The beauty of the fall is the sheer variety of films that hit theaters. Big genre tentpoles, prestige biopics, and small indies blanket a final three months has me salivating to see them all. But, I’m different than most. In this next part of my fall movie preview, I’ll take through the ten films (in no particular order) that I’m personally looking forward to. My list won’t include things like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as my personal tastes lie more on the smaller side. So without further adieu, here are my five most anticipated, plus some other films I’m looking forward to seeing.

Waves

Trey Edward Shults is a filmmaker with a keen eye for family drama. From his fiercely raw and emotional debut Krisha, to his 2017 thrilling horror film It Comes at Night, Shult’s third feature appears to find him working with similar themes. Waves stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges, and Taylor Russell and follows the story of a suburban African-American family. Drawing very positive reviews from the fall festival circuit thus far. Shults is taking a dive back into family drama and this has a great cast. His previous two films are so good that his name alone is enough to have this one very high on my radar. The A24 distributed movie opens on November 1.

Uncut Gems

A24’s slate also includes The Safdie Brothers new film Uncut Gems. After the dirty, tense and brilliant Good Time, the acclaimed duo are taking on the New York criminal underworld once again. Perhaps the most intriguing reason to see Uncut Gemsa is a possible Adam Sandler performance for the ages. Like the aforementioned Trey Edward Shults, Josh and Benny Safdie have a proclivity tackle raw and deeply unsettling material like Good Time, or their unflinching heroin addiction drama Heaven Knows What. Plus with a cast of NBA stars and other seasoned vets like Idina Menzel and Laketih Stanfield, the Safdie’s are seemingly promising to up the ante. The movie opens on December 13.

The Irishman

Just one of the films on Netflix’s slate to look forward to this fall, Martin Scorsese’s return to mob world is one many have been waiting for. Starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The legendary director’s three and a half-hour crime epic tracks a mob hitman and his connection to iconic labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa. The de-aging technology, its connection to Netflix and its awards buzz have been the topic of conversation for quite some time. It will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 27 and I cannot wait to see what the buzz surrounding it will be. The movie officially opens in select theaters on November 1 and will eventually hit Netflix on November 27.

A Hidden Life

Terrence Malick seems to be taking a break from his well-publicized recent foray into experimental and stream of consciousness filmmaking to bring us a more narrative-focused film. Fox Searchlight’s A Hidden Life tells the story of an Austrian farmer who refused to join the Nazi’s in World War II. Malick’s brilliant The Tree of Life served as a calling card for the type of films he chose to create this decade with similar abstract films like To The Wonder and the underwhelming Knight of Cups. Malick seems to be leaving behind his recent meditative work, for a more straightforward brand of narrative, all the while still keeping the incredible sweeping cinematography he has featured in so much of his work. The movie opens on December 13.

Marriage Story

Color me shocked I’m highly anticipating a Noah Baumbach film. Baumbach’s work in the past has typically left me out in the cold. Mistress America and While We’re Young ultimately felt a little too meandering, and the mumblecore qualities of his work have largely been ineffective. Here’s to hoping, (all indications are it will be) Marriage Story is a return to his days of The Squid and the Whale, or even the slightly under-appreciated Margot at the Wedding. Baumbach can tell rich stories and integrates naturalistic dialogue with great black comedy so well. To boot, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson are getting some Oscar buzz for their work in this. Marriage Story opens in select theaters on November 6, and one month later on December 6 can be seen worldwide on Netflix.

Other Films I’m Looking Forward To:

Parasite, October 11
JoJo Rabbit, October 18
The Lighthouse, October 18
Honey Boy, November 8
Ford v Ferrari, November 15
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, November 22
Dark Waters, November 22
Knives Out, November 27
Queen & Slim, November 27
1917, December 25

What films have you the most excited this fall? Indies? Or are looking forward to something I didn’t mention? Comment and let me know!