NPR's Movie Preview: 15 New Films To Watch — And Watch Out For — This Fall
Fall is often the most intense movie season of all. Awards contenders begin to come into focus after the Toronto International Film Festival, while comedies and thrillers continue to hit screens. We got to see a lot of upcoming films at TIFF — below you'll find write-ups of 15 movies we really enjoyed and a heads-up about nearly 40 notable releases. From Mary Poppins to Aquaman to the possibility of another Oscars faceoff between directors Damien Chazelle (La La Land) and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), we've got you covered. Keep in mind that release dates are subject to change.
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A Star Is Born (Oct. 5)
Bradley Cooper's directorial debut is a fourth take on the thrice-told story of an established artist (played by Cooper himself) who develops a troubled romance with a younger talent (played here by Lady Gaga). Cooper's desire to say something intimate about love and struggle bumps up against some of the basic story's limitations. But both stars are very good, and scenes meant to provide goosebumps come through. A crowd-pleasing weepie for sure. — Linda Holmes
The Hate U Give (Oct. 5, limited; Oct. 19, wide)
Based on Angie Thomas' hugely successful YA novel, the film stars Amandla Stenberg as Starr Carter, a young woman who witnesses the death of a friend in a police shooting and must decide what to do. While the ending seems a bit too neat, there's value in this earnest examination, directed by George Tillman Jr., about how kids learn to be activists. Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby are very good as Starr's parents. — Linda Holmes
Beautiful Boy (Oct. 12)
Based on a pair of memoirscasts Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet as father and son, the father madly researching meth addiction as he feels his son being sucked into it. Chalamet's charismatic, maddening Nic is spectacular, and the film's stubbornly unresolved view of loving an addict — its perception of the experience as a grueling, endless walk beside someone — is brutal but feels honest. —
