Last week, I wrote about 15 movies that are highly anticipated for the fall (or 30 if you read the article online). Of course, that was just the slimmed-down version of a fall movie preview as there are dozens of movies set to be released between now and December. This week, I’m devoting this space to titles that may fall through the cracks — the ones that play against “Star Wars” or another Disney flick. Here are 11 movies to look at this season.
“Abominable” (Sept. 27): A big-scale animated movie can get lost in the stream of family films when it’s not attached to a television show, a toy or Disney. But this DreamWorks Animation movie is big on character and heart. Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet) is a busy teenageer in Shanghai with loyal friends Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai). When Yi discovers a young yeti, the trio names him Everest and are determined to take him back to his native land. Eddie Izzard voices the film’s major villain, Burnish.
“The Death of Dick Long” (Sept. 27): Is it hillbilly noir or a play on words? Either way, Dick is dead. After a long night of band practice, fireworks and beer drinking, one out of three friends is gone. The small town wonders what happened to the fun-loving fellow while his two buddies are running around like crazy to cover their tracks. Michael Abbott Jr., Poppy Cunningham and Roy Wood Jr. star in this small-budget film.
“Lucy in the Sky” (Oct. 4): Awards season is never without Natalie Portman, and the Academy Award winner is floating through the universe in this astronaut movie with Noah Hawley (FX’s “Fargo” and “Legion”) making his directing debut. Lucy Cola (Portman) is an accomplished astronaut who has seen the depths of the cosmos. When she returns to Earth, being human feels so small. She begins an affair with a colleague (Jon Hamm), but when he pays attention to someone else, Lucy’s world falls apart. If this sounds familiar, you may be thinking about the real-story of former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak who drove from Texas to Florida to confront a romantic rival.
“Pain & Glory” (Oct. 4): Acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar turns the camera onto his life in the semi-autobiographical drama. The cast features Almodóvar’s favorite actors Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz. Film director Salvador Mallo (Banderas) is at a low point in his career, so he takes time to reflect on his failures and triumphs in the medium. Think of it as Almodóvar’s personal “8½.”
“Frankie” (Oct. 25): Isbella Huppert plays a successful actress who brings her family and friends together for a Portuguese vacation in an ensemble piece directed by Ira Sachs. Frankie (Huppert) is making sure that her loved ones are taken care of when her health takes a turn. She wants her son, Paul (Jérémie Renier), to get married, her stepdaughter Sylvia (Vinette Robinson) is facing problems in her marriage, and her granddaughter Maya (Sennia Nanua) is more focused on boys than family. Marisa Tomei, Brendan Gleeson and Greg Kinnear also star.
“Harriet” (Nov. 1): Director Kasi Lemmons leads the first biopic of abolitionist and political activist Harriet Tubman. Cynthia Erivo portrays the historic icon as Tubman escapes slavery and becomes the leader of the Underground Railroad. Janelle Monáe, Joe Alwyn, Vanessa Bell Calloway and Leslie Odom Jr. have roles in the film.
“Waves” (Nov. 1): Florida is the center where two teens grow up in a family where excellence is the default setting. Siblings Emily (Taylor Russell) and Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) experience the ups and downs of being a teenager under the watchful eye of their father (Sterling K. Brown). Lucas Hedges, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Alexa Demie are part of the ensemble, and Trey Edward Shults directs.
“Ford v Ferrari” (Nov. 15): This movie is really Oscar bait, but it’s not exactly a Hollywood tentpole either. Carroll Shelby is a Ford automotive designer in the 9160s who is under pressure to create a vehicle that can outrun a Ferrari. He recruits racecar driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to get behind the wheel and drum up support of American muscle beating European engineering. The 24 Hour of Les Mans in 1966 is where the showdown takes place. James Mangold directs.
“The Report” (Nov. 15 in theaters, Nov. 29 on Prime Video): In this ripped-from-the-headlines drama, Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) is an investigator on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is in charge of the probe on the CIA’s tactics on spying and torture following the 9/11 attacks. Annette Benning, Corey Stall and Jon Hamm have roles in the Sundance Film Festival hit.
“21 Bridges” (Nov. 22): Chadwick Boseman stars as a New York City detective in this gritty drama. Andre Davis (Boseman) is the son of a fallen police officer, and decades later, he is brought onto a case where eight cops are gunned down by two men. To catch the shooters, Davis orders or Manhattan’s 21 bridges, ferries and subways to be shut down so that the men can’t leave the borough. J.K. Simmons, Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch and Stephan James round out the cast.
“A Hidden Life” (Dec. 13): Since 2011, writer/director Terrence Malick has released five films, garnering some of the lowest reviews in his career with the exception of “The Tree of Life.” Malick leaves behind the improvised style he used throughout this decade and goes more straight-forward with “A Hidden Life.” Starring August Diehl and Matthias Schoenaerts, the film details the life of Franz Jägerstätter, the real-life Austrian who was a conscientious objector during World War II.
