New York Film Festival: 15 Must-See Films To Watch

The 56th Annual New York Film Festival is upon us once again, gifting the cinematic landscape with thrilling and compelling films carefully curated from all over the world. Last year’s favorites included “Call Me By Your Name” and “Lady Bird,” the latter of which went onto become A24’s highest grossing film and earn not one but five Academy Award nominations. This year is no different, the festival will unleash future classics like “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” directed by the Coen Brothers, the sweeping Mexican epic “ROMA,” the latest effort by Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron. Paul Dano’s inaugural directorial effort “Wildlife” will also premiere, starring Carrie Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal both can be counted among the most brilliant actors working today. It’s a festival of riches and a great catch-up for all of us that weren’t able to make it to Cannes, Venice and Toronto (most of us). Without further ado, here are 15 films you need to watch and dozens of other, equally-worthwhile films to keep an eye on.

“Roma”
Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Nancy García
Synopsis: A story that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
What You Need To Know: Winner of the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival, Alfonso Cuarón won over the festival with his black and white masterwork “Roma.” Having directed such iconic films like the mind-blowing “Gravity,” the intensely compelling film “Children of Men,” or his spellbinding turn in JK Rowling’s sprawling adventure “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” “Roma” will undoubtedly be a cinematic experience unlike any other this year [our review from Venice].
Release Date: On Netflix December 14, but likely in theaters before that.

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Cast: James Franco, Liam Neeson, David Krumholtz, Brendan Gleeson
Synopsis: An anthology western following six different storylines centering on a man named Buster Scruggs.
What You Need To Know: What reportedly originally began as a six-part Netflix series evolved into a feature film with Joel and Ethan Coen at the helm. Needing no introduction, the Coen Brothers have cemented themselves a place in cinematic history with instant classics like “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “True Grit” and “No Country for Old Men” just to name a few. Reminiscent of classic Westerns, a genre the Coens are exceedingly familiar with, ‘Buster Scruggs’ will be part of the recent resurgence of Western-themed films and television series into the entertainment landscape [our review from Venice].
Release Date: November 16 on Netflix [our review from Venice].

“Her Smell”
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevigne, Dan Stevens, Agyness Deyn, Amber Heard
Synopsis: A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.
What You Need To Know: Alex Ross Perry’s evocative film will be an intense journey through the trials and tribulations of fame, addiction, and self-destruction. Elisabeth Moss recently said that the role was “the hardest thing” she’d ever done when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, which is exciting when you consider her powerful work in Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” a role that has garnered her annual Emmy nominations. Moss and Perry have teamed up on two prior films “Queen of Earth” and “Listen Up Philip” so it will be interesting to see what their third partnership will bring forth next [our review from TIFF].
Release Date: TBD.

“High Life”
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth
Synopsis: A father and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation.
What You Need To Know: Claire Denis teams up once more with Juliette Binoche in the lo-fi sci-fi odyssey “High Life,” having worked together previously on 2017’s “Let The Sunshine In.” The film also stars Robert Pattinson and André Benjamin in Denis’ first English language film, which could finally launch her into the North American cinematic landscape [our review from TIFF].
Release Date: TBD.

“If Beale Street Could Talk”
Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King
Synopsis: A woman in Harlem desperately scrambles to prove her fiancée innocent of a crime while carrying their first child.
What You Need To Know: Based on the book written by famed American novelist James Baldwin in 1974, Barry Jenkins wrote the screenplay and directed the film which centers on a young man falsely accused of rape. Obviously a challenging subject choice post #MeToo, but necessary nonetheless; one can certainly expect that Jenkins will tackle it earnestly. This film is his sophomore effort, following “Moonlight’s” historic (and dramatic) Academy Award win last year. [our review from TIFF].
Release Date: November 30.