“78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene”
Synopsis: An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960), the “man behind the curtain,” and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.
What You Need To Know: Director Alexandre O. Philippe drills down deep into one of the greatest scenes in cinema, let alone horror and dissects everything about what makes it great. Talking heads discussing their admiration for the unforgettable scene include Peter Bogdanovich , Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, Guillermo del Toro and Danny Elfman among many others.
Release Date: October 13
“The Snowman”
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, J.K. Simmons, Val Kilmer, Chloe Sevigny
Synopsis: Detective Harry Hole is called in to investigate a murder after a boy finds his mother’s pink scarf wrapped around a snowman. It doesn’t take long for Hole to suspect that he’s on the trail of a serial killer.
What You Need To Know: While I certainly don’t speak for every voice here at The Playlist, I do feel comfortable in saying there are few directors that excite us more than Tomas Alfredson. The director broke out with his fantastic “Let The Right One In” (which spawned a decent Hollywood reboot), then knocked it out of the park with “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” a movie so tightly cut and intricately paced, that it’s hard to find flaw with. Now it’s been a cold six years with a film from the director, but still it’s difficult to overstate how excited we were to find out he had paired with Michael Fassbender to bring “The Snowman” to life. Based on the best-selling serial killer novel, it’s hard not to be reminded of of the similarly grim and cold murder mystery series, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” which made for the sort of adult fair that movies are wanting for these days. The only catch is that it’s embarrassingly hard to take the first trailer seriously…
Release Date: October 20
“1922”
Cast: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker
Synopsis: 1922 is based on Stephen King’s 131-page story telling of a man’s confession of his wife’s murder.
What Your Need To Know: Directed by Zak Hilditch, the tale is told from from the perspective of Wilfred James, the story’s unreliable narrator who admits to killing his wife with his son in Nebraska. But after he buries her body, he finds himself terrorized by rats and, as his life begins to unravel, becomes convinced his wife is haunting him. Look for it early; it will premiere first at Fantastic Fest in September.
Release Date: October 20 on Netflix
“Wonderstruck”
Cast: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Millicent Simmonds
Synopsis: Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish that their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he’s never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue and Rose reads an enticing headline, they both set out on epic quests to find what they’re missing.
What You Need To Know: As the follow-up to Todd Haynes masterpiece and the cinematically sublime “Carol”, “Wonderstruck” is a promising feature. And after moving swiftly through the festival circuit (the film is the centerpiece at the New York Film Festival next month) garnering positive praise all along the way, and with our own Jessica Kiang claiming it “lives in the glory of its filmmaking”, you can count us very excited for Haynes’s seventh feature. He is a director with subtle touch and particular eye for a creamy aesthetic and a roaring heart, and we expect this one to play well as an awards season dark horse.
Release Date: October 20th
“BPM (Beats Per Minute)”
Cast: Adèle Haenel, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois
Synopsis: 120 BPM. The average heart rate. The protagonists of 120 battements par minute are passionate about fighting the indifference that exists towards AIDS.
What You Need To Know: Director Robin Campillo (“They Came Back” also known for his editing work on Laurent Cantet films like “The Class” and “Time Out“) has had tastes of critical acclaim for a while (“The Class” won the Palme d’Or in 2008), but “BPM” certainly launched him into a new echelon he’s never experienced before, so clearly he’s a director to keep an eye on. At Cannes “BPM” won critical acclaim and four awards, including the Grand Prix. Our glowing review from Cannes called it “urgent and riveting” so mark it down as a must-see.
Release Date: October 20
“The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman
Synopsis: A prominent surgeon adopts a teenager into his family, but as the teen’s actions grow increasingly sinister, the doctor is forced to make a terrible decision. Expect existentialism.
What You Need to Know: Yorgos Lanthimos does not make happy movies. His breakout film — if you can call it that — was last year’s “The Lobster,” which ends with a man deliberating over whether or not to carve his own eyes out with a steak knife as a romantic gesture. Lanthimos is a chillingly brilliant Greek auteur; his name alone is enough to make “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” a must-see.
Release Date: October 27
“Little Evil”
Cast: Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Chris D’Elia
Synopsis: A who marries the woman of his dreams, but finds out her 6-year-old son just might be the Antichrist.
What You Need To Know: Written and directed by Eli Craig (“Zombieland,” “Tucker and Dale vs Evil”). Meant to be a parody of “The Omen,” this Netflix movie, which kind of flew under the radar until it was announced just recently, also co-stars Tyler Labine, Bridget Everett, Donald Faison, and Kyle Bornheimer.
Release Date:Fall 2017 on Netflix
“Gerald’s Game”
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Stephen King. While trying to spice up her marriage in a remote lake house, a woman must suddenly fight to survive when she is left handcuffed to a bed.
What You Need To Know: Directed by Mike Flanagan— who release three, count ‘em, three movies come out in 2016; “Hush,” “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” and “Before I Wake”– it’s the year of Stephen King, with three adaptation this year. “Gerald’s Game” is decidedly not supernatural, but it looks like creepsville all the same. Premieres first at Fantastic Fest in September.
Release Date: Fall 2017 on Netflix
“Novitiate”
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Julianne Nicholson, Morgan Saylor
Synopsis: Set in the early 1960s and during the era of Vatican II, a young woman in training to become a nun struggles with issues of faith, the changing church and sexuality.
What You Need To Know: OK, we straight up missed this one at Sundance earlier this year despite including it in our The 30 Most Exciting Films In The Sundance 2017 Lineup feature (hey, shit happens sometimes). The directorial dramatic feature film debut from documentarian Maggie Betts, “Novitiate” earned strong praise from Park City, and no doubt, much of it attributed to its young and upcoming cast of Margaret Qualley, Liana Liberato, Dianna Agron, and Morgan Saylor. We’re definitely catching up with it now.
Release Date: October 27
“Suburbicon”
Cast: Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac, Julianne Moore
Synopsis: Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns… the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge (Damon) must navigate the town’s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. This is a tale of very flawed people making very bad choices. Expect unsubtle social commentary.
What You Need to Know: Director George Clooney is coming off of a real dud in “The Monuments Men.” Some might even go so far as to call that movie a bit of a catastrophe (I would go that far). The real reason to get excited for “Suburbicon” is that the film was written by the Coen Brothers. While films written by the Coens but directed by someone else have a checkered history (“Gambit,” anyone?) their involvement in a project commands the attention of cinephiles everywhere. Also, Oscar Isaac.
Release Date: October 27