UPDATED: I’ve taken off ‘Dune 2’ and also added 10 new titles. Although title options are running out, I’m still tempted to turn this into a top 35.
EARLIER: I’ll be updating this list in the coming hours, weeks, months, but I’m starting with the 16 films that will absolutely be getting our attention this fall.
Obviously, Polanski’s “The Palace” and Allen’s “Coup de Chance” won’t be here since we clearly have no idea if they will ever be released in the United States. They’re both set to premiere at Venice.
So far we have films from Fincher, Miyazaki, Lanthimos, Scott, Mann, Coppola, Villeneuve, Linklater, Nichols and Payne. It’ll be a stacked next few months. Odds are that not all of these filmmakers will be successful with their respective new movies, but their names alone are enough to warrant attention.
1) Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) — October 6
Although I have already seen Scorsese’s staggering epic about the 1920s Osage Nation murders, I cannot fail to include it. This is the movie event of the year. ‘Killers’ holds and fascinates you in step-by-step fashion, and it radiates profound moral grief and heartache — it’s three hours of scheming and murder, and the runtime just flies by. What Scorsese has created is a real and lived in world and absolute fire-in-your-belly cinema. It’s also very measured and matter of fact in its clinical execution. This is Scorsese’s very steady, methodical depiction of morally toxic people. DiCaprio, De Niro and Gladstone all deserve awards love this season.
2) The Killer (David Fincher) — November 10
Is there a more anticipated film for cinephiles than Fincher’s assassin movie? Fincher is the director behind “Zodiac,” “The Social Network,” “Se7en” and “Fight Club.” He rarely misses. The film stars Michael Fassbender as an assassin who begins to psychologically crack as he develops a conscience, even as his clients continue to demand his skills. “The Killer” is an adaptation of Alexis Nolent’s graphic novel series. ”Seven” screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker was hired to adapt Nolent’s novels.
3) The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki) - TBD
Master Miyazaki came out of retirement for this one, his first project since 2013’s “The Wind Rises”. Miyazaki’s latest film, originally called “How Do You Live,” is said to be a slice of life with spiritual themes added in for good measure. In Japan, it's been well-received, and it’s secured a much-anticipated spot as Toronto’s opening night film. Supposedly, it’s a surreal and dreamy film, which led to a slew of intriguing comparisons, such as “Inception” and it even feeling like a David Lynch film.
4) Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos) — December 8
Lanthimos’ first film since his 2018 stunner “The Favorite” comes with a lot of expectations. A trailer for “Poor Things” was released in the summer and it looked delightfully deranged. It really felt like an old-school Terry Gilliam movie. Dreamy, surreal, deadpan, but also unlike anything Lanthimos has released before. Fish-eyed lens, anachronistic sci-fi and some low-angled shots. The visuals looked stunning. Emma Stone also seems to be having the time of her life with this role.
5) Napoleon (Ridley Scott) — November 22
Scott’s 157 minute epic will be skipping the fall festivals, but expectations are high that he will deliver something special with this wartime film. Produced and financed by Apple, Scott’s epic reunites the filmmaker with Joaquin Phoenix as the European conquering emperor. It is said to tackle Napoleon’s world-conquering theatrics, not to mention his frosty relationship with wife Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).
6) The Holdovers (Alexander Payne) — October 27
It’s great to have a new Alexander Payne movie to look forward to, and it’s coming up very soon. Mixing comedy and drama, much like Payne’s best humanist statements, the film stars Paul Giamatti, who reunites with Payne for their first film since 2004’s Oscar-nominated “Sideways.” Giamatti plays a schlubby instructor at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break and babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go.
7) Saltburn (Emerald Fennell) — November 24
Fennell might be the filmmaker on this list with the least amount of credentials, but the buzz surrounding her “Saltburn” cannot be dismissed. The test screenings from earlier this year sparked some tremendous buzz in the industry and Fennell is coming off “Promising Young Woman.” Barry Keoghan stars in the film as a college student who stars obsessing over a young man played by Jacob Elordi. The film is said to be reminiscent of “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
8) Ferrari (Michael Mann) — December 25
Here comes Michael Mann’s first film in over eight years. A “90 million art film” starring Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari and Penelope Cruz as his wife, Laura. Mann’s film comes with very high expectations, not to mention it’s been a passion project of his since he started working on it back in 2001. If it comes half close to the qualities of “Heat,” “Collateral,” and “The Insider,” then we’re in for a very good movie.
9) Priscilla (Sofia Coppola) — October 27
Coppola’s film was selected as the Centerpiece film for the upcoming 61st New York Film Festival. It is being distributed by A24 and follows Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) and her life with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi). Those who have seen the film have stated that it does not resemble Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” Instead, Coppola goes for what she’s described as “Marie Antoinette in Graceland.”
10) Maestro (Bradley Cooper) — November 22nd
After wowing the Academy with his 2018 directorial debut “A Star is Born,” Bradley Cooper is back, this time tackling the life and times of famed composer Leonard Bernstein. The film, which spans 30 years in the life of Bernstein, is said to focus more on the relationship with his wife (Carey Mulligan) than it does on his own music.
11) The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green) — TBD
Green had previously directed 2020’s “The Assistant,” a fascinatingly minimalist depiction of Harvey Weinstein’s junior assistant. Her latest, inspired by true events, follows backpackers in Australia (Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick) who run out of money and decide to take a temporary job behind the bar of a pub in a remote Outback mining town. Things start getting dicey when the bar owner (Hugo Weaving) and a host of locals start crossing the line with their jokes and behavior.
12) Hitman (Richard Linklater)
Richard Linklater is up there with the best filmmakers of his era. His filmography is as original and diverse as they come: “Dazed and Confused,” “Waking Life,” “The School of Rock,” “Boyhood” and the ‘Before’ trilogy, among many more. His latest stars Glenn Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) as Gary Johnson, a staff investigator who plays the role of a hit man to catch individuals ordering a hit. The film is being billed as an action-comedy.
13) The Bikeriders (Jeff Nichols) — December 1
It’s been six years since Nichols directed “Loving.” He’s coming off the longest break of his career. His latest, “The Bikeriders,” is set in the 1960s and follows the rise of a fictional, midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a full-out gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life. The film stars Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook and Norman Reedus.
14) Aggro Dr1ft (Harmony Korine) — TBD
Korine (“Spring Breakers” “Gummo”) secretly directed a new film with rapper Travis Scott. Titled “Aggro Dr1ft,” the action-oriented film, starring Scott and Jordi Mollà, was shot entirely in infrared. There is currently no plot synopsis available for the 80-minute “Aggro Dr1ft,” but the first production still has been released by Venice — it can be seen above. As you can clearly notice, the “shot entirely in infrared” part was no joke. Korine will be going all-out with this one.
15) Memory (Michel Franco) — TBD
Franco’s “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, is going to Venice and Toronto. The plot, set in New York City, has to do with a love-struck couple attempting to build a relationship while dealing with trauma and dementia. The film is being described by Venice as a “study of memory, identity, and trust.” Franco is coming off two breakouts — 2020’s “New Order” and 2021’s “Sundown.”
16) Evil Does Not Exist (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
Nobody expected a new Ryûsuke Hamaguchi film this fall, “Evil Does Not Exist,” came out of nowhere and landed right into Venice competition. Set in a small town in Japan: an entertainment agency, which has fallen into financial difficulties due to the COVID disaster, has obtained a government subsidy and plans to set up an environmentally unfriendly glamping site. This is Hamaguchi’s follow-up to his 2021 one-two punch of “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” and “Drive My Car.”
17) The Beast (Betrand Bonello) — TBD
Rumored to have been rejected by Cannes earlier this year, Betrand Bonello’s sci-fi film has had incredible word of mouth these past weeks, with some hinting at a possible Golden Lion win at a Venice. The film plunges into a near future where emotions have become a threat. Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will plunge her into her past lives and rid her of all strong feelings.
18) Janet Planet (Annie Baker) — TBD
Set to screen at Telluride and New York, this A24 production comes to us from noted playwright Annie Baker. Starring Julianne Nicholson, and set in 1991 Massachusetts, the film is seen through the eyes of a twelve year old as she sees her mother drift in and out of relationships and friendships. Word of mouth for Baker’s film is strong and the fact that, much like with Celine Song, A24 had enough confidence to greenlight another playwright turned filmmaker gives us hope.
19) All of Us Strangers (Andrew Haigh) — Dec. 22
Last October, Haigh completed production on ‘Strangers.’ The 50-year-old filmmaker, riding high off his last three critically-acclaimed films (“Weekend”, “45 Years,” “Lean on Pete”), has assembled a ‘Strangers’ cast that includes Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. The story follows Screenwriter Adam (Scott) who, one night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor (Mescal) that punctures the rhythm of his everyday life.
20) The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer) — December 8th
Having seen Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” I can tell you that it’s a very unnerving experience, but one filled with masterful brush strokes. Some scenes are jaw dropping. You can read my review. Distributed by A24, the film Set during the early years of WWII, the film is almost is exclusively set at the home of the commander of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, following his family who, incredibly, live right next door to a concentration camp.
21) Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli) — November 10th
In “Dream Scenario” Nicolas Cage plays a schlubby professor who becomes an overnight celebrity after appearing in everyone's dream. Sign us up. The film is directed by Kristoffer Borgli, who helmed last year’s Cannes gem “Sick of Myself.” Word of mouth has been very good for this film, which is set to have its world premiere at TIFF in September.
22) Green Border (Agnieszka Holland) — TBD
Holland, a veteran filmmaker whose best film, “Europa Europa,” still reverberates to this day, is back with a film someone described to me as her best since ‘Europa.’ It follows a family of Syrian refugees, an English teacher from Afghanistan and a border guard. They all meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in Belarus. A Golden Lion contender at Venice.
23) Rustin (George C. Wolfe) — November
Netflix has dated “Rustin” for a global release of November 17th, 2023. With that date, they are setting it up as one of their awards titles. Starring underrated actor Colman Domingo (check out his brilliant performance in “Zola”) and directed by George C. Wolfe, who helmed 2020’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Rustin” is a biopic of gay, civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March on Washington — the ingredients are most definitely there for primo Oscar bait.
24) El Conde (Pablo Larrain) — September 18th
The trailer for Pablo Larraín’s “El Conde” had these beautiful images recalling 1920s German Expressionism. The film tackles a vampiric former dictator, inspired by former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet is not dead in the film, but an aged vampire who, after 250 years in this world, has decided to die once and for all, due to “ailments brought about by his dishonor and family conflicts”. Larrain is coming off “Jackie,” “Ema” and “Spencer.”
25) Fingernails (Christie Nikou) — November 3rd
Anna (Jessie Buckley) and Ryan (Riz Ahmed) have found true love. It’s been proven by a controversial new technology. There’s just one problem: Anna still isn’t sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute, and meets Amir. Director Nikou turned some heads with his Venice pandemic entry “Apples,” which felt Lanthimos-light to me, but it had its fans. At the very least, you can’t help but applaud his outrageous ambitions.
26) Wildcat (Ethan Hawke) — TBD
What sticks out the most about Hawke’s feature is that it was one of the first movies Telluride head Julie Huntsinger accepted for her 50th edition of the fest. Based on the life of novelist Flannery O’Connor, the biopic film stars Maya Hawke as the Southern writer. Ethan directs, produces, and co-wrote the script alongside Shelby Gaines. Hawke’s first film, “Blaze,” showed great promise and there’s no reason to doubt this could be good.
27) NYAD (Chin/Vasarhelyi) — November 3rd
“Nyad” is supposed to be one of this fall’s more Oscar baity titles. Based on a true story, the film stars Annette Bening as Diana Nyad, the first person, at the age of 64, to swim from Cuba to the US without a shark cage. Jodie Foster also co-stars. The film will be screening at Telluride and TIFF. Before the actors strike, Benning was going to get Telluride’s annual tribute honors, which in the past, has been known to be a gateway to kickstart a major Oscar campaign.
28) Foe (Garth Davis) — October 6th
Set in 2065, “Foe” stars Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as a couple living out in the middle of a desert who have their calm life rattled when a mysterious stranger (Aaron Pierre) comes knocking at their door one night. Davis broke out with his 2016 Oscar-nominated feature “Lion,” he then struck out with his follow-up, “Mary Magdelene.” The film is set to have its world premiere at NYFF.