Can you smell the pumpkin spice and buttery popcorn aromas in the air? This means that fall movie season officially begins.
Both streaming and theater services will be flooded with sensational titles that aim to amaze audiences with outrageous spectacles, shocking twists Oscar-worthy drama, sidesplitting comedy or an intoxicating mixture of all these and more.
We have the top-rated movies of the season, and we know where you can find them.
1. Get in the holiday spirit with Halloween Kills
For this sequel to Halloween 2018, Danny McBride (who also helms), and David Gordon Green (who co-wrote) will reunite. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, the tortured but resilient scream queen. This Final Girl, along with Judy Greer's daughter and Andi Matichak's granddaughter, is ready for a brutal showdown with the legendary slasher.
Halloween Kills is now available in theaters.
2. You're tired of waiting for spice? Dune
The pandemic has delayed this ambitious adaptation of Frank Herberts beloved sci-fi novel for so long, it was able to make last year's Fall Movie Preview. Denis Villeneuve's bold interpretation is finally complete. It has a huge budget, jaw-dropping special effect and potential for a sequel. But it also features a cast that explodes with stars like Timothe Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson.
Dune is available in select theaters (D, 3D and IMAX), and on HBO Max Oct. 22.
3. French Dispatch is the French Dispatch if you are looking for whimsy.
Wes Anderson has created darling worlds that include oddball characters, from Rushmore to The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Tilda Swinton and Owen Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Timothe Chalamet, and Bill Murray are all part of his latest adventure. He brings to life travelogues from the fictional (and fictional) magazine. The French Dispatch is a delightful gem, full of the humor, color, and wry humor that Anderson has made his signature.
How to Watch: The French Dispatch opens Oct. 22 in cinemas
4. You want to shoot for badass? Then the harder they fall
A ruthless outlaw is freed from his chains and he sets out with his gang to fight a revenge-seeking cowboy. Although the premise might be familiar, you've never seen a Western quite as good. Jeymes Samuel, co-director and writer, brings an outrageous style and star power to the film. The cast includes IdrisElba, Regina King and Jonathan Majors. This west will get wild.
How to watch: The Harder They Fall is available in select theaters on Oct. 22 as well as on Netflix Nov. 3.
5. Last Night in Soho - If you yearn to (time) travel
Edgar Wright, writer/director, has brought audiences the zany delights of Shawn, Scott Pilgrim, and Baby Driver. He's not making jokes or joking about it this time, but he dives into a swinging and swanky thriller. Thomasin McKenzie plays an aspiring fashion designer, who is swept back to 1960s London by Anya Taylor-Joy's sultry singing. The beginning of a sexual escapade turns into a murder mystery she must solve before time runs out.
How to watch Last Night in Soho opens in theaters October 29.
6. Eternals is the best choice for a blockbuster that has prestige cred.
Chlo Zhao, writer and director, won two Academy Awards earlier this year for her heartfelt, yet intimate drama, Nomadland. With a new cast of heroes, she's bringing her famed style and talent for drama to Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gemma Chan and Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan and Salma Hayek all bring new star power to the epic adventure of The Eternals, an immortal alien race that is dedicated to saving humanity from the evil Deviants.
How to Watch: Eternals opens Nov. 5 in theatres
7. Finch if you would like to follow Tom Hanks until the end of the universe.
We didn't know that dystopian movies for dads were something we wanted. Miguel Sapochnik, then director, paired America's father with a cute dog and a charming robotic robot in a postapocalyptic setting. We want to ride shotgun on this heartwarming, but dangerous road trip. That and giving the good boy lots of belly rubs.
Finch debuts on Apple TV+ Nov.
8. Tick, TickBoom!
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton's star and creator, directs the Broadway musical adaptation/biopic on Jonathan Larson. He is the man who created Broadway's smash hit Rent. The screenplay was adapted by Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen author. Andrew Garfield, who starred in Death of a Salesman, Angels in America and other films on the Great White Way, plays the role of a wannabe composer at the edge of his make-it or break-it moment. Alexandra Shipp and Robin de Jess star alongside Mj Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford and Vanessa Hudgens.
How to watch: Watch Tick, Tick...Boom! Available in select theaters on Nov. 12, and on Netflix Nov. 19.
9. The Power of the Dog is a great way to get ahead of Oscar season
Jane Campions period drama has won critical acclaim every step of the way, riding through various prestigious film festivals. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role of a cruel, but charismatic rancher who enjoys bullying his brother (Jesse Plemons), her newly-minted sister (Kirsten Dought) and her sensitive son (Kodi McPhee). Campion creates chills, sexual tension and clever laughs in The Piano's rustic setting.
How to watch: The Power of the Dog is available in select theaters on Nov. 17, and on Netflix on Dec. 1.
10. The Feast is a slow-burner horror film that will satisfy your cravings.
The film, a brilliant Welsh movie, has received rave reviews from the festival circuit for its unique brand of terror. Lee Haven Jones, director invites the audience to a fancy dinner party where a politician's wife and his socialite husband are so consumed by all the details that they forget to include a guest. This leads to tragic results. The Feast draws on folk horror traditions to deliver chills, thrills and plenty of blood. This one is not for weak stomachs.
The Feast will be available in theatres and digital/VOD November 19.
11. Ghostbusters: Afterlife: Because you aren't afraid of ghosts
This fourth installment in the Ghostbusters franchise will see Egon Spengler's grandchildren leave New York City and its landmark firehouse to start a new chapter. The grandchildren of Egon Spengler discover the paranormal investigator's past in a remote farmhouse in Oklahoma and embark on a scary adventure of their own. Jason Reitman is following in the footsteps his father, Ivan Reitman. He helmed the original 1984 film. He brought along some old friends such as Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, Sigourney Weber, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver.
How to Watch: Ghostbusters: Afterlife opens Nov. 19 in Theaters
12. House of Gucci is the place to go if you like to gamble
Ridley Scott takes some risks in this film, despite casting big names like Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He first makes Jared Leto, wild card, look like a mop of prosthetic makeup for the role as an elderly rapscallion. He then urges Lady Gaga to join him in his ferocious role as a femme fatale. This drama is based on a true crime case that featured obscene wealth and intense glamor. It also involved ravenous greed and murder. We were sold in both cases.
How to Watch: House of Gucci opens Nov. 24, in theatres
13. Benedetta is the name of the insanely irreverent if you pray to it
Paul Verhoeven is the director of Starship Troopers and Showgirls and this film, a religious biopic, is not suitable for Sunday School. Virginie Efira plays Benedetta Carlini (a 16-century Italian nun who performed miracles in between her trysts and Sister Bartolemea, Daphne Patakia), the lesbian lover. Verhoeven, always the provocateur, leans into the romances and illicit sex within the convent walls. He has created a hilarious and charming satire about power and faith beyond these sweet scenes.
You can watch Benedetta in theatres and on demand Dec.
14. You think love is a cruel thing? Wolf
Imagine Romeo and Juliet. But instead of star-crossed lovers from warring families they are kept apart because he is a wolf while she is a wildcat. They think so at least. Nathalie Biancheris violent romance stars George MacKay as Lily-Rose Depp as young lovers who believe that they are animals trapped in human form. They meet at a clinic which claims it can heal them. But what if this is not what they really want?
Wolf opens in theaters December 3.
15. You don't have to look up if you aren't ready to laugh at the abyss.
Adam McKay is back as writer/director. He was the one who helped to end the 2007 financial crisis through his star-filled comedy The Big Short. If you will, imagine that the future of Earth is in danger and that the power elite are determined to ignore the rapidly approaching threat. This dark comedy, which appears to be satirizing climate change, follows Leonardo DiCaprio (Jennifer Lawrence) as they try to spread word about a potentially devastating comet heading our way. These Oscar-winning A-listers include Timothe Chalamet and Cate Blanchett as well as Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande and Himesh Patel.
How to watch: Dont Look Up is available in select theaters on Dec. 10, and on Netflix Dec. 24,
16. West Side Story is the place to go if you want to swoon over a song
Steven Spielberg's glossy reimagining of West Side Story, the 1957 Broadway musical that captivated audiences in 2005 closes out an impressive year of musical hits. Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort star as two New York City teenagers who fall for each other across gang lines. Loyalties are up for debate. There will be blood shed. There will also be street dancing.
How to watch: West Side Story opens Dec. 10 in theatres
17. Nightmare Alley is the place to go if you want a dark thrill ride.
Guillermo del Toro, the writer/director, has adapted Nightmare Alley, William Lindsay Greshams noir novel. This is his highly anticipated sequel to The Shape of Water. Bradley Cooper plays the role of a conniving, lustful carny who is always looking for an easy target. He meets his match in the form of a brilliant and ravishing psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett, in full femme fatale mode). Expect deceitful turns and lurid deception. Also, expect a cast that is dripping with the deranged colors and settings only del Toro can dream up.
Nightmare Alley will be in theaters December 17.
18. Spider-Man No Way Home if you're looking for something strange
Doctor Stephen Strange has returned from oblivion and is creating magic for Peter Parker. Jon Watts, director of the MCU, has created two spectacular Spidey adventures (Spider-Man Homecoming and Spider-man Far From Home). His third movie looks full of bizarre comedy, dimension-bending action and wild cameos. Zendaya, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Holland star in this superhero movie that is sure to please the whole family.
How to Watch: Spider-Man No Way Home opens Dec. 17 in cinemas
19. You need a great tearjerker? A Journal for Jordan
After much praise for Fences, Denzel Washington returns to the director's chair with a true story about love, family and sacrifice. Michael B. Jordan plays the role of Army First Sergeant Charles Monroe King. He is a charismatic soldier who was stationed overseas in Iraq and kept a diary detailing life lessons for his son Jordan. Washington brings the journal to life by regaling us with his story of King's romance with Dana Canedy (played here by Chant Adams). This one is a must-see.
How to watch: A Journal For Jordan opens this Christmas in theaters
20. 20.
With a long-awaited fourth feature movie, the action sci-fi franchise that set new standards and blew our minds returns. Lana Wachowski, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Keanu Reeves reunite with this mysterious adventure. It takes place twenty years after Neo and Trinity fought against the tyrannical AI. The simulation imprisoned humankind in an unnatural prison. These heroes don't remember each other. Whoa.
How to watch: The Matrix Resurrections is available in theaters and on HBO Max Dec. 22.
21. 21.
Peter Dinklage returns as Cyrano de Bergerac's hopeless romantic. Haley Bennett and the Game of Thrones star team up to reprise the roles of Roxanne, the beloved poet, and Erica Schmidt's 2018 stage musical. This period romance is directed by Joe Wright, who has also directed such rapturous adaptations as Pride & Prejudice, Anna Karenina and others. It promises swoons, songs, bold performances, and scads upon scrumptuous style.
Cyrano will be available in select theaters on Dec. 31.
