The Toronto International Film Festival got underway on Thursday, September 7th so there will be a lot of attention paid to that buzz. Meanwhile, there have been a lot of high-profile delays due to the strike but the wheel hasn’t stopped turning entirely. So, let’s take a look at what is on tap as spooky season keeps rolling.
New In Theaters
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Director(s): Aitch Alberto | Writer(s): Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aitch Alberto
Stars: Kevin Alejandro, Eva Longoria, Reese Gonzales
I just saw the trailer for the first time the other day, but I am unfamiliar with the book. I’m not into young-adult stories but this seems to conjure up some energy (as a film) from Call Me By Your Name and Close. If it even approaches that neighborhood, it’s probably pretty good.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Written & Directed by: Nia Vardalos
Stars: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor
I didn’t even realize they had made a No. 2 back in 2016, but that was also before I started running this website full-time. I enjoyed the original film, but I won’t watch this one unless I watch the second one and the odds of that happening are low. I am not the target demographic for this film though.
The Nun II
Director(s): Michael Chaves | Writer(s): Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, Akela Cooper
Stars: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid
I am so far outside of the conjuring universe that this movie means basically nothing to me. The trailer has all of the predictable scares I have come to expect from horror marketing, so there’s not much to go on there. Honestly, I would be more excited if it were called The Nun II: Nunya Business.
Limited Release
*El Conde (Theaters) – Editor’s Pick*
Director(s): Pablo Larraín | Writer(s): Guillermo Calderón, Pablo Larraín
Stars: Alfredo Castro, Catalina Guerra, Paula Luchsinger
This movie looks exactly like my kinda weird. A bit of Nosferatu, some Dracula, with a dash of Succession, and it looks like it has a Wes Anderson vibe to it. I’m very much in on this.
Rotting in the Sun
Director(s): Sebastián Silva | Writer(s): Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Silva
Stars: Jordan Firstman, Rob Keller, Vitter Leija
The mockumentary style is a tough one to pull off because the humor has to be effective. It’s the fulcrum point and this movie looks like it has a lot of levers…if ya know what I mean. That being said, I’m not afraid of the male nudity and I’ve got a film club friend I’m definitely recommending it to, but the unique kind of narcissism in a social media celeb as the lead is where the film is going to run or fall. I’m interested.
Amerikatsi (Theaters)
Written & Directed by: Michael A. Goorjian
Stars: Michael A. Goorjian, Hovik Keuchkerian, Nelli Uvarova
I know this is listed as a drama, and I am sure that a film about the Armenian Genocide is going to be pretty heavy, so I was surprised to see the tone at the beginning of the trailer be so cavalier. I love projects where the creatives are all in too, so I am curious to see this one.
Legend of the White Dragon (Sept. 4th)
Director(s): Aaron Schoenke | Writer(s): Alex Kellerman, Aaron Schoenke
Stars: Jason David Frank, Aaron Schoenke, Chalet Lizette Brannan
This is exactly the kind of movie I would have loved in adolescence. It has a Power Rangers vibe to it so it’s not a surprise to see Jason David Frank but it’s sad to think this was one of his final films.
Good Boy
Written & Directed by: Viljar Bøe
Stars: Gard Løkke, Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen, Amalie Willoch Njaastad
Now we’re talking! This is the kind of weird I want to see more of. I have heard the horror stories of online dating but this story takes that idea into an absurd and compelling direction. Let’s get it!
Megalomaniac
Written & Directed by: Karim Ouelhaj
Stars: Eline Schumacher, Benjamin Ramon, Hélène Moor
Spooky season is just hitting its stride as September ramps up and this Belgian film presents as very creepy and dark. I can’t quite tell if there is demonic possession or otherwise supernatural elements at play or if it’s just run-of-the-mill murder and torture.
My Animal
Director(s): Jacqueline Castel | Writer(s): Jae Matthews
Stars: Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Heidi von Palleske
A young, horny werewolf coming-of-age story plus Stephen McHattie. Sign me up! Amandla Stenberg has been good in everything I have seen her in and I like that this role is a departure from what I have seen her do so far. It’s not at the top of the list, but it’s on the list.
Shadow Island
Written & Directed by: Johan Storm
Stars: Hanne Mathisen Haga, Magnus Roosman, Anderz Eide
I have an affinity for movies about isolation and the effects that has on the human mind. In this case, that’s layered with some grief and a mystery which makes it even more of a head game. I’m intrigued but it may be a while before I can get to it.
Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in the Service of Mind
Director(s): Stig Björkman | Writer(s): Dominika Daubenbüchel, Stina Gardell, Stig Björkman
Stars: Joyce Carol Oates, Laura Dern
This documentary is probably long overdue for one of the most prolific writers of all time, and it’s been on the shelf for a couple of additional years as well but it finally gets its time in the sun this weekend. I don’t know that I have read much Oates in my life, but I find that documentaries like these allow me to see the writer as a fully formed person who’s easier to connect to. I likely won’t see this in theaters, but I’ll catch it eventually.
Streaming & Digital
Thirst (VOD/Digital Sept. 5th)
Written & Directed by: Eric Owen
Stars: Brian Villalobos, Michael Gmur, Federica Estaba Rangel
Insomnia sucks and it doesn’t take long before sleep deprivation takes a toll on a person. So, what happens when it infects an entire town? That’s (at least part of) the question being asked here and I’m getting big-time Pontypool vibes, and I love that movie. The best news is that I can rent it at home already.
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America (Netflix Sept. 6th)
Director(s): Brian Knappenberger
Well, I was never in Boy Scouts as a kid but I knew a bunch of friends who were. This isn’t the first large organization with a seemingly positive presence that turns out to have a long, dark history of sexual abuse of children and covered it up. Sounds familiar? I don’t know that I need to watch a documentary on all the reasons my mom kept me away from Boy Scouts, but it’s probably very somber.
Wake Up: Stories from the Frontline of Suicide Prevention (VOD/Digital)
Director(s): Nate Townsend | Writer(s): Christopher Jacob Jones, Nate Townsend
Stars: Craig Bryan, Steve Eliason, Morissa Henn
This movie has been on the shelf since 2020 and I am very surprised that it didn’t come out during the height of the Covid pandemic because everyone’s mental health was tried in new and extended ways. The delay notwithstanding, it’s better late than never and I think a lot of people could benefit from it.
Sitting in Bars with Cake (Prime Video)
Director(s): Trish Sie | Writer(s): Audrey Shulman
Stars: Yara Shahidi, Odessa A’zion, Bette Midler
This one could be good if the attention is in the right areas, but I have never seen a movie that is based on a cookbook before. It has a lot of the tent pole elements of dramatic melodramas, so I’m sure it lands within a certain register but it’s not the kind of thing I’m drawn to.
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