After the most killer summer at the box office, literally since 2013, (this summer brought in 4.76 billion, that one 4.75 billion, unadjusted for inflation) it’s hard to not be excited for what’s next. This summer was flooded with great, or at the very least incredibly interesting movies, from Obsession and Back Rooms to Spider-Man Brand New Day and The Odyssey to Coyote Vs Acme and The End of Oak Street. So now, the question is what’s on deck. Will the momentum continue?
Based on the first big movie of September, the answer is yes. That first movie is Resident Evil, directed by Zach Creggor (Weapons,) and just like They Will Kill You, earlier this year, combining horror with comedy and elaborate ideas turns out to be a recipe for a whole lot of fun. Creggor proved his creativity with Weapons. With Resident Evil, he proves his skill. He takes a genre that we’ve seen a thousand times before (monster / zombie movies,) and finds a way to make it feel small scale and compelling. And also very funny. And that’s just the start of the season. Here’s a look at what’s to come…
Primetime (Sept 25th)
Starring Robert Pattinson, a movie about the making of the show “To Catch a Predator.”
Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hanson, the man who hosted the show To Catch a Predator. The premise is intriguing enough. Pattinson is a fine actor (just watch him in Good Time,) but even more to the point is that the story of catching these criminals and doing it from a TV show point of view seems like something we haven’t really seen before. It should definitely be interesting.
Verity (Oct 2nd)
A movie about a woman trying to uncover the secrets of another woman who is in a coma-like state, and was most likely put there by her husband.
Starring Anne Hathway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnet.
This one I don’t know about. It’s based on a best-selling book that is a suspense thriller about women with dark secrets. It sounds like the Girl on the Train, or Side Effects (the movie about a pharmaceutical drug prescription gone wrong.) And those movies were far from great. But then there are other movies in the genre such as Gone Girl, The Housemaid, and A Simple Favor, which are all pretty fun and exciting. Hopefully the thrill and surprises here are more on the level of those movies. The cast is fine, with Hathaway being the standout among them, and the director, Michael Showalter has proven himself before, with The Big Sick. But this is a very different kind of movie, so whether or not it’s any good is really up in the air.
Digger (Oct 2nd)
A movie about a strange and eccentric oil digger, think There Will Be Blood, only more comedic. Starring Tom Cruise and John Goodman.
I’d like to say this one looks awesome, but truth be told, it looks strange. It looks like a Coen Brothers movie more than anything else, what with the pale complexion of the characters, the odd accents, and the eccentric mannerisms. It’s about a billionaire oil man who gets involved in politics. Not exactly the usual story. And like many Coen Brothers movies, it deals with comedy…most likely black comedy. But let’s be clear… this is not a Coen Brothers movie. It is a movie by Alejandro González Iñárritu, and he’s his own entity with his own style. This is the guy who made Birdman, after all. This is the guy who made the Revenant. But those two movies were both over a decade ago, and where has he been since then? Does he still have the eccentric style that he once did. The trailers certainly make it look like he does. Plus there’s Tom Cruise as the lead, going all out in the weird category, taking risks. Tom Cruise has only taken two truly transformative risks before.. first when he starred as Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia and second when he starred as movie producer and mogul Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. This movie looks like he’s playing a character more like that… a larger than life presence of a man who is not afraid to be grotesque and unpleasant. It might be fun or it might be annoying. Between Cruise, Iñárritu, and the trailer which definitely looks like they’re giving us something unique, I’m leaning towards fun.
Animals (Oct 9th)
Starring Ben Affleck and Keri Washington, directed by Ben Affleck, a movie about a power couple whose child is kidnapped.
Here’s the thing… as much as this movie looks like the same old thing we’ve seen before, be it Ransom with Mel Gibson back in the nineties, or Highest to Lowest with Denzel Washington just recently, one has to remember that it is directed by Ben Affleck. And Affleck is a hell of a director. From Gone Baby Gone to The Town, he is super talented. Now that doesn’t mean everything he directs is gold… he did direct the dud Live By Night. But still, more times than not the movies he makes are great. And then there’s the fact that he left this project when he heard about the similar storied Denzel movie that was being made at the same time, only to return back to it years later. Why would someone do that… come back to the project. There must have been something about it that Affleck found irresistible. Add on top of that, the fact that Affleck just starred in the terrific movie The Rip, and this one definitely has potential.
Street Fighter (Oct 16th)
a take on the classic video arcade game turned movie, featuring Jason Momoa
The new Street Fighter movie looks like it will be campy, colorful fun. That being said, we’ve been burned by movie versions of this video game before. In fact, we’ve been burned every time. That’s right, there hasn’t been a single good Street Fighter movie, ever. Which is something that certainly can’t be said about it’s rival game and movies… Mortal Kombat. But it’s about time they get Street Fighter right, and this movie looks like it just might be the one to do it. For one thing, it is clearly embracing the ridiculousness of the games and calling these things out, from the crazy haircut of Guile to the fireballs shot out of the hands of Ryu. The only name cast member (not counting 50 Cent,) is Jason Mamoa, and he’s hit and miss as an actor. He certainly didn’t add anything to Supergirl, earlier this year. This movie will either be really good or really awful. And that very much depends on whether the jokes work, or whether they just feel dumb.
I Play Rocky (Nov 6th)
The story of Sylvester Stallone writing and holding out for the lead role in the movie Rocky.
Here’s a movie about the making of Rocky. Sounds a lot like that Amazon Prime show about the making of the Godfather, from a few years back, right? Only with this movie, it’s really the story of Sylvester Stallone, and how he held out selling the screenplay he wrote to the studios, despite massive offers of giant bags of cash. It sounds interesting enough. Is there enough there for an entire movie? We’ll have to see.
The Wild Horse Nine (Nov 6th)
A movie about two assassins stuck in Stonehenge.
Starring Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, directed by Martin McDonagh
If it wasn’t for the director involved, this one would look pretty routine. It’s a black comedy about two hitmen spending time overseas. Nothing about that feels extraordinary. In fact, even this director, Martin McDonagh, already made a movie with that same longline when he made In Bruges. But here’s the thing… In Bruges was fantastic. In fact, all of McDonagh’s movies have been fantastic. Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri join In Bruges as McDonah’s fantastic trilogy of success. But then there’s also the Banshees of Inisherin, which was strangely fascinating. The fact is, this guy can do no wrong. And in this movie, he’s once again working with the great Sam Rockwell. Rockwell and Colin Farrell are his two muses, with at least one od them appearing in every one of McDonagh’s movie. Rockwell even won his Oscar for Three Billboards. So the fact that this movie is by McDonagh and the fact that it stars Rockwell are enough reasons alone to thing it’s going to be great. .
Ebeneezer (Nov 13th)
Starring Johnny Depp as Ebeneezer Scrooge, dark take on the classic story., A Christmas Carol.
It’s a story we’ve seen before. Again and again. We’ve seen animated versions of it (like the one starring Jim Carrey,) comedy versions of it (Bill Murray’s Scrooged,) Disney Versions (featuring Uncle Scrooge McDuck,) and even Muppets versions. So what does this new version have that the others don’t. Well, Johnny Depp, for one. But that’s hardly enough. What might actually make this movie worthwhile is that it looks way darker than most others. Maybe it will tell the tale from a serious and seriously dark and disturbing point of view. After all, there has to be a reason why this movie was made… a unique take they must have on the subject matter that compelled them to make this film. What it is exactly, we will just have to wait and see.
How To Rob a Bank (Nov 13th)
Directed by David Leach (Bullet Train, the Fall Guy,) starring Nicholas Hoult, Pete Davidson, Zoe Kravitx, and John C Reiley.
How many times has director David Leitch burned us? It’s not that he’s bad, it’s just that he’s not very good. And his movies always look like they will be terrific. From Atomic Blonde to Bullet Train to the Fall Guy, this director who once co-directed the first John Wick film hasn’t made a great movie since. You would think that just in terms of action, he’d get it right (since Wick had such fantastic action to it.) Only that has not been the case. Still, one has to hope that maybe this time Leitch has finally gotten it right. His most recent movie, The Fall Guy, wasn’t great, but it was a step up from his previous films. So maybe he’s getting better or finally figuring things out. One certainly hopes so, and hopes that this movie is actually good.
Paper Tiger (Nov 13th)
Starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, Scarlet Johansen,
A movie about two adult brothers, in a very dangerous New York. It’s Miles Teller and Adam Driver here as the leads, one in politics, the other not. This is about 1980s corruption and extortion, as one or both of the brother get involved with the mob. And whatever deal they make or try to pull off, things go south. Now the mob is coming after them. It sounds cool enough. Add in these talented actors, including Scarlet Johanssen doing a heavy New York accent as Teller’s wife, (she had the perfect Bronx accent in Don Juan, so if her accent is anything like that, it should be a blast,) and you might just have the recipe for a winner.
Madden (Nov 18th)
Starring Nicholas Cage and Christian Bale, directed by David O Russell.
Even if you don’t care about footaball, the fact is this is a David O Russel movie. And while that director might be a total asshole in real life, there’s no denying his talent behind the camera. Silver Linings Playbook was a masterpiece. So was Three Kings. And American Hustle and the Fighter were pretty great too. Russell loves working with Christian Bale these days. So it’s nice to see them back together here. And Nicholas Cage in the title role is also pretty great, considering Cage hasn’t done anything substantial (other than Spider-Man Noir on Prime,) for some time. The only problem is, it is indeed a football movie. And a football coaching movie, no less. Will Russell find the angle of how to make this interesting and exciting. Most likely the answer is yes.
Hexed
The latest Disney movie, featuring the voice talents of Hailee Steinfeld, Walton Goggins, Rashida Jones, Jodie Foster.
Disney animated movies are hit and miss these days. There was a time when they were king of the world (back in the nineties,) and everything they turned out was gold. Not so much anymore. In the most recent years, it is only their sequel films that have left a dent. Movies like Zootopia 2, Inside Out 2, and Mufasa. The original films, on the other hand, have pretty much all fallen flat. We’re talking about movies like Elio, Wish, Strange World, and Hoppers. Even Elemental, which wasn’t half bad, didn’t leave much of a mark. So it’s safe to say that Disney original animated movies are in a slump. Is this the one to bring them back? It does have an intriguing enough story, about a teenage girl discovering she;s a witch. Can it tap into some Harry Potter vibes and have fun with magic and spells? Let’s certainly hope so.
Violent Night 2 (Dec 4th)
Somehow, back in 2022, everything came together just right to make a wildly ridiculous and fun movie about Santa Claus taking on criminals. It was a bloodier, more comedic take on Die Hard, set in all one building (a mansion,) and it worked. David Harbour was perfect in the role, and while it wasn’t anything genius, it most certainly captured the B movie, campy fun that one would have hoped for. With that in mind, we now have a sequel. It takes place in a mall. Am I expecting much? Of course not. Just look at what happened with Nobody 2, where they took a fun original concept, set the sequel at an amusement park down south, and walked away with a pretty dopey movie. But let’s hope this one has more to offer than that. After all, it’s Christmas!
Behemoth! (Dec 4th)
directed by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton,) starring Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde
The premise here doesn’t sound all that great. It’s about a gifted cellist, who plays instruments as part of scores (most likely for movies,) as he returns home to Los Angeles to get involved in some family drama. They’re not really telling or showing us a whole lot here. But what does sound nice is the cast and director. It’s Tony Gilroy directing, who made the great movie Michael Clayton. Granted that was twenty years ago, but it was still pretty spectacular. And then there’s Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde in the lead roles. Neither one is a sure-fire thing, but they are both fine actors. This one really could go either way. It could turn out to be amazing, but it could also end up being a dud. Either way, let’s start by finding out a little more about the plot.
The Debut (Dec 11th)
Jessie Eisenberg directed, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, a woman auditioning for community theater.
Speaking of movies about talented, somewhat-older people who get involved in productions, this next movie is about Julianne Moore in a small town play. What makes in interesting is that the director is Jessie Eisenberg, who made the excellent A Real Pain, about a year ago. This is his follow-up. There are plenty of directors who have made one great movie, but then never anything substantial since (we were just talking about Tony Gilroy and Michael Clayton, above.) At the same time, if this one is good, it could prove that Eisenberg really is as talented a director as he seems.
Dune: Part 3 (Dec 18th)
The Dune movies have had a hell of a rollercoaster ride over the past six years or so. The first one came out during the pandemic. It was direct to streaming, due to theater closure. It did so well, on TV alone, that they green lit a sequel. And the sequel also did well. So now we have a third one. These movies a heavy sci fi. We’re talking the future on other planets. Consider them a more artistic and less popcorny, less mainstream, less spaceshipy take on Star Wars. They aren’t easy to figure out, but if you get it, then you really get it. The people who like these movies, love them. But they take some work. They aren’t easy. That being said, many claim it’s worth it, and they just might be right. There’s just one problem… Dune 3 is slated to come out the same day as Avengers Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday (Dec 18th)
And that brings us to the money shot. The single movie that is the most ac anticipated one on my list to be certain. There are so many reasons why I’m not excited to see this movie. Robert Downey Jrs. return. How they’re going to explain why Doctor Doom looks exactly like Tony Stark, (is it a variant of Tony Stark? Did Victor Von Doom find a way to take Tony Stark’s likeness?) And how bout the Russo brothers returning to the directors chair for Marvel? Every single Marvel movie these guys have made has been great, from The Winter Soldier to Civil War to their two Avengers movies. These are not easy movies to pull off, and right now the Russos are sitting on a 4-0 record. So yeah, they’ve earned my trust. And all this is before mentioning the uniting of so many great characters. The original X-Men are in this one, for example. The cast members who go all the way back to the first X-Men movie in 2000, some 26 years ago. This is a no brainer and it’s sure to be a blast!