The past is ever-present in the Fall 2022 movie season, as a remarkable number of upcoming films are historical dramas, biopics or documentaries. Just about every period is covered from medieval times to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’re looking for a brighter future, there are few slices of sci-fi and fantasy, and of course plenty of comedies. If your tastes lean darker, rest assured that the horror genre isn’t sitting out Spooky Season.
We’ve put the spotlight on 10 buzzworthy films. But whatever your tastes, bookmark RFMC’s handy guide to stay in the loop. (Release dates are subject to change. Releases are theatrical unless otherwise noted.)
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 8
“Pinocchio” (Disney Plus) — Director Robert Zemeckis blends live action and CGI in the latest take on the children’s fable.
Sept. 9
“About Fate” (theaters and rental) — Emma Roberts stars in a Boston-set rom-com.
SEPT. 9: OLD-SCHOOL YET MODERN HORROR
“Barbarian” — A seemingly innocent Airbnb house holds secrets in its depths. This looks like a great example of how horror films can still be scary even with today’s modern conveniences. “Jeepers Creepers’ ” Justin Long kicks off his fall horror return; look for him later on this day’s list!
“The Bengali” — An Indian-American documentarian probes her roots in remotest India.
“Brahmastra Part One: Shiva” — An epic Indian fantasy series launches.
“End of the Road” (Netflix) — A killer targets Queen Latifah and her road-tripping family in New Mexico.
“Hockeyland” — This documentary explores the obsessive culture of Minnesota prep hockey.
“House of Darkness” — As promised, here’s Justin Long again. Kate Bosworth is his co-star in a tale of a casual hook-up that turns grim.
“Medieval” — Michael Caine is among the cast in this 15th century piece about the Czech army taking on the Roman Empire.
Sept. 13
SEPT. 13: BACK BEHIND THE COUNTER
“Clerks III” — All your favorite characters from 1994’s “Clerks” and 2006’s “Clerks II” — plus some fun guest stars — return in Kevin Smith’s threequel. Yes, Dante and Randal are still working as clerks.
“Unseen Skies” — This documentary explores a DIY satellite launch in Nevada.
Sept. 14
“MVP” — Several NFL legends guest-star in this story of friendship between a retired football star and a homeless man.
“The Retaliators” — Religious horror, a kidnapping and revenge combine.
Sept. 16
“Confess, Fletch” (theaters and rental) — Jon Hamm takes over the idiosyncratic reporter role made famous by Chevy Chase in the two 1980s comedies.
“Do Revenge” (Netflix) — High schoolers take on their bullies; Sophie Turner and Camila Mendes star.
“The Falconer” — This festival darling explores a zoo worker with a troubled personal life.
“God’s Country” — “Westworld’s” Thandiwe Newton battles a pair of trespassers in this rural thriller.
“Goodnight Mommy” (Amazon Prime) — The 2014 Austrian horror flick gets remade already, this time with Naomi Watts.
“Heathers: The Musical” (Roku Channel) — The 1989 pitch-black comedy gets the song-and-dance treatment.
“A Jazzman’s Blues” (Netflix) — Writer-director Tyler Perry temporarily sets aside comedy for a murder mystery.
“Moonage Daydream” — Approved by his estate, this documentary explores David Bowie’s career.
SEPT. 16: A HUMOROUS NOD TO CHRISTIE
“See How They Run” — Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell and Adrien Brody star in this meta-comedy that goes behind the scenes of a movie adaptation of a 1950s play. Agatha Christie fans might be interested, as the play is loosely based on “The Mousetrap.”
“The Silent Twins” — “Black Panther’s” Letitia Wright stars as one of the nonverbal identical twins in this true story.
“Simchas and Sorrows” — Genevieve Adams writes, directs and stars in a dramedy about the complex process of converting to Judaism.
“The Woman King” — A sweaty Viola Davis has the title role in this 19th century actioner about a once-powerful African nation.
Sept. 23
“The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales” — A documentary shows what it costs to buy the American Dream, via the rise of the Disney corporation.
“Catherine Called Birdy” (Amazon Prime) — Director Lena Dunham adapts a novel about a teen girl’s troubles in medieval England.
“Dig” — Thomas Jane stars in a hostage and treasure-hunt thriller.
SEPT. 23: A MYSTERIOUS STORY WITH A LOADED CAST
“Don’t Worry Darling” — A 1950s mystery unfolds in an experimental community. The big-name cast includes Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, musician Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde, who also directs.
“Lou” (Netflix) — Allison Janney stars in a kidnapping-and-revenge actioner.
“My Imaginary Country” — This Spanish-language documentary digs into the 2019 protests against the Chilean government.
“On the Come Up” (Paramount Plus) — Sanaa Lathan stars in and directs this story of a female teen rapper desperate for success.
“The Railway Children Return” — This post-World War II family drama is a sequel to the 1970 film.
“The Swearing Jar” — In this musical, Adelaide Clemens finds too much of a good thing: two soulmates at the same time.
“Yakuza” — A budding criminal navigates the Japanese underworld.
Sept. 25
“Abnormality” — A detective and a murderer play cat-and-mouse.
Sept. 28
“Blonde” (Netflix) — Ana de Armas plays Marilyn Monroe in the latest adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ novel. Garret Dillahunt, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Julianne Nicholson and Sara Paxton also star.
Sept. 30
“1618” — In this historical drama, people try to escape the Inquisition in Portugal.
“Argentina, 1985” (Amazon Prime) — Lawyers go up against a militaristic government in this historical drama.
“Bros” — Director/co-writer Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) brings his talents to perhaps the most mainstream gay rom-com ever.
“Dead for A Dollar” — Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz and “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” Rachel Brosnahan star in a Western.
“God’s Creatures” — Emily Watson must choose between her family and her village.
“The Good House” — Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline star in a rom-com based on a novel.
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” (Apple Plus) — Peter Farrelly (“Green Book”) directs and Zac Efron stars this true story about an attempt to find lightness in the dark days of the Vietnam conflict.
“Hocus Pocus 2” (Disney Plus) — The witchy cult classic gets a sequel 29 years later.
“My Best Friend’s Exorcism” (Amazon Prime) — Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”) stars in a 1980s horror comedy.
“Smile” — A doctor (Sosie Bacon) stumbles into a parallel world in this horror flick.
“Vesper” — A father and daughter navigate a dystopian cli-fi future.
OCTOBER
Oct. 1
“The Banshees of Inisherin” — Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson (Mad Eye Moody in “Harry Potter”) star in this twisty friendship drama from director Martin McDonagh (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”).
“Syndrome K” — A documentary explores the Vatican’s creative attempt to shelter Jews during the Holocaust.
“Till” — This historical drama explores a mother’s quest for justice after the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 Mississippi.
Oct. 5
“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” — A fall movie preview isn’t complete without a Stephen King adaptation. John Lee Hancock (“The Little Things”) adapts this short story, with Donald Sutherland in the title role.
Oct. 6
“Bonnie” — A documentary profiles casting director Bonnie Timmermann.
“Terrifier 2” — This horror sequel chronicles a killer clown.
Oct. 7
“Amsterdam” — David O. Russell directs the most loaded cast of the fall (Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Anya Taylor-Joy and Robert De Niro for starters) in a bizarre true-story murder mystery set in the 1930s.
“Battleground” — This documentary chronicles women on each side of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“Bromates” — Best buds move in together after their relationships fall apart.
“Luckiest Girl Alive” (Netflix) — Mila Kunis gets caught in a New York mystery.
“Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” — The children’s book gets a live-action/CGI adaptation.
“Operation Seawolf” — Frank Grillo and Dolph Lundgren head up this World War II actioner.
“Signs of Love” — Rosanna Arquette stars in this rom-dram about a man who seeks self-improvement with help from a deaf woman.
“Tar” — Cate Blanchett stars as a symphony conductor in this biting look at the high-stakes fine-arts world.
“Triangle of Sadness” — This satirical romp on a cruise ship was a Cannes Film Festival success.
Oct. 12
“Armageddon Time” — Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins feature in this exploration of the American Dream during the Reagan era.
Oct. 13
“The Legend of Maula Jatt” — This Indian fantasy follows a skilled but troubled prizefighter.
Oct. 14
“Decision to Leave” — A detective meets a mysterious person of interest in an Asian murder-mystery.
“Halloween Ends” (Peacock and theaters) — The Michael-versus-Laurie trilogy within the storied horror franchise comes to a conclusion.
“The Loneliest Boy in the World” — This horror-comedy explores family values via zombie fiction.
“Piggy” — This Spanish film imagines if a Carrie-esque troubled teen was fat rather than skinny.
“The Same Storm” — In vignettes, writer-director Peter Hedges (“Pieces of April”) explores how the pandemic impacts a variety of folks.
“Sell/Buy/Date” — Director Sarah Jones takes a humorous but insightful look at the sex-work industry.
“White Bird: A Wonder Story” — This feel-good prequel to “Wonder” stars Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren.
Oct. 19
“The Good Nurse” (Netflix) — Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne star in a biopic about a health-care worker who takes care of her patients in more ways than one.
Oct. 21
OCT. 21: THE ROCK ENTERS THE DCEU
“Black Adam” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has the villainous title role in this spinoff of the DC Extended Universe’s “Aquaman.” It’s the first DCEU film since last year’s “The Suicide Squad.”
“Descendant” — This documentary gathers stories from descendants of travelers on the last African slave ship.
“My Policeman” (Amazon Prime) — A family digs into a mystery from its past in this rom-dram.
“Paul’s Promise” — This true Southern historical drama chronicles a pastor who battles his own bigotry.
“The School for Good and Evil” (Netflix) — Paul Feig directs the first adaptation of a series of fantasy novels, with Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington starring.
“Slayers” — Thomas Jane and Abigail Breslin are among the cast in this horror-comedy about social-media stars trapped in a vampire’s lair.
“Ticket to Paradise” — George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Kaitlyn Dever star in this multi-generational rom-com.
“Under the Boardwalk” — This animated musical comedy about talking crabs pits tourists against locals.
“Wendell & Wild” (Netflix) — Key and Peele are among the voice actors in this animated comedy adventure.
Oct. 28
“The Ambush” — Pierre Morel (“Taken”) directs a war thriller.
“Call Jane” — Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver star in a historical piece about a woman’s quest for a black-market abortion.
“The Lair” — A military pilot crashes into sci-fi horrors in Afghanistan.
“My Special Boy” — In this “Friday the 13th“ fan film, a man reopens and tries to repair the reputation of Camp Crystal Lake.
“Prey for the Devil” — Virginia Madsen stars in this piece of exorcism horror.
Oct. 31
“Appetite for Sin” — This horror film follows women vampires in Los Angeles.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1
“Awful Silence” — A desperate single mother and her son rent a mysterious house in this horror film.
“Fanga” — A girl takes on a monster in this piece of Scandinavian fantasy-horror.
Nov. 2
“The Monkey King: The Legend Begins” — Chow Yun-Fat stars in an epic martial arts fantasy.
Nov. 4
“Dear Zoe” — A down-and-out young woman (Sadie Sink, “Fear Street Part Two”) reconnects with her decidedly different relatives.
“Enola Holmes 2” (Netflix) — Millie Bobby Brown is back as Sherlock Holmes’ kid sister.
“The Estate” — In this comedic romp, an all-star cast (Toni Collette, Anna Faris, David Duchovny) seeks to win over a dying relative (Kathleen Turner) to gain favor in her will.
“Good Night Oppy” (Amazon Prime) — This documentary looks at the surprisingly long-lived Mars rover.
“I’m Totally Fine” — Jillian Bell stars in a sci-fi/comedy.
“Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams” — This documentary profiles a successful Italian cobbler.
“Something in the Dirt” — Neighbors go down a rabbit hole of bizarre phenomena in this sci-fi/horror comedy.
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (Roku Channel) — Daniel Radcliffe stars in a biopic about the legendary parody musician.
Nov. 10
“Falling for Christmas” (Netflix) — Lindsay Lohan stars in a holiday rom-com.
Nov. 11
“Bar Fight!” — A divorcing couple (including “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s” Melissa Fumero) battles for custody of their favorite bar in this comedy. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s” Rachel Bloom also stars.
NOV. 11: THE MCU’S SEQUEL YEAR CONTINUES
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — Chadwick Boseman passed away, but the spirit of his most famous character lives on in this sequel. It’s the year’s third Marvel Cinematic Universe film, following “Doctor Strange” and “Thor” installments.
“Kansas City Dreamin’ ” — This documentary looks at the city’s African American culture.
“Muti” — Morgan Freeman, Peter Stormare and Cole Hauser star in a thriller about a serial killer who uses black magic.
“The Son” — Director Florian Zeller adapts his own play about a dysfunctional family, with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby and Anthony Hopkins starring.
Nov. 15
“Filthy Animals” — Two vigilantes are on the hunt in this crime drama.
Nov. 18
“The Inspection” — Gabrielle Union stars in a story of a gay black man who joins the Marines.
NOV. 18: A DELICIOUSLY DARK DISH
“The Menu” — Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult star in a horror-comedy about an exclusive resort and restaurant. Mark Mylod, a director on many great prestige TV shows, moves to the big screen.
“The People We Hate at the Wedding” (Amazon Prime) — The always-busy Kristen Bell stars in this dysfunctional family comedy.
“She Said” — Samantha Morton and Carey Mulligan “go on the record” in this chronicle of the breaking story that launched the #MeToo movement.
“Slumberland” (Netflix) — Jason Momoa and Kyle Chandler enter a fantastical secret realm.
“There There” — This film-festival success explores doubt and faith.
Nov. 19
“Silent Life” — This drama spotlights the early days of Hollywood via the Lady in Black, a lover of sex symbol Rudolph Valentino.
Nov. 23
“Bones and All” — Timothée Chalamet stars in this young-adult horror/rom-dram.
“Devotion” — Pilots display heroism in the Korean War.
“The Fabelmans” — “West Side Story” director Steven Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner re-team for this story a young man in midcentury Arizona who copes with family secrets via his love of cinema. Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen star.
“Nanny” (Amazon Prime) — Anna Diop’s dreams of a better life turn into an arthouse horror nightmare.
“Strange World” — Animated heroes explore the titular odd locale.
Nov. 24
“Dante’s Hell” — Images and voiceovers combine in this telling of the “Dante’s Inferno” legend.
“The Noel Diary” (Netflix) — Justin Hartley (“This Is Us”) comes home for Christmas and digs into his family’s past.
Nov. 27
“Christmas at the Holly Hotel” — A food critic comes home for the holidays and finds romance.
DECEMBER
Dec. 1
“Catfish Christmas” — A woman’s online date isn’t what he seems in this rom-dram.
“Merry Ex-Mas” — High school sweethearts reunite in this rom-com.
“Out of Hand” — A literature professor is suspected in the murder of a student.
“Oxford Strong” — This documentary spotlights victims of a 2021 Michigan school shooting.
“Young Again” — A baseball player passes for a decade younger and tries out for a college team.
Dec. 2
“Christmas with the Campbells” — Brittany Snow, JoAnna Garcia and Justin Long are among the cast in this film co-penned by Vince Vaughn.
“Marlowe” — Liam Neeson portrays Raymond Chandler’s brooding sleuth in this 1930s mystery thriller.
“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” — Jim Parsons stars in this romantic comedy/tragedy based on the book by TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello.
“Violent Night” — Santa Claus (David Harbour) becomes an action hero in this crime comedy.
“Women Talking” — Sarah Polley directs and adapts a novel about women who question their religious cult. Rooney Mara, Claire Foy and Frances McDormand star.
Dec. 9
“Empire of Light” — Sam Mendes makes a luscious movie about movies.
“Pinocchio” (Netflix) — No lying, there are two versions of the story this fall. Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animation take promises to be darker than the Disney version.
“Something From Tiffany’s” (Amazon Prime) — Zoey Deutch pursues the mystery of a lost engagement ring in this rom-com.
“The Whale” — Darren Aronofsky directs a prosthetics-clad, 600-pound Brendan Fraser, who plays the father of Sadie Sink in this family drama.
Dec. 14
“A Man Called Otto” — Tom Hanks plays a curmudgeon in a remake of a Swedish film.
Dec. 16
DEC. 16: THE RETURN OF THE KING OF THE WORLD
“Avatar: The Way of Water” — Thirteen years after he dominated the box office with “Avatar,” James Cameron is back with the sequel. Will it be his third-straight “biggest movie of all time” (see also “Titanic”)? Or do people no longer care about the Na’vi, Pandora and unobtanium? Don’t bet against Cameron. (Also of note: 2009’s “Avatar” will be re-released to theaters on Sept. 23.)
“Bardo” (Netflix) — Writer-director Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“Birdman”) explores his formative years in Mexico.
Dec. 21
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” — “Bohemian Rhapsody” writer Anthony McCarten turns his attention to Whitney Houston for this biopic, with Naomi Ackie in the lead role.
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (Peacock and theaters) — The animated sequel features the vocal talents of Antonio Banderas.
Dec. 23
DEC. 23: PULLING OUT THE KNIVES AGAIN
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix) — Writer-director Rian Johnson and detective Daniel Craig return to the “Knives Out” universe three years later for another blend of tasty comedic romp and juicy murder mystery. Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke and Kate Hudson also star.
“Living” — Bill Nighy features in an adaptation of “Ikiru,” set in 1950s England.
“The Pale Blue Eye” — A young Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) gets inspired in this murder mystery starring Christian Bale, Lucy Boynton, Gillian Anderson and Robert Duvall.
Dec. 25
“Babylon” — Director Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”) explores 1920s Hollywood with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.
Dec. 30
“White Noise” (Netflix) — Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of the novel unveils the ridiculous side of pandemics and other things. Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig and Don Cheadle star.