The French Dispatch (2020)
It was nearly six months ago that the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the domestic movie exhibition industry. Most theaters around the country remained closed the entire time, while all new releases were either pushed back or relegated to streaming services. The Sept. 3 debut of Christopher Nolan’s tentpole Tenet restarted the clock, hopefully for good this time, albeit with facemask rules, reduced capacities, contactless payment and other coronavirus-related requirements in place. Keeping in mind that no release date remains safe in 2020, film critic Daniel Barnes offers his 10 most eagerly anticipated movies of Autumn.
The Nest (September 18 in select theaters)
When Sean Durkin made his directorial debut in 2011 with the skin-crawling Martha Marcy May Marlene, it felt like the beginning of a great cinematic career. Nearly a decade later, we finally get Durkin’s follow-up, a Polanski-esque horrible-house movie starring Jude Law and the always underrated Carrie Coon. The Nest divided audiences at Sundance, but have you seen the dreck that unites audiences at Sundance?
Kajillionaire (September 25)
Another promising but long-absent director makes a highly anticipated return to the big screen, this time writer-director Miranda July (The Future). The acclaimed Kajillionaire stars Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, and the criminally underused Debra Winger as a family of bargain-basement criminals trying to pull off their biggest score yet. Kajillionaire should determine if July’s indie-quirk aesthetic boasts crossover appeal.
The French Dispatch (October 16)
Initially scheduled for a July release, Wes Anderson’s star-studded ode to ex-pat journalists will now come out in October. That would seem to better situate the film for Oscars consideration, and a Best Picture or Best Director nod would be a first for Anderson. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences muddied the waters by extending the eligibility date for this year’s awards through February 2021. Whatever the case, The French Dispatch looks utterly delightful.
Mank (October)
It’s not known yet whether David Fincher’s look at the making of Citizen Kane will get a token theatrical release or if it will remain exclusive to Netflix subscribers. Either way, I’m on board with The Souvenir sourpuss Tom Burke playing young Orson Welles. However, I’m less enthused about the prospect of Gary Oldman as screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz.
On the Rocks (October 22)
As with Mank, this latest Sofia Coppola film may not include a limited theatrical release with its October 22 debut on the Apple+ streaming service. Coppola favorite Bill Murray stars as an aging playboy who helps his estranged daughter (Rashida Jones) spy on her husband (Marlon Wayans) during a long day in New York City. It feels like familiar stuff, but I’m still intrigued by the talent involved.
Deep Water (November 6)
Summer movie refugees Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984 both got pushed to Autumn, and they’re both sure to rake in as much money as limited-capacity requirements will allow. I appreciate that superhero movies are popular, but a sweaty Adrian Lyne potboiler about upper-class infidelity is my Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas headline this Patricia Highsmith adaptation, Lyne’s first movie since 2002.
Soul (November 20)
While the trailers are so inscrutable that concrete plot details remain vague, it’s enough to know that Soul is the latest Pixar film. Inside Out helmer Pete Docter and co-director Kemp Powers seem like the right people to shepherd a story that appears to blend the sentimental with the supernatural. Meanwhile, the voice talent includes Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey and Daveed Diggs.
No Time to Die (November 20)
The first James Bond movie since Spectre in 2015, and possibly Daniel Craig’s last turn as the now-stoic superspy. Regulars Jeffrey Wright, Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris return, while Rami Malek plays the villainous Safin. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation) replaces Sam Mendes at the helm, which did nothing to curb this franchise’s recent running-time excesses. At 163 minutes, No Time to Die will be the longest-ever Bond film, besting previous record-holder Spectre by 15 minutes.
West Side Story (December 18)
For his 31st theatrical feature, director Steven Spielberg delivers not only his first musical but a seemingly risky and patently unnecessary remake of the 1961 Oscar-winning classic. Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler lead a low-wattage cast, while the ageless Rita Moreno makes a cameo appearance. I can’t imagine what possessed Spielberg to make this movie, and I can’t wait to find out.
News of the World (December 25)
Ater mainlining three seasons and a movie of Deadwood while sheltering in place, I could sure go for a pitch-black western epic right about now. Luckily, director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum) and star Tom Hanks are here to ruin your Christmas spirit. Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a frontier newsman who gets enlisted to rescue a kidnapped girl.
Daniel Barnes is a Sacramento-based film critic, writer, journalist and editor. A member of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, Daniel Barnes is the creator and co-host of the Dare Daniel Podcast.
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