Every year, we have the push and pull of cinema, a tension that keeps the medium healthy and on its toes. The big studio blockbusters, franchises, and the like dominate summer. Then fall is primarily reserved for the adult drama, the Oscar contenders, and arthouse films (and yes, some big tentpole escapist fare is released too, generally around Thanksgiving on Christmas). But it all kicks off every year with the Venice Film Festival, which is followed closely by the Telluride Film Festival (more on that one later this week).
READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
While Venice seemed shaky in the early 2000s and early 2010s, the festival became super competitive and instrumental to cinema in 2017, the year Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape Of Water,” won the Golden Lion top prize and then went on to dominate the Oscars that year, winning several awards including Best Picture. Ever since–especially as Cannes has a rule not to premiere Netflix films because they’re not in cinemas in France—Venice has been an essential festival force that has taken advantage of Cannes self-handicap and has paved the way for major Oscar forces like “Roma,” “Nomadland,” “Joker” and “Poor Things.”
2024’s line-up is almost no different; it’s stacked with great titles. So, without further ado, here’s our list of the festival’s most anticipated and must-see films, in no particular order.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the festival season was Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel debuting on the Lido. It’s been 36 years since the original “Beetlejuice” arrived in theaters, and when Warner Bros. positioned the second installment on a September 6 release date, it seemed like a pure commercial play. The release date didn’t even seem to work for a red-carpet-friendly TIFF debut. Instead, not only is the movie dropping at the more competitive Venice, but it’s the opening night film, no less. That means reviews will drop a full nine days before opening. WB and Burton must be super confident in how it will be received, as that’s a bit of an unconventional window for a tentpole studio release (especially one tracking this well). This new chapter brings back Michael Keaton as the undead “bio-exorcist,” Winona Ryder is now all grown up as Lydia, and Catherine O’Hara reprises her role as Lydia’s mother, Delia. “Wednesday” superstar Jena Ortega joins the franchise as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, while Justin Theroux is on board as her father. Audiences will also learn more about Betelgeuse’s personal life with the addition of Monica Bellucci as Delores, who reportedly plays the jester’s ex-wife. – Gregory Ellwood
“Maria”
The third film in Pablo Larrain’s ongoing exploration of remarkable 20th-century women shifts to legendary opera singer Maria Callas. Larrain reunites with “Spencer” screenwriter Steven Knight as they focus on the final years of Callas’ life in 1970s Paris. The Playlist has heard the movie is heartbreaking, extremely respectful, and reverential to the icon, with a superb performance by Angelina Jolie in the title role. “Maria” is another major acquisition title that is waiting to make a deal following its debut in Venice. – GE
“Babygirl”
Are you ready for another May-December romance with Nicole Kidman? In June, the legendary Oscar winner played an author who plays for the young actor in Netflix‘s romantic comedy “A Family Affair.” Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” appears to be a much more serious endeavor. This A24 release finds Kidman as a CEO who engages in a reportedly “forbidden” romance with an intern at her company, portrayed by Harris Dickinson. The thriller has been described as being in the Adrian Lyne mold, which would be an interesting change of pace for Reijn after her breakout comedy thriller “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Even more intriguing, A24 is debuting the film in competition at Venice and TIFF, but it won’t hit theaters until the Christmas release window, on December 25. That’s a little under four months following its Venice premiere so you have to assume the mini-major believes it has something special on its hands. – GE
“The Order”
Adapted from Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s 1989 non-fiction novel “The Silent Brotherhood,” this thriller follows a respected FBI agent (Jude Law) and a local sheriff officer (Tye Sheridan) who become entangled with a splinter group of the Aryan Nation in the Pacific Northwest. It chronicles horrifying true events that have almost been lost to history, including the criminal activities of white nationalist Robert Jay Matthews (Nicholas Hoult). Written by Zach Baylin (“King Richard”), it’s the first American set project from Australian director Justin Kurzel (2015’s “Macbeth“) and reunites him with acclaimed cinematographer Adam Arkapaw. The cast also includes Jurnee Smollett, Odessa Young, and Marc Maron. Vertical Entertainment already has U.S. distribution rights and has already set a release date for Dec. 6. – GE
“Baby Invasion”
Former enfante terrible Harmony Korine (“Kids,” “Gummo”) seems to have gone as far as he can with traditional narrative and has abandoned it. Having started his own new company, EDGLRD, Korine seems to be much more interested in the immersiveness of video games, virtual reality, and other leading-edge tech. Following the experimental “Aggro Dr1ft,” which was shot entirely with thermal cameras, the filmmaker seems to deconstruct the narrative even further with a film, only 80 minutes in length, that is an ultra-realistic, multiplayer FPS game following a group of mercenaries using baby faces as avatars to conceal their identity. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ – Rodrigo Perez