OCTOBER
“A Star Is Born”
Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott
Synopsis: A musician helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
What You Need To Know: “A Star is Born” sees the four-time Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut. The biggest topic of discussion around this film is that instead of lip-syncing the words over playback, Lady Gaga insisted that the duo sing the songs live to make it real. Cooper was not a singer before the film so he had to train to become one. This is a new take on a film that originally hit screens 81 years ago, with all previous iterations of “A Star Is Born” have proven popular with the Academy— the 1937 original earned a best-actress Oscar nomination for Janet Gaynor; both Judy Garland and James Mason received nominations for their performances in the 1954 version; and the 1976 reboot with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson won the Academy Award for best song, for “Evergreen.” And, with the buzz surrounding this film since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, that we may see some nominations for this version, as well.
Release Date: October 5 – Jamie Rogers
“Private Life”
Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon, Denis O’Hare, Emily Robinson, and John Carroll Lynch.
Synopsis: An author undergoing multiple fertility therapies to get pregnant, puts her relationship with her husband on edge.
What You Need to Know: Much like Nicole Holofcener, writer/director Tamara Jenkins (“Slums of Beverly Hills”) is a veteran of indie moviemaking with strong female character and sharply observed funny dialogue and stories. Unfortunately for her, it’s been 10 years since her last movie, 2007’s “The Savages,” but thanks to Netflix, who are becoming a bit of a patron to indie auteurs who can’t get movies made in the era of superhero blockbusters, Jenkins has returned. Starring Kathryn Hahn, who’s blown up in the world of empathetic, humanist dramas thanks to “Transparent,” “Private Life,” debuted at Sundance earlier this year to much acclaim and so we’re pleased as punch for her official return.
Release Date: October 5 [our review] – RP
“Venom”
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis: After conducting an investigation into a mysterious corporation, a journalist finds himself infected with an alien symbiote that gives him superpowers.
What You Need to Know: Break out your anti-shark repellent and batten down the hatches, there’s another superhero movie on the horizon. I think it’s safe to say that the accepted consensus towards comic book films is that they’re here to stay and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Nevertheless, Marvel’s track record, as of late, proves that there’s still an inkling of inspiration to be pumped out of the unkillable subgenre and more than enough financial support from American filmgoers to warrant yet another graphic novel adaptation. Given “Venom” is produced by Sony (and not Kevin Feige) the main question on everyone’s minds is mainly whether the movie will actually be any good or not. It’s hard to imagine that Tom Hardy would willingly choose a project that he didn’t approve of, but then again, in hindsight, attaching Ryan Reynolds to “Green Lantern” showed promise too.
Release Date: October 5 – JC
“22 July”
Cast: Anders Danielsen Lie, Jonas Strand Gravli, Jon Øigarden, Isak Bakli Aglen, Seda Witt, Maria Bock, Thorbjørn Harr
Synopsis: In Norway, on 22 July 2011, right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people attending a Labour Party Youth Camp on Utøya Island outside of Oslo.
What You Need to Know: Director Peter Greengrass may be known largely for the ‘Bourne’ series, but before that, he was a documentarian and he brought that sense of photo-journalistic realism to his dramas. One of his favorite approaches is taking a docu-drama approach to a real-life event such as “Bloody Sunday” and “United 93,” where he tracked the tragic fate of one of the hijacked planes on 9/11 that never reached its destination. Greengrass once again taps this method in “22 July” which tackles the infamous Norwegian domestic-terrorist tragedy. The film mostly stars relatively unknown Norwegian actors, but does feature Anders Danielsen Lie known internationally for Joachim Trier‘s “Reprise” and “Oslo, August 31st.” Netflix scooped the rights to the film earlier this year and thus essentially scooping it away from a Cannes debut. The film will appear first, however, in Venice and Toronto in September.
Release Date: October 10 – RP
“Bad Times At The El Royale”
Cast: Tom Hardy, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman, Jeff Bridges
Synopsis: Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption – before everything goes to hell.
What You Need to Know: Whenever Drew Goddard announces a new original work, audiences can expect something that is subversive, innovative and thought-provoking in anticipation of its release. Goddard has built a steady name for himself in the science-fiction, action, and horror genres. The filmmaker has worked prominently in both film and television, having acted as a writer on the classic franchise “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the mind-bending series “Lost,” and the successful superhero show “Daredevil,” as well as writing such films as the meta-horror comedy “Cabin in the Woods” and the Oscar-nominated “The Martian.” Both Godard and Hemsworth call it “love letter” to ’60s film noir and crime fiction, as well as Goddard’s shot at making a big ensemble picture. Well, you saw the cast, and what an ensemble it is. Goddard is co-producing the film with Jeremy Latcham, known for his work on critically acclaimed Marvel films including “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “The Avengers,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Oscar winner (“Up,” “Lost”) Michael Giacchino is scoring the film, adding to its prestige.
Release Date: October 12 – AA
“First Man”
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Shea Whigham, Christopher Abbott, Corey Stoll
Synopsis: A biographical drama focusing on astronaut Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing.
What You Need to Know: Damien Chazelle’s track record is perfect. With two of the most critically lauded films of the decade tucked safely beneath his belt, the director’s proven himself as one of the foremost voices in the new school, though “First Man” may force Chazelle to overcome challenges that the filmmaker’s yet to face in his still-blossoming career. As with any film based on a real-life event, especially an incident so historically iconic as the Apollo moon landings, there’s a certain amount of awareness people are required to leave at the door in order to fully immerse themselves in the film, but whether audiences are willing to suspend their disbelief is yet to be determined. Everyone knows the story of Neil Armstrong — or do they? Maybe there’s a side to Armstrong’s story that general American audiences will be surprised to learn? If nothing else, Chazelle’s prior works boast incredible performances, and the director’s decision to keep “La La Land” alumni Ryan Gosling on payroll certainly won’t hinder the film’s chances of box office success or Oscar nominations with awards season just around the corner.
Release Date: October 12 – JC
“Beautiful Boy”
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Steve Carell, Maura Tierney
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, “Beautiful Boy” chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.
What You Need To Know: Timothée Chalamet plays spiraling drug addict Nic Sheff in Felix van Groeningen’s “Beautiful Boy,” the harrowing drama based on the memoirs of Sheff and his father, author David Sheff, played by Steve Carell. Chalamet, who is bound to earn himself a second Oscar nomination, really put himself to the test for this role: vomiting, passing out, sobbing until every tear is used up. Combining both Chalamet and Carell’s abilities to give such honest and moving performances with the heavy source material, “Beautiful Boy” is bound to be a heart-wrenching film full of tear-jerking moments.
Release Date: October 12 – JR
“Apostle”
Cast: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Kristine Froseth, Michael Sheen
Synopsis: A man travels to an island to rescue his sister after she’s been kidnapped and ransomed by a religious cult.
What You Need to Know: Action auteur Gareth Evans is back behind the camera for what promises to be another rip-roaring yarn in the spirit of his earlier “The Raid” work. This time around, it’s a lost-love/revenge period thriller about a desperate man looking to rescue his sister from religious nut-jobs. “Apostle” is Evans’ first English-language film since his 2006 debut, “Footsteps,” and has a lot of buzz around it with its distribution deal through Netflix already locked down. Only time will tell if the streaming giant gives this new action corker the platform and visibility it needs to thrive, but its strong cast, which includes Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Kristine Froseth, and Michael Sheen means it won’t suffer from a lack of talent in front of the camera.
Release Date: October 12 – Warren Cantrell
“The Kindergarten Teacher”
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gael Garcia Bernal, Parker Sevak, Haley Murphy, Ajay Naidu
Synopsis: A potential child prodigy captures the attention of his Kindergarten teacher, who believes the boy is destined for greatness.
What You Need to Know: An English-language remake of a 2014 Israeli film of the same name by Nadav Lapid, “The Kindergarten Teacher” boasts an impressive cast behind a proven narrative property. Gyllenhaal once again proves that she isn’t afraid to take on challenging, complex roles that explore the full range of human emotions, often juxtaposed against each other. Her character in this film is meant to be both a blessing and a curse, for her faith in her young pupil often borders on obsession. At what point does a mentor become something like a stalker, and how does one quantify or gauge what is truly best for a child? Director Sara Colangelo seems determined to get at the root of these questions, and with supporting talent from the likes of Gael Garcia Bernal, Haley Murphy, Ajay Naidu, and young Parker Sevak, it should be an interesting journey to discovery.
Release Date: October 12 – WC
