September is upon us as summer creeps into the rear view. Torrential rains, blistering cold spells and the grotesqueries of changing leaf colors is set to drive the masses into the theaters. But is there anything worth seeing? But of course there is! We’ve compiled our Fall 2015 Film Preview to get the ticket-buying ball rolling and your film nerd anticipation building. Right up until an absolutely action-packed Holiday movie season, there’s a bounty of cinema that’s geared up to do nothing short of blow the doors off. If everything pans out as it should, we ought to be seeing some of the year’s first viable Oscar films as well as some of the year’s biggest blockbusters.

THE VISIT (Sep. 11)

First up in our Fall 2015 movie preview is, as should be expected, a horror film. M. Night Shyamalan have been a bit of a bed-shitter for the past, oh-I-don’t-know, 15 years. His sci-fi adventure gone horribly wrong, After Earth, looked like the 130-million-dollar footnote to his increasingly depressing career. In the wake of that epic fail, he managed to talk someone (cough, Jason Blum, cough) into forking over five million dollars (the lowest budget he’s worked with by a country mile) to make The Visit…and it actually looks good! A found footage-style familial horror about meeting gramps and grandma for the first time, The Visit could prove Shyamalan still has some gas in the tank, and perhaps needed the budget cut to prove it.

SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE (Sep. 11)

Leslye Headland‘s rom-com for people who hate rom-coms, Sleeping With Other People, is a sadist’s satire. Filled with laugh-out-loud physicality, situational side-splitters and Adam Scott donning a douche face, it’s that unlikely rom-com that actually has you itching for the leads to sleep with each other. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie have rarely been better and a sappy date movie has rarely been this likable.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY (Sep. 11)

Heralded as having the “scariest movie trailer ever”, Goodnight Mommy  tells the story of two brothers who must content with the fact that their mother’s recent surgery may been more than just cosmetic. The product of Austrian filmmakers at their most venomous, Goodnight Mommy looks to jump start the horror season with some proper nightmare fuel. Prepare for a screaming good genre makeover.

PAWN SACRIFICE (Sep. 16)

Tobey Maguire steps into the shoes of chess legend Bobby Fischer as he attempts to take down Soviet Grandmaster Boris Spassky, played by Liev Schreiber. There’s no basis for drama like some good ol’ USA vs. The Soviets and with Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai) behind the camera, it’s safe to assume that although Pawn Sacrifice centers around chess, the proceedings won’t become too stuffy or academic.

EVEREST (Sep. 18)

Everest‘s all-star cast sees Jason Clarke, Sam Worthington, John Hawkes, Michael Kelly, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Elizabeth Debicki, Keira Knightley and Robin Wright unite to take down the world’s preeminent  insurmountable peak. Looking to capitalize on the lack of good natural disaster epics of late, Baltasar Kormákur’s saga hopes to dangle audiences on the precise of disaster in stunning, all-encompassing IMAX.

SICARIO (Sep. 18)

Denis Villeneueve cranked out two of the best films of recent memory with Enemy and Prisoners and this time drops Jake Gyllenhaal for stars Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Jon Bernthal. Sicario tells the story of an idealistic agent enlisted in the U.S. War on Drugs south of the border. Villeneueve has proved a master of tension and Blunt’s rising star makes this one deadly combo that we’re openly salivating for.

BLACK MASS (Sep. 18)

It’s been a long time since I could honestly say I was looking forward to a Johnny Depp movie but, with Black Mass, I cannot deny my anticipation. Scott Cooper last directed Out of the Furnace – a film that went largely unappreciated even though I personally loved it – and this time is out to tell a huge crime saga involving Whitey Bulger (Depp) and his duplicitous relationship with the FBI. The supporting cast is stupid good and the gangster backdrop makes for monstrously compelling territory. If it can live up to those trailers, we’re in good shape.

THE GREEN INFERNO (Sep. 25)

Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno has been fighting to see the light of day since 2013. When Open Roads fit a financial snafu last year, they pulled the horror film from their release calendar to hover indefinitely in the movie ether. Blumhouse (Jason Blum strike again!) has finally rescued the film from theatrical limbo and will show Roth’s thinly-veiled homage to Cannibal Holocaust to the masses by the end of the month. Whether it will live up to early festival-goers high praise remains to be seen though we can’t deny it’s the more exciting Eli Roth entry of late 2015 (the other being Keanu Reeves-starrer Knock Knock.)

THE MARTIAN (Oct. 2)

Ridley Scott returns to (soft) sci-fi with Matt Damon in tow for The Martian. Andy Weir’s bestseller tells the story of a NASA engineer (Damon) presumed dead and left behind on the red planet to fend for himself. Like Apollo 13 before it, The Martian looks to cross high tension with scientific ingenuity to tell an intriguing human drama. Scott – being the king of hit-or-miss – could deliver his first true knockout in a while or could continue his recent streak of half-cocked bunts. Let’s hope for the former.

PAN (Oct. 9)

For all intents and purposes, Pan looks like it will be bad. But the promise of Joe Wright (Hanna, Atonement) has kept me interested to this point and I’m not about to turn back from Neverland yet. Pan weaves a new story from the Peter Pan mythology, rewinding to a time before Wendy and the Darlings were even born and Hook allied with Peter to take on the villainous Blackbead (Hugh Jackman). There’s true disaster potential here but it’s high time a non-animated children’s film blew the rest of us away.

STEVE JOBS (Oct. 9)

Sure to be amongst the Oscar conversation come the new year, Steve Jobs has had a troubled production history but that doesn’t mean the final product won’t still wow. In trading off David Fincher and Christian Bale for Danny Boyle and Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs almost magically maintained a powerful star-director pairing and the first trailer suggested a potent drama ripe for multiple nominations. Aaron Sorkin’s script breaks down the story of Steve into three pivotal moments – the production launch of Mac, NeXT and the iPod – each told in real time.

BRIDGE OF SPIES (Oct. 16)

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reunite for a Cold War-era thriller that’s sure to invite plenty of early Oscar prognostication. The last time the two paired up, they walked away with arms full of Oscars and, if early buzz is any indicator, Bridge of Spies looks to bridge similar waters. Following an American lawyer (Hanks) recruiting by the CIA to help save a pilot behind enemy lines, Bridge of Spies has potential to be pivotal Spielberg. And yet, it could be just another War Horse and ultimately wind up sent to the glue factory.

CRIMSON PEAK (Oct. 16)

Guillermo del Toro returns to his horror roots for Crimson Peak, a haunted house film starring Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam and the always great Tom Hiddleston. Del Toro has been a divisive name of late – spurring critics into bashing one another’s tastes over the great Pacific Rim debate of 2013 (spoiler: the movie was stupid) – so here’s hoping that he’ll be able to reclaim some acclaim (and street cred) with Crimson Peak. My gut is telling me to be wary but I can’t deny the excitement in seeing the Mexican horror maestro work his tasteless magic again.

BEASTS OF NO NATION (Oct. 16)

With the second season of True Detective underwhelming audiences and his public retreat from the long-gestated It remake, Cary Fukunaga may have accidentally sullied his good name. So it stands to good reason that his stock rests squarely on the success of fictional African warlord film Beasts of No Nation. The film became a trending hot topic when it was announced that Netflix had picked the film up (before it ever playing to festival audiences) and with a multiple platform release around the corner, we’ll learn two things; is Fukunaga someone worth being excited for?; and will audiences shell out to see a film on the big screen when it’s coming to Netflix anyways? Time will tell.

SUFFRAGETTE (Oct. 23)

Sure to blow the doors off the Best Actress race is Sarah Gavron‘s Suffragette. For all we know, Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carver and Meryl Streep could each earn an Oscar nomination for their roles here, so long as the movie is any good. And though the topic sounds “historically important” and thus minorly boring, we’re hoping for its role as an acting showcase to really make the film worthwhile. Also, women’s rights are kinda sweet.

SPECTRE (Nov. 6)

James Bond makes a long-awaited return, again under the tutelage of Sam Mendes. In Spectre. Daniel Craig suits up for the 24th iteration of the iconic character in what just might be his last appearance in the 007 series. With the groundwork laid for Bond’s classical armada (Moneypenny, Q gadgets, a new M) and the introduction of a super-villain who’s been “pulling the strings all along” (Christoph Waltz), Spectre looks to capitalize on Bond’s rich history while bringing his new-age grit in contention with the cornerstones of its past. The first trailer looked positively dope.

TRUMBO (Nov. 6)

Historical biopics aren’t usually our “thing” but Bryan Cranston most certainly is. Since his tenure on Breaking Bad, Cranston has not been treated to the most delectable of movie roles, often relegated to playing side bits in big-budget blockbusters or awards contenders, but Trumbo offers his first large profile bit yet. Telling the story of a successful Hollywood screenwriter whose career is halted when he’s blacklisted McCarthy-style for being a Communist, Trumbo affords Cranston the space to prove his big talent on the big screen.

CAROL (Nov. 20)

Another actor’s movie, Carol wowed audiences at its Cannes premiere, and has put stars Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett is the early awards driver’s seat. Both are said to give massive performances, giving them the first-out-of-the-gate-edge but we’ll see if it will be enough fuel to sustain a long Oscar campaign. Centered on the romance between a young department-store clerk (Mara) and an older woman who woos her (Blanchett), Carol prompted many to include it amongst their Cannes festival favorites. That’s all we need to warrant its inclusion here.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 (Nov. 20)

Early in the year, conversation swirled over which franchise would be crowded king by the end of 2015. Star Wars VII and Avengers: Age of Ultron seemed obvious choices though the fanfare surrounding The Hunger Games has yet to truly die down. With fans half-heartedly showing up for what proved to be an underwhelming part one of the finale, are people more amped than ever for the real showdown? It’s hard to say but regardless we’re expecting a popcorn feature that’s enjoyable through and through from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

CREED (Nov. 25)

Boxing movies have their own special something. Warrior and The Fighter proved that great boxing films could still be made while love for the Rocky franchise hasn’t fizzled out over the years. Enter Creed, a Rocky soft reboot of sorts that manages to pay its dues to Rocky without aping its jabs and dodges. Rather, the former World Heavyweight Champion (Sly Stallone) helps to train and mentor Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), son of former rival Apollo Creed. The reunion of Jordan and director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and a promising first preview is enough to get us amped.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (Nov. 25)

At the beginning of the year, our faith in Pixar has stooped so low that we lumped Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur into one listing when we tallied down our most anticipated films. Now that Inside Out proved to be a masterpiece, we get happily mount the Pixar train once more and saw that we’re grinning ear-to-ear for their next feature. Pixar’s latest imagines what would life be like if the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs had not actually struck the Earth. Let’s see if they can coax another tear out of me this year.

THE NIGHT BEFORE (Nov. 25)

A holiday movie not meant for the family, The Night Before sees Seth Rogen pair with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie to hunt out the ultimate holiday party in NYC.  Evan Goldberg (Superbad) gets partial writing credit and Adam Levine (50/50) directs so it’s fair to expect a mix of low-brow humor and tasteful bromance. Rogen and Goldberg’s last effort (The Interview) was a big time fail so we’re hoping for redemption in a big way here.

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