2023 Fall Movie Preview: What To Add To Your Watchlist
Pumpkin picking, apple cider donuts, and new movies… spooky season is upon us! There are much-anticipated sequels like Spy Kids, The Exorcist, and Chicken Run, horrifying slashers from Five Nights At Freddy’s to Thanksgiving, and quirky musicals like Dicks: The Musical, The Archies, and The Color Purple. Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado shares a guide of movies you can’t miss this fall.
The Nun II
Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) once again comes face to face with a demonic force after a priest is murdered in 1956 France. Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Storm Reid, and Anna Popplewell also star.
The Nun II hits theaters on September 8.
Sitting in Bars with Cake
Best friends Jane (Yara Shahidi) and Corinne (Odessa A’zion) commit to a year of baking and bringing cakes to bars — known as “cakebarring” — to meet people and develop confidence. But when Corinne recieves a life-altering diagnosis, they faces challenges unlike anything they’ve dealt with before.
A celebration of friendship and finding joy in the unexpected, Sitting in Bars with Cake hits Prime Video on September 8.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
The family heads to Greece for a family reunion in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Nia Vardalos stars, writes, and directs this one, alongside actors John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin.
The movie premieres in theaters on September 8.
Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe
Mexican teens Aristotle (Max Pelayo) and Dante (Reese Gonzales) develop a friendship that goes much deeper after meeting at a swimming pool in 1987 El Paso, Texas in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, they explore love, their identities, and even bigger questions. Eva Longoria and Eugenio Derbez also co-star.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe debuts September 8.
A Haunting In Venice
Kenneth Branagh returns to direct and star in A Haunting In Venice, based on the Agatha Christie novel Hallowe'en Party. In the film, Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot investigates a murder while attending a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy. Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, and Kyle Allen round out the cast.
A Haunting In Venice debuts in theaters on September 15.
Love At First Sight
When Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) misses her flight from New York to London, she makes an instant connection with Oliver (Ben Hardy) at the airport. They go their separate ways, but will fate bring them back together again? Based on The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Jameela Jamil, Rob Delaney, Sally Phillips, and Dexter Fletcher also star.
Love at First Sight hits Netflix on September 15.
Dumb Money
Regular guy Keith (Paul Dano) sinks his life savings into the GameStop stock, turning his whole life around. Everyone gets rich quick — until the billionaires fight back. Based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Antisocial Network, the film also stars Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen.
Catch Dumb Money out on September 22.
Spy Kids: Armageddon
Robert Rodriguez is back with a new entry into the Spy Kids franchise with Spy Kids: Armageddon. Written by Robert and his son Racer Rodriguez, it finds two of the world’s greatest secret agents accidentally helping a game developer release a dangerous virus that will allow him to control all of technology. Now it’s up to the spy’s kids to save the world — and their parents. Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla, Connor Esterson, Billy Magnussen, and D.J. Cotrona lead.
The film hits Netflix on September 22.
Flora and Son
From John Carney, the director of Once and Sing Street, comes the new musical dramedy Flora and Son. Eve Hewson plays single mother Flora who’s life changes when she introduces her troubled son Max (Orén Kinlan) to the wonders of music. Joseph Gordon-Levitt also stars.
Flora and Son will be playing in select theaters starting September 22 and hit Apple TV+ on September 29.
The Creator
In a future war between humans and AI, an ex-special forces agent is recruited to hunt down The Creator. But what happens when his team learns the elusive architect of the advanced AI has developed a mysterious world-ending weapon in the form of an AI child?
The Creator hits theaters on September 29.
Dicks: The Musical
Two rival business owners learn they are identical twins and switch places to convince their parents to get back together in this modern take on The Parent Trap. Writers Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp lead the comedic Dicks: The Musical alongside Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, and Megan Thee Stallion.
The A24 musical comedy debuts September 29.
Foe
Hen and Junior’s quiet life is thrown out of balance when a stranger arrives at their home with a startling proposal. Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal star in the sci-fi psychological thriller, based on a novel by Iain Reid.
Foe hits theaters on October 6.
Cat Person
Emilia Jones plays a college student who works at a movie theater and goes on an awkward date with an older man (Nicholas Braun)… who may be a murderer?
Adapted from The New Yorker story of the same name, Cat Person premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and hits theaters on October 6.
Totally Killer
In the new Blumhouse slasher comedy Totally Killer, a girl time travels to 1987 and teams up with her teenage mom to take down The Sweet Sixteen Killer. It stars Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, Charlie Gillespie, Liana Liberato, and Randall Park.
Totally Killer debuts October 6 on Prime Video.
The Exorcist: Believer
When two best friends show signs of demonic possession, a single father (Leslie Odom Jr) is forced to confront evil in The Exorcist: Believer. Desperate to save his daughter, he reaches out to Chris MacNeill (Ellen Burstyn), the only person who’s witnessed this before. Lidya Jewett, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, and Norbert Leo Butz round out the cast.
Originally slated for October 13, Jason Blum has bowed out of the date for Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour concert film. Move over Exorswift, the direct sequel to The Exorcist hits theaters on October 6.
Fair Play
Fair Play is another film that made waves at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It explores sexual and power dynamics as an unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a newly engaged couple's relationship to the brink.
Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich lead the film that hits select theaters on September 29 and Netflix on October 13.
The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti plays a grumpy instructor at a New English prep school who stays on campus during Christmas break. There he forms an unlikely bond with a smart troublemaker (Dominic Sessa) and the school’s cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
The Holdovers debuts in theaters on October 27.
Five Nights At Freddy’s
Chuck E. Cheese goes horror in Five Nights At Freddy’s, based on the hit video game franchise. Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Elizabeth Lail, and Piper Rubio star.
Five Nights At Freddy’s hits just in time for Halloween on both theaters and on Peacock on October 27.
Priscilla
Sofia Coppola brings us into the life of Elvis’s wife Priscilla Presley from ages 15 to 27. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi take on the roles of the legendary couple.
The A24 film debuts on October 27.
Fingernails
Anna and Ryan’s true love has been proven by a controversial new technology… but she’s still not sure. Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Luke Wilson, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Allen White, and Annie Murphy star.
Fingernails hits theaters on October 27 and Apple TV+ on November 3.
The Marvels
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) team up for The Marvels. Samuel L. Jackson, Zaw Ashton, Park Seo-joon, and Mckenna Grace round out the cast.
The Marvels debuts November 10.
Dream Scenario
Nicolas Cage leads Dream Scenario about a professor who becomes an overnight celebrity after appearing in everyone’s dreams. Noah Centineo, Adam Sandler, and Michael Cera co-star.
Catch the A24 film out on November 10.
Quiz Lady
Estranged sisters go on a wild cross-country road trip to become gameshow champions and help pay their mother’s gambling debts in Quiz Lady. Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Holland Taylor, Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, and Tony Hale star.
Quiz Lady will be streaming on Hulu starting November 10.
Best. Christmas Ever!
The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is headed to the silver screen. Set 64 years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, a young Coriolanus Snow sees a chance for a change when he mentors Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12. Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, and Jason Schwartzman star.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes debuts on November 17.
Thanksgiving
The upcoming slasher Thanksgiving comes from the mind of Eli Roth and stars Addison Rae, Patrick Dempsey, Milo Manheim, and Gina Gershon.
Thanksgiving arrives just in time for turkey time on November 17.
Trolls Band Together
In what seems like a nod to Justin Timberlake’s boy band roots, Trolls Band Together explores Branch’s secret boy band past. Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Anderson .Paak, Ron Funches, Kenan Thompson, Eric André, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Daveed Diggs, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, RuPaul, and Zosia Mamet also led their voices to the film.
Trolls Band Together hits theaters on November 17.
Leo
In Leo, we follow the last year of elementary school through the eyes of class pet Leo the Lizard. Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Rob Schneider, Jo Koy, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, and Stephanie Hsu lend their voices.
Leo will be streaming on Netflix on November 21.
Wish
So many Disney characters have wished upon a star over the years. Now Wish sets out to explores how it came to be.
Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk lend their voices to the new film, out on November 22.
Good Burger 2
Originally a comedy sketch on Nickelodeon’s All That, Good Burger was turned into a movie in 1997. It followed two teens fighting to keep the fast food joint open with a new secret sauce.
Now 26 years after the events of the first film, inventor Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) reunites with his co-worker Ed (Kel Mitchell) at his old workplace Good Burger.
Good Burger 2 returns to Paramount+ on November 22.
Frybread Face and Me
From Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ writer and director Billy Luther in his feature debut comes Frybread Face and Me. It follows two young Navajo cousins from different worlds as they bond during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch. Together they learn more about themselves and their family’s past.
Frybread Face and Me debut November 24 on Netflix and in select US cinemas.
Saltburn
Following the critically acclaimed Promising Young Woman comes filmmaker Emerald Fennell’s next project Saltburn. It follows a student who is invited to an eccentric classmate's estate for an exciting summer. Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, and Carey Mulligan star.
Saltburn hits theaters on November 24.
Family Switch
Move over Freaky Friday, there’s about to be a Family Switch. Based on the children’s book Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, it follows a family who meets an astrological reader and wake up to a full body switch the morning of a very important day for each of them. Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, and Rita Moreno star.
Family Switch debuts on Netflix on November 30.
The Archies
Set in 1960s India, The Archies is a coming-of-age musical following the lives of Riverdale’s favorite teens through the unique lens of an Anglo-Indian community.
The Archies will be streaming on Netflix on December 7.
Poor Things
Poor Things tells the fantastical tale of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) who is brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist. Hungry to explore the real world, she runs off on a whirlwind adventure across continents with a slick lawyer. Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott also star.
The film debuts in theaters on December 8.
Leave The World Behind
A family vacation is interrupted when two strangers arrive seeking refuge from a cyberattack.
Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon star in the Netflix film premiering on December 8.
Wonka
Timothée Chalamet steps into the shoes of a young Willy Wonka and how he came to meet the Oompa-Loompas in this origin story. Paul King, behind the beloved Paddington films, directs, while Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, and Rowan Atkinson round out the cast.
The magic of Wonka hits theaters on December 15.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
The Chicken Run sequel is on its way! Ginger has found a peaceful sanctuary for the whole flock after escaping Tweedy’s farm. But back on the mainland, chicken-kind faces a whole new threat. Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, and Nick Mohammed lend their voices.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget hits Netflix on December 15.
The Color Purple
The Tony winning Broadway musical based on Alice Walker’s novel is getting a movie adaptation! The Color Purple follows the life-long struggles of an African American woman in the south in the early 1900s. The star-studded cast includes Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, and Deon Cole.
The Color Purple arrives in time for Christmas on December 20.
