By Rob Hunter
Keep reading for a look at our ten most anticipated movies hitting screens this month!
September is a weird month in the world of new movie releases as it’s the connective tissue between the lazy end of summer and the start of prestige award season. Like every month though there are movies that look good and movies that look… less good. We’ve checked out the schedule of new releases for the month, and of the sixty plus titles opening in theaters or on VOD these are the ten we’re most anticipating.
9. Flatliners
Release Date: 9/29
Pros: Films focused on themes of guilt and personal responsibility can be affecting glimpses of both the best and worst of humanity, and layering that idea into a horror thriller has the potential to deliver some thought-provoking terrors.
Cons: Joel Schumacher’s 1990 original is a fun, lightweight thriller elevated by its big name cast — Julia Roberts! Kiefer Sutherland! Kevin Bacon! A Baldwin brother! — but in addition to looking a bit more sinister this redo just can’t compete on the casting front. Ellen Page, Diego Luna, and the rest are solid enough actors, but none of them have the personality or cache to raise this film above its now familiar premise. It means we’re left with unexciting actors in a generic-looking thriller.
8. Jackals
Release Date: 9/1
Pros: Home invasion films have an automatic leg up on horror movies about ghosts or monsters, because unlike those supernatural and unnatural threats the world actually features people who might want to creep into your house and dismember your family. The cast here is interesting too with Johnathon Schaech, Stephen Dorff, and Deborah Kara Unger headlining as the family under assault.
Cons: Having recently seen this one — and having really enjoyed the first two thirds — the downside comes with an ending that drops the ball for viewers and characters alike.
7. American Made
Release Date: 9/29
Pros: Doug Liman previously directed Tom Cruise in the fantastic Edge of Tomorrow, and they’ve been equally impressive apart over the years delivering big, entertaining movies. Their reunion here looks to be a fun, crazy but true romp highlighting Cruise’s sense of humor and the ridiculousness of our government’s war on drugs.
Cons: Liman also made Fair Game and The Wall recently, so he’s far from infallible, and maybe it’s just me but the trailer has something of a digital video look to it that in turn feels somewhat cheap.
6. The Houses October Built 2
Release Date: 9/22
Pros: The overwhelming majority of found footage horror films are hot garbage, but 2014’s The Houses October Built bucked that trend by delivering an interesting premise, characters who don’t wholly annoy, and some truly terrifying scares. The same creative team, both off-screen and on, returns for this follow-up.
Cons: What are the odds they can buck that trend a second time?
5. American Assassin
Release Date: 9/15
Pros: This looks good! Dylan O’Brien proved he can lead an action film with his two Maze Runner films, and it looks like he’s adapted well here into a more realistic environment. He’s joined by Michael Keaton and Scott Adkins who should be fun supporting players, and the action looks like a fun mix of gun play and bigger, more explosive sequences. Director Michael Cuesta previously gave us the small but effective Kill the Messenger, so I’m game to see what he’s done next.
Cons: No one’s talking about this one, and while it could just be flying under the radar it might mean a lack of faith by the studio and positive reactions by those who’ve already seen it. Worst case it’ll end up being fairly generic I guess.
4. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Release Date: 9/22
Pros: 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service is great fun (aside from the confetti head explosions and that sour note of an ending), and with everyone returning — from director Matthew Vaughn to writer Jane Goldman to the always great Colin Firth — the chances are good that this sequel will manage the same. Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, and Halle Berry are joining the show this time around which in theory should make for an even more entertaining adventure.
Cons: Much of what made the first film so enjoyable was the discovery of its style and approach to action, and it may be difficult to capture that same feeling again.
3. mother!
Release Date: 9/15
Pros: Director Darren Aronofsky is a talented filmmaker, and even when his films don’t quite land (Noah) they’re never less than fascinating. His latest looks to be his deepest dive yet into the horror genre, something he toyed with in Black Swan, and with the cast he’s assembled here — Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, Stephen McHattie, Kristen Wiig, and Domhnall Gleeson — the end result just might be extraordinary.
Cons: This may just be a case of misguided marketing, but they’re going out of their way to equate this to Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. It’ll be disappointing if the film’s third-act reveal is something along the lines of Lawrence’s character being groomed for the devil.
2. Battle of the Sexes
Release Date: 9/22
Pros: The true story of Bobby Riggs’ challenge to Billie Jean King is already an entertaining one, and seeing it brought to life with Steve Carell and Emma Stone as the competing tennis champions is incredibly appealing. Both have shown great skill at showing off their dramatic and comedic chops, sometimes in the same film, and with the directors of Little Miss Sunshine at the helm it feels like the story is in good hands. Add in Bill Pullman, Elisabeth Shue, Andrea Riseborough, Alan Cumming, Chris Parnell, Sarah Silverman, and more, and you have a film we can’t wait to see.
Cons: The list of good tennis movies is very short. As in non-existent. As in Wimbledon is the best of the lot.
1. IT
Release Date: 9/8
Pros: I had my doubts upon seeing a picture of the new Pennywise, but they evaporated quickly after seeing him in action in this first trailer. Director Andy Muschietti (Mama) looks to have captured the time, place, and terror of Stephen King’s novel with that last bit in particular being what’s been missing from far too many horror movies. It’s a wise move focusing on the child-half of the book as not only is that its greatest strength but it’s also where the true scares reside. This could very well be the scariest film of the year and of King’s entire filmography.
Cons: Hype is a dangerous thing.
The article The New Movies of September 2017, In Order of Anticipation appeared first on Film School Rejects.
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