Entertainment
27 Fall 2019 Movies That You Should Already Be Planning To See
Roadside Attractions
Between Halloween horror movies, awards season creeping earlier and earlier, and the onslaught of holiday films, the period between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30 is the prime time to hit the theaters (or your Netflix account). Though the fall doesn't officially begin until September 22, we're starting our list of fall 2019 movies that should be on your radar at the top of the month, with the highly anticipated sequel to last year's remake of Stephen King's It.
The rest of September, formerly considered to be somewhat of a dump month for movies, will also bring us back to Downton Abbey with the hit show's first foray into feature film; into outer space with Brad Pit's delayed Ad Astra; and straight into Renée Zellweger's next Oscar campaign for her transformation into Hollywood legend Judy Garland in Judy.
October and November is where the rush to the Oscars really kicks off, with movies like A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Harriet, and other awards hopefuls hitting the big screen. A handful of other prestige dramas will probably be released around this time of year as well, but not all of them have officially announced release dates. For now, here are 27 standout movies hitting theaters this fall.
14. 'The Current War' (Oct. 25)
Benedict Cumberbatch is Thomas Edison, Michael Shannon is George Westinghouse, and Nicholas Hoult is Nikola Tesla in this historical drama about the men who fought a war with each other to bring electricity to the masses.
The Current War first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2017, but was delayed after The Weinstein Company declared bankruptcy, per Vanity Fair. It's making it to theaters, but we'll have to wait and see in October if the movie has any spark.
15. 'Terminator: Dark Fate' (Nov. 1)
It's hard to argue against the idea that Sarah Conner is one of science-fiction's most badass heroines. (Perhaps her only equal is Sigourney Weaver's Ripley.) And thankfully, Linda Hamilton is returning to play the iconic character in this next installment of the Terminator franchise. And with a trio of women in the lead (Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes join Hamilton as the film's heroes), we're actually excited for this one.
It's unclear how Terminator: Dark Fate fits into the realm of the Terminator movies; the other films and TV series and reboots have sort of mucked up the timeline. But with James Cameron involved as well, this adventure is said to be a direct sequel to 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and even the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is returning.
16. 'Harriet' (Nov. 1)
Cynthia Erivo stars as abolitionist Harriet Tubman in this drama that's bound to be an awards contender. Viola Davis was attached to a Tubman film back when it was an HBO project in 2015, but the project is now a theatrical release thanks to Focus Features.
Returning to the director's chair is Eve's Bayou helmer Kasi Lemmons. Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jennifer Nettles round out the cast.
17. 'Doctor Sleep' (Nov. 8)
Whatever happened to little Danny Torrance from The Shining?
Based on the Steven King novel of the same name, Doctor Sleep is also a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1977 horror classic The Shining. Dan (Ewan McGregor), now an adult, is dealing with the aftermath of the events at the Overlook Hotel by drowning his psychic powers in alcohol. But when a young girl with the same abilities seeks him out, Dan has no choice but to face the past.
18. 'Midway' (Nov. 8)
Step aside Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett, a new set of heartthrobs are heading to Pearl Harbor. Patrick Wilson, Ed Skrein, Nick Jonas, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, and Mandy Moore star in this Roland Emmerich-directed movie about the Battle of Midway.
The battle took place only six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was considered a turning point in the fight for Pacific dominancy during World War II. The film will open in theaters on Veteran's Day weekend.
19. 'Last Christmas' (Nov. 8)
Emilia Clarke is leaving Daenerys Targaryen behind to embrace the romantic comedy. (Which is a great idea, since she was really charming and hilarious in Me Before You.)
Directed by Paul Feig with a script written by Emma Thompson, the story was inspired by the George Michael song of the same name, Deadline writes. Per the publications, Clarke "plays a slacker who works in a Christmas shop which she so hates. She meets her opposite in the suave Henry Golding, and fireworks happen."
20. 'Charlie's Angels' (Nov. 15)
Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore made a great team, but a new set of Charlie's Angels are hitting the big screen, and this time they've got a female Bosley.
Written and directed by Elizabeth Banks, who plays the aforementioned Bos, the new iteration stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska as the angels. But there are also three Bosleys, with Djimon Hounsou and Patrick Stewart alongside Banks.
21. 'Ford V. Ferrari' (Nov. 15)
Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this biographical drama about the team of Ford designers, racers, and businessmen who set out to make a Ford race car that would beat a Ferrari.
The film's trailer showcases Bale's natural Welsh accent and Damon's seemingly expert gun-chewing skills. It has "awards season prestige drama" written all over it, so don't be surprised if it pops up on nominations lists.
22. 'The Good Liar' (Nov. 15)
Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Helen Mirren walk into a restaurant on what appears to be a blind date. These two expert actors are charming, for sure. But there's a sinister plot lurking beneath their romantic encounter.
From the look of the trailer, it feels like McKellen's character is trying to scam his way to some millions. But let's hope Mirren's also has a few tricks up her sleeve, because we're just not into movies where women are taken advantage of anymore.
23. 'The Lodge' (Nov. 15)
One of the most popular movies out of Sundance 2019 was the horror film The Lodge, which traps a potential step-mom played by Riley Keough and her boyfriend's two kids in a cabin during a blizzard. The kids discover that she was the sole survivor of a cult's mass-suicide years before, and while she may have moved on, the cult, it seems, has not.
24. 'Frozen 2' (Nov. 22)
When Frozen hit theaters back in 2013, it was such a hit that there was practically a 100% chance that it would get a sequel. Six years later, Elsa, Ana, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven are back and leaving the frozen tundras of Arendelle behind to travel into unknown lands.
The secretive plot reportedly revolves around Elsa and Ana learning the truth about what happened to their parents when they were just children. Don't they know the theory that their parents are actually the shipwrecked parents from Tarzan?
25. 'A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood' (Nov. 22)
Last year's documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? explored the creation of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the impact that Fred Rogers had on millions of children.
Tom Hanks and Disney are attempting to recreate that magic with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a biopic about Rogers in which Hanks stars as the iconic children's television educator. As director Marielle Heller told EW, "Its a story for our times, a story about kindness and family connection and trying to tap into our better self. God knows we need that right now!"
26. 'The Rhythm Section' (Nov. 22)
This spy thriller starring Blake Lively comes from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers of several Bond movies, and director Reed Morano.
Lively’s Drake, Variety reports, "is a heroine who adopts the identity of an assassin to get to the bottom of her family’s death in a plane crash. She discovers it may not have been an accident at all." Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown co-star.
27. 'Knives Out' (Nov. 29)
A huge ensemble cast comes together for Rian Johnson's Knives Out, a tribute to Agatha Christi's "whodunnit" mysteries.
"When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday," the film's official synopsis reads, "the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death." Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell complete the cast.
There are a few more prestige dramas that may come out around this time, to get in on the awards race. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman and the Meryl Streep Pentagon Papers drama The Laundromat will most likely hit Netflix sometime around Thanksgiving. The Natalie Portman astronaut thriller Lucy in the Sky could premiere in theaters around then too. The list is already stacked in every genre, however — it's going to be a good fall at the movies.