The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2014

As summer comes to an end, we’re stuck with the bittersweet sensation of saying peace to the blockbuster season and all it’s offered us. 22 Jump Street, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy, and X-Men: Days of Future Past–the last three months have treated moviegoers well. Now it’s time to usher in the fall, which pretty much serves as a preface to Oscar season, giving us a wide variety of award-nominated films. The season also looks to bid ado to many of the explosive action and superhero flicks that previously hit the big screen, bringing more dramedy, horror, and suspense offerings to the mix. From cross-genre scripts to offbeat comedies, we assembled this guide to get you in the movie spirit over the next coming months. Below are the 25 Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2014.

The Longest Week (September 5)

Starring Olivia Wilde and Jason Bateman, this film follows the life of a 40-year-old heir living in his parent’s hotel, until one day he discovers he’s been cut off. Bateman’s character moves in with his best friend (Billy Cruddup) and his new girlfriend (Wilde), only to realize he’s met her before and they share a history. The Longest Week is said to highlight “first-world-problems” as Bateman’s character looses his weekly allowance and suddenly has no job, no money, and no promising future in sight. But this all starts to change when he spends more time with Wilde’s character and they (inevitably) fall in love, despite the conflict of the best friend/boyfriend situation. It’s a rom-com to look forward to this fall. —Albright

Before I Go to Sleep (September 12)

A mystery thriller that explores the life of an amnesia patient Christine (Nicole Kidman) as she recalls suppressed memories from her past. Twenty-odd years have lapsed since Christine was in a suspicious car accident that caused her to stop forming new memories. This makes her unable to recall many from her past prior to the accident. Each morning she wakes up thinking she is still in her twenties, unable to recall her husband, and unaware of the fact that she has been in a life-altering accident. Written and directed by Rowan Joffe, the film also stars Colin Firth as Kidman’s husband, and Mark Strong as her doctor who attempts to help her recall lost moments from her past. Violence erupts when a new truth from Christine’s past is exposed, and some who have read the book believe that the film will be very similar to Momento and The Bourne Identity. What? No Long Kiss Goodnight correlations? —Albright

No Good Deed (September 12)

The plot follows the plight of a convict who escapes jail after not receiving parole, later escaping from his transport vehicle. After crashing in the middle of an ominous thunderstorm, the convict (played by Iris Elba) heads to a nearby home, claiming to need to use their phone. The woman who answers the door (played by Taraji P. Henson) is a married mother of two and former defense attorney, who in a sudden turn of events, finds herself locked inside her own home with her children. The crime thriller exposes the life of the convict and his history leading up to his conviction, which is revealed while he terrorizes the family at home during the storm. The trailer alone promises a film that won’t disappoint. —Albright

The Drop (September 12)

Staring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and James Gandolfini in his final film appearance, the storyline exposes the inner workings of a neighborhood of family members who all work together in order to make a living. After an unexpected robbery, an investigation follows Bob Saginowski (Hardy) as details of his family’s past dealings with money drops to local gangsters come to light on screen. Needless to say, it has the cast and synopsis to make for a quality crime drama. —Albright

The Maze Runner (September 19)

Set to be the next Hunger Games, or fans of the novel can only hope, this action film follows a young boy anmed Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) after he wakes up in a community of boys with his memory erased, realizing that they’re all trapped in a maze with not much hope or knowledge of a possible escape. Within the community is a “runner group” of boys who enter the maze each day only to return before nightfall when the maze closes. Anyone who finds himself in the maze at night never returns. Thomas and the rest of community seem to be stuck forever—that is until a comatose girl arrives with a note and claims to know Thomas. The action suddenly picks up as our hero begins to venture into the maze each day in an attempt to discover possible clues from his past that may lead to how he (and everyone else) came to find themselves caught in the maze. —Albright

This is Where I Leave You (September 19)

Upon the death of their father, four grown-siblings find themselves living under the roof of their childhood home with their psychiatrist mother, while trying to deal with the repercussions of their loss. Starring Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, and Jane Fonda, the plot follows the siblings reconnecting as a family and end up discovering their “best selves.” Based on a book by the same name by Jonathan Tropper—who also wrote the screenplay—the stars of the movie have shared that the filming process was quite naturalistic, feeling as though they were playing out moments in their own lives. How’s that for emotion. —Albright

The Boxtrolls (September 26)

This animated feature is based on the book titled Here Be Monsters and explores the life of an orphaned boy who is raised by a colony of underground trolls. Upon coming in contact with humans, he’s now faced with the task of saving his friends from an evil exterminator determined to destroy them all. The Boxtrolls looks to show the magical world of boxtrolls that the boy (Ben Kingsley) is raised in, as the group snags trash and treasures, making them into new inventions for use in their underground world. —Albright

The Equalizer (September 26)

The action/crime thriller is actually based on the 1980s TV series of the same name. Denzel Washington stars as a retired black-ops who faked his death in order to live out a somewhat normal life. After witnessing what he believes to be pimps harming a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), his “desire for justice is reawakened” and sets out to rescue her. Upon discovering that her “pimps” are actually Russian gangsters, Washington’s character discovers that his life is being threatened on a daily basis as he tries to take down the gangsters in his former identity. —Albright

Gone Girl Gone (October 3)

The film adaption of Gillian Flynn’s novel will follow the story of a missing wife, which turns into the next big thing for the press and points the finger at the husband. The film features some heavy hitters including director, Oscar and BAFTA-nominated David Fincher. Fincher has given us Se7en, Fight Club, and (the American version of) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Ben Affleck takes the leading role and Neil Patrick Harris also portrays a character opposite his usual self. Thrill seekers should mark it on their calendar. —Jennings

The Interview (October 10)

Another film where we see bromancers James Franco and Seth Rogen link up, this raucous comedy is a satire on journalism that pokes fun of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and his regime. The duo play journalists who discover the dictator is a fan of their tabloid show, leading to an interview with the leader. As the two prepare for a trip to meet him, they find themselves being asked to do a dauntless task for the CIA. And now you know why it’s been shrouded in controversy since announced. —Jennings

The Judge (October 10)

Robert Downey Jr. takes off the Ironman suit to star as Robert Duvall’s son in this dark drama. It is the first film coming from Team Downey (Robert and Susan Downey’s Production Company) and a drastic directorial turn for David Dobkin, who directed of comedic hit Wedding Crashes. The film puts Downey as a son who returns to his childhood home where his father is accused of murder. We can expect it to be a refreshing break from the onslaught of comic films and sequels that were released throughout the year thus far. —Jennings

The Book of Life (October 17)

This animated comedy brought to you by producer Guillermo del Toro is a story of courage, and surprisingly, romance. The modern twist of Romeo and Juliet is set to the backdrop of the Day of the Dead holiday. Bizarre, we know. But before writing the film off, consider its star power and the charm that animated films have on audiences these days. Behind the vocal booth is Cheech Martin, Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Danny Trejo, and Christina Applegate. That right there is just as intriguing as the film itself. —Jennings

Dracula Untold (October 17)

Bram Stoker’s iconic monster is coming back to the big screen, again. After several versions and imitations of the original tale, audiences will get to see the beginning. Just where did all this vampirism and vamp lore begin? The film looks to explore these topics, with actor Luke Evans breathing new life into Vlad/Dracula. We haven’t had a good Dracula, let along vampire flick, in a while. Which is why this looks promising thus far. —Jennings

Birdman (October 17)

Finally, Michael Keaton is a superhero again… but in the most unlikely form. Birdman is a dark comedy that explores the life of Riggan Thomson, an actor who used to play the iconic superhero (oh, the irony), but now struggles with his role in a Broadway play, while battling a personal life. The film pokes fun at the persona of Batman and the parallels of Keaton himself. Assisting Keaton through this comedic adventure is Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts. It’s an offbeat comedy embedded with fun imagery and laughs. —Jennings

Fury (October 17)

For war-film lovers, Fury has the heart and glory of its older brother, the Academy Award-winning Saving Private Ryan. And this film is sure to win the heart of its audience when released in theaters a few weeks before Veterans’ Day. Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Michael Pena, the war flick takes place during the last month of World War II as the Allies make their final move against the Axis forces. Under the command of Pitt’s “Wardaddy,” the five-man squad “Fury” penetrates into the Nazi Germany territory, in order to bring victory and justice to Europe and the rest of the world. —Tang

The Best of Me (October 17)

Fans of the The Notebook and The Last Song, prepare yourself for another Nicolas Sparks-based film that will make your hearts swoon. This novel adaptation looks into the lives of Dawson and Amanda, two lovers who are torn apart by their circumstances, and reunites them two decades later in passion. However, their past continues to haunt them as they must try to come to terms with it. Starring James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan as the lead roles, The Best of Me seems like the perfect date flick to surprise your girlfriend with heading into the fall. —Tang

Ouija (October 24)

You know Michael Bay is running out of ideas when he resorts to producing a film based on the not-so-popular-these-days board game. Yes, the man behind the Transformers series is bringing us a film on the Ouija board, with the premise revolving around a group of friends coming together to play with it after a viral video surfaces of a missing girl playing the game. However, things go wrong when the friends discover the horror of the Ouija board. —Jennings

St. Vincent (October 24)

A comedy with Bill Murray is always a comedy worth watching. The film focuses more so on the relationship and change of Vincent (Murray), a cranky war veteran that is soon befriended by a twelve-year-old boy. Melissa McCarthy joins the fun in a tamer role. This should be interesting. —Jennings

Horns (October 31)

Daniel Radcliffe is dabbling in magic again with the film adaptation of Joe Hill’s Horns. This fantasy horror film about a young man who sprouts horns after being accused for the murder and rape of his girlfriend will showcase the young actor’s true acting talents, while keeping him in the safe zone through the magical spirit presented throughout the move. Things start to heat up once his character discovers these horns posses special powers that help reveal the truth. —Jennings

Big Hero 6 (November 7)

What is November without a huge Disney release? An unusual Marvel film coming from Walt Disney Studios, the minds behind Frozen and Wreck it Ralph bring us this animated adaptation based on the comic. Audiences will follow a robotic prodigy Hiro Hamada, his friends, and an inflatable robot named Baymax. Hiro calls upon the help of buddies and Baymax when he finds himself amidst danger in the city of San Fransokyo. Expect the film to stick to its source material, while bringing more action and comedy to the mix. —Jennings

Interstellar (November 7)

Christopher Nolan, the genius behind Inception and The Dark Knight Trilogy, plans on taking us into space with Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway—following a group of explorers embarking on a journey into outer space after having discovered a wormhole (which connects regions of spacetime) on Earth. The travelers must explore this phenomena, at the cost of saving humanity from the apocalyptic turmoil that is about to ensue. With an A-list cast of actors, as well as Nolan at the helm, Interstellar is easily a must-see for the holidays. —Tang

Dumb and Dumber To (November 14)

The official sequel to the classic ’94 comedy, the Farrley Brothers reunite our favorite r-tards in celebration of the original film’s 20th Anniversary. And surprisingly, the critic and fan feedback from early previews has been well received, showing that Dumb and Dumber To could be more promising than expected. The film follows the antics of Harry and Lloyd, two sweet, but dim-witted friends played by Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey who go on a road trip to find Harry’s long-lost daughter during the holiday season. Along the way, they encounter plenty of slapstick, outrageous, and tender moments together. Consider it a follow-up that pays homage to the first, as well as the themes of friendship and nostalgia. —Tang

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (November 21)

One of the most anticipated films of 2014, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 continues the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) after she has destroyed the Hunger Games ceremonies and must now figure out how to lead a rebellion against the Capitol. In the meantime, she needs to save Peeta, who has been captured and held captive under the tyrannical authority of President Snow. With an all-star cast and director Francis Lawrence once more at the helm, the sequel will satisfy your cravings for the series—at least, until the second half of the flick comes out next November. —Tang

McFarland (November 21)

A touching and heart-warming cinematic, McFarland is inspired by a true story of a Latino high school cross country and track team from McFarland, California. Kevin Costner plays Coach Jim White, who assembles a group of exceptional athletes who, despite the obstacles and hurdles along the way, go on to win the national championships. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, McFarland also welcomes Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, and Carlos Pratts to the big screen. —Tang

Horrible Bosses 2 (November 26)

Following the 2011 hit Horrible Bosses, this really unnecessary sequel is ready and fired up for another hilariously wild adventure of Nick, Dale, and Kurt, former employees of tyrannical and sadistic bosses who now decide to launch their own business. However, when a ruthless investor gets in their way, the three begin to scheme a plan where they kidnap the investor’s son as ransom, in order to save their business. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis reprise their roles, as well as their bosses Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) and David Harken (Kevin Spacey). Filled with comedic moments and outrageous gags, Horrible Bosses 2 will surely be a massive romp to close out the month of November. Or so we hope. —Tang