“On the Rocks” (Director: Sofia Coppola)
Filmmaker Sofia Coppola (“The Bling Ring,” “The Beguiled”) reunites with Bill Murray, need we say more? Well, sure. “On the Rocks” centers on a young mother (Rashida Jones) who reconnects with her larger than life playboy father (Murray) on an adventure through New York. Obviously, Coppola made her name and career with the Academy Award-nominated “Lost in Translation,” which also earned Murray an Oscar nom for Best Actor (his first and only Academy nomination, still). They’ve reunited once (the forgettable “A Very Murray Christmas” holiday special), but “On the Rocks,” feels like the real and intended, spiritual sequel. Coppola knows a thing or two about magnetic, larger than life figures like Murray and father figures like her dad (Frances Ford Coppola), so ‘Rocks’—which also co-stars Marlon Wayans, Jessica Henwick, and Jenny Slate—could hopefully capture lightning in a bottle again? Either way, this A24, and Apple venture, is coming later this year, and given production, which ended last summer, we’d guess this one will hit the fall film festival circuit and hopefully own it hard. – RP
“The Rhythm Section” (Director: Reed Morano)
Director Reed Morano has had a terrific past decade. A notable director of photography at first (“Frozen River,” 2008, “The Skeleton Twins,” 2014), she made the leap to directing in 2015 with the critically-acclaimed “Meadowland.” This quickly leads to work on “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Billions,” and then an even bigger role on “The Handmaid’s Tale” as overarching season one director and executive producer. That was followed by “I Think We’re Alone Now” and now, her first big studio gig, Paramount’s action thriller, “The Rhythm Section.” Starring Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown, the international spy thriller looks like it’s in the vein of the ‘Bourne’ series. Set for January 31, “Rhythm Section” was set for last year and got delayed by nearly an entire year which is cause for concern, but Lively and Morano is a great pairing and we’re really hoping for ladies kicking ass ball. – RP
“Kajillionaire” (Director: Miranda July)
Performance artist Miranda July set the world of cinema ablaze with her dreamy, precious 2005 feature “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” but it’s been a long time since 2011’s “The Future.” Fortunately, July is finally back with the very uncharacteristic-sounding “Kajillionaire,” a heist and crime drama about con artists and swindlers starring Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, and Gina Rodriguez. What sounds absurdist and comedic, however, also sounds like an interesting spin of family, grifters and breaking from the dysfunctional pack. “Kajillionaire” is already set up at Annapurna Pictures, so presumably a date will be set after its Sundance world premiere. – RP
“Violet” (Director: Justine Bateman)
Following in the footsteps of her brother Jason, who started directing before her a few years prior, actor-turned-filmmaker Justine Bateman has been plugging away at shorts since 2008, but really got active in 2017. Now, she’s finally directing her first feature-length effort, “Violet,” about a film development executive who realizes that “guiding voice” inside her head has been lying to her about everything. For someone who’s been in the film and tv industry for decades and likely struggled like everyone else to get a passion project going, this one feels a little personal. “Violet” stars Olivia Munn in the lead role with Luke Bracey, Justin Theroux, Bonnie Bedelia, and many more in the cast. It’s a drama, so maybe some kind of personal reckoning film about taking the mask off self-deception and dealing with a new you? Time will tell soon, it premieres at SXSW in March, but we’re intrigued. – RP
“Passing” (Director: Rebecca Hall)
Charming actor Rebecca Hall has worked with some of the best—Christopher Nolan, Nicole Holofcener, Stephen Frears, Steven Spielberg, etc. —so she’s clearly picked up a thing or two over her two-decade spanning career. Her latest film, “Passing,” is her writer/director filmmaking debut and an adaptation of Nella Larsen’s eponymous novel. She doesn’t star in it either. Instead, the movie features Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård and follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities. The film only shot late last year, so TIFF at the earliest, but Tessa Thompson has also said it was shot in black and white, which could be some interesting visual texture to watch for. We’d expect it in the fall, so keep an eye out. – RP
“The Last Thing He Wanted” (Director: Dee Rees)
Following her highly acclaimed film “Mudbound” (2017), filmmaker Dee Rees (also known for “Pariah”) returns with Netflix yet again with “The Last Thing He Wanted.” This one, we’ve been waiting for some time now. Based on Joan Didion’s novel of the same name, the movie centers on a hard-hitting reporter who becomes entangled in the story she’s trying to break when she helps her ailing father broker an arms deal in Central America. The movie stars Anne Hathaway in the lead role, Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Rosie Perez, and Toby Jones. Premiering at Sundance next week, Netflix surely has high hopes for this one and so do we. No release date yet, but Netflix surely wants to see if it’s going to be some kind of contender first. – RP
“Happiest Season” (Director: Clea DuVall)
It’s hard to imagine a more exciting lesbian film on the horizon than “Happiest Season,” Clea DuVall’s second feature after the 2016 Sundance gem “The Intervention.” “Happiest Season” is a romantic comedy starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as serious girlfriends whose holiday plans are rocked by the revelation that one of the women is not out to her family. Davis became a lesbian household name after co-starring in “Black Mirror: San Junipero” and starring in these pictures of her arms, and Stewart is, well, Kristen Stewart. There are so few good lesbian movies, much less one stacked with heartthrobs and directed by one of the most iconic lesbian actresses of all time. The only bad part of this movie is that we have to wait until November 20th to see it. –LW
“The Lodge” (Directors: Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala)
I am physically, emotionally, and spiritually unprepared to talk about “The Lodge,” but I want to get this byline, so here goes nothing. It shouldn’t be surprising that “Goodnight Mommy” directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala have managed to concoct another horror nightmare so haunting it will make you wish you could smooth your brain out like a rumpled shirt, but they’ve done it again. This 2019 Sundance contender follows a family in the wake of tragedy. Stricken siblings Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) struggle to play nice with their father’s new girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough) during a Christmas vacation – but Grace’s troubled past and their own troubled present collide to produce a uniquely human horror show. It is truly the stuff of nightmares, a cool and slippery mind-fuck rooted in humans-are-the-real-monsters predecessors like “Psycho” and “It Comes at Night.” This is a truly well-made horror movie, worth seeing in a theater if you dare. It’s set for a February 7 debut courtesy of Neon.