Writers and actors may still be on strike, but there’s still plenty of new movies heading our way this fall.
While many have already been pushed back due to the strike (moment of silence for Dune 2), studios are moving forward with exciting new releases in comedies, dramas, sci-fis and more. Here’s a look at eight films we can’t wait to watch this fall:
1. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
On Netflix Sept. 27
Based on Roald Dahl’s fictional story of the real-life tale of Hindu mystic Kuda Bux, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar tells the tale of a gambler who learns how to properly meditate in hopes of learning to see through playing cards. Wes Anderson brings his signature pastel aesthetic to this short film. This is the second Dahl adaptation Anderson has brought to life, following 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Not to get your hopes up too high, but that adaptation did win an Oscar, so we’ll see if Anderson can pull off another successful recreation.
2. The Creator
In theaters Sept. 29
In a future ravaged by war between humans and artificial intelligence, hardened ex-special forces agent Joshua (John David Washington) is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war — and mankind itself. However, things take a turn with Joshua and his team discover the world-ending weapon they’ve been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child.
At a time when our society is learning to embrace and protect itself from AI, The Creator explores the complex relationship between man and technology. While there’s various ways to take this story, this thrilling sci-fi adventure seems like an exciting one to explore.
3. Foe
In theaters Oct. 6
Foe is a haunting exploration of marriage and identity set in an uncertain world. Hen (Little Women‘s Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Normal People‘s Paul Mescal) farm a secluded piece of land, but their quiet life is turned upside down when an uninvited stranger arrives with a startling proposal: Junior will be sent to a large space station, and Hen will be left in the company of a robot replica of him. As Hen’s relationship with the robot deepens, she begins to question her own reality and the nature of love and loss in a world where artificial intelligence is blurring the lines between human and machine.
4. The Burial
On Amazon Prime Oct. 13.
Jamie Foxx tells the real-life story of personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Foxx) and his mission to help funeral home owner Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) win a contract dispute against Loewen funeral company. Along the way, Gary and O’Keefe’s unlikely collaboration exposes corporate corruption and racial injustice rampant throughout major corporations. The film is based on the 1999 New Yorker article of the same name, and Foxx served as a producer in addition to the starring role.
5. Killers of the Flower Moon
On Apple TV+ Oct. 20
Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann, is a historical crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese that tells the story of the Osage Nation murders, a series of killings that took place in Osage County, Oklahoma, between 1921 and 1925. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, a white man who marries into the Osage Nation and becomes involved in a conspiracy to murder Osage people in order to steal their oil wealth. Jesse Plemons co-stars as Tom White, an FBI agent who is tasked with investigating the murders.
The suspenseful and harrowing film explores the dark side of American history and is a timely and important film that sheds light on a forgotten chapter of our past.
6. Poor Things
In theaters Dec. 8
Fans of Frankenstein will enjoy Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Defoe), on her journey of self-discovery and liberation. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn, but hungry for the worldliness she is lacking.
7. The Color Purple
In theaters Dec. 25
The Color Purple is a powerful and moving musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Celie, a Black woman who endures abuse and hardship but finds hope and strength through the love of her sister and friends. The 1985 film version starred some then-unknown stars like Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg, but this time around there’s quite a few well-known stars: Fantasia, Halley Bailey, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson Ciara, Colman Domingo — we could keep going, but the point is, this might be one of the most stacked casts of the year, and definitely one you don’t want to miss.
