Hollywood’s autumn film releases are likely to rake in many Oscar nominations.
As the days shorten and the nights grow long, fall is the best time to screen new movies. From eerie blockbusters featuring fan-favorite actors to highly-anticipated musical sequels, audiences will have plenty of films to keep them warm this time of year.
“Mitski: The Land” (Moniker Films and Good Harbor Music)
Mitski’s inhospitable landscape is hitting the big screen.
Known for her haunting lyricism and anthems of loneliness, the indie-rock artist is bringing her first concert film, “Mitski: The Land,” to cinemas Oct. 22. Directed by Grant James and mixed by producer Patrick Hyland, the film stars Mitski herself in performances at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre during her 2024 tour. The film will follow the singer through a setlist featuring many of songs from her latest album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” alongside a seven-piece band and dance choreography by Monica Mirabile.
Trailers show Mitski singing against the bare backdrop of a black stage, illuminated by beams of light that are sometimes tender, sometimes chaotic. The film’s psychedelic switching of tracks and dance styles promises a whirlwind of emotion, emphasizing the theatricality of Mitski’s style that made her live performances such a success. “Mitski: The Land” will expand the artist’s most recent sonic era, focusing on the country-leaning sound and earthly imagery of her seventh studio album.
With unabashed intensity, “Mitski: The Land” promises all of Mitski’s love for both fans and new listeners alike.
– Gwendolyn Lopez
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“Bugonia” (Focus Features)
This fall, “Bugonia” is expected to attract a great deal of film buzz.
The satirical dark comedy starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August and is set for theaters Oct. 24 before a wide release on Halloween. “Bugonia” marks the fourth collaboration between Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos, the same filmmaker who guided her to an Oscar nomination for 2018’s “The Favourite” and an Oscar win for 2023’s “Poor Things.” The 118-minute feature – which will also include a supporting performance from Alicia Silverstone – is set to fold in elements of science fiction while soundtracked by an original score from “Poor Things” composer Jerskin Fendrix.
“Bugonia” is an English-language adaptation of the 2003 South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!” modified to center around a female character. Stone will portray a high-powered corporate CEO named Michelle who is kidnapped by conspiracist (Plemons) and his accomplice (Aidan Delbis), two beekeepers who believe that Michelle is actually an alien sent to destroy Earth. Keeping with the story’s sinister themes, the title “Bugonia” is derived from an ancient Greek word referencing bees born from the flesh of dead cattle. But the applicability and relevance of “Bugonia” is bound to be current, as even its trailer is set to the tune of Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”
Given Lanthimos’ acclaimed filmography and Stone’s ability to fully immerse herself in a role, “Bugonia” is sure to offer the same stinging impact as their previous partnerships.
– Reid Sperisen
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“Die, My Love” (Mubi)
Next month, “Die, My Love” will hit theaters with intensely raw performances by actors from two of Hollywood’s largest cult-followed franchises.
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the Gothic-realist film adapted from the 2017 novel by Ariana Harwicz is set for release Nov. 7 and stars beloved “The Hunger Games” actress Jennifer Lawrence, as well as Robert Pattinson of “Twilight” and Sissy Spacek from “The Help.” In a Deadline review, Ramsay’s work was described as a “brutal but beautiful story,” and critics also noted that “America knows very well how good Jennifer Lawrence can be and this could well mean a fifth Oscar nomination if it lands in savvy hands.” With an award-winning cast, “Die, My Love” offers viewers a fierce film for fall.
The dramatic comedy thriller, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, follows the story of Grace (Lawrence), who descends into bipolar disorder while panicking over the possible infidelity of her husband Jackson (Pattinson) and is suffering from postpartum depression. As she hikes around the rural fields surrounding her house, Grace’s reality begins to drift toward hallucinations, and she falls into imaginative catastrophes – visions of painful, violent and melodramatic suffering. Lawrence, who hopped from the drama and depth of “Causeway” in 2022 to comedy in 2023 with “No Hard Feelings,” now returned back to solemnity with “Die, My Love.” She is said to offer the film a sensually-alert and painfully-engaging performance.
“Die, My Love” will tell a “Christina’s World”-influenced story of motherhood, womanhood, brutality and desire.
– Eleanor Meyers
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“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
This fall, as pink and popular Glinda fills the Ozian sky and Elphaba soars across the big screen, viewers are set to be changed for good with this final chapter of “Wicked.”
On Nov. 21, Universal Pictures will present “Wicked: For Good,” the second and final part of the “Wicked” film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, both of whom were nominated for Academy Awards for their respective roles in the first film, this movie picks up after Elphaba’s (Erivo’s) flight to freedom as she attempts to defy the wickedness of the Wizard of Oz. This new film follows the repercussions on Oz after Elphaba is deemed wicked and will test the bounds of friendship, power and good deeds.
“Wicked: For Good,” which follows the second act of the Broadway musical, is packed with colorful displays of the green sky and yellow brick road – along with musical performances. The trailer showcases chaotic cinematography of tornados, flying monkeys and dark skies contrasted with bright vibrant musical numbers and beautiful tears of reconciliation. Following the success of the first film, which broke the box office record for a film adaptation of a musical and received two Oscars and one Golden Globe, the second part is predicted to follow the same yellow brick road to box office triumph.
As the first film defined what it means to be popular, “Wicked: For Good” is set to defy the bounds of gravity and redefine what it means to change someone for good.
– Makayla Sandoval
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