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Recently, my six-year-old told me with a sigh, “The days pass by so fast.” Of course, she was commenting on the end of summer vacation—but I still couldn’t agree more. We’ve already survived this year’s Movie Dead Zone. We’ve raced through another Summer Blockbuster Season. And now, here we are again: at the start of another Award Season. It’s time to look ahead to the coming of what will arguably be some of the best movies of the year—the ones that will take home the year’s big awards.
As usual, there’s a lot to digest here, so we’ll start with the movies of September and October.
But, before we begin, I have to start with the usual disclaimer. Keep in mind that, especially during this time of year, release dates can (and most likely will) change—and other releases will open gradually, over a number of weeks or months. Also, I list films here by the week of release, typically using Friday as the standard release day—but, especially on holiday weekends, films may open earlier in the week. So, as always, keep an eye on your local listings for exact release dates.
And now…let’s dive in!
SEPTEMBER 7:
Unlike Summer Blockbuster Season, Award Season typically starts with more of a spark than a bang—and that’s definitely the case this year. The big release of the week is The Nun, which follows the story of the most terrifying part of The Conjuring 2.
For more action, there’s Peppermint, starring Jennifer Garner as a grieving wife and mother who sets out to get revenge on the men who took her family from her.
Also this week, a young mother struggles to get by after losing her husband in Afghanistan in God Bless the Broken Road. And a journalist investigates a girl’s claim that she’s visited by the Virgin Mary in The Apparition.
Kristin’s Pick: None of this week’s films seem especially award-worthy, but I’m eager to see what Jennifer Garner can do with her role in Peppermint.
SEPTEMBER 14:
This week is loaded with new releases of all sizes, starting with Shane Black’s The Predator, which follows a group of ex-soldiers as they battle against the deadliest hunters in the universe.
Meanwhile, Anna Kendrick stars as a mommy blogger investigating her best friend’s disappearance in Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor. White Boy Rick tells the true story of a teenage drug kingpin who became an FBI informant in the 1980s. And the psychological thriller Lizzie stars Chloë Sevigny as the infamous Lizzie Borden.
Or, in another true story, Unbroken: Path to Redemption continues the story of Louis Zamperini following Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken.
Also this week, Emma Thompson stars as a judge deciding a challenging case in The Child Act and Julianne Moore plays an opera singer in danger in Paul Weitz’s Bel Canto.
Kristin’s Pick: This week’s releases offer so many options. But since I love Anna Kendrick, I’m going to give my pick to A Simple Favor.
SEPTEMBER 21:
Another weekend in September…another flood of new movies!
Up first this week, Eli Roth directs The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the tale of a young boy who enters the magical world of his warlock uncle (played by Jack Black). A small town goes crazy in the Sundance favorite Assassination Nation. And Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly star as a couple of notorious assassins in 1850s Oregon in The Sisters Brothers.
For something more dramatic, Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde play a couple meet, fall in love, get married, and start a family in Life Itself. And Keira Knightley stars as a woman forced to write under her husband’s name in the biography Colette.
Or, if you prefer a documentary, you can check out Love Gilda, the Gilda Radner story, or Michael Moore’s latest, Fahrenheit 11/9.
Kristin’s Pick: This is another week that’s absolutely loaded with interesting options—but not a hands-down pick. So the English major in me is going to go with Colette.
SEPTEMBER 28:
The last week in September offers a number of playful picks—like Night School, starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish as a couple of troublemakers trying to get their GED or, for the kids, the story of a Yeti in search of mythical humans in Smallfoot.
Meanwhile, Robert Redford stars as Forrest Tucker, who escaped San Quentin at the age of 70 in The Old Man & the Gun. Little Women offers a modern-day retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel. And Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays an up-and-coming stand-up comedian whose life is spiraling out of control in All About Nina.
Or, if you prefer some frights, there’s Hell Fest, in which a masked killer torments a group of friends at a horror-themed amusement park.
Kristin’s Pick: The cast of The Old Man & the Gun is almost as remarkable as its true story—so it gets my pick this week.
OCTOBER 5:
The deeper we get into Award Season, the bigger the releases become. The first weekend of October even gets a little bit of superhero action with Tom Hardy in Venom.
Also this week, Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut with his version of A Star Is Born, costarring Lady Gaga. And Rupert Everett directs and stars in The Happy Prince, which follows the story of the last days of beloved poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.
Kristin’s Pick: All three of this week’s main releases have their own appeal—but since I’m already feeling superhero withdrawal, I’ll give my pick to Venom.
OCTOBER 12:
This week, a pair of Oscar nominees—Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet—play a father and son dealing with addiction and recovery in Beautiful Boy. Bigger explores the story of the men who started the fitness movement (and discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger). And Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and his Oscar-nominated La La Land star, Ryan Gosling, reunite to tell the story of Neil Armstrong and his legendary moon walk in First Man.
For some family-friendly Halloween action, there’s Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, which follows the characters from R. L. Stine’s best-selling books through more outrageous adventures.
Most of us will probably relate to Ike Barinholtz’s directorial debut, The Oath, following a man as he attempts to make it through a politically charged Thanksgiving dinner with this family.
Or, for something, completely different, Drew Goddard’s Bad Times at the El Royale follows the stories of seven strangers with troubled pasts as the meet in Lake Tahoe.
Kristin’s Pick: This week is absolutely loaded with intriguing new movies—but I have to give my pick to Chazelle and Gosling in First Man.
OCTOBER 19:
Halloween is right around the corner—which means it’s the perfect time to release Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, who faces off against Michael Myers once again.
But, for those who aren’t in the Halloween mood, there are plenty of other options. Amandla Stenberg plays a woman struggling to stand up for what’s right in The Hate U Give. Melissa McCarthy stars as celebrity biographer Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Matthew McConaughey is a fisherman who can’t escape his past in Serenity. Jonah Hill makes his directorial debut with the coming of age comedy Mid90s. And a family struggles to deal with a series of challenges in What They Had.
Kristin’s Pick: I’ve seen Melissa McCarthy in plenty of over-the-top comedies, but I’m looking forward to seeing her in something completely different in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
OCTOBER 26:
Halloween weekend is short on horror, but it does offer plenty of other options—like the underwater action of Hunter Killer, starring Gerard Butler as a submarine captain who joins the mission to save the Russian president after he’s kidnapped. And in the true-life drama Indivisible, a troubled Army chaplain and his wife fight to save their marriage.
For some toe-tapping drama, there’s Stuck, a film festival favorite pop musical about four strangers stuck in the subway in New York City.
Or, for some action and laughs, Rowan Atkinson returns as a lovably bumbling secret agent who’s forced out of retirement in Johnny English Strikes Again.
Kristin’s Pick: This week, I’m skipping the action and battles and going with the music of Stuck instead.
So now that we’ve come to the end of the first two months of Award Season…who’s excited? I know I am! There’s a lot here to digest—and there’s even more to come! So let’s take a break to let it all sink in before Award Season really heats up in November and December.
