“Marshall”
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson
Synopsis: Follows a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.
What You Need to Know: Having managed to get somewhat lost in the fall release shuffle, “Marshall” starring Chadwick Boseman as the titular Thurgood Marshall, will hopefully stick the landing with greater impact. Another biopic during the time of year that is riddled with them, at the very least this one is telling a story worthy of the big screen. Co-starring Kate Hudson (perhaps on the cusp of her own comeback?), Josh Gad, and actor of the moment Sterling K. Brown, the trailers haven’t yet gripped us, but fingers crossed that’s an issue with marketing and not quality.
Release Date: October 13th
“The Meyerowitz Stories”
Cast: Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman
Synopsis: The adult children of Harold Meyerowitz reunite in New York in preparation for their father’s career retrospective.
What You Need to Know: With the trend being that director Noah Baumbach’s greatest achievements of late are those where he teams up with Greta Gerwig (“Mistress America” and “Frances Ha”), while some of his misfires have starred Ben Stiller (“While We’re Young”, “Greenberg”) , on paper it’s easy to be a bit wary of “The Meyerowitz Stories“. Add to that an Adam Sandler coasting the “at least he’s trying” narrative, and the film’s critical success becomes all the more surprising. Ever reliable though, even in his lesser attempts, Baumbach knows how to tell intimate and layered stories about families and missed opportunities, with the synopsis playing right into his wheelhouse. With a formidable cast on his hands including Emma Thompson, the film may not play to everyone’s tastes, but it exudes warmth that is inviting to those familiar with his work.
Release Date: October 13th
“Professor Marston & The Wonder Women”
Cast: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall,
Synopsis: The story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, the polyamorous relationship between his wife and his mistress, the creation of his beloved comic book character Wonder Woman, and the controversy the comic generated.
What You Need to Know: Having let down our critic who found the film disappointingly clawless for a true story rich in eroticism and daring for its time, there’s still something interesting about the release of “Professor Marston & The Wonder Women” coming out the same year as the much beloved “Wonder Woman”. An origin story of such an iconic figure and a drama focused on the three fascinating leading characters, our critic said that it,”…often feels more informational than impassioned”. A shame, considering just how intriguing the real story is.
Release Date: October 13th
“The Snowman”
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Chloe Sevigny
Synopsis: Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.
What You Need to Know: Michael Fassbender‘s career trajectory has been nothing short of intriguing. He’s jumped from teaming up with frequent collaborator Steve McQueen, to donning a cape for superhero flicks in the “X-Men” series, to dressing down and hiding his face and musically-inclined indies like “Frank“. All to say that even with the odd misfire (say, “Assassin’s Creed”) he largely is an actor with an astute sense of quality. Regardless of even his involvement though and the bonkers synopsis and unsettling poster, the director would be more than worth the price of a ticket. Tomas Alfredson, who directed “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “Let the Right One In“, takes the helm of this picture, his first since the former. Here’s “The Snowman” brings some legit chills.
Release Date: October 20th