“Thank You For Your Service”
Cast: Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Amy Schumer
Synopsis: A unit of soldiers returning home from Iraq struggle to adjust to their new reality and face the demons both before them and behind.
What You Need To Know: Based on a nonfiction best-seller, “Thank You For Your Service,” is poised to be the sort of bruising depiction of combat that serves as as much of an indictment of war as it does a portrait of those it wounds. Teller has been inching his way toward Oscar glory for most of his career, and this role has the real-life dramatic potential that the Academy loves to reward. Paired with a solid supporting cast and (what was in the source material) a nuanced, thoughtful look at PTSD, and things look pretty good for “Thank You For Your Service.” The wildcard here though is writer Jason Hall, who is making his directorial debut, but who is best known for writing the pro-war propaganda that is “American Sniper.” Color us cautious.
Release Date: October 27
“The Square”
Synopsis: Disaster strikes when a curator hires a public relations team to build some buzz for his renowned Swedish museum. Expect disquieting social comedy along with the pleasure of seeing an ape-man run amok at a fancy gala.
What You Need To Know: “The Square” is the first Palme d’Or winner in years to be even remotely funny, even if it promises to be humor of the exquisitely uncomfortable variety. Director Ruben Ostlund proved himself expert at portraying acts that destabilize fundamental social interactions with his last film, Force Majeure. While that film was able to sustain a whole story on one act of familial fecklessness, this art-world farce promises a wider array of satirical targets and ridiculous behavior. The story blends a vigilante quest to recover a stolen wallet with the opening of a high-profile museum exhibition and the cast brings together European talent like Claes Bang with American television standouts like Elizabeth Moss and Domenic West. Ostlund finds humor and insight by gleefully exposing the thin membrane that separates normal social interactions and amoral chaos and “The Square” should deliver an idea-filled mixture of high culture and low behavior.
Release Date: October 27
“Last Flag Flying”
Synopsis: Former naval petty officers Billy and Mule are reacquainted with Larry Meadows 34 years after they first escorted him to jail. Expect a quietly moving portrayal of service and aging in between bouts of profanity.
What You Need To Know: In this film, Richard Linklater is taking the reins from another understated humanist, as it’s a quasi-sequel to 1973’s “The Last Detail,” the Hal Ashby classic starring Jack Nicholson. That tale of sailors giving a prisoner one last hurrah delivered the bawdy humor expected from sailors on shore leave yet also portrayed a slowly dawning and devastating understanding of the sailors’ place in society and war. Decades later, with America engaged in war without end and political disillusionment as high as the Watergate era, the time is ripe for a contemporary reimagining of Billy Bad-Ass Buddusky and company, now played by Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishbourne, and Steve Carell. Linklater has proven himself a master at examining the passing of time, so he’s the perfect director to handle the thirty-four year age difference and it will be fascinating to see him tackle his most political film yet.
Release Date: November 3
“Roman Israel, Esq.”
Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Shelley Hennig
Synopsis: Denzel Washington Stars as Roman Israel, a driven, idealistic defense attorney who, through a tumultuous series of events, finds himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action.
What You Need To Know: Ever since his feature-length debut in 2014 with “Nightcrawler”, writer-turned-director Dan Gilroy has been at the top of our list of talent to watch in Hollywood. Previously titled “Inner City”, “Roman Israel, Esq” is about the titular lawyer dealing with crises in an overburdened Los Angeles criminal justice system. Meanwhile, Colin Farrell plays a cutthroat peer of Washington’s, attempting to lure him to his firm. It sounds like tremendous stuff from Gilroy, and we can only imagine the kind of script he’s cooked up for this one. The director is staying right in his wheel house, covering many similar themes as he did in “Nightcrawler”, and if he can bring some of the paranoid, seamless directing of his first film, expect this one to be a hit. The pairing of Gilroy and Washington seems like a powerhouse and many of us (this writer specifically) would love to see the storied actor add another Academy Award to his shelf.
Release Date: November 3
“Thor: Ragnarok”
Synopsis: Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk, his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor’s quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization. Expect a uniquely stylized and hilarious take on super-hero action.
What You Need To Know: Even Marvel-ambivalent movie fans should be excited for “Ragnarok,” as it’s helmed by Taika Waititi, the hilarious Kiwi filmmaker behind the almost universally crowd-pleasing “Boy,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” With his involvement, we could be looking at one of the funniest and most original superhero movies yet, plus it unites the best Marvel villain so far, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), with newcomers Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum, in what promise to be deliciously fun, over-the-top performances. While Marvel’s track record at incorporating unique sensibilities into their universe is mixed so far (see Edgar Wright’s “Ant-Man”), hopefully this effort can deliver the best of both worlds for fans that don’t mind a little creativity with their action.
Release Date: November 3
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Peter Dinklage
Synopsis: A woman takes a stand against the police, using three billboards, in her Missouri town after her daughter is murdered and months later no arrests have been made. Expect delightful vulgarity and whimsical violence.
What You Need to Know: A new Martin McDonagh film is a rare and wonderful treat, and the red-band trailer for his upcoming third feature is, in and of itself, three minutes of pure joy. The fact that “Three Billboards” stars Frances McDormand, as well as returning McDonagh collaborators Rockwell and Harrelson, only amplifies our impatience to see this movie already. The wait is killing us.
Release Date: November 10
“Lady Bird”
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Odeya Rush, Jake McDorman, Lucas Hedges
Synopsis: A young Sacramento woman (Lady Bird) desires to flee the restraints of her small town and conservative high school in order to attend college in New York.
What You Need to Know: The premise behind “Lady Bird” is as ordinary as they come; however, actress Greta Gerwig is no ordinary talent. She is an eclectic voice in regards to her influence within independent film circles. While the films she involves herself with are without a doubt small and dearth in plot, her keen eye for character complexity has helped her gain notoriety. With “Lady Bird” as her directorial debut, the 34-year-old actress’s prolific name by itself drives this A24 comedy as a required viewing.
Release Date: November 10
“Justice League”
Cast: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa
Synopsis: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Expect CGI, evidence of wholesale reshoots, and a Superman resurrection (duh).
What You Need to Know: You’ve probably already heard: “Justice League” has been just beleaguered with bad press for a while now. From the silly-but-benign Mustache-Gate to the much more disturbing rumor that Zach Snyder’s original cut was “unwatchable,”this film has definitely been through the wringer. Joss Whedon was brought on to oversee upwards of $25 million worth of reshoots — purportedly scrapping the original ending along the way. Maybe all this negative press is much ado about nothing? Maybe throwing money at the problem made it go away? Maybe Superman will actually stay dead? I wouldn’t count on it. My advice: Lower your expectations.
Release Date: November 17
“Mudbound”
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige.
Synopsis: Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.
What You Need To Know: It used to be that Sundance wasn’t much of an Oscar launching platform, but that seems to have all changed. And one of the frontrunners from the indie film festival “Mudbound,” which was quickly scooped by wannabe Oscar players Netflix for a pretty penny. All of that awards season narrative aside, the picture is the sophomore feature-length directorial effort from Dee Rees who made a remarkable entré into into cinema with her striking debut, “Pariah.” And it sounds like, the filmmaker is making her mark yet again. Our review from Sundance said, “the cumulative result will likely haunt you for hours or days to come.” An all-star cast doesn’t hurt.
Release Date: November 17
“Coco”
Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Jaime Camill
Synopsis: Aspiring musician Miguel teams up with charming trickster Hector on an extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead.
What You Need to Know: With sequels being the last few films under Pixar’s belt and sequels seemingly dominating their release schedules for the next few years, Coco feels like something of a gem, no matter how special some of Pixar’s follow ups can be. The last original films of the influential animation company was “The Good Dinosaur,” which was met with lukewarm reactions from both critics and audiences alike. It’s clear that the studio is hoping for a reaction more in line with “Inside Out.” Unsurprisingly supported by gorgeous visuals and a storyline that will, like the best of Pixar films, be able to tide over children and their parents alike, it’s hard not to hope for the studio to release another film that rivals their best and if it will match benchmark films such as “Inside Out,” “Finding Nemo,” or “Wall-E.”Directors Adrian Molina (on his first feature film for the studio) and Lee Unkrich (who has directed “Toy Story 3” among others)have a likely hit on their hands, we’ll just have to wait and see how it stands up to the rest of the studio’s original films.
Release Date: November 22