7 Upcoming Films You Gotta Catch, From Sci-Fi to Shootouts
Lots of great new films premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Here are the ones we think you should start anticipating now.
Mark Rogers
Yes, the Emmys were wonderful, but that doesn’t mean television has dethroned film as our dominant storytelling medium—and it probably never will. Yet the elegies lamenting the demise of cinema continue to roll in, despite growing evidence that movies are alive and well. Case in point: the Toronto International Film Festival, where for the last two weeks the restorative power of film was on full display up in the Great White North. From show-stopping musicals to intellectually dense sci-fi, the fall slate promises several movies—both big and small—worth trotting out to the theater to see. Here are seven of them.
- Upon the “arrival” of foreign entities, America turns to Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a renowned linguist tasked with translating alien communication. If the world ever came to this, we could do a lot worse than having Amy Adams be our spokesperson. Director Denis Villeneuve (*Prisoners*, *Sicario*) understands the power of his lead actress, too. And while crafting this haunting sci-fi drama, Villeneuve brings together her appeal with a compelling narrative about the curiosity of mankind. *Arrival* is an exploration of us—proud, fearful, trigger-happy—told through our own unknowing otherness. Release Date: Nov. 11
- Unwittingly displaced at the age of five, Saroo Brierley (*Newsroom’*s Dev Patel) has now grown up into a functional, shaggy-haired adult. But the absence of home—or knowledge of his family’s whereabouts—haunts him. Based on Brierley’s true story, *Lion* is Oscar bait done skillfully. In part because the man behind the camera, Garth Davis (*Top of the Lake*), understands how to paint characters with nuance and complexity. The film avoids broad strokes as it charts Saroo’s ambitious search for his family via Google Maps. Release Date: Nov. 25
- After a seven-year hiatus, fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford returns to the silver screen with *Nocturnal Animals*, his artfully gritty follow-up to *A Single Man*. Though not as immaculate as his debut, *Animals* is an intoxicating, familial revenge tale driven by Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, and Michael Shannon. Its story-within-a-story structure may lose some prospective viewers, but if you stick with Ford till the end, you’ll find something that is at once emotionally devastating and deeply unnerving. Release Date: Dec. 9
- If *Loving* proves anything, it's that [Jeff Nichols](https://www.wired.com/2016/03/jeff-nichols-midnight-special/) can capably direct *anything*. A consummate talent, Nichols’ second feature of the year (*Midnight Special* came out in March) revolves around the historic Supreme Court case *Loving v. Virginia*—which challenged antiquated laws banning miscegenation. For a movie about a landmark event in US history, *Loving* is remarkably understated, reserved. In part because it’s bolstered by a pair of towering (but not showy) performances from Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga who, respectively, play Richard and Mildred Loving. As we [warned earlier this year](https://www.wired.com/2016/07/first-loving-trailer/), make sure to bring a box Kleenex before sitting down for this one. Release Date: Nov. 4
- Damian Chazelle (*Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench*, *Whiplash*) once again tops himself with his latest, a two-hour musical confection set in contemporary Los Angeles. Blissful from beginning to end, the film is a love story between a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone). The conventionality of their romance is quickly rendered irrelevant, though. *La La Land* is not revolutionizing the act of falling in and out love. It’s a sumptuous modern musical about Hollywood—both past and present—that remains in the honeymoon phase until the end credits. Point being: Even calcified hearts may find refuge in Chazelle’s wondrous fairytale, one song and dance number at a time. Release Date: Dec. 16
- Shifting from allegories (*High Rise*) to bullets, Ben Wheatley’s latest finds the quick-witted British director just having a good time. Set in one room for 90 minutes, *Free Fire* quickly turns into a slick shoot-‘em-up as a gun deal between a cast of con-men, dopers, washed out thieves, and a girl goes awry. It’s essentially an early Quentin Tarantino movie (i.e. *Reservoir Dogs*) before Tarantino evolved into Tarantino—briskly paced, profanity-heavy action with smart-asses front and center. Release Date: 2017
- Barry Jenkins’ sophomore masterwork is a rarified piece of art. A compendium of moving images that only comes around once or twice a year, if that. Told in triptych fashion, Jenkins catalogues the evolution of Chiron, from laconic child to lanky teen to troubled adult. In an age where masculinity, especially black masculinity, is being discussed and disassembled ad nauseam, *Moonlight* is a healthy respite. It’s a fresh, complex, and verisimilitudinous examination of a young African-American man—aimless and sexually uncertain—that remains burrowed inside the recesses of your mind for days after the final frame. Release Date: Oct. 21
Comments
Back to top
Universal Is Skipping Influencer Screenings for The Odyssey. Film Critics Are Thrilled
With discourse about Christopher Nolan’s epic already raging, first viewer reactions will come from mainstream press, not content creators. Some critics are gloating over this break from the norm.
Miles Klee
Tim Heidecker Wants to Turn Infowars Into Adult Swim for the Internet
Infowars’ would-be creative director talks Sandy Hook, comedy’s MAGA turn, and why the future of satire may look more like a streaming startup than a late-night show.
Katie Drummond
A Guided Tour of Donald Trump’s Renovated Washington, DC
Trump has remade the nation’s capitol in his own image. Ahead of the Fourth of July, WIRED guides you through the dizzying effects of DC’s makeover.
Hugo Lowell
Paramount Refused to Air an Ad Criticizing Its Merger With Warner Bros.
The commercial was submitted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation to run during Donald Trump’s UFC event. It criticized the $111 billion merger as a threat to the First Amendment.
Miles Klee
Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.
Julian Chokkattu
20 Best Gifts for Men, Manly Men, and Menly Man Men
When you need something that’s as mannishly masculinized as you can get for the Man™ in your life, we have you covered.
Matthew Korfhage
The 11 Best TV Shows to Stream This Month
House of the Dragon, Adventure Time: Side Quests, and The Man Will Burn are just a few of the TV shows you should be watching right now.
Jennifer M. Wood
The Best Greens Powders for Drinking Your Veggies
I did the research and taste-testing to find the best greens powders worth your money. Bloom Nutrition’s Superfood Greens Powder is my tried-and-true pick.
Louryn Strampe
The Best Drip Coffee Makers Now Rival Café Pour-Over
The old-fashioned drip coffee maker has come a long way. These impressive machines can turn your barista into a stranger.
Matthew Korfhage
The Best Qi2 and MagSafe Wireless Chargers for Your Phone
Top up your Qi2 Android phone or MagSafe iPhone with a magnetic wireless charging stand, pad, car charger, or power bank.
Simon Hill
Interactive. Violent. Gross. Inside Fishtank, the Unhinged Future of Reality TV
It’s like Big Brother without any limits, or broadcast standards. WIRED goes on location—and on camera—with the cult hit.
Owen Long
The Best Mattresses You Can Buy Online in 2026
WIRED has tested 100-plus bed-in-a-box mattresses for a week each. Our top pick, the Helix Midnight Luxe hybrid, is the best bed you can buy online.
Julia Forbes