October
“Wonder Woman 1984” – October 2
Finally free from the shackles of the grimdark Snyder-verse (we hope), “Wonder Woman 1984” looks like a blast – the stupendous footage we’ve been treated to full of crisp, clean visuals that don’t seem overly reliant on green screen, like just about every other superhero movie these days. Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Chris Pine (somehow) return for the much-anticipated sequel, with rising star Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) and Kristen Wiig landing the roles of two of Diana Prince’s biggest adversaries: Maxwell Lord and Barbara Ann Minerva (a.k.a. Cheetah), respectively. While butt-hurt fanboys tried to tear down the celebratory catharsis brought about by the first film, WB knows the highly awaited DC sequel might be their most important property, post-COVID, especially considering the ‘Harry Potter’ community is currently… uhh… wrestling with things. The movie-business, by and large, much like the entire world in general, could sure use Wonder Woman’s heart and spirit right about now. – AB
“The Climb” – October 9
Premiering way back in the pre-COVID days of the dinosaur (Cannes 2019), “The Climb” is a one of a kind buddy comedy, exploring the tempestuous nature of human relationships (remember when you had those with people?). Kyle and Mike (Kyle Marvin and director/co-writer Michael Angelo Covino) close friendship is put through a major trial after Mike shockingly reveals that he slept with Kyle’s fiancée, Ava (Judith Godreche), the two’s paths spiraling into a sea of personal struggles. Structured as a series of unceasing comedic vignettes, which exceedingly reveal more layers of character depth, Covino’s debut may not seem like your typical French Riviera selection, but through raw personality, emotional outbursts, and confident camera movement, the film shapes into a genuinely meaningful rumpus on social bonding. – AB
“Possessor” – October 9
The apple does not fall from the twisted and perverted tree, because Brandon Cronenberg‘s bugfuck-y, weird and horrific “Possessor” is a gnarly piece of work, very much in the vein of his father David Cronenberg’s surreal, twisted and messed up body horror films. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the nightmarish, hallucinogenic movie centers on a follows near-future sci-fi-ish world where a secretive organization uses brain-implant technology–through sleeper agents– to inhabit other people’s bodies and then use these pawns to commit assassinations for high-paying clients. The film stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Abbott, Andrea Riseborough, Tuppence Middleton and, is kind of a nasty, bloody gory thing. But it’s also mesmerizing, proving that the young Cronenberg is the real deal. It’s a wild, disturbing film (read our Sundance review here) and it’s one you won’t forget. – Rodrigo Perez
“Candyman” – October 16
Between “Halloween” (2018), “Doctor Sleep,” and now Nia DaCosta’s upcoming “Candyman” (2020), spiritual sequels are becoming almost as common among horror movies as remakes and the regular old thing. Given how many of today’s popular franchises – including the Clive Barker-inspired series that began with the 1992 film – started off as cult flicks before catching the mainstream eye, the trend makes sense. The fifth and latest “Candyman” iteration (co-written by Jordan Peele) sees Tony Todd and Vanessa Estelle Williams reprising their roles from the original, with the amazing Yahya Abhul-Mateen II (HBO’s “Watchmen”) in the lead role as Williams’ son Anthony, who was kidnapped by the hook-handed killer in the 1992 film. Twitter went crazy for the marketing back in pre-quarantine days, so provided theaters stay open and we’re all still alive by then, it should have strong support from the midnight movie crowd. DaCosta has also been tapped to helm “Captain Marvel 2” (something Kathleen Kennedy expressed a little envy over) so it seems likely a lot of eyes will be on “Candyman.” (Oh no, did I type his name 5 times?) – AB
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” – October 16
Based on the story of the Chicago 7 defendants, charged with inciting anti-Vietnam War riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is one of those high profile projects that’s been in and out of development hell for over a decade. For years, movie buffs would see the title atop a rotating assortment of A-list actor’s IMDb pages (Aaron Sorkin wrote the first draft in 2007, with Steven Spielberg expressing interest at the time). Filming was scheduled to move forward, but then the Writers Strike hit, and “The Social Network” soon made Sorkin a bit more sought after. After making his directorial debut with “Molly’s Game,” the acclaimed scribe has taken it upon himself to bring his screenplay to life. Starring Sasha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Frank Langella, Michael Keaton, and more (we can only list so many actors here) ‘Chicago 7’ is sure to be on the Oscar radar come awards season, especially considering the pertinency of its subject matter. – AB
“Shithouse” – October 16
Winner of SXSW’s Grand Jury Prize, “Shithouse,” may not have gotten the typical festival treatment with the event being cancelled, but that didn’t stop IFC from quickly snagging up distribution rights. Our review described it as “a college love story with shades of ‘Before Sunrise,’” and, come on, who doesn’t think that sounds great? Director Cooper Raiff’s debut feature follows Alex (Raiff), a freshman having a tough go at the whole college try thing. Feeling lonely and estranged from his family, Alex has a better working relationship with his stuffed animal than any of his fellow students. But after crossing paths and fooling around with sophomore Maggie (Dylan Gelula), he develops a connection that hopefully still lasts come the new dawn. The concept may not be expressly original, but the flick turns several college movie clichés on its head, even if it does lean a bit too heavily into its Manic Pixie Dream Girl romance. – AB
“Martin Eden” – October 16
One of our favorite films of the year we’ve seen already, “Martin Eden,” is a powerful retelling of Jack London’s 1909 novel. Director Pietro Marcello – primarily known for his documentary work – transplants the Oakland set Bildungsroman to Naples, Italy, even utilizing twentieth century archival footage. Luca Marinelli gives an outstanding performance as Martin, a low-class deckhand whose daydreams of achieving a more artful education and high-brow existence are propelled to new longing levels after he falls for a bourgeois woman named Elena (Jessica Cressy). He hermits up on the outskirts of town, obsessively studying and honing his writing craft, only growing more determined to break free of his working class chains as he receives more rejection letters. As we wrote in our review, the movie is “a poignant warning cry for anyone who digs their nails too deep in the reality of class relations without balancing the hopelessness it brings with the hope of human connection.” – AB
“Rebecca” – October 21
During the “Phantom Thread” press tour, Paul Thomas Anderson made mention of just how many directors have tried (and failed) at a take on “Rebecca,” noting suspense as the perfect spice to add to a love story. Ben Wheatley is the next in line to attempt a new stab at author Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic material, actors Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kirsten Scott Thomas, and Ann Dowd cast as the main players. If there’s one thing undeniable about Wheatley’s movies, it’s that he makes the projects he wants to make. Often pushing both tonal and aesthetic markers to new levels of insanity (“A Field In England,” “High Rise,”) the man’s work can be maddeningly inconsistent, but it’s always unpredictable, ambitious, and a little deranged too. If anyone can genuinely come up with an undaunted spin on a book that’s been mined to death, it’s a filmmaker like Ben Wheatley. – AB
“Bad Hair” – October 23
Just in case you were wondering; no, “Bad Hair” is not a sequel to the musical “Hair,” – which Milos Forman made into an on-screen hoot during the New Hollywood age. Justin Simien’s (“Dear White People”) horror comedy does begin with a flashback to the ‘70s though, where we meet Anna (played by Zaria Kelly in her youthful years and Elle Lorraine as an adult), who experiences a traumatic incident when her neck is severely burned during a hair straightening treatment. Now working at an African American network called “Culture,” Anna is extremely daunted by her new boss, Zora (Vanessa Williams), a modeling icon sporting enviously straight locks. Paying a visit to an odious hairdresser (Laverne Cox), Anna realizes her new look may have a literal appetite. Out of Sundance, we praised Simien’s movie for its original vision, outstanding costume, make-up, and production design work, filtered as a commentary on systemic racial assumptions. – AB
“Death on the Nile” – October 23
The most epic mystery mustache in the history of mystery mustaches is back. After the financial success of Kenneth Branagh’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” remake (flexing an ensemble of modern stars and starlets – though, many couldn’t hold a candle to those in Sidney Lumet’s ‘70s flick, sorry!), Hercule Poirot and his over-the-top accent return to the scene of the crime in “Death on The Nile.” Branagh’s cast is just as juicy this time (radiant performers ranging from Annette Bening, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, and Russell Brand), though the luscious imagery seems more befitting for the setting (‘Murder’ having a bumbling CGI chase atop frozen scaffolding, completely out of place in an Agatha Christie story). The trailer doesn’t shy away from highlighting the steamy tension (i.e. unnaturally sexy people probably plotting the tabbings of other unnaturally sexy people) fully embracing the old-school, sensationalist appeal of the whodunnit via modern flair and flourish. – AB
“Those Who Wish Me Dead” – October 23
Cinema’s current keeper of the keys for the nihilist neo-western, Taylor Sheridan (writer of “Hell or High Water,” and “Sicario”) follows up “Wind River,” with an adaptation of Michael Koryta’s Montana-set novel, “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” Starring Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Jon Bernthal, and Aidan Gillen (a.k.a. the Best Edited actor of all time in “Bohemian Rhapsody”). Sheridan’s upcoming film has been described as a “female-driven western.” The book follows Jace, a teenage boy who witnesses a murder enacted by the infamous Blackwell Brothers (Bernthal and Gillen, perhaps?). Hunted by the cold-blooded killers, Jace takes refuge with a pair of wilderness survivalists. The material lines up well with Sheridan’s strengths; having come from the “Sons of Anarchy” Sutter-school of tough-guy TV, he’s proven to have stylish chops when it comes to crafting brutal, tough guy films a la Anthony Mann. – AB
“On the Rocks” – October 2020
Once again exploring the dark night of the empty soul through gender dichotomy and age discrepancy, Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks,” will very likely draw close comparisons to the award-winning “Lost in Translation.” Working again with a wayward and deadpan Bill Murray, her newest film finds a woman nearing her 40s, Laura (Rashida Jones) falling into a pit of paranoid, confusion when her hubby Dean (Marlon Wayans) starts spending more and more late-night hours at the office. Turning to her smarmy and fulsome father, Felix (Murray), he offers to help confirm or disprove her suspicions. Scouring the city after dark, hopping between hook-up hot spots and chic social gatherings, a father and daughter start rekindling the warmth of their relationship. –AB
Additional October
Once Upon A River – 10/2
Save Yourselves! – 10/2
A Call To Spy – 10/2
The Forty-Year-Old Version – 10/8
Time – 10/9
The War With Grandpa – 10/9
Honest Thief – 10/9
The Courier – 10/16
The Queen’s Gambit – 10/23
Connected – 10/23
Come Play – 10/30
Fatale – 10/30