Autumn is one of our favorite movie seasons because while the weather outside is getting greyer and gloomier, the world on the screen is whatever we want it to be. All we have to do is buy the ticket and take the ride. This fall is absolutely jam packed with movies we’re really excited for, and the best part is no one is left out of the mix—from low budget indie art house projects to bigscreen Box Office stunners, we’ve got a little bit of everything to look forward to.
Bad Times At The El Royale
We honestly have no idea what Bad Times At The El Royale is all about. From what it looks like, it’s a series of vignettes about a group of strangers who converge on the El Royale hotel on a dark and stormy night. However, things aren’t what they appear to be, as each of the strangers seems to have their own deep dark secret they’re trying to keep under wraps. At the very least, the cinematography is very beautiful, and we were excited by both the trailer and the all-star cast, which includes the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman, Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, and Dakota Johnson.
First Man
Citing the success of their first film together, La La Land, director Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling have teamed up again in First Man, a not-so-musical biopic about Neil Armstrong and his journey to becoming the first man on the moon. The film is unique in that it doesn’t try to sugar coat the trials and tribulations Armstrong and his team were subjected to—and the tolls those things had on his family, his friends, his colleagues, and ultimately, himself. It’s an in-depth look at the life of the man inside the suit, and the journey he took to become the first man to ever walk on the moon.
Beautiful Boy
As our nation faces the addiction crisis head on, it seems like several things surrounding it—how it happens, how we recover from it, and how it affects individuals and the people who love them—is a topic that’s severely misunderstood. Beautiful Boy, based on the real-life memoirs of David Sheff and his recovering son Nic Sheff, seeks to explore these themes. Steve Carell stars as David Sheff, a father coping with the addiction and recovery process of his son Nic (Timothee Chamalet). The film chronicles the theme of addiction and recovery through the eyes of David, and highlights the trauma and struggle that parents go through while watching their children fight this extremely tough fight. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be an easy film, but then again, some of the best never are.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
What happens when we pretend we’re something we aren’t? To what lengths do we go to keep up the charade? And eventually, what does it cost us? Those are the questions asked in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the true comedy drama starring Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer-turned-literary-forger. When Lee stops finding publishing deals for her work because she had become out of touch with the literary marketplace, she’s forced to adapt. And by “adapt,” we mean, “forge fake letters written by famous people in order to partially re-write history and make a ton of money in the process.” Only, what starts as one letter to help make rent snowballs into something much greater, and much more troublesome than she’d hoped.
The Old Man And The Gun
There’s something about true cops-and-robbers stories that get us out to the theaters. When those movies happen to be about dudes like Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), the man who famously escaped from San Quentin State Prison at the young age of 70, we’re practically jumping for joy. The Old Man And The Gun tells the story of what happened after Tucker escaped prison, the string of heists that followed, the woman he came to fall in love with, and how she accepted him for who he was. While the film definitely appears to be kind and light-hearted, we’re excited to learn more about one of the most interesting bank robbers and stickup men of all time. It was once reported that as he and one of his accomplices escaped, the only thing witnesses saw a row of suits hanging in the back of their getaway car.
Venom
With all the awesome superhero movies dominating the Box Office these days, we can’t help but get excited when some anti-heroes get a little love. Up until now, our favorite has been the Deadpool franchise, but if the trailer for Venom lives up to even half of its hype, we think there might be a new contender. Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who, while researching a story about government corruption, is exposed to an alien symbiote that gives him superhuman powers—as well as a terrifying alter-ego over whom he has little control named Venom. While Venom and Brock are the same physical person, they’re two different entities, and the two must work together to find a happy medium between being a good human and a bloodthirsty alien killer. We don’t know too much about the plot at this time, but it looks like it’s going to be incredible.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Probably the most highly anticipated film of the fall, Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of our time (Queen, duh), and the larger than life—if somewhat enigmatic—man who fronted it.
Rami Malik plays Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in this incredible celebration of everything Queen was—and everything they weren’t. The film literally takes viewers on a front row seat through the history of Queen—from the formation of the band, to their recording process, and their catapult to fame, as well as the setbacks they faced and the powerful story of Mercury and his fight with HIV and AIDS.
Creed II
We’ll be the first to admit that we were actually very surprised by how much we enjoyed the original Creed. After Rocky Balboa in 2006, we were certain the franchise had jumped its shark (For the second time—Seriously, nobody liked Rocky V). With the success of Creed still fresh on our minds, Creed II picks up where the original left off. Only this time, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) must square up against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren—YES! He’ll be reprising his role!), who Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) famously beat in Rocky III.
Blaze
Blaze tells the story about Blaze Foley, one of the greatest—and most underrated—legends of Outlaw Country music. Part biopic about Foley’s peculiar and storied career as one of the most raw, gritty, and genuinely heartfelt voices in real country music, and part love note from his friend and former lover, Sybil Rosen who wrote “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze,” the novel on which director Ethan Hawke (Yes, that Ethan Hawke) based his screenplay for the film. While we can’t say it for certain until we see it, we’re definitely hoping Blaze is as genuine, emotional, and altogether timeless as the man it’s about.
The Girl In The Spider’s Web
The wait for the fourth iteration of the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series is officially over this Fall, with the coming of The Girl In The Spider’s Web. Though it’s important to note this is the first novel in the series not actually written by Larsson himself (He passed away), and that The Girl In The Spider Web didn’t really hold up to extreme criticism. However, we’re still excited for The Girl In The Spider Web because Claire Foy will be taking over as Lisbeth Salander, and because the film is supposed to be a direct sequel of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
