Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films Fall 2016

Worst2First: 

My Most Anticipated Films Fall 2016

As summer comes to a close, we say farewell to the big-budget action epics and superhero showdowns and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the award-bait dramatic movies that typically fill in the fall season.  There's several films to look forward to, and I picked ten of the films I'm most excited to see this fall (which, to my definition, falls between September-November). 

**There will be no spoilers since the films aren't actually released yet.

Also, the release dates are subject to change.**

#10

Snowden

September 16

Acclaimed (and often controversial) director Oliver Stone brings to the big screen the true story of Edward Snowden, a former NSA employee who leaked thousands of classified documents to the general public which led him into exile, and is either seen as a hero or a traitor depending on who you talk to.  No doubt this will raise conversations and even a possible Oscar nomination for Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the titular role.  The film also boasts a strong supporting cast including Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Scott Eastwood, Timothy Olyphant, Nicolas Cage and Zachary Quinto.

#9

Bleed for This

November 4

Everyone loves a comeback story, and they don't get as powerful as Vinny Pazienza, who was on track to becoming a world-famous boxer before a car accident made him virtually unable to ever walk again, let alone fight.  However, due to his strong will and persistence he wouldn't allow that to hold him back.  Once again, a true-life tale that could earn Miles Teller an Oscar nomination, the film also stars Katey Sagal, Aaron Eckhart, Ted Levine and Ciaran Hinds.

#8

Arrival

November 11

"Arrival" stars Oscar-nominee Amy Adams as a linguist who is recruited by the government to assist in communicating with an alien species.  I'm a big fan of science fiction, and this film has the feel of "Contact" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and boasts a great cast including Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.

#7

Sully

September 9

Oscar winner Tom Hanks plays Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, a pilot who became a national hero for miraculously landing an airplane on the Hudson River, resulting in zero fatalities.  This film delves deeper into Sully's story and the conflicts he faced in the aftermath.  No doubt Hanks will get another Oscar nomination, and the film also stars Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart, and is directed by the ever-amazing Clint Eastwood.

#6

Inferno

October 28

Dan Brawn's novel series continues on the big screen with "Inferno," after "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons," and once again stars Tom Hanks (fun fact: Hanks never did a sequel for a live-action movie until "Angels & Demons" and now "Inferno") as Dr. Robert Langdon, as he sets out to stop a plague of Biblical proportions that could wipe out the majority of life on earth.  The film also stars Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Ben Foster and Omar Sy.

#5

The Birth of a Nation

October 7

"The Birth of a Nation" is a remake of the controversial 1915 silent film epic that focuses on the issues of slavery and freedom, centering around Nat Turner (Nate Parker, who also directed and wrote the screenplay), a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South who orchestrates an uprising against their slave owners.  Undoubtedly this film will earn several Oscar nominations including Best Picture, as well as several nominations for Parker, and the preview itself shows that the film will truly be a moving experience.

#4

Hacksaw Ridge

November 4

Directed by Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge" is the true-life tale of American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who refused to carry a gun or kill enemy troops during the Battle of Okinawa.  Seen as a coward, Doss proved he's anything but as he dutifully protects and rescues his injured comrades from the battle lines.  Moving, profound and touching, this could be the film that earns Andrew Garfield his first Oscar nomination.  The film also stars Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer and Hugo Weaving.

#3

The Magnificent Seven

September 23

A ragtag group of Western heroes band together to protect a small town from a gang of thieves, and is a remake of the 1960 film starring Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen.  The film features a stellar cast including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio and Peter Sarsgaard, and looks to bring the Western film subgenre back to the spotlight.

#2

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

November 18

Seventy years before Harry Potter began his adventures at Hogwarts, writer Newt Scamander lives in New York City with a secret community of witches and wizards who accidentally releases a suitcase housing hundreds of magical beasts, and causes fear between the wizard and non-wizard worlds.  David Yates (who directed the last four "Harry Potter" films) returns again to direct this spinoff series, and features Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Jon Voight and Zoe Kravitz.

#1

Doctor Strange

November 4

Marvel steps away from their traditional superhero movies and focuses on the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange, who was once a neurologist who learns the mystic arts to thwart an evil plan that involves inter-dimensional travel.  This film looks extremely promising in its effects and story, almost a mixture of a superhero film with "Inception."  International sensation Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stephen Strange, and the supporting cast includes Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor.