“Rebel Ridge”
After a troubled production that was shot three times (thanks to COVID and Jon Boyega bailing on the movie in the middle of the shoot), “Green Room” director Jeremy Saulnier finally returns with the crime thriller “Rebel Ridge” almost four years after it began production. Seemingly “Rambo: First Blood”-esque in shape, the movie centers on an ex-Marine (Aaron Pierre) who grapples his way through a web of small-town police corruption, leading to a violent face-off. Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, and Emory Cohen co-star.
Release Date: September 6 via Netflix. – RP
Also Coming In September:
Lana Wilson‘s “Look Into My Eyes” (Sept 6); “The Thicket,” starring Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis (Sept 6); “The Killer’s Game,” starring Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella (Sept 13); and McG‘s “The Uglies,” starring Joey King and Keith Powers (Sept 13); Kevin Smith’s “The 4:30 Movie,” (9/13); “Omni Loop” featuring Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri (Sept 20); “Hounds of War” with Frank Grillo (Sept 20); the animated “The Wild Robot” featuring the voice work of Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal (Sept 27); “Bagman” starring Sam Claflin (Sept 27); the Will Ferrell-starring roadtrip documentary, “Will & Harper”(Sept 27); Alexandre Aja’s “Never Let Go” starring Halle Berry (Sept 20); “Rez Ball” from director Sydney Freeland and “Reservation Dogs” creator and writer Sterlin Harjo (Sept 27); “The Line” featuring Alex Wolff, John Malkovich, Scoot McNairy, and many more (Sept 27); “Amber Alert,” with Hayden Panettiere (TBD Sept).
“Joker: Folie á Deux”
Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips return with a sequel to the billion-dollar grossing “Joker.” Said to be more of a musical, This new chapter features Lady Gaga as the Joker’s girlfriend in the comics, Harley Quinn. Not much is known about the plot other than Joker starting out as a prisoner in Gotham’s Arkham Asylum, and insanity ensues. Zazie Beetz returns from the first film, and newcomers include Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, Ken Leung, and more.
Release Date: October 4, via Warner Bros. – RP
“We Live in Time”
Directed by John Crowley, best known for the Oscar-nominated “Brooklyn,” the romantic comedy-drama “We Live In Time” reunites him with his “Boy A” star Andrew Garfield, the film that launched the actor’s career. Co-starring Florence Pugh, the film centers on the pair who meet in a chance encounter and the relationship between them that spans a decade. The film will also premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Release Date: October 11 via A24. – RP
“Saturday Night”
Shot in March, debuting in September at TIFF, and released a month later, Jason Reitman worked at a lightning-fast pace to put “Saturday Night” together. Described as a ticking clock comedy thriller, the film centers on the 90 minutes before the first “Saturday Night Live” episode ever aired in 1975. The huge ensemble cast includes Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, plus Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Matt Wood, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Willem Dafoe and dozens more.
Release Date: October 11 via Sony Pictures. -RP
“Rumours”
Canadian experimentalist Guy Maddin returns with a dark comedy that sounds commercial and yet still bizarre (Evan and Galen Johnson co-direct). The satire centers on leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies who get lost in the woods during their annual G7 summit while attempting to draft their provisional statements. Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander star alongside Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Zlatko Burić.
Release Date: October 11, via Bleecker Street. – Edward Davis
“Anora”
Winner of the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, “Anora” is the latest drama from “Red Rocket” filmmaker Sean Baker. Often making films about sex workers on the margins, Mikey Madison from “Better Things” stars as a stripper and escort who hooks up with a young Russian son of an oligarch (newcomer Mark Eydelshteyn); they elope and fall in love. But the Russian’s father, angered by it all, intends to annul their marriage. The rest of the cast is filled by well-known actors in Russia/Europe who are mostly unknown in the U.S.
Release Date: October 18 via Neon. – ED
“Woman Of The Hour”
Premiering at TIFF last year, Anna Kendrick directs and stars in a 1970s crime thriller about an aspiring actress (Kendrick) and serial killer (Daniel Zovatto), whose lives intersect on a dating game.Tony Hale, Nicolette Robinson, Kathryn Gallagher, and more co-star (read our review).
Release Date: October 18 via Netflix. – RP
“Brothers”
An action comedy directed by Max Barbakow (“Palm Springs”) with a screenplay by Macon Blair (“Blue Ruin”), “Brothers” has gone under the radar this year, but it has an intriguing cast. Starring Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, Glenn Close, and Brendan Fraser. The plot has been kept under wraps, but as the title suggests, Brolin and Dinklage play unlikely siblings, and the tone is said to be similar to that of Ivan Reitman’s “Twins.”
Release Date: October 17 via Amazon MGM Studios. -RP
“Smile 2”
Released only two years ago, “Smile” was a runaway box office hit for filmmaker Parker Finn. With a modest budget reportedly under $20 million, the film would go on to earn $217 million worldwide. It’s no wonder Paramount wanted to get a sequel going ASAP. So, now we have “Smile 2,” which features plenty of people with creepy grins but is now starring Naomi Scott as a Taylor Swift-esque pop star who is being stalked by the scary entity. She’s joined in the cast by Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, and Lukas Gage.
Release Date: October 18. – CB
