Fall is the best moviegoing time of the year. In anticipation of garnering year-end award recognition, Hollywood puts its best foot forward, presenting many of its most ambitious, challenging and promising motion pictures. And of course, that’s only part of the fall movie story. There will also be the usual mix of tentpoles, sequels, horror films, and specialty cinema as well.
Here are 25 of the most intriguing new entries for the upcoming movie season. Dates indicate a film’s official release date; showings in local theaters may vary.
Oscar Bait
Can anything beat “The Odyssey” — a popular and critical hit from the summer — for best picture? Advance word suggests that these are the films that are most likely to give it some competition if you want to get a jump on next year’s nominees.
“Digger”
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, a two-time Oscar winner, appears to be heading into “Dr. Strangelove” territory with a black comedy about a global climate disaster. Tom Cruise — transformed into an overweight, balding mogul — makes his latest play for a competitive Oscar. (He already has an honorary one.) Oct. 2
“The Social Reckoning”
A new chapter in the Mark Zuckerberg saga, this movie offers the story behind leaks in 2021 which detailed how Facebook deliberately ignored data about harmful practices. Like “The Social Network,” this was written by Aaron Sorkin, who also directs. The impressive cast includes Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong as Zuckerberg. Oct. 9
“La Bola Negra” (The Black Ball)
This Spanish film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a rapturous response and a best director award. Gay-themed, the movie has three interconnected stories inspired by the work of Frederico Garcia Lorca, and it’s said to be epic and extravagant, and a queer cinema breakthrough. Oct. 16
“Club Kid”
First-time director Jordan Firstman, whom you might know from the HBO show “I Love LA,” has delivered a crowd pleaser about a New York City gay party animal (played by Firstman) who has a son dropped onto his doorstep. Reviews from the Cannes Film Festival say it offers an unbeatable combination of laughs and tears. Nov. 6
“Wild Horse Nine”
Director and screenwriter Martin McDonough, who has “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” in his portfolio, concocted an edgy dramedy about two CIA agents in South America in the 1970s. John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi are among a cast that looks in the trailer to be acting to the max. Nov. 6
“Paper Tiger”
Director James Gray has a dedicated band of adherents, but he hasn’t yet broken through to wider appreciation. This crime drama, set in New York City in the 1980s, has a good brother/bad brother dynamic in which two men make a play for the big time with the Russian mob. Expect some effective set pieces, a virtuoso turn from Adam Driver, solid work from Miles Teller and a divisive supporting performance from Scarlett Johanssen. Nov. 13
“Elsinore”
Andrew Scott — perhaps best known for TV work as the hot priest in “Fleabag,” and the murderous “Ripley” — has generated early Oscar heat in this role as the actor Ian Charleson (“Chariots of Fire”), who played Hamlet while dealing with AIDS. The movie is supposedly less grim than that description suggests. Nov. 20
“The Further Misadventures of Cliff Booth”
This sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” is directed by David Fincher, who counts “The Social Network” and “Se7en” among his accomplishments. Not much is known about this offering, other than it has Brad Pitt returning as the stunt man character that won him an Oscar. Nov. 25.
“Behemoth!”
After decades away from Los Angeles, a cellist (Pedro Pascal) returns to the city and re-enters the world of movie music. Nine film composers contributed scores to the film, which is apparently a love letter to Hollywood. Dec. 2
“The Debut”
A meek housewife comes out of her shell when she is cast as the lead in a musical production at the local community theater. Julianne Moore may pick up her second Oscar for this dramedy. She is supported by Paul Giamatti as her Pygmalion — “the biggest name in New Jersey community theater” — and by Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote, directed and composed the score for the movie. Dec. 3
“Ink”
Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) directed this high-energy drama about Rupert Murdoch’s entry into tabloid publishing. Based on a much-praised play. Dec. 11.
“Dune: Part Three”
Director Denis Villeneuve completes his interplanetary warfare trilogy with this final chapter, which differs in tone and scope from the first two films, and covers additional episodes of the Frank Herbert sci-fi saga not included in previous “Dune” films. Be on the lookout for extraordinary battle sequences and a corrupted Timothée Chalamet. Dec. 18
Crowd pleasers
Not every upcoming movie is on an Oscar hunt. Here are some movies aimed at viewers who are looking for more escapist fare.
“Resident Evil”
Based on a zombie-chasing video game, this horror movie franchise is being revived (as it were) by director Zach Cregger, one of the genre’s hottest new creatives. He gave us last year’s “Weapons,” which won a supporting actress Academy Award for Amy Madigan. Sept. 18
“Verity”
The latest adaptation of a Colleen Hoover suspense novel features Anne Hathaway (in her fifth film this year) as an invalid mystery writer, and Dakota Johnson as a woman hired to ghostwrite some unfinished works. As they say, things are not all as they seem. Oct. 2
“Other Mommy”
An early entry for Halloween scares. A young girl is being stalked by an entity that looks exactly like her mother. This horror film is attracting greater attention than usual for a genre entry because it stars Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain as the mother and her alter ego, and because its trailer had audiences buzzing. Oct. 9
“Whalefall”
What’s up, Jonah? A young scuba diver gets swallowed by a whale and must struggle to escape before his air runs out, among other complications. If it’s as exciting as the trailer, this could be a winner. Oct. 16
“Avengers: Doomsday”
The likely holiday box office champion features an army of superheroes trying to recapture that old Marvel magic. Thor, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and just about everybody but Spider-Man will probably show up for their moments of glory in this action fest. Dec. 18
“Mr. Irrelevant”
The kind of inspirational sports drama that hasn’t been around much lately, “Mr. Irrelevant” tells the story of John Tuggle, who played for the New York Giants in the 1980s until he encountered some health issues. This movie “tested through the roof,” as they say. David Corenswet as Tuggle gets to prove that he can carry a movie without wearing a Superman cape. Dec. 25
Docs, indies and international offerings
Movie lovers who seek more unusual fare will have plenty to satisfy them in the coming months.
“The History of Concrete”
Quirky documentarian John Wilson, whose HBO series “How to…” had many fans, offers this…err…history of concrete, using the formulas of a Hallmark movie. Yes, you read that correctly. Presume that you’ll learn a lot about more than cement before the film is over. Sept. 17
“Fjord”
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, this Romanian drama proved divisive. Based on a true case, it tells of a Romanian family who emigrates to Norway, and who have their children taken away by governmental authorities because they were spanked for discipline. Acclaimed director Cristian Mungiu’s movie has become a Rorschach test for its audiences because it challenges some progressive values. Oct. 9
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem”
Documentarian William Greaves invited many of key figures of the Harlem Renaissance to a gathering in 1972, which he filmed. His son, David, has finally gotten the resources to finish the movie, an invaluable time-capsule of the era. Oct. 16
“Possible Love”
From South Korea. Two couples become entwined when a documentary filmmaker and her husband start to record the lives of an unemployed worker and his family. Director Lee Chang-dong has been responsible for many well-loved movies, including “Burning” and “Secret Sunshine.” Oct. 23.
“Wildwood”
A stop-motion epic aimed at older audiences, “Wildwood” follows a teenage girl who enters an enchanted land to rescue her brother after he’s abducted. Early samples of the animation have been stunning. Oct. 23
“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York”
John Turturro, currently entertaining local audiences at the ART in “Rhinoceros,” garnered great reviews for his performance in this film when it premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. An old-style, small-time hustler picks the wrong pocket during one of his escapades, triggering a race to reverse his mistake before it’s too late. Turturro’s “Rhinoceros” co-star, Tatiana Maslany, is also featured in the movie, along with stalwarts like Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito. Oct. 23
“All of a Sudden”
Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi had a big hit with “Drive My Car” a few years ago. In this three-and-a-half-hour movie, two caregivers — one French, the other Japanese — become close friends, only to have their relationship transformed when one of them faces an illness. Reviews suggest it is deliberately paced — there’s a twenty-minute presentation on French capitalism in the middle of the movie — yet still engrossing and moving. Nov. 25
And that’s only the beginning. Other films to look out for include “A Long Winter,” “Heart of the Beast,” “Hexed,” “Focker-in-Law,” “Hope,” “Artificial,” “Clayface,” “Fatherland,” ‘Minotaur,” “I Play Rocky,” “Godzilla Minus Zero,” and “A Talent for Murder.”
