Must-see movies everyone will be talking about this fall

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If you’re a movie lover like me, fall and winter truly are the best times of the year. This is when the studios finally debut the top-shelf films they’ve been saving for award considerations and massive box-office success.

From September through the end of December, there are plenty of great-looking movies hitting theaters. Take a peek at some of the most exciting ones that we’ve rounded up. There’s a little something for every type of film buff!

‘A Simple Favor’ (Sept. 14)

This delightfully dark thriller follows Anna Kendrick as a blogger who is trying to figure out what happened to her best friend who disappeared from the small town in which they lived. Blake Lively, Linda Cardellini and Andrew Rannells co-star and it is directed by Paul Feig, who did “Bridesmaids.” The book this movie is based on was described as “‘Gone Girl’ on steroids,” so you know it will be a wild one!

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‘Life Itself’ (Sept. 21)

If you love NBC’s “This Is Us,” (and how could you not?) you’ll want to see this romantic drama. It was written and directed by Dan Fogelman, the creator of that beloved show. As if you needed more reasons to be excited, the large cast includes Annette Bening, Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Mandy Patinkin and Antonio Banderas. Just a tip: You’ll probably want to bring along some tissues.

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‘Venom’ (Oct. 5)

Anyone who loves comic book movies should have “Venom” on their 2018 movie calendar. This one tells the story of how Venom, the anti-hero who is one of Spider-Man’s greatest rivals, came to be. It stars Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams and is being directed by the guy who made “Zombieland,” so it will likely have some laughs, too.

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‘A Star is Born’ (Oct. 5)

This marks the fourth time that “A Star is Born” has been remade since 1937, and this time, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are the stars. The classic film tells the story of a young singer who is mentored by an aging one with plenty of personal demons and it will feature singing by both leads. Can Gaga match up to Barbra Streisand? We’ll surely find out.

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‘Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween’ (Oct. 12)

If you and your kids loved 2015’s “Goosebumps” movie, you’ll definitely want to check out this sequel. This family-friendly horror comedy follows some kids who have to stop the evil plans of Slappy the Dummy on Halloween, and comedic actors like Chris Parnell, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ken Jeong star. Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s will likely remember Slappy from the Goosebumps book covers that used to terrify them.

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‘First Man’ (Oct. 12)

This movie, which follows the life of NASA legend Neil Armstrong, has one of the best casts of the year. Ryan Gosling stars as Armstrong and is joined by “The Crown” star Claire Foy and Kyle Chandler from “Friday Night Lights.” The biopic was directed by Damien Chazelle, who did “La La Land,” and written by Josh Singer, who was responsible for acclaimed dramas “Spotlight” and “The Post.”

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‘Beautiful Boy’ (Oct. 12)

This one is sure to tug some heartstrings and earn some Oscar nods. “Beautiful Boy” follows a father who watches as his son struggles with an addiction to meth. It’s based on author David Sheff’s best-selling memoir of the same name. Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet co-star, with Chalamet reportedly losing a lot of weight during the process of making the film in order to portray an addict.

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‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ (Oct. 5)

This is sure to be a fun one if you like thrillers. “Bad Times at the El Royale” follows seven strangers who meet at a rundown hotel in Lake Tahoe on the same fateful night. Its outstanding cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Jeff Bridges.

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‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ (Oct. 12)

You won’t even have to leave your house to see this movie on the day it comes out, as long as you have a Netflix account. The streaming company bought the rights to it after writer/director Sara Colangelo won the top prize for directing a dramatic film at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a kindergarten teacher who becomes obsessed with one of her students after he shows amazing creative potential.

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‘Halloween’ (Oct. 19)

Masked murderer Michael Myers is back in this sequel to the original saga that first scared audiences in the 1970s. Jamie Lee Curtis makes her return to the franchise, again starring as Laurie Strode. She was joined in the cast by Judy Greer and Nick Castle, who played Myers in the 1978 original.

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‘Serenity’ (Oct. 19)

It’s tough to not be interested in a movie that stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway and is being described as a “sexy noir.” It follows McConaughey as a fishing boat captain whose mysterious past blows up in his face when his ex-wife somehow finds him. The cast also includes Diane Lane, Jason Clarke and Djimon Hounsou.

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‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ (Nov. 2)

This live-action fantasy film from Disney is based on the iconic ballet for which it’s named. The cast includes Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. Also dancing in the film will be Misty Copeland, the ballerina who made history as the first black principal dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre.

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‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (Nov. 2)

If you are a Queen fan and haven’t yet seen the powerhouse trailer for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” check it out ASAP. “Mr. Robot” star Rami Malek’s resemblance to Queen singer Freddie Mercury is uncanny. The movie follows the band’s career leading to its legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985, which has been called the greatest live performance in rock history.

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‘Suspiria’ (Nov. 2)

This remake of the 1977 cult classic horror movie of the same title already has created plenty of buzz online, thanks to its terrifying trailer. “Suspiria” follows the women of a dance academy where a real-life nightmare is about to take place. Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton and Chloë Grace Moretz lead the cast. Luca Guadagnino, who helmed the acclaimed film “Call Me By Your Name,” directed.

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‘The Front Runner’ (Nov. 21)

If you don’t like Hugh Jackman you’re no friend of mine. The talented Aussie stars in this dark comedy about the 1988 presidential campaign of Sen. Gary Hart, which ended due to a romantic affair that became tabloid fodder. It comes from Jason Reitman, the director of “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” and also stars J.K. Simmons, Vera Farmiga and Ari Graynor.

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‘The Grinch’ (Nov. 9)

Casting the deep-voiced Benedict Cumberbatch to play The Grinch was a stroke of genius. This animated retelling of Dr. Seuss’ classic book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” comes from the same studio who did the “Despicable Me” movies and “The Secret Life of Pets.” The music was composed by Danny Elfman, who also scored the Disney holiday classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

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‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ (Nov. 9)

If you like your movies dark and thrilling, you’ll want to add this one to your calendar. “The Crown” star Claire Foy is taking over the role of Lisbeth Salander, the tattoo-covered hacker from Stieg Larsson’s book series that started with “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” The trailer makes this movie look really intense and perfect for an adult night at the theater!

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‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ (Nov. 16)

Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander in this sequel to 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Set in the same world as the Harry Potter series, this adventure follows Scamander as he teams up with a young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and attempts to thwart the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). The screenplay was written by J.K. Rowling herself.

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‘Widows’ (Nov. 16)

This crime thriller, based on a British miniseries from the 1980s, follows a group of women who work together to finish an armed robbery that killed their husbands. The cast includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Carrie Coon and Robert Duvall. The movie was written by Gillian Flynn, author of “Gone Girl” and “Sharp Objects,” and directed by Steve McQueen of “Shame” and “12 Years A Slave.”

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‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ (Nov. 21)

In 2012, Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” was a smash hit with critics and audiences. This sequel brings back the original cast, including John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, along with new voices coming from stars like Taraji P. Henson and Gal Gadot. Instead of just invading other arcade games, this time Ralph is taking on the entire internet. The hilarious trailer shows that the Disney princesses will have a great cameo.

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‘Creed II’ (Nov. 21)

Continuing the saga of Rocky Balboa and his protégé, Adonis Creed, this sequel to 2015’s blockbuster “Creed” will be a must-see for fans of the boxing franchise. Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson are returning to their roles and Stallone co-wrote the film. This time, Creed is training to fight the son of Rocky’s classic opponent Ivan Drago.

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‘Robin Hood’ (Nov. 23)

So it’s about the 50th time the story of Robin Hood has been made into a movie, but this one looks pretty slick. Leonardo DiCaprio is producing it and the cast includes “Kingsman” star Taron Egerton as Robin Hood, “50 Shades Of Grey” star Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlet, Jamie Foxx as Little John and “Bloodline” star Ben Mendelsohn as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. The trailer makes this look like a much more energetic and modern version of the story than we’ve seen before.

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‘Mary Queen of Scots’ (Dec. 7)

This one will have history buffs everywhere pumped up, especially if they love royal dramas. The film follows the true story of Scotland’s Queen Mary Stuart and her attempt to overthrow her cousin, England’s Queen Elizabeth I, which led to her downfall. The powerhouse cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Mary and Margot Robbie as Elizabeth.

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‘Aquaman’ (Dec. 21)

Another flick from the DC Extended Universe, “Aquaman” stars the beautiful Jason Momoa as the titular king of Atlantis. He is joined by co-stars Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe and Nicole Kidman. Despite Aquaman having been around since 1941 in comics, this is the first movie ever to focus on the character.

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‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (Dec. 19)

A sequel to Disney’s beloved 1964 film “Mary Poppins” has been a long time coming. In fact, the 54 years between the original and this new film is the longest gap between live-action movie sequels in history. Emily Blunt stars as the magical housekeeper who revisits the Banks family 25 years after the original movie. Blunt is joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and even Dick Van Dyke!

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‘Welcome to Marwen’ (Dec. 21)

Robert Zemeckis, director of “Back to the Future” and “Forrest Gump,” is bringing this intriguing drama to theaters. Steve Carell stars as a victim of a brutally violent attack who builds an elaborate miniature village in his yard as he recovers. The story is based on the real life of Mark Hogancamp, who actually did this at his New York home in 2000 and was the subject of the acclaimed documentary “Marwencol.”

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‘Holmes and Watson’ (Nov. 9)

“Step Brothers” stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly reunite for a comedic take on the classic mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. The cast also includes Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Laurie and Rebecca Hall. If you liked “Tropic Thunder” or “Idiocracy,” you’ll want to check this flick out, as it comes from the same writer.

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‘Alita: Battle Angel’ (Dec. 21)

This big budget sci-fi/action flick comes from producer James Cameron, who was responsible for two of the biggest blockbusters of all time: “Titanic” and “Avatar.” Based on a 1990 Japanese manga series, the movie follows Alita, a cyborg who has lost her memory but is capable of amazing feats. The cast includes Oscar winners Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali.

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‘Destroyer’ (Dec. 25)

Fans of crime thrillers will likely want to add this one to their lists of movies to see this year. Nicole Kidman stars as a Los Angeles detective who revisits people she worked with during a tragic undercover operation when she was a young cop. Co-stars Bradley Whitford from “Get Out” and Tatiana Maslany from “Orphan Black” join Kidman in this dark story, and “Aeon Flux” director Karyn Kusama is at the helm.

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‘On the Basis of Sex’ (Dec. 28)

Rounding out December’s new releases is another movie that follows a powerful female lead. This one follows a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she argues a case about sex discrimination before the U.S. Court of Appeals. Felicity Jones will play Ginsburg and Armie Hammer plays her husband, Marty. The cast also includes Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston and Justin Theroux.

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About the Author
Clint Davis
Clint has watched way too many TV shows and movies and makes a great partner for trivia night. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, baby son and two massive dogs.

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