Movies are back!
Or so they keep saying.
Certainly, everyone is cheering the blockbuster success of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "The Odyssey
"and, um, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?" A ticket's a ticket, I guess. But it has been a big summer in terms of box office, no question. Whether that track record can hold during the fall — typically when the more prestigious offerings hit screens — is anyone's guess.Frankly, I don't care.
What matters to me is the quality of the film. Sometimes, like with "The Odyssey," quality and commerce align. As far as I'm concerned, that's a happy accident. Besides, before you see a movie, it's all a guess anyway. (Although some things are a lock, like "Avengers: Doomsday," which comes out on Dec. 18. It's not on my
list. Everyone is going to see it anyway.)
These are my picks for the 10 movies I'm most looking forward to this fall. Dates are always subject to change, and a surprise always emerges, but for now, though, here's a look at what I can't wait to watch.
'Digger' (Oct. 2)
Tom Cruise breaks out of "Mission: Impossible" prison, playing a gazillionaire trying to save the world from the mess he's made. Elon with a conscience? Multi-Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu directs. Intriguing, to say the least.
'Other Mommy' (Oct. 9)
Jessica Chastain plays a mother trying to protect her 8-year-old daughter from a supernatural villain who, wouldn't you know it, looks just like Jessica Chastain. Thus the title. It's based on the novel "Incidents Around the House." The trailer is insanely freaky.
'The Social Reckoning' (Oct. 9)
A follow-up, of sorts, to "The Social Network," one of, if not the, best movies of the 21st century. Only no Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, and worse, no David Fincher directing. Aaron Sorkin, who won an Oscar for the first film, directs this one; as a director, he's a great writer. But I am definitely curious to see what Jeremy Strong does with the Eisenberg role.
'Wild Horse Nine' (Nov. 6)
Martin McDonagh wrote and directs, which is already a big plus. The cast includes Sam Rockwell, John Malkovich, Parker Posey and Steve Buscemi. Rockwell and Malkovich play CIA agents sent to Easter Island in 1973. Honestly, there aren't many more of my buttons to push.
'I Play Rocky' (Nov. 13)
The title is the famous demand Sylvester Stallone made when he was shopping his script for "Rocky" around Hollywood. The studios felt differently; Stallone stuck to his guns and, well, you know the rest: One great movie followed by increasingly lame remakes. Anthony Ippolito plays Stallone; he played Al Pacino in "The Offer." If they do a Robert De Niro biopic, you know where to look.
'Victorian Psycho' (Nov. 13)
If it is half as drop-dead crazy as the novel by Virginia Feito, it's going to be great. At least I hope. Maika Monroe, who starred in "It Follows" (another of the century's great films) and "Longlegs," plays Winifred Notty, a governess who begins working for a family and more than lives up to the title. Seriously, the book is short and it's nuts. Read it. I can't wait for this.
'The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth' (Nov. 25)
Brad Pitt returns in the role he won an Oscar for: Hollywood stuntman and notable best friend Cliff Booth, in "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood." Quentin Tarantino wrote the new film, but won't be back as director. Typically you'd say, uh-oh, this can't be good. But David Fincher, presumably not busy directing "The Social Network" sequel, takes the helm. I think Pitt and Tom Cruise are underrated actors, which is probably one reason they're on this list.
'Ray Gunn' (Dec. 18)
Brad Bird, who won Oscars for "Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles," is back with an animated feature about the last human detective, Raymond Gunn. Sam Rockwell voices Gunn; the cast also includes Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. (Hey, you want a distinctive voice for these things.) It sounds kind of like "Blade Runner," which is just fine by me.
'Dune: Part Three' (Dec. 18)
I'm breaking my "Avengers: Doomsday" rule here — this will make a fortune. The weird thing is, these are typically not the kind of films that appeal to me. Yet I really liked the first and second installments. Go figure. Something to be said for superlative filmmaking, I guess, so thanks, Denis Villeneuve. Timothée Chalamet is back, as is Zendaya. The cast includes Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Robert Pattinson — Villeneuve just opened the Hollywood phone book and started calling, sounds like. I haven't read the books, so I don't know what's coming, but I'm here for it.
'Werwulf' (Dec. 25)
Another Christmas present from Robert Eggers. Ho ho ho. His "Nosferatu" was a nice little gift under the tree in 2024, at least for horror sickos like me. This time, as you can tell by the oh-so-stylized spelling, Eggers takes on the werewolf. Maybe in Christmas 2028 we'll get "Frankenstein." It stars Jack Morris, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Willem Dafoe. Still. ...
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best new movies this fall? These are the 10 I'm most excited about
