Top films to see this Fall/December 2016

Another year, another overly long list of films to see from September to December. Let's get to it!

40. Miss Sloane 

 Miss Sloane stars Jessica Chastain as "a ruthless lobbyist (Jessica Chastain) who is notorious for her unparalleled talent and her desire to win at all costs, even when it puts her own career at risk. The thriller pulls back the curtain on how Capitol Hill games are played and won as Sloane faces off against the most influential powers in D.C." More specifically, she's trying to push gun control, an incredibly hot-topic issue these days. I'm curious but somewhat hesitant to see how the film addresses the issue, which I'm hoping won't be too anvilicious. 

39. Patriot's Day

Are you ready for a movie about the Boston Marathon bombing? Well it doesn't matter because it's happening anyways. Peter Berg's second film this year (after Deepwater Horizon) tells the story of the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent investigation and manhunt. It stars Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, J.K. Simmons and Michelle Monaghan. I'm not entirely sure if the existence of the film is necessary, but I am curious to see how Peter Berg will handle the material.

38. Assassin's Creed

Video game adaptations have an incredibly poor reputation and I have absolutely no idea if Assassin's Creed will break that trend, but with Michael Fassbender in the lead, I'm at least somewhat hopeful. The film is not directly based off of the video game but rather set in the same universe, which might be for the best in the interest of giving enough creative freedom while subsequently keeping the tone and spirit of the games. We'll see. If you ignore the incredibly out of place music in the trailer, the imagery looks pretty cool.

37. Collateral Beauty

Will Smith stars as a man trying to recover from a tragedy while meeting mysterious "people" who come into his life. While the premise seems like the film could easily be too sentimental for my taste, the cast also includes Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Kate Winslet, and Helen Mirren and that alone interests me.

36. Shut In

This Naomi Watts film is described as "A heart-pounding thriller about a widowed child psychologist who lives in an isolated existence in rural New England. Caught in a deadly winter storm, she must find a way to rescue a young boy before he disappears forever." But more importantly, JACOB TREMBLAY IS IN IT! And Jonathan Byers!

35. Gold

Some have questioned if The McConaissance has ended, following the releases of Matthew McConaughey films such as Sea of Trees and Free State of Jones, which were critical and commercial failures. Gold might be his chance to bring back the McConaissance before it's too late. He portrays a man searching for (spoiler alert) gold in Indonesia. It's written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, best known for writing Traffic and writing and directing Syriana. That alone is enough to peak my interest.

34. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

It's the Harry Potter spin-off where Eddie Redmayne deals with magic congress or something, which sounds a lot better than normal congress.

33. Bad Santa 2

Not sure if anyone was demanding a sequel to Bad Santa 2, but it's happening and hey, it looks like it could be fairly funny.

32. The Light Between Oceans

Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, Place Beyond the Pines) directs this drama starring real-life couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander as a couple that adopts a baby lost at sea who then must later deal with the consequences when discovering the child's true parentage.

31. Sully

Clint Eastwood directs Tom Hanks in this drama about Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger who successfully glided his plane along the water in the Hudson River and the subsequent investigation.

30. Lion
Dev Patel stars in this drama about an Indian man who was adopted by an Australian family as a young boy who sets up to discover his biological parents. Nicole Kidman also stars.

29. Allied
A film that is now being overshadowed by the breakup of Brangelina, Allied is directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cottilard as two assassins who fall in love during World War II 

28. Passengers
This is the movie where we'll find out if Jennifer Lawrene and Chris Pratt are actual Box office stars or have simply have been riding on the franchises they've been in. Also Michael Sheen is a robot or something. And I think I saw Andy Garcia and Laurence Fishburne in the trailer too.

27. Birth of a Nation

Now arguably overshadowed by Nate Parker's sexual assault allegation, Birth of a Nation is written, directed by, and stars Nate Parker as Nat Turner, who organized a slave rebellion. The film was released to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival.

26. Rules Don't Apply

Remember Warren Beatty? He's back after an incredibly long absence, his first acting role in 15 years (Town & Country) and first directing project in 18 years (Bullworth). Set in the 1950s, Beatty plays an eldery Howard Hughes while Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins play the driver and actress respectively who work for him.

25. Edge of Seventeen
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) about an awkward high school junior dealing with her older brother dating her best friend, her well-meaning but ineffective mother (Kyra Sedgwick) and her history teacher (Woody Harrleson) who acts as a mentor of sorts for her. Early reviews have been positive with a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 8/10.

24. Queen of Katwe

Even with an Oscar win, it still feels like Lupita N'yongo is an underrated actress so it's great to see her in a new film where her performance is garnering praise. Queen of Katwe is set in Uganda and follows a young girl who becomes introduced to chess tournaments by her mentor (David Oyelowo) to the reluctance of her mother (Lupita N'yongo). A film set in a foreign country set from the POV of the residents there is pretty rare for a Hollywood feature so I'm curious to see how they handle it.

23. Deepwater Horizon

The other Peter Berg film coming out this year, also based on a true story and starring Mark Wahlberg. Deepwater Horizon follows the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history. It looks like Berg will be focusing on the human aspect of the disaster which could make for a very compelling film.

22. 20th Century Women

Directed by Mike Mills (Beginners), 20th Century Women stars Annette Bening as a single mother who tries to teach her son about love and freedom along with two other women in the 1970s. It's a bit of a vague plot, but Bening and Mills are enough to interest me.

21. Moana

Already overshadowed with both praise (for having the first Polynesian Disney Princess) and criticism (for allegedly stereotyping Polynesians by depicting Maui as overweight), Moana still looks like it has the potential to be another Disney classic with its beautiful animation and intriguing premise.

20. Doctor Strange

The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a former neurosurgeon who finds himself protecting the world from interdimensional threats. As a fan of the MCU in general, I hope this film will be no exception.

19. The Founder

Michael Keaton stars as salesman Ray Croc who maneuvered his way to take control of the McDonalds company from the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) in order to franchise it and make a fortune. The screenplay is written by Robert D. Siegel best known for writing The Wrestler and Big Fan. With a vibe that reminds me of The Social Network, my fingers are really crossed for this one.

18. Live By Night

I think Ben Affleck is a pretty excellent director and I'm one of those people who definitely thinks he was snubbed for Argo, so it's great to see him in the director's chair again. Live By Night is set in the 1920s and 1930s and stars Ben Affleck as a Bostonian who moves to Florida and becomes a prominent bootlegger and gangster. At this point the film's officially release date is January 2017, but it's been speculated that it'll get a limited release in December to make it eligible for the Academy Awards. I guess we'll see.

17. Jackie
Natalie Portman stars in this biopic primarily focusing on the life of Jackie Kennedy following the assassination of her husband. Peter Sarsgaard co-stars as Robert F. Kennedy and the film has received much critical acclaim.

16. Fences

Based on the acclaimed stage play of the same name, Fences stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, reprising their Tony-winning roles in the stage play. Set in the 1950s, Denzel Washington plays a former Negro league baseball player, now working as a waste collector, as he struggles to provide for his family.

15. Christine
Christine tells the tragic true story of Christine Chubbuck, a news reporter who committed suicide on the air. Starring the very underrated Rebecca Hall, I'm eager to see how this film handles the very complex issue of depression.

14. The Girl on the Train

Emily Blunt has become one of the best young actresses working today so I'm excited to see her in just about anything. In The Girl on the Train, she plays a young woman who becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation. Based on the novel of the same name.

13. The Accountant

Directed by Gavin O'Connor (Warrior), The Accountant stars Ben Affleck as a mathematics savant who uses his skills to work as an accountant for criminal organizations. The mysterious teaser was enough to intrigue me, but the strong cast and director (Gavin O'Connor, best known for Warrior) has greatly increased my interest.

12. Snowden
Oliver Stone may not be the acclaimed director he once was, but if there was ever a chance for redemption, it'd be with Snowden. Snowden stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden who leaked the NSA and CIA's surveillance techniques to the public.

11. Hacksaw Ridge
Hacksaw Ridge marks the first film Mel Gibson has directed since Apocalypto 10 years earlier. It stars Andrew Garfield as a conscientious objector during World War II, who refused to bear arms but worked as a medic saving as many lives as he could while in the Battle of Okinawa. Early reviews have been positive with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews and an average rating of 7.2/10.

10. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Ang Lee directs this drama about 19-year-old Iraq War veteran who returns home for a victory tour and must deal with his experiences versus people's perceptions and lionizing of him. I'm a huge fan of Ang Lee and respect his decision to cast a newcomer in the lead role and can't wait to see yet another addition to his increasingly diverse filmography.

9. Moonlight
Moonlight is an indie film produced by A24 which has been given much acclaim, Moonlight stars newcomer Trevante Rhodes. He portrays a young man who struggles to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality. With a 99 on Metacritic, I'm absolutely hyped for this.

8. Manchester by the Sea
Premiering at Sundance to critical acclaim, Manchester by the Sea stars Casey Affleck as a man who unexpectedly becomes the legal guardian of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges, in what sounds like a breakout performance) following the death of his brother (Kyle Chandler). It also stars Michelle Williams as Affleck's ex-wife.

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The first standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One details the building of the death star. I'm excited to see a Star Wars film focus on smaller people in the conflicts. Not to mention an excellent cast including Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Riz Ahmed, Forest Whitaker, and Mads Mikkelsen and Gareth Edwards' statement that it'll be similar to a war film, stating, "It's the reality of war. Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It's complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie."

6. Paterson
The latest film from Jim Jarmusch, it stars Adam Driver as Paterson, a married bus driver working in Paterson, New Jersey and aspiring poet. It's received mass acclaim from critics with a 97% rating on Rotten tomatoes and average rating of 9.1/10.

5. Loving

Jeff Nichols is slowly turning into one of my favorite directors following Take Shelter, Mud, and Midnight Special. Starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga and co-starring frequent Jeff Nichols collaborator Michael Shannon, Loving tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple in the 1950s who are arrested in Virginia due to their anti-miscegenation laws. They subsequently sue the state and their case goes all the way up to the Supreme court. While very different from Jeff Nichols' previous films, I have enough faith in him as a director at this point to be excited for anything he does.

4. Arrival

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario), Arrival stars Amy Adams as a linguist who becomes a part of a team to investigate the motives of a spacecraft that lands on earth. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker co-star. The film has received critical acclaim with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews (average rating 8.5/10), which makes it Villeneuve's most acclaimed film to date.

3. Nocturnal Animals

Looks like Amy Adams is having a good year. Nocturnal Animals is directed by fashion designed Tom Ford who previously surprised audiences by directing the critically acclaimed A Single Man. His sophomore feature co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Adams plays an art gallery owner who reads her ex-husband's novel, a violent revenge thriller, which she interprets as a veiled threat.

2. La La Land
Damien Chazelle's long awaited follow-up to Whiplash, La La Land stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a jazz pianist and aspiring actress respectively who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles, but later events put their relationship to the test. La La Land premiered at the Venice Film Festival to near universal praise, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and average rating of 8.8/10 based on 46 reviews. Many have suggested it's the current frontrunner for Best Picture.

1. Silence
I've been waiting for this film for a long time and apparently it's finally happening. Silence is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō, which would later win the Tanizaki Prize, a highly regarded literary award in Japan. Silence stars Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan in search of their mention (Liam Neeson) in the 17th century, where they face violent persecution. Rounded out by a strong Japanese cast (which sadly does not include Ken Watanabe, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts) and directed by the always brilliant Martin Scorcese, Silence has a lot going for it and I truly believe it can live up to the hype. It's going to be released on December 23rd.