Yep, summer’s on it’s way towards vacation, and that means we have a new and probably even more exciting movie season ahead of us. This fall there’s a slew of exciting, horrifying, and awe-inspiring stories about to fill the big screen, and we wanted to give you a little insight into some of the best titles out there. From new directors, to some of the greatest vets of the industry, there is truly a tale out there for everyone to sink their movie-going teeth into. Let’s stop wasting time and jump right into it! Here is our Fall Film Preview of 2017:
Brad’s Status
Directed and written by Mike White
Starring: Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams, Michael Sheen, Luke Wilson, Jemaine Clement, and Jenna Fischer
Release Date: September 15th
As someone we’ve grown to love for both his acting and writing, it’s especially exciting to see Mike White out with his directorial debut Brad’s Status. We’ve watched as White has demonstrated a wide capacity for heartfelt comedy in School of Rock, asburdism in Nacho Libre, and even some dark existential brooding in The Good Girl. Now, we get to see those qualities come together in this story about Brad (Ben Stiller) and his son Troy (Austin Abrams) who go on a tour of colleges together. While its Troy’s time to shine and explore the opportunities of his future, it’s Brad who gets caught up in what’s become of his life—or more pointedly what didn’t become of his life. With an all-star cast surrounding Stiller and Abrams, Brad’s Status looks to be a genuine tour of the usual mid-life crisis filled with unusual hope.
School Life
Directed by: Neasa Ní Chianáin and David Rane
Release Date: September 15th
There’s a school in the middle of the Irish countryside that’s doing something that shouldn’t be special, and yet is entirely. In School Life, we head to Headfort, the only primary-aged boarding school in Ireland, where education is embraced as something magical, in both its traditions and its progressions. Following two teachers, a couple named John and Amanda, we encounter how and why students keep coming back each year. It’s because Rock Music is taught on an equal platform as Latin, that books are just as important as debating current events and where fostering a living environment where students will not only yearn to learn, but also form long-lasting relationships with their peers. For anyone driven by nostalgia for the years of learning, this documentary will not be one to be missed.
The Houses October Built 2
Directed by: Bobby Roe
Written by: Zack Andrews and Bobby Roe
Starring: Brand Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Mikey Roe, Bobby Roe, and Jeff Larson
Release Date: September 22nd
People often say it’s important to face your fears. To one group of friends, that means returning to haunted houses where they almost met their doom. The Houses October Built 2 reintroduces us to the same friends who, last time, were traumatized by a group called the Blue Skeleton who take the phenomenon of “extreme haunt” perhaps a little too seriously. Believing that they can really only get over what happened to them last year by immersing them in more horrifying situations, they’ll come to realize that the Blue Skeleton hasn’t forgotten about them, and that maybe good old fashioned therapy would’ve been the easier way to get over the trauma.
Victoria & Abdul
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Written by: Lee Hall
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Adeel Akhtar, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith
Release Date: September 22nd
In the later years of her rule, Queen Victoria found something missing in her daily routine. Yes there were banquets, ceremonies, and great displays of honor in her name, but the constriction and rigid sense of tradition had her, well, rather bored. In Victoria & Abdul, we get to see the moment in which the Queen’s (played by Judi Dench) life became something newer, brighter. Sent to England to participate in the Golden Jubilee, Indian clerk Abdul (Ali Fazal), is surprised to find that Queen Victoria is not the stiff monarch that others purport her to be. As a director who is no stranger to stories about Queens of England, Stephen Frears (The Queen) displays the power of friendship, daring, and strength in stirring quality in Victoria & Abdul, and we can’t wait to witness it for ourselves.
Stronger
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Written by: John Pollano
Based on the book by: Jeff Bauman
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown
Release Date: September 22nd
When the world met Jeff Bauman, it wasn’t for reasons he, or anyone else, ever wanted. In 2013, he went to stand on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon to do what he often failed to do: show up for his girlfriend. As most of us know, the marathon was cut short when a bomb exploded near the finish line, killing three people and injuring numerous others. Jeff was one of the people who woke up a different person, without his legs and without much hope left. An unexpected take from director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down), Stronger is the true story of what happens when you have to give in to the people around you to lift you up. With Jake Gyllenhaal playing Bauman, we have high expectations for this personal drama.
The Pathological Optimist
Directed by: Miranda Bailey
Release Date: September 29th
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s life changed forever. That year, he, along with 12 of his peers, published an article in the British Medical Journal outlining the link between vaccines and autism, sparking one of the biggest medical controversies in the Western world: The Anti-Vaccination Movement. In Miranda Bailey’s first documentary The Pathological Optimist, we get to follow Wakefield as over a five year period, when the world has turned against him when news that his article and his references were fraudulent, fueled by money and power. Now we get to hear his side of the story as he tries to salvage what is left of his family life and his career, where few are willing to even be seen on the same side of the sidewalk, let alone work with him. Due to the still-huge impact his article had on parent’s views on vaccinations today, The Pathological Optimist ought to get people talking, hopefully in open debate.
Lucky
Directed by: John Carroll Lynch
Written by: Logan Sparks, Drago Sumonja
Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, and Beth Grant
Release Date: September 29th
It’s never too late to search for the meaning of life, even when you happen to be the last of your camarades left in a small isolated desert town. That’s the situation Lucky finds himself in Lucky, a wry-humored quirk of a movie directed by character actor John Carroll Lynch. The delightfully gruff Harry Dean Stanton stars as the 90-year-old atheist who has not much left to occupy his time than to wonder what all the hullabaloo was about. By making unlikely connections with the few who are willing to reach out to him, including screen wonders like Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., and David Lynch, Lucky begins a new journey near the end of his life that may be the most meaningful yet. For those who know Stanton’s work, well, this may just be his opus.
Super Dark Times
Directed by: Kevin Phillips
Written by: Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski
Starring: Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Elizabeth Cappuccino, Max Talisman, Sawyer Barth, Amy Hargreaves
Release Date: September 29th
For his first feature film, director Kevin Phillips isn’t taking the easy way out. Super Dark Times is a complex, unpredictable look at the violent side of the coming-of-age process. Newcomers Owen Phillips and Charlie Tahan star as two best friends in high school in the 90s doing some pretty regular high school kid stuff… until one day when a deadly mistake is made, creating a huge emotional rift between the two friends. Now they must cope with aftermath in their own way while still going through the motions of the hormonal hell that is teenage-dom. While people say everyone has their own methods of coping, no one said it had to get so violent. For moviegoers looking for that twisted, stylish psychological thriller this season, lucky for you Super Dark Times is here.
Te Ata
Directed by: Nathan Frankowski
Written by: Esther Luttrell
Starring: Q’orianka Kilcher, Graham Greene, Gil Birmingham, Mackenzie Astin
Release Date: September 29th
Considering today’s political climate, which is inarguably tumultuous, stories like Te Ata are necessary in reminding us of the places our country came from. Director Nathan Frankowski’s historical drama tells the true story of Mary Thompson Fisher, also known as “Te Ata,” a member of the Chickasaw tribe in Oklahoma who takes to storytelling as the means of spreading the culture of her people. Through dance, song, and an incredible sense of spirit, Te Ata’s voice rings across the country, even garnering the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt. Starring Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World) as the woman crossing cultural lines, Te Ata is an inspiring history lesson ready to be told to the whole family.
Realive
Directed and written by: Mateo Gil
Starring: Tom Hughes, Charlotte Le Bon, Oona Chaplin, Barry Ward
Release Date: September 29th
For almost 20 years now, Mateo Gil has been writing some of the most poignant films about time, love, sorrow, and most importantly, how the three are painstakingly bound by the other. With Realive, he is doing more of the same, but with some more mature and complex themes thrown in the mix. Telling the story of Marc, a young man with everything to live for, but who is given a short timeline to live after an unfortunate diagnosis, Gil shows us that our past and future are entertwined in ways that we cant ever control. Marc decides to give himself a future by cryogenically freezing himself, and then, 60 years later, resurrecting himself—the first human to do so. Not only a guinea pig of science, but also of his own emotional history, Marc must figure out how to live in his new present.
Assholes
Directed and written by: Peter Vack
Starring: Peter Vack, Betsey Brown, Jack Dunphy, Patrick LaBella, Jane Brown, Ron Brown, Eileen Dietz
Release Date: October 6th
True to its name, Assholes is an unabashedly gross, vulgar, and ful throttle comedy about two recovering addicts failing to recover. Peter Vack directs, writes, and stars in this rauncher, in which him and co-star Betsey Brown fall in love in their therapist’s waiting room and relapse into some heavy duty drug-popping. The duo then begin to wreak havoc on New York City in unimaginable ways, with little concern of the consequences. Not for the faint of heart, make sure to check out Assholes only if you got a few morals to fling out the window.
The Florida Project
Directed by: Sean Baker
Written by: Sean Baker & Chris Bergoch
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto
Release Date: October 6th
After his 2015 smash-hit Tangerine, we are delighted to see director Sean Baker back with an equally, if not more alluring second feature, The Florida Project. Set in a colorful, yet dilapitated Florida motel, the film follows in the footsteps of Moonee, a spunky 6-year-old girl who knows a lot about adventure and knows even more about turning adventure into mischief. The Florida Project covers one summer in Moonee’s life, where she watches her mother (Bria Vinaite) once again try to land a new job and as she gets up to no good in the Orlando suburbs with her friends. A brilliant Willem Dafoe plays the motel’s manager who, despite being tight for money, has a keen sense of affection for his tenants, especially Moonee. Akin to the wild and free spirit of The Beasts of the Southern Wild, we have little doubt Baker is about to strike gold once again.
The Osiris Child: SFV1
Directed by: Shane Abbess
Written by: Shane Abbess and Brian Cachia
Starring: Kellan Lutz, Daniel MacPherson, Isabel Lucas, Rachel Griffiths, Teagan Croft
Release Date: October 6th
Just when you thought there were enough sci-fi franchises, think again. The Osiris Child: SFV1 is setting the stage for a whole new world of action and adventure, while sticking to some pretty foundational themes of small-time good versus big corporate evil. Kellan Lutz (Twilight) stars as a convict who escapes his intergalactic prison and makes an unlikely alliance with lieutenant Kane Sommerville (Daniel MacPherson) who works for said big corporate evil. The link that brings them together? Kane’s daughter who has been captured in the midst of the decaying global war. Sounds dramatic. Bring it on.
Brawl in Cell Block 99
Directed and written by: S. Craig Zahler
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Marc Blucas, Udo Kier, and Don Johnson
Release Date: October 6th
An appropriately gritty follow up to his tenure on True Detective, it’s exciting to see Vince Vaughn once again embracing the drama in Brawl in Cell Block 99. Directed by S. Craig Zahler who brought us Bone Tomahawk back in 2015, this story about a former boxer who’s life turns into one wrought with crime and violence is going to be a wonderful challenge for those keeping an eye on Vaughn. His character Bradley is desperate, sociopathic even, as he loses his job as a mechanic, turns to the drug trade, and eventually ends up in jail where his temper and his enemies clash into something ugly. Here’s to watching one of America’s favorite goofballs throwing some nasty punches.
Una
Directed by: Benedict Andrews
Written by: David Harrower, based on his play “Blackbird”
Starring: Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn, Riz Ahmed, Tara Fitzgerald, Natasha Little, Ruby Stokes, Tobias Menzies
Release Date: October 13th
The past has a crazy knack for coming back and reminding you of all that you tried to leave behind. In Una’s case, she’s the one dredging up the past in order to overcome it. Based off the hit play, director Benedict Andrews’ rendition of Una brings the complex emotional journey of a girl and her relationship with her adult neighbor Ray to beautiful and haunting heights. Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) stars as adult Una, who, after coming across a picture of Ray, played by the magnetic Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom), decides to hunt him down and confront him about what passed between them so many years ago. After spending years in jail for his trespasses and having eventually cultivated a new and healthy life, Ray must grapple with a mistake that has defined his life while Una tries to make sense of it.
Marshall
Directed by: Reginald Hudlin
Written by: Jake Koskoff and Michael Koskoff
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, James Cromwell
Release Date: October 13th
As the world braced for WWII, a smaller, yet equally important war was being waged within the United States itself. Marshall reminds us of the battles fought for the rights of African Americans through the eyes of the man that would go on to win those same rights back years later once a Justice of the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall. A confident, no bullsh*t kind of guy, Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) knew he couldn’t let anyone walk over him inside or out of the court system. Prolific TV director Reginald Hudlin walks us through one infamous case where Marshall was put to the test: an African American chauffeur (Sterling K. Brown) accused of sexual assault and attempted murder by his wealthy employer, played by Kate Hudson. The tabloids took hold of the story and ran with it in ways that made it nearly impossible to decipher the truth. For an important lesson in our nation’s history, make sure to not miss Marshall, as it is a powerful and necessary reminder of the issues that we continue to face today.
Overdrive
Directed by: Antonio Negret
Written by: Michael Brandt and Derek Haas
Starring: Scott Eastwood, Freddie Thorp, Ana de Armas, Gaia Weiss, Simon Akarian, Clemens Schick, Abraham Belaga, Kaaris
Release Date: October 13th
If you thought this upcoming movie season seems like it’s been missing a little bit of oomph, as in way too few car chases and gun-wielding bad boys, well, rest assured, the writers of 2 Fast and 2 Furious have got you covered. Overdrive comes to you with some new faces that we will surely get to know over the next few years. Scott Eastwood (an unmistakable clone of his father Clint) and Freddie Thorp star as two half-brothers who also happen to moonlight as notorious car thieves. Naturally, there luck runs short when they got caught stealing from a crime boss with a nasty temper. Now they’ve got to earn their freedom by stealing a priceless car from the boss’ arch enemy. Think of heist movie like Ocean’s 11 meets the Furious franchise (oh and did we mention it’s directed by the same guy who helmed Taken?) and you’ve got this new action hit on your hands.
Paradise
Directed by: Andrei Konchalovsky
Written by: Andrei Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva
Starring: Julia Vysotskaya, Philippe Duquesne, Christian Clauss
Release Date: October 13th
In Andrei Konchalovsky’s WWII drama Paradise, we encounter the incredibly complicated entanglement of love, history, and loyalty. Shot in stunning and stark black and white, Julia Vystotskaya stars as Olga, a beautiful Russian who once participated in the French Resistance, but who now toils behind barbed wire in a concentration camp where, beyond all reason, she runs into a former lover. Helmut (Christian Clauss) is a naïve SS officer whose authoritative role is upended by the revelation of her imprisonment, and through Konchalovsky’s flashbacks, their futures become again wrapped up in each other’s fates. For anyone ready for an emotional upheaval in theaters this fall, look no further than Paradise.
Dealt
Directed by: Luke Korem
Starring: Richard Turner
Release Date: October 20th
When it comes to magic, much of the power that a trick holds is due to showmanship. Magicians learn how to push and pull audiences, how to use their emotions to create a sense of wonder, to put that look of awe on their faces. Richard Turner has been doing this for years with his flawless card tricks led by effortless slight of hand, and, by the way, also happens to be blind. That’s right. In Dealt, Turner guides us through the timeline of his life, starting with his rough childhood, and then through the years in which his eyesight began to fade away. Having to rely totally on the steadiness and strength of his hands, Turner has showed the world how faith in your own abilities despite the odds can see you through to the end.
Same Kind of Different as Me
Directed by: Michael Carney
Written by Michael Carney, Alexander Foard, and Ron Hall
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Renée Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, & Jon Voight
Release Date: October 20th
Another true story comes to us in Same Kind of Different as Me, an adaptation of The New York Times best seller of the same name. Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Renée Zellwegger (Chicago) star as a married couple hanging on to the last remnants of their marriage. Hope comes to them in an unlikely form when a homeless man, played by the ever-wonderful Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator), unexpectedly walks into their lives and changes everything. Why? Because Zellwegger’s character has dreamt of his face as a man who has the answers. A dramatic and touching tale of the surprising fates of relationships, Same Kind of Different as Me might be that kick to the heart we all need.
Jungle
Directed by: Greg McLean
Written by: Justin Monjo
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell, Joel Jackson
Release Date: October 20th
The true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg is one of nightmares. Set in 1981, Ghinsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) is obsessed with the idea of exploring the uncharted jungles of the Amazon and will take up any opportunity to do just that, even if it means trusting a seedy stranger to lead the way. Jungle, with its writer Justin Monjo and director Greg McLean both having a lot of experience in the horror genre, is about the horror that ensues when you find yourself alone in one of the most complex ecosystems in the world. Whether it’s the physical, mental, or emotional, Jungle is about putting fear into all corners of your mind as Ghinsberg struggles for survival. We can’t wait to put ourselves to the test.
The Paris Opera
Directed by: Jean-Stéphane Bron
Starring: Stéphane Lissner, Benjamin Millepied, Bryn Terfel, Philippe Jordan
Release Date: October 20th
Ever wonder what it takes to put on an opera? How about one of the most prestigious operas across the globe? In The Paris Opera, director Jean-Stéphane Bron invites us in to take a tour of the intense preparations that go into putting on one of the most textured and precise shows on stage. From the clashing of star personas to the tragic terrorist attacks that shake Paris to its core, the drama of this documentary paints a full and colorful picture of human will, passion, and even comedy when it seems that laughter is unattainable, making The Paris Opera a film for all of us to reach out to in awe.
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women
Directed and written by: Angela Robinson
Starring: Luke Evans, Bella Heathcote, Rebecca Hall, Connie Britton
Release Date: October 27th
After this summer’s hit release of Wonder Woman, some of you may be wondering, well, where did she come from? I’m not talking about her origin story on that island of Amazons, but rather, who created her? Who were the people to conjure up the image of whip-wielding feminine hero? The answer lies in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women, the true tale of Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) and the two women who spurred, inspired, and schemed with him to bring the character of Wonder Woman to life. Directed and written by Angela Robinson (True Blood, Herbie Fully Loaded), this moody, sexy, and dramatic piece brings to light the complex nature of sexual freedom in a time when it was little known and little accepted. With Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote starring alongside Evans as lovers caught up in their own secrets, Professor Marston & the Wonder Women ought to attract both old and new fans of the comic to theaters this fall.
Thelma
Directed by: Joachim Trier
Written by: Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt
Starring: Eilie Harboe, Okay Kaya, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, and Henrik Rafaelsen
Release Date: November TBD
An emerging big-time artist from Oslo, director Joachim Trier brings us another psychological drama with Thelma. The titular character, played by a mesmerizing Eilie Harboe, has just recently moved to Oslo from her small, conservative, and religious hometown on the west coast. Thrown into the life of a big university, everything changes when she meets Anja (Okay Kaya) in the library, and nearly immediately afterwards has a major seizure. As she begins to get closer to Anja and continues to have mysterious seizures, Thelma begins to realize that something bigger is at play, something supernatural that is tied to a dark hidden past. Moody and sexy, Trier’s film is an enticing addition to the film slate this fall.
Most Beautiful Island
Directed and written by: Ana Asensio
Starring: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden
Release Date: November 3rd
In her directorial debut, Ana Asensio, who is also the writer and star, is throwing herself into a doozy of a drama with Most Beautiful Island. Set in New York City, the story follows Luciana, a Spanish mother who recently moved to the city and is trying her best to make a life for her family, and unfortunately for Luciana, that inevitably puts her into a pretty seedy situation. Claustrophobic and properly twisted, this psychological thriller spotlights the lengths immigrants have to go to in order to make a living. In this case, we have scantily clad women locked in a basement as they are thrown into a horrific game that is set to test their mental strength as paying onlookers stand by. It’s a bold move for Asensio’s first project, and we are excited to see how audiences respond to the tough subject matter.
My Friend Dahmer
Directed and written by: Marc Meyers
Based on the graphic novel by: Derf Backderf
Starring: Ross Lynch, Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts, Alex Wolff, Tommy Nelson, Vincent Kartheiser, Miles Robbins
Release Date: November 3rd
There are few names out there that can send a chill up your spine by merely saying them. Jeffrey Dahmer is, with little doubt, a member of that club. Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer went on a murderous spree that would put him in the highest ranks of notorious serial killers, with a final count of 17 men and boys across the American Midwest. Director Marc Meyers is here to give a little insight into the molding, the creation of such a psychopath in My Friend Dahmer, based on the (rather awesome) graphic novel of the same name by Derf Backderf. Starting with his isolating high school experience, Meyers opens the door to Dahmer’s lonely existence, where his quarreling parents and his teasing schoolmates do little to embrace him into their circles. That’s when darkness begins to spread, alcohol is abused, animals begin to disappear, and Dahmer begins to look at his neighbors as targets rather than humans. For fans who are at all curious about the sociology behind serial killers, look no further than My Friend Dahmer.
Destination Unknown
Directed by: Claire Ferguson
Release Date: November 10th
No matter how many years pass, for some survivors of the Holocaust the terror is still a constant in their daily lives. In the harrowing documentary Destination Unknown, we bare witness to the testimonies of twelve survivors, some of whom have never spoken about their stories until now. They span from prisoners of camps, to the men fighting in the forests looking for ways to free their fellow countrymen, to the individuals who had to lay in hiding for months until any signs of surrender or a complete end came. An emotional journey for on and in front of the screen, Destination Unknown is a reminder of the world’s history that is to be recounted, retold, and never forgotten.
Lady Bird
Directed and written by: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saiorse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Lucas Hedges, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein
Release Date: November 10th
For many years now, we’ve been falling in love with Greta Gerwig in front of the camera, with her effortless wit and whimsy. Now, with Lady Bird, we get to see how those qualities translate to the screen as director, and with this particular cast in tow, she’s setting herself up well it seems. Saiorse Ronan (Atonement) and Laurie Metcalf (Getting On) star as Christine aka “Lady Bird” and her mother Marion, at odds with each other as their similarities start to converge in conflicting ways. Both are strong-willed and stubborn, and neither are willing to give up their pride for the other’s sake, even as their suburban family begins to struggle for money. As Lady Bird begins to step away from the structure of her home life and explore sexuality and identity, she begins to realize that she can’t deny the power of her family and the love that encompasses it. Because Gerwig is at its helm, expect Lady Bird to be filled with good humor and thoughtful reflection on a subject we can probably all relate to.
Wonder
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Written by: Stephen Chbosky, Steven Conrad, & Jack Thorne
Based on the novel by: R.J. Palacio
Starring: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, Daveed Diggs
Release Date: November 17th
Writer/director Stephen Chbosky has long been a voice for outsiders. Ever since his acclaimed novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower was published in 1999, the doubts of teenage-dom all of the sudden felt conquerable. His latest film, Wonder, based on the novel by R.J. Palacio, is no different. Here we have August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), a boy going to school for the first time, 5th grade to be exact. While nerves for any kid would be normal, Auggie and his parents (Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson) have an extra worry on their mind. Auggie was born with complications that warranted multiple facial surgeries over the earliest years of his life, leaving him scarred and otherwise different looking from other children his age. With the support of his loving parents and his new community of peers, he will learn but also teach the power of friendship.
Death Wish
Directed by: Eli Roth
Written by: Joe Carnahan
Based on the novel by: Brian Garfield
Starring: Bruce Willis, Dean Norris, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue
Release Date: November 22nd
Because it wouldn’t be a movie season without an unabashedly fun revenge thriller, Eli Roth’s Death Wish is something to look forward to. A remake of the 1974 classic, we now get to see Bruce Willis take on the criminals of Chicago after his wife and daughter are brutally attacked in their home. Without any hesitation, Willis ruthlessly hunts down those who sought to break his family apart as the police, who failed to protect them, look on as this new vigilante cleans the streets without their consent. Surely chock-full of Willis-isms ready to please the most zealous of fans, Death Wish is ready to take you on a wild ride without taking itself too seriously.
In Between
Directed and written by: Maysaloun Hamoud
Starring: Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh, Shaden Kanboura, Mahmoud Shalaby, Riahd Silman
Release Date: November 24th
In her exciting feature debut, director Maysaloun Hamoud brings us In Between, an important addition to this fall’s film slate. Following the lives of three Palistinian women living in their small apartment in Tel Aviv, In Between weaves the complex implications of religion, freedom, and identity in a powerful way. Lalia and Salma like to push passed the expectations that much of their peers place on them. Going to raves, chain smoking, and sleeping around are all part of their secular routine when their not practicing criminal law or bartending at the local pub. When Nur moves in, wearing the traditional hijab and recoiling at the sight of empty liquor bottles of their apartment, each girl is unsure of their potential chemistry as roommates. As time goes on, however, Nur begins to take note of Lalia and Salma’s way of life and experiments in ways that would make her conservative fiancé break things off with her. Filmed with immense amounts of style, ferocity, as well as tenderness, In Between could mark the beginning of a promising career for Hamoud.
The Disaster Artist
Directed by: James Franco
Written by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Based off the book by: Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Alison Brie, Zac Efron, and Ari Graynor
Release Date: December 1st (LA & NY) / / December 8th (Nationwide)
If you’ve ever walked by an art house cinema on a Friday night, chances are you’ve seen a line wrapped around the corner full of people waiting to see one of the worst movies ever made called The Room. Now, with The Disaster Artist, director and star James Franco is here to lovingly and playfully show us how Tommy Wiseau and his best friend Greg Sestero set out to make this outrageously awful movie, and ultimately to remind us why fans around the world have come to embrace it. Brimming with some of our favorite comedic stars, including Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, and Dave Franco, The Disaster Artist ought to be a major crowd pleaser for anyone who’s seen even a blip of the original film. And for those who haven’t seen it, well, surely that won’t last long.
Polaroid
Directed by: Lars Klevberg
Written by: Blair Butler
Starring: Kathryn Prescott, Mitch Pileggi, Grace Zabriskie, Tyler Young, Keenan Tracey
Release Date: December 1st
It’s already been 15 years since the horror smash The Ring wreaked havoc on America’s love for VHS tapes, and now with Polaroid, expect to be a little more hesitant when picking up your favorite analog camera. Expanding on his short horror film from 2015, director Lars Klevberg throws us into a world where a group of friends become haunted by a shadow that seems to follow them throughout their developed film, killing them off one by one. Much like The Ring and Final Destination, the question becomes how to stop the cycle of grisly death. Will they find a solution before its too late? We’re almost a little too nervous to find out. I mean, VHS tapes still give me the creeps.
Paddington 2
Directed by: Paul King
Written by: Paul King and Simon Farnaby
Starring: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw
Release Date: January 12th, 2018
The bear is back! This time, Paddington, our kindhearted fluffy friend is a bit more settled with his new family and set on making everyone happy. With Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday around the corner, the pressure is on to find her the perfect present. Naturally, that’s not easy task, being a bear and all, so he takes on jobs around the neighborhood to help earn money for that special something. With one of the most undeniably wonderful British casts, Paddington 2 is going to make a whole lot of kids, as well as their parents, happy movie goers this winter.
My Art
Directed and written by: Laurie Simmons
Starring: Laurie Simmons, Lena Dunham, Parker Posey, Blair Brown, Joshua Safdie, Barbara Sukowa, Rober Clohessy, Grace Dunham
Release Date: January 19th
For the last few years, Lena Dunham has been stealing the spotlight with her hit HBO show Girls, exhibiting what its like to be a modern woman, a creative, and someone trying to find their place in a world that seems ever more absurd. Now, in My Art, Dunham’s mother Laurie Simmons, a prolific artist in her own right, is here to shine her own light on much of the same themes, but in her own language. As director, writer, and star, Simmons takes us on the journey of Ellie, a middle-aged artist who is sick and tired of people asking her what she is working on. So when a friend asks her to house-sit for her on her property in Upstate New York, the tranquility and isolation is impossible to turn down. As she starts to soak up her new environment, spending time with her disabled dog Bing, and getting to know the locals who become increasingly intrigued by her projects, it seems inspiration’s not too far away. Turning the barn into her own studio, she begins to cast her new friends in remakes of classic films, creating her own world of cinematic magic in the countryside—if only she can keep focused on her art and not the distractions that come with it.
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