A Guide to 2024's Buzziest Fall-Winter Films
Based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald, controversy breaks out when Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) switches to electric guitars. BUZZ FACTOR: It stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet as the renowned singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a medical procedure for his neurofibromatosis which radically transforms his appearance. He quickly becomes fixated on Oswald (Adam Pearson), an actor with the same condition who is cast to play Edward in a story about his former life. BUZZ FACTOR: Sebastian Stan won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival for this film.
In director Jesse Eisenberg's sophomore project, cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite to tour Poland in honor of their late grandmother. Along the way, they uncover truths about themselves and their family history. BUZZ FACTOR: The Sundance darling sold to Searchlight Pictures in an all-night auction.
NOW PLAYING, NEON Anora (Mikey Madison), a young sex worker from Brooklyn, elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eidelshtein) — until his parents learn of their marriage and want an annulment. BUZZ FACTOR: This film, from Sean Baker (The Florida Project), won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Nicole Kidman stars as a CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she initiates an affair with a much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). BUZZ FACTOR: At the Venice film fest, Kidman took home the Volpi Cup for best actress.
Nine-year-old George (Elliot Heffernan) attempts to journey home after his mother sends him to safety in the English countryside during World War II. BUZZ FACTOR: It's directed by the Oscar-winning Steve McQueen and stars four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan.
Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with electing a new Pope, but first he must uncover and reveal secrets about the dead Pope that concern the candidates to the papacy. BUZZ FACTOR: It stars Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci in an adaptation of Robert Harris' thriller novel.
The second in a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert, this film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with the Fremen people of Arrakis to wage war and seek revenge against House Harkonnen. BUZZ FACTOR: It grossed $712 million worldwide, and a third Dune movie is in the works.
EMILIA PÉREZAn overqualified and undervalued lawyer, Rita (Zoe Saldaña) is hired by a cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) to help him "retire" from crime and disappear by transitioning into a woman. BUZZ FACTOR: It won the Jury Prize, and its female cast won the Best Actress award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
A sequel to the 2000 film, Lucius (Paul Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army. BUZZ FACTOR: Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi will reprise their roles from the original film.
Estranged sisters Katie (Carrie Coon), Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) reunite to care for their ailing father. BUZZ FACTOR: It stars the beloved Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters.
Set two years after the events of Joker, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, where he falls in love with his fellow inmate Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga). BUZZ FACTOR: This musical psychological thriller is a sequel to Joker, with Joaquin Phoenix reprising his original role.
In this third film of Pablo Larraín's trilogy of biopics about iconic women (following Jackie and Spencer), American-born Greek opera singer Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) captivates millions of fans during the final weeks of her life in Paris. BUZZ FACTOR: Jolie is a best actress front-runner.
In Jim Crow-era Florida, a young African-American Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herrisse) is sent to a segregated reform school called Nickel Academy after being falsely accused of stealing a car. BUZZ FACTOR: It's based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead.
An overworked stay-at-home mom (Amy Adams) struggles with motherhood and sometimes transforms into a dog. BUZZ FACTOR: Based on the book Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, this film stars Oscar nominee Amy Adams.
This historical romance based on the novel by William S. Burroughs and directed by Call Me by Your Name's Luca Guadagnino follows an American expat in 1940s Mexico City (Daniel Craig) who grows infatuated with a younger man (Drew Starkey). BUZZ FACTOR: Best actor contender Craig gives a career-best performance.
Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and a troupe of young comedians must prepare for the first-ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. BUZZ FACTOR: It takes place during the 90 minutes before the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live, and features an ensemble cast of renowned actors and actresses.
Told from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew, the film recounts the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, at which Israeli Olympic team members were taken hostage and killed. BUZZ FACTOR: Sean Penn produces and Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro star in this tense account of the horrific events.
SING SINGNOW PLAYING, A24 This film is based on the true story of Divine G, who takes part in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility after being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. BUZZ FACTOR: It stars actor Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, who served 17 years at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility.
A young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is taken under the wing of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), a cutthroat attorney who turns him into the Trump we know today. BUZZ FACTOR: Marvel actor Sebastian Stan plays a younger President Donald Trump.
In a saga that chronicles 30 years, Jewish architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody) emigrates to the United States with his wife (Felicity Jones) after surviving the Holocaust. In Pennsylvania, a wealthy client (Guy Pearce) changes László's life. BUZZ FACTOR: Filmmaker Brady Corbet won the Silver Lion for best director in Venice.
Following the Great Depression, the Charles family reckons with selling their heirloom family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. BUZZ FACTOR: It's based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson.
Ingrid, a bestselling author, reunites with her friend Martha, a war reporter with whom she'd lost touch. BUZZ FACTOR: It's Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language feature film, and an adaptation of the book What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.
The true story of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female battalion in the United States Army. BUZZ FACTOR: It's based on an by Kevin M. Hymel, which chronicles the achievements of Lena Derriecott and the 6888 Battalion.
An aging celebrity (Demi Moore) accepts a black-market drug that promises to transform her into a younger, more beautiful version of herself (Margaret Qualley) — but pays a price. BUZZ FACTOR: French director-writer Coralie Fargeat won best screenplay at Cannes.
This tells the true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), a champion college wrestler with one leg. Robles defies expectations as he competes in a national championship against the school that rejected him. BUZZ FACTOR: It's William Goldenberg's directorial debut after an extensive career as an editor.
