As I sit here watching Thursday Night Football and multitasking, one thing is abundantly clear: it’s Taylor Swift’s world and we are just living in it.
New In Theaters
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Director(s): Sam Wrench
Stars: Taylor Swift, Amanda Balen, Taylor Banks
It’s going to be an experience alright. And I am going to find out in Dolby.
Limited Release
Anatomy of a Fall (NYC & LA)
Director(s): Justine Triet | Writer(s): Arthur Harari, Justine Triet
Stars: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner
The trailer made me think this was a documentary so I had to do a quick search to make sure it was, in fact, a drama. However, well-done crime documentaries have become some of the most compelling versions of those stories so I can see why Justine Triet took that approach. Looks good, but it’s very limited for now. Keep an eye out.
*Divinity (NYC) – Editor’s Pick*
Written & Directed by: Eddie Alcazar
Stars: Scott Bakula, Bella Thorne, Stephen Dorff
Barely 15 seconds of this trailer is all I needed. It had some Beyond the Black Rainbow vibes and the black and white looks good here. It’s a movie that I am going to have to see alone because I do not think my fiancée is going to be down with this one but that cast and the artistry are my cinema love language. And Stephen Dorff is back!
Gassed Up (Oct. 10th)
Director(s): George Amponsah | Writer(s): Archie Maddocks, Taz Skyler
Stars: Stephen Odubola, Taz Skylar, Craige Middleburg
This strikes me as a spinoff of some of the characters from Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen and I mean that as a compliment. I will likely have trouble finding it in theaters near me, but I will keep an eye out for it as it expands.
Reality Winner (Oct. 11th)
Director(s): Sonia Kennebeck
Stars: Reality Winner, Billie Winner-Davis, Gary Davis
I’m surprised that HBO released the Sydney Sweeney drama version of this story before this one considering this was done in 2021. However, this may be a case where the documentary coming later can benefit from the name recognition and star power of the dramatized version.
Once Within a Time
Director(s): Godfrey Reggio, Jon Kane | Writer(s): Godfrey Reggio
Stars: Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Brian Belott, Sussan Deyhim
It’s interesting to see that this is a Steven Soderbergh-produced one as well, but gimme all the weird stuff! This looks like it’s more art installation than a movie, but it reminds me of a stage play I saw not long ago and also Moon Garden from earlier this year. Yes, please!
The Mission
Written & Directed by: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Stars: Pam Arlund, Dan Davis, Levi Davis
The first sentence of this trailer says it all. I don’t begrudge anyone their faith, but yikes. The arrogance to think you can force your ideology on someone because “Jesus” told you too is just…yeah. I do not think this one ends well.
Impuratus
Written & Directed by: Mike Yurinko
Stars: Tom Sizemore, Lew Temple, Robert Miano
Tom Sizemore worked a lot when he was still with us and his legacy as a unique screen presence is going to continue for a while. I’m always a fan of demonic possession horror too, so let’s see what this has to offer.
I Get Knocked Down
Written & Directed by: Dunstan Bruce, Sophie Robinson
Stars: Dunstan Bruce
I never thought of Chumbawumba as anarchist punks and I’m not the only one who was thrown off the scent by “Tub Thumping”. If you ever wanted to know the behind-the-scenes story, now is your chance. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love being a turtle…oh wait, nevermind…it’s a great time for music docs.
15 Cameras
Director(s): Danny Madden | Writer(s): PJ McCabe
Stars: Will Madden, Angela Wong Carbone, James Babson
We have commoditized voyeurism and it’s so common that we barely even notice. I like that this movie appears to understand the fine line between the sense of humor and the scary reality of it. Whether or not it can maintain that balance. In an effective way for a feature film remains to be seen, but I will give it that chance.
The Bell Keeper
Director(s): Colton Tran | Writer(s): Joe Davison, Luke Genton
Stars: Randy Couture, Kathleen Kenny, Reid Miller
Hey, it’s October! Cue up a generic horror movie. There would have been a time when Randy Couture as a Texas Chainsaw-type slasher would have been more appealing, but it’s not now. You would think he woulda become a better actor at this point in his career, but it doesn’t look like it. Sorry, Randy, I’ll pass.
Dangerous Waters
Director(s): John Barr | Writer(s): Mark Jackson, John Barr
Stars: Ray Liotta, Odeya Rush, Saffron Burrows
This has some Dead Calm energy, at least in its setting but whether or not this thriller can get beyond those comparisons remains to be seen. I’m happy to see Ray Liotta, but the rest of it looks pretty lackluster. It seems more like a straight-to-streaming kinda offering.
In the Fire
Director(s): Conor Allyn | Writer(s): Pascal Borno, Silvio Muraglia, Conor Allyn
Stars: Amber Heard, Eduardo Noriega, Lorenzo McGovern Zaini
Amber Heard is back and she’s bringing the devil with her. Well maybe it’s demons, but still. Honestly, a western about demonic possession could be interesting but this trailer isn’t really doing it a whole lotta favors.
The Elderly
Director(s): Raúl Cerezo, Fernando González Gómez | Writer(s): Javier Trigales, Raúl Cerezo, Rubén Sánchez Trigos
Stars: Zorion Eguileor, Gustavo Salmerón, Paula Gallego
So…old people are still the scariest thing in horror? We just got Old a couple of years ago and that didn’t do too much for me, but stuff like The Visit or The Taking of Deborah Logan or X seemed to at least make that more horror-forward. This trailer does look creepy as hell though.
Silver Dollar Road
Written & Directed by: Raoul Peck
Home ownership and land ownership are as much a part of the American dream as anything. While this documentary is focused on one Black family’s struggle to maintain that part in their part of North Carolina and the particular struggles they are going through, it’s also a universal story we should all be able to rally behind.
Digital & Streaming
Monster Inside (Hulu Oct. 10th)
Director(s): Andrew Renzi
Stars: Melissa Everly, Gabi Hardiman, Russ McKamey
Oh my god! I heard a story about this guy who does full-on immersive horror experiences in a radio story years ago. This combines the best stuff about horror movies and true crime. I am absolutely watching this!
Eismayer (Expands to VOD Oct. 10th)
Written & Directed by: David Wagner
Stars: Gerhard Liebmann, Luka Dimic, Julia Koschitz
What happens when the most aggressive vice lieutenant in the Austrian army, who is secretly hiding his homosexuality comes face to face with an openly gay soldier? Well, by the looks of it, things get pretty heated. This is based on a true story too so I can imagine it’s going to be intense.
Mercy Road (Expands to VOD Oct. 10th)
Director(s): John Curran | Writer(s): John Curran, Jesse Heffring, Christopher Lee Pelletier
Stars: Luke Bracey, Huw Higginson, Toby Jones
This seems more like a short story idea but at only 1h 26m it’s not overlong. The challenge is going to be making things visually interesting enough when the whole movie takes place inside this guy’s car. It could be a fun one to turn the lights off and watch on the couch one night.
Dark Harvest (VOD)
Director(s): David Slade | Writer(s): Michael Gilio, Norman Partridge
Stars: Casey Likes, Emryi Crutchfield, Dustin Ceithamer
“A legendary monster called October Boy”…umm, excuse me? I do like the way this one looks and the idea of a town hunting a monster rather than vice versa. I don’t know any of the creatives at the helm or many of the actors either, so it’s tough to really have a jumping off point but a couch night could be fun.
Awareness (Prime Video)
Director(s): Daniel Benmayor | Writer(s): Ivan Ledesma, Daniel Benmayor
Stars: Pedro Alonso, Enzo Calleja, Jesús Castells
Spanish sci-fi is not something that I am familiar with. At least from what this trailer shows, it doesn’t exactly look like a super high-quality offering either with the janky English dubbing. I’m hoping that the original Spanish audio makes for a better presentation because I am interested in the idea.
Fair Play (Netflix)
Written & Directed by: Chloe Domont
Stars: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan
I thought I had reviewed this one last week, but I realized I had seen the preview in theaters. I know this one is listed with an October 13th date, but I saw it on Netflix a few days earlier than that. I like a good tense thriller and the relationship and gender dynamic can be a lot of fun to play with. I’ll check it out!
The Burial (Prime Video)
Director(s): Maggie Betts| Writer(s): Doug Wright, Jonathan Harr, Maggie Betts
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett
How have we not gotten a Jamie Foxx lawyer movie until this point? I’m sure this was getting made before Foxx’s health scare earlier. in the year, but I think we can all agree that it’s good to see him on screen. The cast is pretty fabulous too with Tomy Lee Jones, Alan Ruck, and Bill Camp. This one too reminds me of the sort of 90s heyday of courtroom dramas. I don’t know if I can get to it before it hits Prime next week, but we’ll see what the week holds.
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