Fall movie season is just around the corner! The Venice International Film Festival leads to the Toronto International Film Festival, which leads to the New York Film Festival. And beyond that, there are a slew of prestige pics, family-friendly adventures, gnarly horror movies, and movies too genre-bending to be so easily summarized!
Mashable’s Entertainment team has surveyed the cinema landscape for fall and winter to pull together the most anticipated titles you can see this year.
Whether in theaters, on digital, or streaming, these movies promise jaw-dropping thrills, tear-jerking drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, scream-inducing horror, and edge-of-your-seat excitement. So mark you calendars, and let’s go to the movies.
September 2026 movie releases
Fall 2: Deadpoint
In 2022, Fall delivered a survival thriller that rattled with suspense and boasted a sensationally WTF ending. Now comes a sequel of sorts with Fall 2: Deadpoint.
Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank, who co-penned the first film, are reunited here, scripting a spin-off story with some striking similarities. Harriet Slater stars as Jax Hunter, the younger sister of the late Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner). Spiraling from grief, she teams up with Hunter’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to tackle an adventure her sister never got to attempt: a treacherous climb of Mount Kwan in Thailand that ends before a statue of the Death Dragon, which is said to eat your fear.
Will this attempt to overcome grief by taking a risky climb play out better for Hunter’s sister? Well, a rockslide promises a rough path. But we’ll have to see to find out if Fall 2 can live up to its sister prequel. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner, and Grace Caroline Currey
How to watch: Fall 2: Deadpoint opens in theaters on Sept. 2.
Mayday
If you miss Cold War comedies like Dr. Strangelove and Spies Like Us, you’ll likely be stoked about the latest from (checks notes) Canadian action star Ryan Reynolds and British thespian Kenneth Branagh.
Set in 1987, Mayday centers on a U.S. Air Force Pilot (Reynolds) finds himself lost in the Soviet wilderness, where a Russian ex-KGB carpenter (Branagh) becomes an unlikely ally. While the premise feels inexplicably vintage, this comedy comes from filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who previously helmed such hilarious action comedies as Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. So, yeah, we’re game. — K.P.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, and David Morse
How to watch: Mayday premieres Sept. 4 on Apple TV.
Onslaught
Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have previously given horror fans such vicious offerings as You’re Next, The Guest, and Blair Witch. Now they reteam for Onslaught, an A24 thriller about a single mom (Adria Arjona) who must defend her child against a squad of merciless super soldiers who’ve escaped their experimental facility. This task might seem impossible. But it helps that this mom is a trained sniper.
Expect blood, explosions, and carnage. Plus, The Guest‘s Dan Stevens as a mad scientist who looks like a Halloween decoration. — K.P.
Starring: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall
How to watch: Onslaught opens in theaters on Sept. 4.
Hope
You’re not ready for Hope.
Written and directed by South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (The Wailing), this sci-fi epic clocks in at 156 minutes, and they breeze by like the galloping monsters at its center, fast and ruthlessly violent.
Hwang Jung-min stars as a small-town sheriff who is looking into the bizarre slaughtering of a cow near the forest. Soon enough, he’ll come face to face with the killer creature, but only after a barrage of building-shattering, bone-snapping action that makes up the film’s first act. You won’t believe what comes next, but spoilers: It’s epic. — K.P.
Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender
How to watch: Hope opens in theaters on Sept. 9.
Black Zombie
If you love zombie movies and TV shows, you won’t want to miss Black Zombie.
Director Maya Annik Bedward explores the representation of zombies in Hollywood movies like White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, and The Serpent and the Rainbow. Then, she traces their roots back to Haitian culture. Interviews with experts explore how colonialism transformed a concept from voodoo into something meant to strike fear in a white audience. Shining a light on Haitian culture, Bedward invites audiences to a deeper understanding of the zombie subgenre and the power that keeps it biting. — K.P.
Starring: Yves-Grégory Francois, Mambo Labelle Déesse, Slash, Tom Savini, and Tananarive Due
How to watch: Black Zombie opens in theaters on Sept. 11.
The Uprising
From writer/director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Lost Bus) comes a period drama about the 1381 English Peasants’ Revolt. And you better believe Greengrass is bringing action sequences into this historical retelling.
When the tyranny of King Richard II plunges the people into poverty and squalor, one man says, “Enough.” Andrew Garfield stars as the revolutionary leader, whose story is true, and looks achingly relevant. — K.P.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, and Katherine Waterston
How to watch: The Uprising opens in theaters on Sept. 11.
The Debut
Oh, we do love a film about making theatre. Director, writer, and producer Jesse Eisenberg’s A24 comedy looks to capture the sheer grit and dedication of community theatre productions and the lifeline they can be for the people who make them.
In The Debut, Julianne Moore plays Mona Friedman, a wife and mother who decides to audition for a community musical in her local New Jersey theatre. What begins as a flight of fancy becomes a serious means for Mona to channel her inner rage and joy, as local legend and demanding director Jerry (Paul Giamatti) pushes her to unlock a part of herself she’s long suppressed. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor
Starring: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg, Cara Buono, Craig Bierko, Eldar Isgandarov, and Bernadette Peters
How to watch: The Debut will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 13, before it opens in theaters Dec. 11.
April X
If Heated Rivalry has you thirsty for more from Connor Storrie, you won’t want to miss April X.
This near-future thriller stars Storrie as Bax, a man on a mission to find his missing twin sister April (Lilly Krug). Amid neon lights, seedy intrigue, and an underground world ripe with danger, will he succeed in his rescue mission? Or will this become about vengeance? We can’t wait to find out. — K.P.
Starring: Connor Storrie and Lilly Krug
How to watch: April X opens in theaters on Sept 18.
Resident Evil
Zach Cregger, the writer/director behind horror hits like Barbarian and Weapons, returns with the relaunch of the Resident Evil film franchise. And from the looks of his first trailer, he’ll be bringing that The Whitest Kids U’Know sensibility to this horror movie too.
Based on the popular Capcom video games, Resident Evil will center on a hapless delivery guy named Bryan (Austin Abrams) who’s looking to make some quick cash with one last run. Unlucky for him, he’s headed to Raccoon City General Hospital, where an outbreak is spreading fast. You ready to ride along? — K.P.
Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser
How to watch: Resident Evil opens in theaters on Sept 18.
Bad Apples
Teachers deserve better. Our underpaid educators put up with everything from disruptive students to micromanaging parents. And in Jonatan Etzler’s dark comedy thriller Bad Apples, one (Saoirse Ronan) takes matters into her own hands.
Written by Jess O’Kane as an adaptation of Rasmus Andersson’s novel De Oönskade, the film sees Ronan as Somerset-based primary school teacher Maria. She loves teaching, despite the underfunded education system testing her daily. When troubled student Danny (newcomer Eddie Waller) constantly disrupts her class, Maria makes some choices.
As I wrote in my review, “With Ronan’s always-impeccable talents supported by a sublime young cast, Bad Apples leans into unethical impulses, all the while exposing home truths about the under-resourced education system and social disdain toward children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. Plus, it’s really funny.” — S.C.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eddie Waller, Jacob Anderson, Sean Gilder, Nia Brown, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms
How to watch: Bad Apples hits cinemas Sept. 18.
Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
Shaun the Sheep gets spooky in Aardman’s latest stop-motion romp, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.
It’s almost Halloween at Mossy Bottom Farm, but there’s just one problem: The clumsy Farmer has wrecked the flock’s carefully cultivated pumpkin patch. Shaun the Sheep embraces his inner mad scientist in order to fix the problem, but the situation goes haywire when the Farmer goes missing, and a strange, hairy beast pops up in Mossingham. Are the incidents related, and can Shaun save the day? Ring in spooky season with Shaun to find out, and treat yourself to what is sure to be a charming, exquisitely crafted adventure. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Kate Harbour, Dani Dyer, Nina Sosanya, Paul Whitehouse, and Roman Kemp
How to watch: Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom opens in theaters on Sept. 18.
You Had to Be There
Comedy nerds, you have to see this one.
The full title of this superb documentary from Nick Davis is You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way). Its focus is looking back at the 1972 Toronto production of Godspell, which boasted such not-yet-famous performers as Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood, and Paul Shaffer. And most of the above offer interviews, home movies, and personal recordings of this pivotal moment in Canadian comedy.
This movie was one of my absolute favorites at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. And as I cheered in my review, “You Had to Be There gifts audiences plenty of laughs, and so much more. This is not some fluffy celebration of comedians or even Godspell. Davis and company have come together to craft a documentary that is both informative, historical, entertaining, and deeply humane.” — K.P.
Starring: Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood, and Paul Shaffer
How to watch: You Had to Be There opens in NY theaters on Sept. 18 and nationwide on Sept. 25.
The Love Hypothesis
Romance and Reylo fans, the time you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Ali Hazelwood’s bestseller The Love Hypothesis hits Prime Video this September.
Lili Reinhart plays Olive Smith, a dedicated PhD candidate who wants to convince her friend she’s over her ex. To do so, she claims she’s in a relationship and kisses the first man she can find… who just so happens to be broody biology professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman). Despite Adam’s legendary sternness, he agrees to enter a fake relationship with Olive. Of course, anyone who’s ever watched a rom-com knows those feelings won’t be fake for long, and things will heat up faster than you can say “Bunsen burner.” — B.E.
Starring: Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Rachel Marsh, Jaboukie Young-White, Nicholas Duvernay, and Arty Froushan
How to watch: The Love Hypothesis premieres Sept. 23 on Prime Video.
Primetime
Based on Luke Dittrich’s Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die,” Primetime is a thriller from director Lance Oppenheim (Ren Faire) that seems to examine the phenomenon of To Catch A Predator through the lens of Nightcrawler.
This thriller stars Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, the American journalist and TV presenter who headlined the Dateline program on which alleged pedophiles were snared with TV cameras rolling. Last year, the documentary Predators explored how Hansen’s work was more problematic than it might seem. Now Primetime looks like it’ll crack this discourse wide open with star power and an A24 sheen of prestige. — K.P.
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers
How to watch: Primetime opens in theaters on Sept. 25.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
When Mahershala Ali and writer/director Bassam Tariq realized the MCU’s Blade movie wasn’t happening, they found a new way to work together with the promising action drama Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.
Mahershala Ali and Bassam Tariq reveal how Blade’s end led to ‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’
Ali stars as Latif, a Muslim family man who is also a hit man dedicated to protecting his community from outside threats. However, the death of his wife pitches Latif into the role of sole parent. But his path of violence is not one so easily left behind. So, as he battles to get what his three children need, he must also face down hired guns and a charismatic cult leader, played by John Cho.
Mashable Top Stories
There are a lot of exciting titles hitting this fall. But we’re predicting this one is in the must-see category. — K.P.
Starring: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Abubakr Ali, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Laith Nakli
Never After Dark
Written and directed by Dave Boyle, Never After Dark was one of the most thrilling horror movies out of SXSW 2026.
In my review, I reveled, “There’s something sublime about a really good ghost story, and I’m pleased to say Never After Dark is a really good ghost story.
“From House of Ninjas‘ writer/director Dave Boyle comes a horror thriller that has the slow burn of ’70s classics like The Shining and The Exorcist. Like those searing horror legends, Never After Dark also centers its story of supernatural infestation in one location. The forest-bound bed-and-breakfast of Never After Dark might seem an unremarkable space, much like the Overlook Hotel or the MacNeil home at first glance. But as the chilling story develops, its many-windowed exterior grows foreboding, and its wood-paneled interiors slyly sinister, suggesting the presence of something inhuman and dangerous… A shrewdly paced mystery with mounting horror and gore, Never After Dark is sensationally spooky and devilishly entertaining.” — K.P.
Starring: Moeka Hoshi, Kurumi Inagaki, Kento Kaku, Tae Kimura, Bokuzō Masana, and Mutsuo Yoshioka
How to watch: Never After Dark opens in theaters Sept. 25.
The Incomer
One of my favorites out of Sundance 2026, The Incomer is a quirky comedy about what happens when a stranger comes a near abandoned Scottish isle populated by two siblings who are fixated on folklore and strange homespun traditions. This might sound like a horror movie, but in the hands of writer/director Louis Paxton it plays out as a weird and heart-warming comedy.
A mop-topped Domhnall Gleeson stars as a socially awkward official who’s tasked with traveling to this little island to evict its only remaining residents. But Isla (Gayle Rankin) and her brother Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) were taught to never trust incomers, so he gets a colorful reception, to put it mildly. From there, bonds grow amid much silliness. — K.P.
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, and Michelle Gomez
How to watch: The Incomer opens in theaters Sept. 25.
October 2026 movie releases
Verity
Anne Hathaway is doing the most this year! She’s already brought us the surreal splendor of Mother Mary, the fashion fun of The Devil Wears Prada 2, and the wailing rage of The Odyssey. Next, she’s returning to psychosexual thrills with Verity. (We haven’t forgotten Neon’s Mother’s Instinct.)
Based on Colleen Hoover’s popular novel of the same name, Verity stars Dakota Johnson as struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who’s hired to ghostwrite for bestselling author Verity Crawford (Hathaway). But it’s far from your average ghostwriting gig. You see, Lowen’s invited to come live in Crawford’s house, alongside Verity’s husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), while Verity is comatose in her bed after a car collision.
And as you might guess from the trailer, things get a bit gothic horror with a touch of romance. And in a curious twist, Verity is being helmed by Michael Showalter, best known for comedies like Wet Hot American Summer, The Idea of You (also a Hathaway joint), and Oh. What. Fun. What does that mean for this movie? We’re giddy to find out. — K.P.
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett
How to watch: Verity opens in theaters Oct 2.
Beware Boiúna
An ancient serpentine predator lies in slumber, deep in the Amazon, in this Anaconda-style creature survival horror from director Mike P. Nelson (V/H/S/85; Silent Night, Deadly Night).
Beware Boiúna sees a group on a medical mission into the South American rainforest hunted by a rudely awakened, mythical, semiaquatic reptile. Kiana Madeira (Fear Street), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), and Logan Marshall-Green (Upgrade) disturb the slumber of Boiúna, whose bite is way worse than her non-existent bark. Written by Nelson with his Wrong Turn collaborator Alan B. McElroy and Doom: Annihilation‘s Tony Giglio, this film feels meant to be bravely watched in cinemas behind an enormous popcorn bucket. — S.C.
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Jessica Rothe, and Logan Marshall-Green
How to watch: Beware Boiúna opens in theaters Oct. 2.
Animals
Aside from his skills as a brooding leading man, Ben Affleck has also distinguished himself as a director, helming scorchingly riveting thrillers such as Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo. So, we’re pretty pumped to see Animals, which marks his return to the role of actor/director.
This crime thriller stars Affleck as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose world is thrown into spin when his young son is kidnapped. He and his wife (Kerry Washington) have invested their wealth into his campaign. So, to get together a ransom quick, they’ll have to get their hands dirty. — K.P.
Starring: Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Steven Yeun
How to watch: Animals debuts in select theaters and on Netflix Oct. 9.
Matchbox: The Movie
Yup, Matchbox cars now have their own movie. John Cena stars as a spy who reconnects with his childhood friends, accidentally looping them into a dangerous mission to clear his name when he’s framed for the theft of a nuclear weapon.
Got all that? Don’t sweat it. Take a look at the cast and the trailer, and trust that Matchbox: The Movie is gearing up to bring exciting action with much silliness, and many flashy vehicles. — K.P.
Starring: John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, and Teyonah Parris
How to watch: Matchbox: The Movie debuts on Apple TV on Oct. 9.
Tenzing
Tom Hiddleston and Genden Phuntsok in “Tenzing.”
Credit: Apple TV
Plenty know the story of Sir Edmund Hillary, who summited Mount Everest. But fewer know of Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese Indian sherpa who got him there.
Director Jennifer Peedom has previously helmed documentaries Sherpa and Mountain, and now brings that awareness of mountaineering and Norgay’s legacy to Tenzing. Genden Phuntsok stars as the eponymous historical figure, while Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary. And we can’t wait to see the emotional heights they’ll reach together. — K.P.
Starring: Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, and Thinley Lhamo
How to watch: Tenzing opens in select theaters Oct. 9, before debuting globally on Apple TV Oct. 16.
The Social Reckoning
First there was The Social Network, a docudrama that laid bare the origins of Facebook and the ruthless ambition of Mark Zuckerberg. Now comes The Social Reckoning, a companion film that digs into the whistleblower story of Frances Haugen.
Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the screenplay for David Fincher’s The Social Network, is back, writing and directing this follow-up. Jeremy Strong takes on the role of Zuckerberg, while Academy Award winner Mikey Madison plays Haugen, and The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White plays investigative tech reporter Jeff Horwitz. It’s giving prestige, and it may well make you second-guess your Facebook account. — K.P.
Starring: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr, and Jeremy Strong
How to watch: The Social Reckoning opens in theaters Oct. 9.
Musk
Credit: AP / Bleecker Street Media
Academy Award–winning documentarian Alex Gibney has tackled corruption, unchecked greed, and high-profile fraudsters with films like The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Now, he’s locked onto technocrat and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, Elon Musk.
There’s no trailer for this one yet. But based on Gibney’s heralded filmography, we’re betting Musk will be more The Jinx, less Melania. — K.P.
How to watch: Musk opens in theaters on Oct. 16.
Sense and Sensibility
Director Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) and screenwriter Diana Reid adapt Jane Austen’s 1811 novel about two very different sisters seeking a match in Regency-era England.
After the death of their father, the rigorously rational Elinor Dashwood (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her impulsive younger sister Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) are eager to find a husband. But they’re looking for something more rare than financial security. They’re looking for love in a world of infuriatingly righteous gentlemen and unfortunately sexy rogues. — K.P.
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw
How to watch: Sense and Sensibility opens in theaters on Oct. 16.
Street Fighter
Get ready to brawl with Ryu (Andrew Koji), Ken (Noah Centineo), Chun-Li (Callina Liang), and more when Street Fighter punches its way into theaters this fall.
The film adaptation of the hit video game franchise reveals that former friends Ryu and Ken are now estranged. However, when Chun-Li recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament, they’ll have to team up to uncover a sinister conspiracy. Cue a series of badass battles, along with a rogue’s gallery of Street Fighter villains like M. Bison (David Dastmalchian), Balrog (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), and Akuma (Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i). Oh, and you know there’s going to be a Hadouken in the mix. — B.E.
Starring: Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, Eric André, Vidyut Jammwal, Orville Peck, Olivier Richters, Hirooki Goto, Rayna Vallandingham, Alexander Volkanovski, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Jason Momoa
How to watch: Street Fighter opens in theaters on Oct. 16.
Klara and the Sun
Here comes the sun… Klara and the Sun, that is. Jenna Ortega and Taika Waititi team up to bring Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed sci-fi novel to the big screen.
Set in a dystopian future, Klara and the Sun stars Ortega as Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF) who wants to find a friend of her own. She gets one in Josie (Mia Tharia), an isolated young woman with a complicated relationship with her mother Chrissie (Amy Adams). Can Klara be the force of change Josie and her family need to start healing? — B.E.
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, Rachel House, Harry Greenwood, and Sophia Bryant-Taukiri
How to watch: Klara and the Sun opens in theaters on Oct. 23.
Wicker
Alexander Skarsgård, Pillion star and patron saint of horny cinema, returns this fall with Wicker.
Based on Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story The Wicker Husband, this romantic fantasy from writers/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson stars Academy Award winner Olivia Colman as a medieval fisherwoman who’s been ostracized from the village due to the intense odor of her labors. So, she goes to a Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a mate out of wicker. And he makes literal husband material in the form of a wicker man, played by Skarsgård.
Make room on your Hear Me Out cake. We won’t judge. — K.P.
Starring: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, and Elizabeth Debicki
How to watch: Wicker opens in theaters on Oct. 23.
Wildwood
For years, animation studio LAIKA has gifted us with gorgeous stop-motion adventures like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings. Its next film, the fairy tale epic Wildwood, looks like its most ambitious yet.
Based on the novel by The Decemberists’ front man Colin Meloy, Wildwood whisks audiences to Portland, Oregon, where headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is about to embark on a magical journey. When a murder of crows abducts her baby brother Mac, Prue must venture into an enchanted forest known as the Impassable Wilderness. Within lurk talking animals, bandits, and the mysterious and powerful Alexandra (voiced by Carey Mulligan). Every trailer for Wildwood has been more astounding than the last, full of beautifully crafted puppets, sets, and battle scenes. If you want pure, handmade movie magic, take a trip to Wildwood. — B.E.
Starring: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant
How to watch: Wildwood opens in theaters on Oct. 23.
November 2026 movie releases
Being Heumann
From Siân Heder, the director behind the Best Picture Oscar winner CODA, comes Being Heumann, a biographical drama about Judith Heumann, an advocate known as the mother of the disability rights movement.
An adaptation of her memoir Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, this movie focuses on the 1977 sit-in that began as an impulsive political action, and became the longest occupation of a federal building in American history. Sounds like a stirring drama that could well return Heder to the Oscar campaign trail. — K.P.
Starring: Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney, and Ray Fisher
How to watch: Being Heumann opens in select theaters on Nov. 6, then debuts on Apple TV on Nov. 13.
Wild Horse Nine
Playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh has thrilled critics and audiences with his deeply dark comedies, like In Bruges; Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri; and The Banshees of Inisherin. Now he returns with Wild Horse Nine, which reunites him with Sam Rockwell, who won an Oscar for his supporting turn in Three Billboards.
Set before the 1973 Chilean coup, Wild Horse Nine centers on two CIA agents, Lee (Rockwell) and Chris (John Malkovich), who are sent to Easter Island. There, they grapple with their dark pasts and present doubts. And things get more complicated when Chris connects with a duo of rebellious students. What could happen? Based on McDonagh’s filmography, we’re going to guess violent blows, biting jokes, and stinging bitterness. — K.P.
Starring: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana Di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits, and Parker Posey
How to watch: Wild Horse Nine opens in theaters on Nov. 6.
Victorian Psycho
If you like your comedy black as night, you’ll cackle gleefully at Victorian Psycho.
Author Virginia Feito wrote the adapted screenplay, based on her novel of the same name, while Zachary Wigon (Sanctuary) directs Maika Monroe in the lead role. As you might guess from the title, the film follows a governess who has a homicidal streak.
In my review out of the Cannes International Film Festival, I cheered, “In the end, Victorian Psycho is a hoot, wildly fun, and unapologetically deranged on its surface. Then, just beneath that, Feito, Wigon, and Monroe weave a tapestry of class conflict, sexism, and trauma that urges audiences to probe deeper to understand that while Winifred is a monster, she was not born one.” — K.P.
Starring: Maika Monroe, Thomasin McKenzie, Evie Templeton, Ruth Wilson, and Jason Isaacs
How to watch: Victorian Psycho opens in theaters on Nov. 13.
Elsinore
Andrew Scott as Ian Charleson in “Elsinore.”
Credit: Focus Features
Last year, Focus Features brought us Hamnet; now they bring us Elsinore, another Shakespeare-related drama sure to have audiences weeping.
Named for the kingdom in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Elsinore is a biographical drama about acclaimed Scottish actor Ian Charleson. To film fans, he might be remembered best for his work in Chariots of Fire or Gandhi. However, to the British stage he was renowned for performances of numerous Shakespeare productions. This film however focuses on specifically on his last Hamlet. In 1989, Charleson played the melancholy Dane while suffering from the AIDS virus that would take his life the following year.
All of Us Strangers‘ Andrew Scott will take the lead as Charleson. So, have your tissues ready. — K.P.
Starring: Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Monica Dolan, and Juliet Stevenson
How to watch: Elsinore opens in select theaters on Nov. 20.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Return to the dystopian world of Panem in Sunrise on the Reaping, a Hunger Games prequel that shows us who Haymitch Abernathy was before he became Katniss and Peeta’s cynical mentor.
Joseph Zada steps into Woody Harrelson’s shoes as Haymitch, who gets reaped to participate in the 50th Hunger Games on his 16th birthday. Since it’s a Quarter Quell, the Capitol has thrown yet another sadistic twist into its child murder propaganda. This time around, there will be double the number of contestants in the suspiciously beautiful arena. Obviously, Hunger Games fans know that Haymitch will make it out alive. But the journey to victory is filled with heartbreak and twists aplenty, as well as resonant themes about revolution and implicit submission. If it’s even half as good as Suzanne Collins’ novel, we’re in for a real treat. — B.E.
Starring: Joseph Zada, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
How to watch: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in select theaters on Nov. 20.
December 2026 movie releases
Ink
Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce star in “Ink.”
Credit: Netflix
English filmmaker Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Years Later) reunites with Jack O’Connell for Ink.
Based on the 2017 stage play by James Graham, this biographical drama explores the work relationship between media magnate Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) and news editor Larry Lamb (O’Connell), who’d move from The Daily Mail to The Sun.
We’ve not seen Graham’s play. But details on the premise, plus Boyle and his cast, have us ready to see Ink. — K.P.
Starring: Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy
How to watch: Ink opens in select theaters on Dec. 11, then debuts on Netflix on Jan. 8, 2027.
Ray Gunn
Credit: Skydance Animation / Netflix
Before Brad Bird directed animated classics like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, he had the idea for Ray Gunn, a blend of sci-fi and film noir. Thirty years later, that passion project finally comes to the screen on Netflix.
Ray Gunn transports viewers to Metropia, a futuristic metropolis of flying cars, aliens, and mile-high skyscrapers. Here, down-on-his luck private investigator Ray Gunn (voiced by Sam Rockwell) gets embroiled in a major case involving music superstar Venus Nova (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Brace yourself for big twists, zippy action sequences, and an animated city you’ll want to get lost in. — B.E.
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits
How to watch: Ray Gunn premieres Dec. 18 on Netflix.
Werwulf
American writer/director Robert Eggers has offered horror fans the grisly tales of The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, Nosferatu, and now Werwulf.
Set in 13th-century England, his latest reteams him with Nosferatu cast members Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp. Together, they unfurl a story of a man turned ravenous beast as only Eggers can. — K.P.
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp
How to watch: Werwulf opens in theaters Dec. 25.
