Sunday Best: Fall/Winter Movie Preview 2025

   Now that the Summer movie season has ended, it is time to look ahead to Fall and Winter.

The big blockbusters have mostly finished for the year.  Now we start getting into the time when either we have lower-budget fare or a place to dump movies that studios have low confidence in.  This is also the time when we start to see the movies that studios will push hard for awards.

Here is a list, with a few brief thoughts of my own, including on a scale of 1-5 stars my likelihood of seeing it in theaters (1 being “Not at all” 5 being “Cannot wait!”).

SEPTEMBER

September 5th

The Conjuring: Last Rites

I'm not a fan of horror films and I haven't seen any of the films in this series (*)

Twinless

I think there is a nugget of a good story here about two people who meet for a support group for people who have lost their twin.  But I have the feeling it is going to be creepy and not in a good way. (*)

Light of the World

There have been a lot of Jesus movies lately, which is a great thing.  This is an animated movie that tells the story of Jesus from the perspective of the Apostle John.  I need to see more, but I am curious (***)

September 12th

The Long Walk

I've never read this story by Stephen King and it seems harrowing from an emotional point of view. It cold be good, but I'm not sure if I want to subject myself to its dark themes. (**)

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

I stopped watching the show part way through, so I don't think I would be caught up enough to follow everything going on in this film.  (**)

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

I have to admit this trailer makes me laugh.  I don't think it will be nearly as good as the original, but I think it will be better than most comedies today. (****)

September 19th

Him

Nothing about the trailers interests me.  I am getting a little tired of stories where people essentially sell their souls to excel in their field.  I'm not saying its a bad trope, but it holds little interest for me. (*)

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

I saw the small-budget film debut of the director Kogonanda, Columbus.  It was visually beautiful, but there wasn't a compelling story.  I have the feeling it will be the same here, but I could be wrong.  (**)

American Sweatshop

This movie looks like it could be a fascinating look into the lives of the people who have to do content moderation for video platforms.  But it feels like it is only using this setting to give us a traditional slasher film.  (**)

London Calling

I don't quite know what to make of this movie.  It looks very vulgar in violent, but just in the right tone and mixture that could make it work.  If the further trailers show more, I might be interested.  (**)

September 26th

One Battle After Another

Everything about this movie looks terrible.  Each trailer tries to hit a radically different tone so that it makes the film feel like a complete mess.  The premise feels like something that is out of the national zeitgeist, but was too far along in development to stop.    (*)

The Strangers: Chapter 2

Didn't see the first one.   (*)

OCTOBER

October 3rd

Roofman

There could be a good story here about a fugitive who makes up an identity and falls for a girl while he is secretly living in a Toys R Us.  I wish I trusted Channing Tatum more, but I don't I've really liked any of his movies, so I am skeptical.  (***)

The Smashing Machine

I don't know why but this movie has me very interested.  The makeup job they do on Dwayne Johnson works in a way that it really seems to change him.  I would be more skeptical, but seeing Emily Blunt's work in the trailer reminds of some other films like The Wrestler.  Watching him destroy his body throughout the trailer hits on a visceral level.  I think this could be good. (****)

October 10th

TRON: Ares

I like the fact that they are taking a different approach to the Tron universe by bringing the world of the Grid to the real world.  This has several interesting story possibilities, but I worry that the script will make it just another generic action adventure.  (***)

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Nothing about this interests me. (*)

October 17th

Black Phone 2

Didn't see the first.  (*)

Good Fortune

While I like Keanu Reeves, I don't trust Anziz Ansari and Seth Rogan with a comedy about angels.    (**)

After the Hunt

This looks like super-pretentious Oscar bait.  (*)

Blue Moon

Another Oscar-bait film that doesn't look like anything the average person wants to see.  (*)

October 24th

Mortal Kombat II

Ok, the Mortal Kombat reboot from a few years ago was an incredibly flawed movie that made little sense and killed off its most interesting character.  Normally I wouldn't be interested in the sequel.  But there is something very intriguing about the surly, washed-up take on Johnny Cage played by Karl Urban that has me curious. (***)

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Not a big Springsteen fan and the movie makes it look like a kind of hagiography.  But I enjoyed last year's Bob Dylan movie, so I might give this one a shot.  (***)

NOVEMBER

November 7th

Nuremberg

While this could be an interesting historical drama, it feels like it lacks something in the trailers.  But I always like Russell Crowe. (**)

The Running Man

This remake is more in keeping with the original story, but I have the feeling that they are going to reject the darker tone, which is actually a good thing.  Put this together with the energetic direction of Edgar Wright and the charisma of Glen Powell and I am hopeful that this will be a fun time at the theater. (****)

Predator: Badlands

I've heard good things about Prey, the Predator movie that was made by the same director.  But I am skeptical of taking the mysterious and scary Predator and making him the main hero.  It's a bold choice but I feel like something is going to be lost in the transition.  (**)

November 21st

Wicked: For Good

I will admit that the last movie won me over with this powerful music and strong performances.  Now I am all in to see the story end (though I so wish they would have recast Ariana Grande).  (****)

November 26th

Zootopia 2

I was not like most people and only lukewarm on the original, so unless my nieces or nephew want to see it, I think I may pass.  (**)

DECEMBER

December 5th

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Didn't see the first. (*)

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Glass Onion was a truly awful movie.  So I am perplexed by the fact that I have a little bit of interest in this film.  Perhaps its because for all its flaws the movies have some sense of style that would work well if the writing was better.  (**)

December 19th

Avatar: Fire and Ash

While watching the trailer I said to my wife, "It's cute that James Cameron thinks that we remember any of these characters."  That's the problem with these films: they have no impact in the culture or the memory.  I will probably still see it because visually they are a real treat, but nothing more.   (***)

Zero AD

As I said before, there are a lot more Jesus films.  Something about this reminds me of Risen which is one of the best movies I've seen about the Resurrection.  I'm hopeful that this one will be as good or hopefully better than The Nativity Story. (****)

December 25th

Anaconda

I need to see a trailer first before I decide  (**)

Thoughts?