“Ticket to Paradise”
Two of the biggest stars in the world with enormous legacies in the romance genre, George Clooney and Julia Roberts reunite for the romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise.” The two have previously starred together in “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” and “Money Monster.” Directed by Ol Parker (“Mama Mia: Here We Go Again”,) the film follows a divorced couple as they team up to stop their daughter from making the same mistake they did 25 years ago. Written by Parker and Daniel Pipski, Kaitlyn Dever, and Billie Lourd also star.
Release Date: October 21 in theaters via Universal Pictures.
“My Policeman”
Harry Styles plays a closeted policeman in 1950s Britain who begins an affair with another man despite homosexuality being illegal at the time. Michael Grandage (“Genius”) directs with Emma Corrin and David Dawson rounding out the cast. Based on the novel of the same name by Bethan Roberts, the film had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival where our critic praised Corrin in particular, calling them “…simply fantastic as a young woman whose emotions get the best of her when it matters most.”
Release Date: October 21 in theaters before streaming release November 4 via Amazon Studios.
“Aftersun”
In her feature film debut, director Charlotte Wells reportedly devastates in “Aftersun,” the latest from A24. Starring Paul Mescal and Frankie Cori, the film, set at a vacation resort, follows 11-year-old Sophie and the time she spends with her father and how it lasts in her memory as she, twenty years later, reminisces about their last holiday together. Our critic who saw the film at Cannes commended Mescal’s “effortless charisma.”
Release Date: October 21 in theaters via A24.
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite with Martin McDonagh, for the first time since 2008’s “In Bruges” for the director’s latest, “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Set off the coast of Ireland, Farrell and Gleeson play Padraic and Colm, the latter of who has just abruptly severed their lifelong friendship. Upset with the news, Padraic spends the film trying to repair the damaged relationship. Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan also star in the black comedy. Our critic praised the film, writing, “Nihilistic, gleeful, and sad, McDonagh manages to prop up all these confounding paradoxes, emotional, narrative, cinematic, or otherwise, into a big majestic soulful symphony on the sad, tragic futility of conflict and the perplexing, irrationality of human nature when it’s become stuck in its most stubborn gear.”
Release Date: October 21 in theaters via Searchlight Pictures.
“Wendell & Wild”
Stop-motion master Henry Selick (“Coraline,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”) returns with a screenplay by Selick, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, and Clay Mcleod Chapman. “Wendell & Wild” follows two demon brothers as they face their arch-enemy with the help of a nun who famously expels demons. Key and Peele voice the titular characters with a cast that includes Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett, and James Hong. Our critic called the film “inventive and entertaining” with “some good scares and sight gags.”
Release Date: October 21 in select theaters before streaming release on October 28 via Netflix.
“Armageddon Time”
Filmmaker James Gray may have traveled to the jungles of the Amazon (“The Lost City Of Z”), and the far reaches of outer space (“Ad Astra”), but sometimes you find yourself and your familiar preoccupations, no matter where you go. So to that end, Gray returns to his roots for “Armageddon Time,” an autobiographical look at his youth, his education, and his family in 1980s New York. But this time, most of the crime genre is gone. Instead, it’s an emotional, stripped-down, vulnerable, and unsparing look at privilege, inequity, and even the heart of America for the have and have-nots, rendered with so much empathy. Featuring two young boys as the leads, Banks Repeta and Jaylin Webb, the film also features amazing performances by Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong (read our review).
Release Date: October 28 in limited release via Focus Features.
