MJ's VIEW. A Fall 2026 Baker's Dozen: Six Must-See Movies, Six Worth a Look... Plus One More.


It's that most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving or even Halloween - it's fall movie season, that scarily festive few months when the efficacy of early summer favorites like Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is tested as another wave of highly anticipated projects, some of which have received film festival award recognition at Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. Lots of new movies will hit theaters, sparking speculation about which ones will eventually be nominated for the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, SAG and Oscars. It's a cinephile's delight, and I've already started making out my list of must-see movies.
Of the almost 100 movies scheduled for release between Labor Day and Christmas, only a few will make the Oscar cut. Most will fade to black quicker than the it takes to role the credits, but it's still fun to start prognosticating: Who will still be standing in March when the Oscars are awarded?
Ever the eager cinema guide, here are few of MJ's picks (sight unseen) for Fall 2026's best. I've based my selections on advanced critical buzz, film festival recognition, director/actor involvement, and unique/unusual storylines. With those critera, I have not included fluffy commercial movies like Practical Magic 2 (a NYTimes critic referred to it as "Barbie goes to a coven"), or Focker-in-Law. Please feel welcome to sit through franchise follow-ups as you see fit.
I've also not added the third and last installment of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, as I suspect those who want to see the final chapter of this sci-fi trilogy will do so without my recommendation. I'll write more about Dune in the coming months, as I suspect there will be lots of eyes on its success. The first two films were both nominated for Best Picture and received several Oscars (mostly in the technical fields), so we'll see if third time's the charm for Villeneuve's trifecta. It's likely to be the only big (re: IMAX-driven) film to challenge The Odyssey in terms of special visual effects. The big question will be whether Villeneuve follows in the footsteps of Peter Jackson, whose third chapter of the Lord of the Rings trilogy finally brought him as Oscar.
I've divided my picks into two categories: "Must-See" and "Worth a Look." "Must-See" movies are those I anticipate will have the strongest chance to be around during awards season and likely short-listed for multiple Oscars. "Worth a Look" are those that have may also have a chance at some awards, given early buzz about performances, writing or direction, but may not be among the most formidable awards contenders overall.
The movies are arranged in order of their release date, not because one or the other is better. Since I haven't seen any of them, you'll have to wait for my reviews to see how they measure up. All movies selected here are slated for theatrical release, so no straight to streaming (re: Mayday) options, either. You can channel surf on your own. Finally, embedded with each selection is the link to the movie's official trailer, just to whet your appetite for what's to come. A reminder that some of the trailers may contain offensive images and/or profanity.
So grab some popcorn (and maybe an adult beverage), and take a look at some of the reasons MJ awaits the fall (channeling Tim Curry's iconic transvestite, Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show here) with great an-ti-ci-pa-tion.
Six Must-See Movies
Digger
Release Date: October 2
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons
Genre: Satirical Black Comedy
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/job8V254NAE?si=1ydfGv_liaH64AyC
Can Alejandro Iñárritu do for Tom Cruise what he did for Leonardo DiCaprio, finally bring him a Best Actor Oscar? Cruise has been an Oscar-nominated groomsman three times: twice in the Best Actor category for Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996), and once for Best Supporting Actor in Magnolia (1999), and he's publicly longed for the artistic recognition that would match his box office domination that has lasted over four decades. There is no doubt that Tom Cruise is the face of cinema, specifically, its biggest champion promoting the big screen theater experience. No direct to streaming advocate, he is clearly the patron saint of seeing movies the way they were intended.
Digger looks to be a kind of modernized Dr. Strangeglove, where the man (Digger) responsible for creating a global crisis must find a way to save the world, despite an inordinately absurd number of obstacles in his way. Not far from Cruise's usual cinematic roles (saving the world), except this time he is hidden under lots of prosthetics that make his handsome face and megawatt smile hard to see. Cruise has "uglied up" before: playing an profanely ill-tempered studio executive in 2008's Tropic Thunder and famously shaving his hairline to better portray the physical transformation of real-life veteran Ron Kovic after a stint in Vietnam left him paralized in Born on the Fourth of July.
Cruise is nothing if not earnest in his desire to achieve thespian validation from his peers, even though I would argue that he has always been a fine actor in his own right. Maybe not a great, transformative one, like Daniel Day-Lewis, but a very solid actor who has moved almost effortlessly from leading man/action hero to smaller, character-driven roles.
Take a look at his performances opposite Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman in The Color of Money (1986) and Rain Man (1988), respectively. In both those films, he was deserving of a supporting actor nom alongside two veterans who each won Best Actor that year. Magnolia was a tour-de-force that should have garnered Cruise an Oscar win, if not for sentimental favorite Michael Caine's performance as a kindly doctor in Cider House Rules.
Except for a very carefully crafted trailer, Iñárritu has done little to promote this film, refusing to enter it in any of this year's major film festivals. Cruise is reportedly hosting a London premiere later this month, a kind of safe haven for him as he is popular among British royals and celebrities like David and Victoria Beckham. Whether the almost secretive approach to the big movie's big reveal is successful remains to be seen, but the collaboration of Iñárritu and Cruise alone, plus a supporting cast that includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons, should pique the interest of any self-respecting film afficienado.
What I'm really curious about is whether Cruise will follow Paul Newman in finally receiving an acting Oscar after receiving an honorary one. Newman, nominated seven times before his win for The Color of Money, received an honorary, lifetime achievement Oscar one year before his Best Actor win. Last year, Cruise was the recipient of an honorary Oscar for his contributions to film. His Oscar was presented by Alejandro Iñárritu. Hmm....
La Bola Negra
Release Date: October 16 (in theaters for 45 days, then to Netflix)
Writer/Director: Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo Cast: Penélope Cruz, Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, and Glenn Close
Genre: Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/Yn-UxPIwTsU?si=nDDxanczz_oh5huL
This is not a film for everyone, but it's probably a "must-see" for serious moviegoers as it has been hailed as a "moving and ambitious search for Spanish queer identity." The film is based on two works - La bola negra, an unfinished novel by Federico García Lorca, who wrote four pages before being murdered in 1936, and the play La piedra oscura, by Alberto Conejero. The title translated to English means "The Black Ball," and refers a form of rejection gay men faced when attempting to join a Grenadian social club.
La Bola Negra premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival where the two Javier's won Best Director. It was also nominated for the festival's prestigious Palme D'Or. Critical response has been overwhelmingly positive, though a few critics have noted the movie's length (2.5 hours) and its sense of importance, which felt pedantic to some, detracted from the film's overall impact. Of note are Cruz and Close's performances, which are being discussed as strong enough to earn a supporting actress nomination. Cruz won the Oscar in this category in 2009 for Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona. Close has yet to win an Oscar, despite eight nominations.
Cruz has been busy this year with three films, already earning praise for her performance in The Invite, and recently receiving a sixteen-minute standing ovation as part of the cast of Bunker, at the Venice Film Festival. La Bola Negra was also a big hit at this year's Telluride Festival.
Look for this film and Fatherland to be in the running for Oscar's Best International Film.
Fatherland
Release Date: October 23
Director/Co-Writer: Pawel Pawlikowski
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Hanns Zischler, August Diehl
Genre: Biographical Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/-I2-X9v-ogs?si=1Sl5VycoVxptZbq8
Like Penélope Cruz, Sandra Hüller has had one busy year in 2026, starting with this spring's biggest hit, Project Hail Mary, and moving into fall with two very different, but equally anticipated films: the aforementioned Digger and the already-feted Fatherland, the third in Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War trilogy. I've seen - and loved - the first two: Ida (2013), the story of a nun preparing to take her final vows when she meets her only living relative and discovers she is Jewish. This news takes her on a personal journey of self-discovery. Cold War (2018) is the story of a musical director and a jazz singer, whose on/off relationship between 1949 and 1962 provides the backdrop for a more probing exploration of the "dark heart" that inhabited Polish culture after the second world war.
Both films were beautifully filmed and enhanced by exquisite acting, leaving a clear, emotional mark on the audience. With running times under 90 minutes, Pawlikowski is both efficient and effective in his use of time, utilizing black and white film to maximize the stark contrasts between characters and the often bleak psychological traumas that underscore a typically svelte narrative. Ida received the Oscar for Best Foreign Langugage Film (now Best International Film), and Cold War was nominated in the same category, along with Best Director for Pawlikowski, and Best Cinematography.
Fatherland is another road trip of sorts, this time with father-daughter Thomas and Erika Mann (Zischler and Hüller) traveling across Germany in 1949 to Frankfurt, where Thomas will receive a Goethe prize in literature. A celebrated German writer, Thomas is grappling with personal memories and political demons, while Erika serves as both his translator and conduit to underlying family issues.
Fatherland premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival to positive critical reception, and went on to win Best Director for Pawlikowski (jointly w/the two Javier's from La Bola Negra). It was also nominated for the prestigious Palme D'Or, coming in second to Cristian Mungui's Fjord. If you're not familiar with the first two films in this trilogy, check them out before seeing Fatherland. Both are streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and Cold War is also available on Netflix.
Wild Horse Nine
Release Date: November 6
Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh
Cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Parker Posey
Genre: Black Comedy Action Thriller
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/Haw_sznA5aQ?si=NFxUDoVgFlbwoWxy
Waiting for the latest Martin McDonagh film has become a kind of ritual for me, the way I used to wait for Woody Allen's annual release. Unfortunately, McDonagh isn't as prolific as Allen, and his films are usually separated by years, rather than months. McDonagh's last effort, the brilliant, evocative The Banshees of Inisherin became one of my favorite movies of this century and was appropriately rewarded by multiple Academy, BAFTA, SAG and other award nominations.
If you're familiar with McDonagh, you know that he has both a perverse sense of a humor and a peculiar view of human nature. When these two skewed views come together, the result is usually a very unique, often violent vision of the world and the people who inhabit it. McDonagh's not for everyone, but for those who trust him to create a truly provocative movie environment, won't be disappointed. So be prepared to be shocked, intrigued, entertained, and challenged.
McDonagh mixes movie genres the way Betty Crocker blended cake batter ingredients, except nothing on McDonagh's menu is ever predictable or formulaic. This time, he's concocted a retro-throwback thriller that finds two American CIA agents, Chris and Lee (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell), wrangling with their dubious pasts and current conspiracies, on Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup.
Various forms of chaos will likely ensue, and McDonagh's extraordinary cast promises a wild and unorthodox ride through international intrigue. Rockwell won Best Supporting Actor for McDonagh's 2017 film, Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri, with Frances McDormand taking her second Best Actress trophy. Wild Horse Nine recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, with Malkovich reportedly moved to tears after an enthusiastic thirteen minute standing ovation.
With him, Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey comprising the ensemble in a Martin McDonagh film, I can't wait. Seven Psychos may be tame by comparison.
Elsinore
Release Date: November 20 (limited release, with expansion over Thanksgiving weekend)
Director: Simon Stone
Cast: Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman
Genre: Biographical Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/YslZwZ5FA2Y?si=-BNB_CpEWRsGbRj7
You may not know the name Andrew Scott, but you've surely seen him. He was one-half of the star-crossed lovers (with Paul Mescal) in Taichi Yamada's enigmatic 2023 fantasy, All of Us Strangers, the other half of the Rogers/Hart songwriting team (with Ethan Hawke) in last year's Blue Moon, and RAF meterologist James Stagg to Brendan Frasier's US General Dwight D. Eisenhower in this year's Pressure.
Scott's name has been regularly bantered about the past few years when Oscar nominations are discussed, but he's never yet made the final cut. But this may be his year.
Playing yet another real-life artist, Ian Charleson, a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of Olympic athlete Eric Liddell in the Oscar-winning film, Chariots of Fire, which won Best Picture in 1982. Scott is astute channeling deeply-rooted personal angst, this time Charleson's closeted sexuality. After struggling to find film work after Chariots's success, Charleson returns to Britain's National Theater where he once had several lead roles, and is cast as Daniel Day-Lewis's replacement as the title character in a production of Hamlet.
But there's a rub: Charleson is battling AIDS, so taking on Hamlet's most famous Prince is risky, if not life-threatening. Sharing full knowledge of his condition with his director Richard Eyre (Johnny Flynn) and against the advice of his doctor Margaret Johnson(Oscar-winner Olivia Colman), Ian accepts the challenging assignment. The audience, of course, is unaware of his struggles, with the result being a "remarkably haunting, resonant" performance, a career-culminating, life-ending role that director Stone imagines with reportedly understated care and compassion.
Elsinore premiered at Telluride last week and quickly became an Oscar frontrunner for Scott's breathtakingly nuanced performance. Here's hoping that Yorick's beleaguered Prince can overtake another classic character, Matt Damon's Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssety. The foregone conclusion that Nolan's film - and Damon's performance - are already winners is tiresome and in desperate need of some viable competition.
It looks like Andrew Scott and Elsinore may do just that, as Scott's performance has been hailed as "affecting and moving." It may well be the/his performance of a lifetime. As of this writing, Scott has just been announced as the recipient of the Best Acting award at the upcoming Mill Valley Film Festival. According to Festival director Rose Kuo, Scott's interpretation of Charleson's Hamlet, "the most death-haunted of tragic heroes, is witty, superbly passionate, and profoundly moving, becoming a meditation on mortality and the art of acting itself.”
The Debut
Release Date: December 11
Writer/Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg, Bernadette Peters
Genre: Musical Comedy
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/clyzHmBx43E?si=ov0GHiFMasM4ANmE
One of my favorite films of 2024 was A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg's semi-autobiographical road trip about two cousins, David and Benji, (Eisenberg and Oscar-winner Kieran Culkin), who travel to Poland to see the house where their grandmother lived. Their trip proves as revealing as it is nostalgic, and the movie went on to win numerous awards, including Culkin's Supporting Actor Oscar and Eisenberg's BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay.
Eisenberg is no slouch in the writing/creative department, so I am excited to see his latest effort. Buyoed by a cast that includes Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti and Oscar winner Julianne Moore, The Debut tells the story of a shy New Jersey housewife (Moore) who auditions for - and gets - the lead role in a local community theater production, directed by a very difficult, strong-willed director (Giamatti). As she becomes more consumed with the role, she experiences increased challenges in her personal life.
Moore is being touted as a strong Best Actress contender, with Giamatti favored for a Supporting Actor nom. Eisenberg wrote five original songs for the movie, so don't be surprised if one of them finds its way into the top five Original Song finalists. Wouldn't it be cool to see someone like Eisenberg win a musical composition Oscar over this year's odds-on favorite, Taylor Swift, who penned a forgettable country pop tune for Toy Story 5?
That was a rhetorical question, but those of you who know me know the answer. Besides, the thought of a new and engaging movie musical makes me smile just thinking about it. And just in time for the holidays.
Six Movies Worth a Look
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
Release Date: October 16 (limited, with wider release the following week)
Writer/Director: Noah Segan
Cast: John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Steve Buscemi, Jamie Lee Curtis
Genre: Crime Thriller
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/aMTvdZBfZf4?si=YRa-yS4Xjp6ozaHZ
This one is definitely a "critics' pick," the kind of indie movie MJ looks forward to as it stars indie darling John Turturro and reunites writer/director Noah Segan with producer Rian Johnson (Knives Out) to create a moody, authentic update to the ubiquitous New York crime drama. In this case, an aging pickpocket (Turturro) is sent on a race against time when a simple theft goes awry.
Pickpocket recently had a stellar premiere at the Telluride Festival and has screenings upcoming at both the Toronto and New York Film Festivals. Look to see if this one has marathon legs or, in this case, nimble fingers.
The Social Reckoning
Release Date: October 23
Writer/Director: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Jeremy Strong, Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Betty Gilpin, Wunmi Masaku
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/RoFyO0AJtNE?si=BJ359fXeNFZc-2bJ
Jesse Eisenberg famously rejected reprising his role as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, claiming he didn't want to be associated with what Zuckerberg and social media have become. Instead, we have the very able Jeremy Strong assuming the part of an older, ethically challenged Zuck, now dealing with the fallout of his now-iconic media platform, Facebook.
Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the screenplay for the first installment of Zuckerberg's tale, The Social Network (arguably, the best flick of 2010), returns as writer and takes on the additional task of directing this second installment. The Social Reckoning, a companion piece to The Social Network, centers on the 2021 Facebook "leak" - and subsequent investigation - after whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) sent tens of thousands of internal documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission and to Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White).
Awareness of those documentts prompted investigations by the US Senate Sub-Committee on Consumer Protection, as well as the British and European Parliaments. Haugen testified at all three hearings, and she and Horowitz then wrote separate books about the experience. It is Horwitz's book, Broken Code, which serves as the basis for the movie.
With a stellar cast and, given Sorkin's familiarity with the subject, including his Oscar win for The Social Network, as well as his reputation for writing tight, engaging screenplays involving politics and courtroom dramas (A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson's War, The Trial of the Chicago 7), The Social Reckoning looks good on paper. It will also be the second time in the past year that the two Jeremy's - Strong and Allen White - are co-starring in a film, after last fall's well-acted, but disappointing Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. And it's Mikey Madison's first major role since winning the Best Actress Oscar for Anora in 2025.
But movie scuttlebutt suggests that Sorkin may have overextended himself as director: the movie reportedly required last-minute re-shoots after test audiences expressed some negativity toward the ending, which sometimes spells deeper problems within the production. Like Digger, Sorkin is not submitting The Social Reckoning for any festival screenings, which adds further speculation to the mix. For me, I'd rather see mediocre Sorkin than first-rate action movies, so I've included this movie as possibly "worth a look" rather than a "must-see." But I could change my mind.
Wicker
Release Date: October 23 (limited, with wider release October 30)
Writers/Directors: Alex Huston Fisher and Eleanor Wilson
Cast: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Elizabeth Debicki, Richard E. Grant, Peter Dinklage
Genre: Romantic Fantasy/Comedy
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/HP0BWBWn14I?si=B31r1ZB3IajW7GFP
Based on the short story, "The Wicker Basket," Wicker is a medieval tale (set in a patriarchal community) where a spinster (Colman) is ridiculed for her non-marital status. Frustrated and angry at her social status, she commissions the town basket maker (Dinklage) to make her a husband out of wicker. When his creation (Skarsgård) comes to life, the locals witness a love story so pure it shakes their conventional notions about romance.
With that premise and a stellar cast, I'm in - and eager to see the results. What could be better than Olivia Colman, Peter Dinklage and Alexander Skaarsgard in a romantic, medival fantasy?
Paper Tiger
Release Date: November 13 (limited, with wider release November 20)
Writer/Director: James Gray
Cast: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller
Genre: Crime Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/iFxdHiafw2s?si=wW7wW7EWNtTPRKj9
When I read the synopsis for Paper Tiger, the story of two brothers who pursue a lucrative business deal in1980s Queen only to run afoul of the Russian mafia, I couldn't help but think of Little Odessa, a 1994 film starring Tim Roth as a hit man for the Russian-Jewish mob in Brooklyn. Sure enough. Little O was writer/director Gray's first movie. Talk about coming full circle.
Led by a strong cast that reunites Driver and Johannson from 2019's Marriage Story, Paper Tiger premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival to mostly postive reviews and was nominated for the Palme D'Or. It will also open the New York Film Festival later this month.
Tender Loving Care
Release Date: December 4
Writer/Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Kate O'Flynn, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Alice Bailey Johnson
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/87kdRJXYTV8?si=Fk_rwm-Cfm_E1dpF
This one's a purely personal choice, as I am a huge fan of acclaimed British filmmaker Mike Leigh who, at age eighty-three, has indicated Tender Loving Care is likely his final film project. Fitting title for a career that has long explored the intricate, sometimes conflicting, emotions that are often glossed over in movie relationships. My first encounter with Leigh was 1996's haunting Secrets and Lies, the poignant story of black woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) searching for her birth mother. I recall being riveted to the screen, the intimate dialogue, the humanity expressed through each character. Since then, Topsy-Turvey (1999), Another Year (2010) and Mr. Turner (2014) have all found their way onto my short-list of Leigh favorites. Two years ago, Leigh and Jean-Baptiste collaborated again on the searing Hard Truth, which I still argue deserved more attention than it received, with Jean-Baptiste far more deserving of an Oscar than 2025's winner, Mikey Madison.
Here's MJ's review of Hard Truths, now available to stream on Paramount+: https://www.mjthemovies.com/post/reviews-two-very-different-women-the-last-showgirl-hard-truths
Another slice-of-life story that explores how ordinary circumstances can yield extraordinary insights, Tender Loving Care follows the tale of Amy (Kate O'Flynn), a child protective services worker who moves in with her very upbeat friend Rosie (Alice Baily Johnson), a social services officer whose daily encounters with clients are often in direct contrast with her cheery nature. Tender Loving Care's world premiere at the Telluride Festival this month received strong, positive reactions from critics and audiences. It will be screen again this month at the Toronto International (TIFF) and New York Film Festivals.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,
Release Date: November 25 (in theaters); December 23 (Netflix)
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Peter Weller, Timothy Olyphant
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/JOpbJXgBoE4?si=PXFr3HGVH4oIMBMK
If you loved Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (I did), and found Brad Pitt's Oscar-winning turn as Cliff Booth more than worth the price of admission (I've seen the movie and his performance at least ten times), you'll want to check in on the further mishaps involving Hollywood's favorite stunt man.
Tarantino wrote the script, but turned directing duties to David Fincher, who has previously worked with Pitt on Seven (1995) and Fight Club (1999), so it will interesting see how both revisit Booth's antics: his mysterious past, his current situation, and his potentially provocative future. Or not. I'm curious as to whether Booth alone is worthy of an entire film, or whether it was better to leave Booth's shady past and Pitt's iconic performance alone... on Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon.
Plus One More...
I was on the fence about listing Fjord, this year's winner of the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, in the "Must-See" category because it is not likely to get widespread theatrical release in the United States. I'm also notoriously skeptical about Palme D'Or winners with respect to their watchability among audiences and their viability for an Oscar. In 2024, the (in MJ's assessment) very mediocre Anora won the Palme D'or and went on to win a Best Picture Oscar. Last year, It Was Just an Accident won at Cannes and then almost completely faded from major award recognition. So it's kind of a toss-up with respect to a Cannes-Oscar connection.
The same can be said about Film Festival performance and awards. Elsinore was on almost no one's radar until Telluride last week, when audience reaction, followed by an emotional encounter (recorded on someone's cell phone, no less) between Oprah Winfrey and Andrew Scott catapulted the film - and Scott's performance - onto the "must-see" for Oscar viewing list.
Go figure. At any rate, here's the scoop on Fjord.
Fjord
Release Date: October 9 (in select theaters)
Writer/Director: Cristian Mungui
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve
Genre: Legal Thriller/Docudrama
Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/o6j8PiGRdao?si=SPuNgQvKkiyVaOxz
Based on real events, Fjord follows a couple who return to the wife's birthplace in a remote Norweigian village where they quickly become the focus of intense (unfair?) scrutiny from the local community. I'm not sure if this is more like last year's dreary Sentimenal Value or 2024's riveting Anatomy of a Fall. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Fjord catches fire with a global audience, or if it becomes another minor achievement in cinema.
*******
MJ@theMovies will update and evaluate these movies (and maybe a few more) as they are released this fall, so stay tuned for more movie mirth, merriment and (hopefully, not too much) misery in the coming months. Here's hoping something emerges to give The Odyssey a much needed run for the money. 'Tis the season - to go out to the movies!
NOTE: MJ@theMovies will take a break for a few weeks while I complete an academic presentation for the upcoming MUSIC AMERICA conference at Monmouth University.




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