Already watched everything on your Netflix list? Head to the theaters this fall to see some of these likely Academy Award front-runners.
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A Star is Born
Bradley Cooper’s directing debut and Lady Gaga’s motion picture debut is the only film on this list that I’ve seen so far, and it was better than I expected. Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a seasoned country singer battling alcohol and drug addiction. Lady Gaga plays Ally, an unknown talented songwriter and singer. When the two meet, they fall in love – right as Jackson’s career spirals at the same time Ally rises to the top of the charts. A Star is Born will make you laugh and cry, and the songs will be stuck in your head for days (trust me, I know).
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Beautiful Boy
The heartthrob of last year’s awards season, Timothée Chalamet, is back in another drama, this time playing a young meth addict, Nic Sheff, whose family watches his devastating struggles. Steve Carell, in a serious role, plays his father David, who tries to help Nic recover from his addiction but also protect his family from Nic’s destructive behavior. Based on a best-selling memoir, Beautiful Boy will be another tearjerker that will likely be a contender for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories.
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The Favourite
Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Coleman star in a wacky period drama by The Lobster director, Yorgos Lanthimos. Set in the early 18th century, Coleman plays Queen Anne, and Stone and Weisz play cousins who battle for the queen’s affections, desiring to become her court favorite. I’m looking forward to seeing how the comedy of the drama between the two women plays out.
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Boy Erased
Lucas Hedges of Manchester by the Sea and Lady Bird stars as a teenager whose parents find out that he’s gay and send him to conversion camp. Played by Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, a Southern housewife and a Baptist pastor, Boy Erased will be another heart-wrenching drama this awards season, anticipating top performances from Kidman, Crowe and Hedges.
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Mid90s
Jonah Hill’s directorial debut is a comedy-drama revolving around Los Angeles skateboarding culture. Mid90s tells the story of 13-year-old Stevie who finds refuge from his harsh home life when he meets a group of teenage skateboarders. As the group teaches Stevie to skate, he quickly becomes a participant in their risky behavior. Hill’s tale is the next installment in A24’s unofficial series of realistic coming-of-age films such as Lady Bird and Eighth Grade.