School started back up yesterday in Dallas and with it came the end of summer. We’re now in the season of football, cooler weather, pumpkin spiced lattes, and of course, some really great movies. Because I’m such a nice guy and because I spend way too much time reading about and researching films, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 movies I’m looking forward to this fall that I’m going to share with all you fine people. I can’t guarantee all of these will end up being good films or even that you’ll enjoy them, but I can at least say that they look really exciting.

Please note that for the purposes of this article, movies coming out in November and December are considered part of the ‘Holiday’ season and not ‘Fall’. So don’t freak out and yell at me when you don’t see Star Wars or something on this list. I will most likely do another list in early November.

10) Goodnight Mommy – September 11th

Goodnight Mommy is an Austrian horror film by directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. This probably means nothing to you because you’ve seen none of their work before. Well, me neither! But just one look at this trailer tells me everything I need to know. The movie looks to be dripping with style and a kind of general discomfort and unease that the truly great horror films manage to capture. I can tell already that Goodnight Mommy will terrify me…and I can’t wait.

9) Everest – September 18th

Everest is based on the true story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster in which several climbers lost their life. Not only is the film packed with an amazing cast (Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley) but it looks absolutely beautiful. It’s not too often that I’m willing to see a movie in 3D, but the scale and style of Everest seems to demand a 3D IMAX viewing. This film could give me vertigo.

8) Black Mass – September 18th

From the looks of it, Black Mass will give us the opportunity to see Johnny Depp do something we haven’t seen him do in a very long time: Act. I’ve actually always thought Depp was a pretty good actor, but his movie choices lately haven’t really required him to act so much as dress up in funny hats and dance around for two hours. He looks to change that with Black Mass, a Scorsese-esque crime drama based on the true story of Irish gangster Whitey Bulger. This could end up being one of those films that looks way better than it ends up being, but regardless has my attention.

7) The Keeping Room – September 25th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_9zidgoPuA

I make it a point to pay attention to any movie that Drafthouse Films deems good enough to distribute, so when they announced that they got The Keeping Room, I was already interested. And then I saw the above trailer and that confirmed everything. The Keeping Room is an American Western/thriller set in the post Civil War era focusing on three women as they struggle to survive. The combination of a Western and thriller has me excited. The fact that it’s a Western that’s headed up by three women, inverting the traditional standard has me floored.

6) The Martian – October 3rd

I’m a sucker for some original Science Fiction, especially when it emphasises the science part. So it’s no surprise that I’m very excited about The Martian, even if it’s directed by Ridley Scott who I have a love/hate relationship with. I’m right in the middle of Andy Weir’s novel, which the film is based on and it’s great so far. This combined with a great cast helmed by Matt Damon makes The Martian a film I can’t wait for.

5) Legend – October 3rd

Have I mentioned lately that I love Tom Hardy? Because I love Tom Hardy. Legend promises not just one, but two Tom Hardys which is enough to get me on board. It’s also written & directed by Brian Helgeland, who penned L.A. Confidential, one of my all time favorite movies. The film looks hilarious, violent and wonderful. A must see in the book of Scott, which is the best book.

4) He Named Me Malala – October 3rd

I love Documentaries. Using the language of film to tell real stories that can teach you about the world you live in and sometimes affect real change is a wonderful power. He Named Me Malala appears to be doing just that. This is the story of Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban at 15 for daring to suggest that women have the right to an education. Malala survived and went on to speak even louder. She’s the voice of women all over the world who are denied the right to education and equality. I sadly do not know enough about her story and I’m looking forward to this film being a vehicle to teach me.

3) Bridge of Spies – October 16th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2x3r1m2I4

This is a Steven Spielberg movie. Do I need to keep going? This is a Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks. Enough yet? This is a Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks written by the Coen Brothers about a cold war negotiation with the Soviet Union. It’s going to be wonderfully written, beautifully shot, and expertly performed. It’s going to be amazing. You want to see this movie.

2) Crimson Peak – October 16th

Some films just ooze style: every frame, every set, every costume exudes mood and tone. Crimson Peak is one of those movies. Every second of the above trailer is beautiful. I still find myself watching it again and again, drinking it all in. The film looks dark, gothic, creepy, and wonderful. Director Guillermo del Toro took a little break from the supernatural horror that so defined his early career, but with Crimson Peak he is back in a big way. I can’t wait.

1) Beasts of No Nation – October 16th

Did you guys know that Netflix distributes original feature films too? Well they do. And good ones too if the trailer for Beasts Of No Nation is any indication. Cary Fukunaga, of True Detective fame (the good season) wrote and directed this war drama starring Idris Elba, which will premier on Netflix on October 16th. The film looks emotionally powerful, and anchored with Elba’s incredible skill and presence will hopefully be great.

And that’s my list. When I originally put this together it had, no kidding, 23 movies on it. And this was just for the August/September/October time frame. Realizing that I had to get this thing down to a manageable number, I was forced to cut a lot of great looking films that I’m really excited to see. Some of them I felt so bad about that I still want to at least direct you to their trailers. I’m calling these my honorable mentions and you can find links to their trailers below:

• Regression – August 28th (Friday!)
• The Visit – September 11th
• Sicario – September 18th
• Steve Jobs – October 9th
• Room – October 16th

So what do you think? Do you think you’ll try to catch any of these great looking films? Did I leave off any movies that you’re really excited about? Let me know below in the comments!