the New York Film Festival and BFI's London Film Fest has indicated that we're going to see something seriously special when this $200 million epic hits Netflix later this year.
That's all for now, folks. Come back soon for more reviews- and hopefully a few other articles along the way!
Honorable Mentions
LUCY IN THE SKY (dir. Noah Hawley, October 4)- For a hot minute, I fully believed that the Fargo and Legion creator's directorial debut was going to be punted to Spring 2020 to avoid the busy awards race. But with Fox Searchlight setting the film for an October release date (and a potential festival bow), the Natalie Portman-fronted space drama will be in the thick of the competitive season. Can Hawley's talents translate to the big screen? We'll find out soon.
TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (dir. Tim Miller, November 1)- Another Terminator movie? Really? Especially after the one-two punch of fan disappointment that came with 2009's Salvation (one of the worst studio films I've ever seen) and 2015's Genisys (which, frankly, I never saw), it's easily to be cynical about the future of the series. However, thanks to the return of Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzanegger, Edward Furlong, and producer James Cameron, it's hard not to feel hopeful for what's on the horizon. Plus, Deadpool director Tim Miller has promised another reason to get excited: a return to the franchise's R-rated roots.
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (dir. Celine Sciamma, December 6)- A film that was not on my radar at all prior to this year's Cannes Film Festival, Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire received a rapturous reception from critics on the Croisette. In fact, it's still the best-reviewed film of the year on Metacritic, sitting at a spectacular 95. I've avoided detailed breakdowns this far out, but to the extent that aggregation scores still matter to me, the intensity of the response to Sciamma's film has me highly enthused.
PAIN AND GLORY (dir. Pedro Almodovar, October 4)- I'm only starting to dip my toes into the impressive filmography of the Spanish auteur, but with his autobiographical drama poised to be a strong player in this upcoming awards season, there's no better time to start. Featuring Antonio Banderas in what's reportedly an Oscar-caliber performance, Pain and Glory was one of the most universally acclaimed films at Cannes, which naturally bumps it to the top of my fall watchlist.
DOCTOR SLEEP (dir. Mike Flanagan, November 8)- Do we really need a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining? Nah, probably not. But after seeing the first trailer for Mike Flanagan's adaptation of the Stephen King-penned sequel, it's going to be hard for me to resist a return to the Overlook Hotel. With Ewan McGregor leading the cast as an adult Danny Torrance, Flanagan's film is likely to be the horror event of the holiday season.
15. UNCUT GEMS- dirs. Josh and Benny Safdie- DECEMBER 13
Image: A24
Unlike 99% of the cinephile population, I wasn't a huge fan of Josh and Benny Safdie's Good Time, the rollicking, frenetically paced crime caper that put Robert Pattinson on the map for a generation of filmmakers. However, despite feeling that the compelling ingredients weren't enough to make the film click, there was more than enough potential in the film's grimy, neon-drenched aesthetic to certify the Safdies as directors to watch. The New York-based auteurs will hope to reach a new level of acclaim with Uncut Gems, another crime film that swaps Pattinson for Adam Sandler. After the recent success of Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories, it's clear that seeing the comedic star in a dramatic role almost always producers interesting results, and I'm sincerely hoping that I can get on this film's wavelength in a major way.
14. JOJO RABBIT- dir. Taika Waititi- OCTOBER 18
Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight
With 2021's Thor: Love and Thunder and the recently announced Next Goal Wins on the horizon, Taika Waititi is one of the busiest filmmakers on the planet at the moment. But before he embarks on his next set of directorial adventures, the multi-hyphenate will hit the festival circuit with Jojo Rabbit, an "anti-hate satire" that has been on my radar for a while now. The story of a German boy (Roman Griffin Davis) and his imaginary friend (who happens to be Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi himself), Jojo Rabbit's seemingly strange mix of dark subject matter and comedic irreverence is certain to court some controversy. Last month's teaser trailer didn't show enough to give audiences a feel for the final product, but with Waititi at the helm, it's a guarantee that we're in for a crazy ride.
13. KNIVES OUT- dir. Rian Johnson- NOVEMBER 27
Image courtesy of Lionsgate
At the start of the year, Rian Johnson's Knives Out was near the very top of my most-anticipated list. A murder mystery with THIS cast and the director of the best Star Wars movie since 1980 at the helm? You can count me in right off the bat. In the months since, the cast hasn't changed one bit: Knives Out still features the talents of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana De Armas, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, and more, which is an all-star cast if I've ever seen one. However, I was less enthused by the film's first trailer, which hinted at a jokier, almost parodic tone. I'm not necessarily opposed to that idea, but I have to admit that I was hoping to see Johnson make something akin to a starrier, more expansive version of his early noir films. But with a TIFF premiere on the horizon, I'm still hopeful that Knives Out will deliver on the lofty expectations surrounding it.
12. LITTLE WOMEN- dir. Greta Gerwig- DECEMBER 25
Image courtesy of Sony
Greta Gerwig's hotly anticipated follow-up to 2017's Lady Bird isn't set for any of the fall festivals quite yet, but it's still one of the cinematic events of the year. Yes, this is another upcoming film with a downright tremendous ensemble, led by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Bob Odenkirk. Yet even with such an over-abundance of on-screen talent, the real draw here is the woman behind the camera. Gerwig's directorial debut was a much-deserved sensation with critics and audiences alike, which naturally means that expectations couldn't be higher for her second outing behind the camera. Thankfully, with early buzz indicating that this will be a decidedly Gerwigian spin on the well-worn period piece material, I couldn't be more excited.
11. QUEEN & SLIM- dir. Melina Matsoukas- NOVEMBER 27
Image: Universal
On a conceptual level, few films this year are as impressively daring as Melina Matsoukas' Queen & Slim. With a story that blends contemporary questions of race and police brutality with the framework of Arthur Penn's classic Bonnie and Clyde, I'm fairly confident that, whether it's good, bad, or somewhere in between, Matsoukas' feature debut will get people talking come November. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Taylor-Smith star as a couple on the run from the law, after a late night encounter with a cop ends with the officer dead on the side of the road. The trailers have been brimming with energy, and I'm thrilled to see Universal leaning into the similarities with the aforementioned Beatty/Dunaway-led New Hollywood classic. Maybe the hype will end up being too intense, but I have a feeling this one is going to be a very big deal.
10. 1917- dir. Sam Mendes- DECEMBER 25
Image: Universal
The trailer for Sam Mendes' 1917, his first directorial outing since 2015's Spectre, debuted just last week, premiering in time to show in front of David Leitch's Hobbs & Shaw. Prior to the first look, very little was known about the film, other than that it starred a few prominent British actors (Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch, among others) and centered on a battle in World War I. The teaser solidified that we're going to see a war film that takes direct inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, even smuggling the ticking clock motif and minimalist aesthetic that made that intense experience completely singular. But if we're going to have to suffer through another series of war films in the aftermath of Nolan's success, I want them all to look as thrilling and visually sumptuous as 1917. Of course, that's not shocking when you consider who's behind the camera: cinematographer Roger Deakins, who could be in the running for another Oscar for his efforts here.
9. MARRIAGE STORY- dir. Noah Baumbach- FALL TBA
Image courtesy of Netflix
With Scorsese's The Irishman opting for a later festival launch, it looks like Netflix's other major 2019 player will be Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Touted as a masterwork from the festival programmers and awards insiders who have gotten an early sneak, the indie icon's latest film follows the supposedly semi-autobiographical split of Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver), who find themselves in a contentious divorce with their child in the middle. It doesn't sound like revolutionary material, but every tidbit of information about Baumbach's follow-up to The Meyerowitz Stories hints at a bold, uncompromising experience. Who knows when Netflix will actually throw it on their service, but I'm hoping to see this one sooner rather than later.
8. FORD V FERRARI- dir. James Mangold- NOVEMBER 15
Image courtesy of Fox
Quite possibly the final huzzah of 20th Century Fox as we know it (from now on, we'll be stuck with endless reboots of Night at the Museum and Diary of a Wimpy Kid), James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari looks to be something of a rarity in contemporary film culture: a star-driven action epic (it even has a staggering runtime of 152 minutes). Okay, so maybe setting the first trailer to The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" was a bit of a misstep, but the footage on display is truly incredible, setting the stage for a tense conflict and two terrific performances. It helps that I'm also generally a fan of racing movies, even counting Ron Howard's Rush as one of the better biopics to emerge this decade. Here's hoping Ford v Ferrari earns a spot in the modern sports movie pantheon.
7. AD ASTRA- dir. James Gray- SEPTEMBER 20
Image courtesy of Fox
Truth be told, I don't know what to expect from James Gray's Ad Astra at this point. Originally expected to arrive during the 2018 awards season, the film was delayed to May 2019, only to be pushed back once again to its current date. With the numerous delays, the internet has obviously had a field day speculating on the cause of the film's hyper-extended post-production process. Some have cited the reaction from test screening viewers to the early trailers, many of whom seem to believe that the film has been radically changed from its original state. Still, it's equally possible that director James Gray simply wanted more time to perfect his vision. After all, the film is premiering at the Venice Film Festival in just a few short weeks, which wouldn't lead one to believe that we're in for some disastrous journey. And even if things did get messy on the cutting room floor, there's no chance I'm turning down a space saga with Brad Pitt and Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. It's a tantalizing proposition that's just too good to pass up.
6. THE LIGHTHOUSE- dir. Robert Eggers- OCTOBER 18
Image: A24
The final film in 2019's unofficial trilogy of "Sophomore Outings from Breakout Horror Filmmakers" (the other entries are Ari Aster's Midsommar and Jordan Peele's Us), Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse looks to be one of the strangest cinematic odysseys of the year. The buzz at Cannes was practically off the charts for the film, which reportedly features two sensational performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Even as someone who admires the aesthetic and themes of Eggers' The Witch without fully loving the entire package, I can't contain my excitement for his latest. Based on the trailer and everything I've heard, we're in for a treat.
5. JOKER- dir. Todd Phillips- OCTOBER 4
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
At this juncture, we can't talk about Todd Phillips' Joker without mentioning the script leak. The screenplay for the first R-rated DC film in recent years has been circulating for some time now, and it has certainly caused a, uh, reaction from those who've read it. To be blunt without citing specific examples of what I've heard, everyone seems to agree that it's going to destroy the internet discourse come October. But there's a wrinkle in this pre-ordained doom and gloom, as programmers for the Venice and Toronto film fests have emphasized that they believe Joker is a genuine Oscar contender. Surprising, yes, but with Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, and Zazie Beetz leading the cast, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. And since reports are already suggesting that the script was massively re-written since the leaked version, it's very possible that Joker has been shaped into some kind of masterpiece. Whatever the case, I just need to see the damn thing at this point.
4. IT: CHAPTER TWO- dir. Andy Muschietti- SEPTEMBER 6
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
It: Chapter Two is, I kid you not, 2 hours and 49 minutes long. It's as long as Christopher Nolan's Interstellar! 8 minutes longer than Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! Only a few minutes shorter than Avengers: Endgame! I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but I certainly never would have anticipated Warner Bros. giving Andy Muschietti and company this much free reign with the upcoming mega-sequel.
Hyper-extended runtime or not, I'm eagerly looking forward to the conclusion of the It saga, which promises to be a gorier, scarier follow-up to the 2017 film's gleefully spooky 80s pastiche. The sequel adds Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and more to the already impressive cast, promising a finale to the story of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) and his reign of terror in Derry. I'm ready for all three hours of the madness.
3. PARASITE- dir. Bong Joon-ho- OCTOBER 11
Since I was introduced to the work of Bong Joon-ho with the weird, often brilliant Snowpiercer in the summer of 2014, I've been a devoted fan of the South Korean auteur. Okja was among my favorite films of 2017, and I've recently caught up with Bong's equally masterful Memories of Murder, Mother, and The Host (his first film, Barking Dogs Never Bite, is the only outlier in his filmography). After the success of his last two blockbuster international productions, the filmmaker returns to South Korea with Parasite, a mysterious film that already took the Cannes Film Festival by storm in May. The film earned the director the prestigious Palme d'Or (and inspired Film Twitter to kick-start the #BongHive), and NEON is likely to push for a major Oscar campaign in the upcoming fall season. What is Parasite actually about? I really don't know- and honestly, I'm hoping to keep it that way until I get the chance to see this one for myself.
2. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER- dir. J.J. Abrams- DECEMBER 20
Image: Lucasfilm
Yes, the Star Wars films are starting to vaguely feel like an obligation. Yes, I'm still unbelievably excited to see how J.J. Abrams wraps up this trilogy. Both statements can be true. After the rousing, franchise-defining artistic triumph of Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi, Abrams- who's returning to the director's chair four years after The Force Awakens- will attempt to end the Skywalker saga in style, reconciling the 8th installment's momentous, groundbreaking changes with his own vision of how this final trilogy should end. Regardless of how you felt about the last two saga films (we all know they've been crazy divisive, sometimes for the wrong reasons), it's impossible not to be excited for The Rise of Skywalker, which promises a potent mix of nostalgia and ingenious character moments. There will be plenty of new Star Wars films over the next few decades, but this chapter will still, thankfully, feel like a grand finale for the series we've all loved for years.
1. THE IRISHMAN- dir. Martin Scorsese- FALL TBA
Image courtesy of Netflix
Unlike most of the hardcore cinephiles on Film Twitter, I wasn't the biggest fan of the first trailer for Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. The footage looks strangely unpolished (at least for a Scorsese film), and I'm still not convinced that the much-discussed digital de-aging technology is actually going to work in the context of the film. But, c'mon, man. It's Scorsese with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. I'm not going to judge anything based on 2 minutes of footage. Anyone who isn't chomping at the bit for this movie is, to put it mildly, out of their damn mind. Plus, the buzz from programmers at the New York Film Festival and BFI's London Film Fest has indicated that we're going to see something seriously special when this $200 million epic hits Netflix later this year.
That's all for now, folks. Come back soon for more reviews- and hopefully a few other articles along the way!
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