Mulan, Dune, Candyman, and 12 more

Not that time has any real meaning anymore, but technically speaking, the fall movie season is upon us. 

In normal years, that means awards hopefuls, Halloween horror, holiday heartwarmers, a handful of big blockbusters, and a scattering of other random gems. In 2020 it means…well, it still means that for the most part, actually. It’s just that everything’s more up in the air than usual.

What follows below is our fall movie preview based on the best information we had at time of writing. But more so than most years, keep in mind that the release dates below (particularly theatrical ones) are subject to change. 

And if you are thinking of stopping by the cinema, be sure to consult your local guidelines, learn your theater’s safety rules, and weigh the risks carefully before you proceed. No movie is worth your health, especially when there’s so much cool stuff you can watch right from home. 

With all that in mind, here are the movies to watch this fall if…

… there’s no way you’re leaving the house: Mulan 

First of all, good for you. Second of all, good for Disney: Rather than insist on a theatrical opening (like, ahem, some titles), the studio opted to take Mulan straight to streaming, which means those of us who aren’t going out for anything still have a blockbuster spectacle to enjoy as the summer winds down. 

And Mulan is pretty fantastic, reimagining the story from the ground up to deliver a rousing epic that honors the 1998 animated film while pulling out new depths and going in new directions. Sure, it won’t be quite as cool as seeing it on the big screen, but there’s something to be said for the comfort and safety of home, too.

How to watch: Mulan premieres Sep. 4 on Disney+. You’ll need to pay an additional $29.99 premium, which is honestly pretty reasonable if you’re splitting it among a few people.

… Charlie Kaufman mindfucks are your thing: I’m Thinking of Ending Things 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Which sounds straightforward enough, but remember, this is the same writer-director who gave us Synecdoche, New York and Anomalisa, and wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation before that. You never quite know what you’re going to get from a Charlie Kaufman flick, but you can always be sure it’s going to be ambitious and odd.

How to watch: I’m Thinking of Ending Things premieres Sep. 4 on Netflix.

… you miss road trips: Unpregnant 

The road trip in Unpregnant is spurred by less-than-ideal circumstances — a teenager (Haley Lu Richardson) enlists her ex-BFF (Barbie Ferreira) to drive her across several states for an abortion — but the journey that follows looks entertaining and touching in equal measure. With a trailer that features wide-open roads, gas station junk food, and illegal car-related hijinks, Unpregnant looks to scratch the itch you’ve had all summer to just get out there and go. 

How to watch: Unpregnant premieres Sep. 10 on HBO Max.

… you crave glamour: Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles 

There’s nothing like being stuck at home in your ratty PJs for months on end to make you long for a dose of glamour, and Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is here to serve it up to you on a gilded plate. The doc follows a team of chefs led by Yotam Ottolenghi as they work to create desserts fit for royalty, in celebration of a 2018 Met Gala exhibit about the palace of Versailles. Pour yourself a flute of Champagne and prepare to ooh and ahh over their decadent creations.

How to watch: Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles opens in theaters and on VOD Sep. 25.

… you could use some inspiration: Wonder Woman 1984 

2020 has been a year of endless bad news, but if anyone knows how to keep fighting for good in the face of despair, it’s Wonder Woman. The sequel (which was delayed from summer due to the pandemic) launches her into the thick of the ’80s, where she fends off greedy foes (Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig), reunited with a long-lost love (Chris Pine), and tries to remind us, yet again, that “only love can save the world.” 

How to watch: Wonder Woman 1984 opens in theaters Oct. 2.

… you’re stressed about getting older: The Forty-Year-Old Version 

The Forty-Year-Old Version stars writer-director Radha Blank as a version of herself who was once hailed as a promising young playwright, only to find her career stalling as she faces middle age. So she reinvents herself, pivoting to hip-hop, weighing her choices, and rediscovering her creative voice in the process. The real Blank’s mid-career change included directing this movie — her first — and based on the warm reception at its Sundance premiere, it’s put Blank on the map as a filmmaker to watch.

How to watch: The Forty-Year-Old Version premieres Oct. 9 on Netflix.

… you have a taste for gore: Possessor 

Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor follows a corporate assassin who gets the job done by implanting her consciousness into other people’s bodies and forcing them to do her bidding. Which doesn’t sound that much weirder or wilder than some of the other sci-fi thrillers we’ve seen, but word on this one is that it’s gory. Like, “extremely, graphically, explicitly physical.” “So ghastly, so unique, and so brutal that it will awe some and disgust others.” Clearly, it’s not for the faint of heart. But if those review quotes had you intrigued, maybe it’s for you.

… you’re outraged about mass incarceration: Time 

Time is the story of Fox Rich, a woman who’s spent the past two decades fighting for the release of her husband, Robert, who was sentenced to 60 years in prison after a robbery gone wrong. Combining Fox Rich’s old home videos with newer footage of her and her family, Garrett Bradley’s documentary offers an intimate look at the lived reality of America’s prison-industrial complex, questioning the true impact it has on individual lives, families, and communities. 

How to watch: Time hits theaters Oct. 9, and premieres Oct. 23 on Amazon Prime Video.

… you’ll watch anything Aaron Sorkin: The Trial of the Chicago 7 

Image: Niko Tavernise / NETFLIX

Love him or hate him, writer-director Aaron Sorkin brings a distinctive energy and rhythm to his movies. And if you’re in the “fan” camp, Netflix has something for you. 

The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows, well, the trial of the Chicago Seven — a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors charged in 1969 with conspiring to cross state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic convention. With a star-studded cast that includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, and Mark Rylance, it looks to be one of the season’s most buzzed-about historical dramas.

How to watch: The Trial of the Chicago 7 premieres Oct. 16 on Netflix.

… you are ready to be high key terrified: Candyman 

Sure, the past who-knows-how-many months have been an exercise in constant low-grade terror, but maybe you’re ready for some more acute scares. 

Nia DaCosta’s Candyman offers a fresh take on the long-running horror series, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II starring as an artist who takes the urban legend as creative inspiration. Unfortunately for him, he discovers there’s more truth and horror to the myth than he’d realized. Watch the movie as many times as you want — just don’t say the title out loud too many times.

How to watch: Candyman opens in theaters Oct. 16.

… you’ve seen Before Sunrise more times than you can count: Shithouse 

Don’t let the gross-out title fool you: Shithouse is, according to reviews out of this year’s SXSW virtual film festival, quite a thoughtful indie romance about two college kids (Cooper Raiff, who also wrote and directed, and Dylan Gelula) who spend a magical evening talking and getting to know one another, and find things are different in the morning. Aw. Been there, buddy.

How to watch: Shithouse opens in theaters and on VOD Oct. 16.

… you observe Life Day: The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special 

The holiday season has been Star Wars season, more or less, since 2015. So if you’re feeling a little bereft this year with no new Star Wars in theaters this winter, perhaps you can take solace in The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. The animated one-off promises to reunite lots of our favorite characters, with Rey and BB-8 setting off on a “cross-timeline adventure” to learn the true meaning of Life Day. (Besides as the legacy of a notoriously terrible 1978 TV special, that is.)

How to watch: The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special premieres Nov. 17 on Disney+.

… you don’t know whether to laugh or cry: Soul 

When it comes to making the whole family giggle, sob, and ponder the most profound questions of existence all at once, few studios do better than Pixar. Their latest, Soul, sends a music teacher named Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx) into the metaphysical realm where souls are forged before they’re born on Earth. Desperate to return to the real world, Joe goes on a journey that prompts him to consider what really makes life worth living.

How to watch: Soul opens in theaters Nov. 20.

… your celeb crush is Kristen Stewart: Happiest Season 

Four words: Kristen Stewart romantic comedy. 

Okay, three more: With Mackenzie Davis. 

Would you like four more? Directed by Clea DuVall. 

That’s probably enough to get some of you on board with Happiest Season sight unseen. For those who want a little more info, it stars Stewart as a woman who plans to pop the question to her girlfriend (Davis) during a holiday party, only to discover said girlfriend hasn’t come out yet to her parents (Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber). Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Dan Levy also star. Honestly, though, we were in with those first four words.

How to watch: Happiest Season opens in theaters Nov. 25.

… you want to look off the beaten path: Nomadland 

Image: 20th Century Studios

Based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 book, Nomadland follows Fern (Frances McDormand) into a corner of American society rarely explored onscreen: the growing community of mostly older migrant workers who live and travel in RVs and vans, going from low-paying job to low-paying job. Nomadland is the latest effort by director Chloé Zhao, whose last film, The Rider, debuted in 2018 to much critical acclaim — and whose next film, Marvel’s Eternals, is already among the most-hyped of 2021. 

How to watch: Nomadland opens in theaters Dec. 4.

… you admire ambition: Dune 

Image: ChiaBella James / Warner Bros.

Director Denis Villeneuve showed serious sci-fi chops with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. But does he have it in him to do justice to the sprawling Frank Herbert classic novel that’s attracted and defeated several other notable filmmakers over the decades? Armed with a starry cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Zendaya, he seems eager to find out. So are we. 

How to watch: Dune opens in theaters Dec. 18.