50. “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Director: Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”)
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio, Sam Jaeger
Synopsis: An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall, and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.
What You Need To Know: In the light of HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones,” we may start to see a barrage of media dissecting the world of megachurches and televangelism. One of the most notorious cases comes with the Bakkers, whose patriarch, Jim, was a scoundrel, and matriarch, the more noble Tammy Faye, was an equally fascinating figure. Chastain will play Bakker in what looks to be one of her most interesting roles since “A Most Violent Year,” and her empathy as an actress will serve the role well. Garfield’s bombast will be a good fit for Jim Bakker, and Showalter has proven himself to be a director of deft humanist comedies, making this one to keep an eye on.
Release Date: TBD. – CW
49. “Matrix 4”
Director: Lana Wachowski (“The Matrix” franchise)
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jada Pinkett Smith
Synopsis: The plot is under wraps, but it’s a return to the world of “The Matrix.”
What You Need To Know: By the time the fourth ‘Matrix’ comes out, it’ll have been 18 years since “The Matrix: Revolutions.” A return to ‘The Matrix’ franchise has been rumored for years, but this time, only one Wachowski sibling is back (Lilly Wachowski is working on a Showtime series and apparently doesn’t have interest in the franchise any longer). Most of the original cast is back, including Reeves and Moss, but Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus and Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith, sadly, aren’t returning for various reasons. Can ‘Matrix 4’ recapture the magic of a franchise that arguably only ever had one great film in it (granted, a game-changer that still holds up today)? Will this spawn a new franchise with new cast members such as Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra, Neil Patrick Harris, and more? Time will tell.
Release Date: December 22, 2021, via Warner Bros. – RP
48. “Benedetta”
Director: Paul Verhoeven (“Elle”)
Cast: Virginie Efira, Lambert Wilson, Clotilde Courau
Synopsis: A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. A companion assists her, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.
What You Need To Know: Paul Verhoeven earned some of the best reviews of his career for his last film, 2016’s daring, disturbing rape-revenge provocation, “Elle.” Verhoeven is a master at mining unexpected depth out of taboo subject matter. If what we know about “Benedetta” so far is any indication, he’ll be back on form with this tale of forbidden ardor and bizarre religious reveries. While it remains to be seen if “Benedetta” will cause as big of a splash as “Elle,” there’s no doubt that any new work from Verhoeven belongs somewhere on this list.
Release Date: TBD, but it presumably plays Cannes 2021. – NL
47. “The Card Counter”
Director: Paul Schrader (“First Reformed,” “Auto Focus”)
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Willem Dafoe, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan
Synopsis: William Tell (Isaac), a gambler and former serviceman who sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past.
What You Need To Know: Paul Schrader enjoyed quite a comeback with 2018’s “First Reformed,” a politically incendiary character study about a jaded, Drano-sipping man of the cloth that all but restored the writer/director to the heights of his former glory. To hear that Schrader, one of cinema’s great screenwriters, is partnering with Oscar Isaac – one of our current era’s greatest actors – for a characteristically bleak, uncompromising modern-day morality play pic is quite a marvelous thing indeed. “The Card Counter” will see Schrader returning to the unscrupulous and illicit milieu where he’s most effective in telling a story of retribution, redemption, and gambling on fate.
Release Date: TBD, but Focus Features has the rights and a festival slot in the first half of 2021 seems likely. – NL
46. “Passing”
Director: Rebecca Hall
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Alexander Skarsgård, Ruth Negga
Synopsis: “Passing” follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.
What You Need to Know: Tessa Thompson is deservedly becoming an A-list star due to her unmistakable talent, and what better way to kick off the decade than by continuing the Tessa Thompson legacy with an adaptation of Nella Larsen’s classic novel “Passing?” Set in Harlem in the 1920s, “Passing” tells the story of two childhood friends whose lives disintegrate after they reunite amidst the racial turmoil of the era. Regarded as a literary classic, the work’s progressive sexual ambiguity and social commentary continue to speak to audiences nearly a century after its initial publication. Thompson will play Irene Redfield alongside Ruth Negga as Claire Kendry and Alexander Skarsgård as Claire’s husband John, with Rebecca Hall directing.
Release Date: TBD – JC
45. “After Yang”
Director: Kogonada (“Columbus”)
Cast: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin Min, Haley Lu Richardson
Synopsis: A father and daughter band together to try and save the life of their robotic family member.
What You Need To Know: Kogonada is not only one of our most promising new filmmakers but also one of our great visual essayists. The filmmaker taking on the science fiction genre and infusing his deep understanding of cinema, how it’s framed, how it works, and how it appeals to our emotions just sounds downright exciting. His work with Richardson, in particular on “Columbus,” anchored that piece, and it’s great to see the two working together again. Also, after Turner-Smith exploded onto screens last year in “Queen and Slim,” it’ll be dually interesting to see her back in a leading role. High-concept sci-fi is hard to find these days, so consider this one pretty high on our lists for upcoming genre titles.
Release Date: TBD. – Cory Woodroof
44. “Deep Water”
Director: Adrian Lyne (“Fatal Attraction,” “Flashdance”)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts, Rachel Blanchard, Finn Wittrock
Synopsis: A well-to-do husband who allows his wife to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.
What You Need To Know: The era of the erotic thriller may have come and gone, but don’t tell that to genre architect “Unfaithful” director Adrian Lyne, who will be following his nearly twenty-year hiatus from filmmaking since that Diane Lane-starring steam-fest with this starry new effort. Many will want to check out the film for the bonus of seeing real-life lovebirds Affleck and De Armas navigating an onscreen romance. With the backing of 20th Century Studios and Regency Enterprises, this could stand to mark a comeback for Lyne after all these years.
Release Date: August 13, 2021, via 20th Century Studios. – NL
43. “Untitled Lila Neugebauer Project”
Director: Lila Neugebauer
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Samira Wiley, Brian Tyree Henry
Synopsis: A U.S. Soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home.
What You Need to Know: Newcomer Lila Neugebauer will be joining the illustrious A24 roster when she releases her currently untitled feature film. Known primarily for her directorial work in theater (the director also helmed an episode of “Room 104”), Neugebauer’s cinematic introduction harbors enough clout to attract the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, which is certainly exciting. Details are scarce, although the available synopsis appears to share traits with likes of “Brothers,” “Stop-Loss,” and “In the Valley of Elah,” mid-2000s films that focus on the stateside aftermath of soldiers who served overseas in the Middle East. Make sure you keep an eye out for this drama when it—hopefully—rolls out in 2021.
Release Date: TBD – JC
42. “Babylon”
Director: Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash,” “First Man”)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire (rumored)
Synopsis: A sprawling period epic set against the glorious backdrop of Hollywood in its infancy.
What You Need To Know: Damien Chazelle is a director widely revered for his ambition. He’s never been one to back down from a challenge, but even by the standards of this frighteningly talented young director, “Babylon” sounds like a lot to take on. If it’s great, it could end up being Chazelle’s “Mank”: a loving, if perhaps not a sentimental ode to the art form this site is dedicated to. Pitt and Stone were in talks for the project, but a snag hit due to Emma Stone’s rumored pregnancy, so she dropped out; and Margot Robbie is in, but her availability won’t be until later in the year. But the fact that Paramount nabbed distribution rights to the film must mean that they have faith in Chazelle’s sure-to-be-grandiose vision.
Release Date: Currently slated for December 25, 2021, via Paramount, the casting switch may honestly have to wait until 2022, so keep that in mind. – NL
41. “The Souvenir: Part II”
Director: Joanna Hogg (“The Souvenir,” “Exhibition”)
Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton, Charlie Heaton, Harris Dickinson, Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: A young film student in the early 80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.
What You Need To Know: The first “Souvenir” – Hogg’s austere and often punishing character study of a burgeoning female film student and the vile, self-serving, privileged heroin addict she finds herself trapped in a relationship with – was one of the most fascinating films of 2019. In that regard, it will be a treat for cinephiles to catch up with Honor Swinton Bryne’s Julie since the events of the last film, and the additions of cast members Joe Alwyn and Harris Dickinson are a plus. Global treasure Richard Ayoade reprising his role as the world’s best/worst party guest only sweetens the deal for us.
Release Date: TBD via A24. – NL