Most Anticipated Films of 2024:
CHAPTER II
aka
"Boy, Am I Glad this List Doesn't Include Any Marvel Films."
50. The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet (Vox Lux, The Childhood of a Leader) Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Isaach De Bankolé, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Alessandro Nivola, Emma Laird, Jonathan Hyde, and Peter Polycarpou.
brutalism /ˈbro͞odəliz(ə)m/ noun: a style of architecture or art characterized by a deliberate plainness, crudity, or violence of imagery. The term was first applied to functionalist buildings of the 1950s and 1960s that made much use of steel and concrete in starkly massive blocks.
Brady Corbet has to have one of the most fascinating turnarounds of an actor-turned-director, at least in the last decade. This is probably because of the fact that he started acting in films so young, landing his first big-screen role as the older brother (Mason) in Catherine Hardwicke's, Thirteen, and since then going on to have a fairly lucrative acting career in indie film; so we've been able to watch his evolution as an artist (he's also known for playing a psychopathic killer in Michael Haneke's, Funny Games, as well as delivering supporting turns in Martha Marcy May Marlene and Melancholia.) His first film behind the camera would be the sinisterly brilliant, The Childhood of a Leader, which went on to win him the Lion of the Future and the Horizons' award for Best Director at Venice (where it premiered), signaling him as a talented and provocative filmmaker to watch, while his second movie, Vox Lux, boasts one of Natalie Portman's most electrifying performances. He's been trying to get his next project, The Brutalist, filmed and finished for quite some time now, which was heavily delayed by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the film was originally slated to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard, Sebatian Stan, Vanessa Kirby, and Mark Rylance, all of whom eventually dropped out of the project due to various different reasons that stemmed from the production being delayed so many times. The story chronicles the 30-year journey of a Hungarian-born Jewish architect (bringing everything back to the opening definition, courtesy of Merriam-Webster) who immigrates to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. (By the way, the building in the picture above is not actually from the film, but it is a real piece of brutalist architecture.) His life in America, which begins with poverty and indignity, is transformed when his talents attract the attention of a wealthy client. Corbet has described the film as his most personal project yet, which explores themes of legacy and liberation through art, all told through the lens of the American immigrant experience. The premise to me has echoes of Ayn Rand's, The Fountainhead, which has me praying that this story stays clear of the author's views on individualism vs collectivism, and I also have to confess that I was a lot more excited about the previous cast. All things considered though, this is still a great ensemble of actors and an intriguing premise led by an exciting director, so I'll still be looking out for this one.
RELEASE: TBA.
49. Voyagers
Director: Sebastián Lelio (Gloria, A Fantastic Woman) Cast: Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Biopic films are a dime-a-dozen these days, but every now and then there's a title that catches my interest. Enter Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean auteur behind sublime and emotionally moving hits such as Gloria and A Fantastic Woman (the first film from the country to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film), whose upcoming movie, Voyagers, has the makings of hitting just the right sweet spot that balances historical fact with artistic interpretation. Described as a cosmic love story that traces the romance between infamous scientist and decorated astronomer, Carl Sagan, and his wife, Ann Druyan, the premise is giving me vibes of James Marsh's, The Theory of Everything (just picture what it might have looked like if Lelio had directed that film, can you imagine?!) Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones lead the cast and should make for a dynamic combo together on screen. My only reservation at this point is the script, which is sadly written by none other than Zach Dean (if you don't remember who he is, go back to entry #55 for The Gorge to read my rant), but I'm hoping what shines through the most here are the performances of the two stars and Lelio's vibrant direction and cinematic eye (whose past works have found the director being able to spin gold out of improvisation and minimal dialogue, which could be an asset in masking the scripts possible shortcomings.) Not quite sure if this has even begun filming yet, but Lelio works fast, so even if he were to start filming within the next couple of months, he would likely be finished in time for the fall fests.
RELEASE: TBA.
48. CUCKOO
Director: Tilman Singer (Luz) Cast: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, and Greta Fernández.
At one point, A24 was my number one go-to studio for quality horror offerings in today's jump-scare saturated landscape. The boutique studio (which has grown significantly in the last decade) is still at the top of the list when I need my fix, but Neon is nipping at their heels closely from behind. The rival indie studio/distributer has been very smart about its film acquisitions from festivals and which directors they choose to collaborate with. One of those directors they quickly snatched up was German breakout, Tilman Singer. With only one feature-length movie credit to his name, Singer debuted his first film, Luz, at the 68th Berlin Film Festival in 2018. Originally only intended to be his thesis project for film school, Luz was submitted to the film festival and then (shockingly) accepted, where it was well received by critics and audiences. Running just over an hour at 70 minutes, the film plays as an homage to 80s European horror and has a challenging (almost David Lynchian) narrative structure with a fresh take on possession that feels quite singular and unique. It's honestly no surprise that Neon wanted dibs on whatever his next film was going to be, which finally brings us to Cuckoo. The sophomore feature from Singer finds the director returning back to horror, this time following a 17-year-old girl (Hunter Schafer) who is forced to move into an alpine resort with her family where things are not as they appear. Singer shot the film on 35mm. Word has been very tight-lipped about what to expect from the new movie, but I'm definitely getting some Argento vibes from that (above) picture, and that has me stoked!
RELEASE: The film will have its premiere at 74th Berlin Film Festival (five years after Luz made its splash there) before playing at SXSW in March. Cuckoo will hit theaters on May 3rd.
47. Longlegs
Director: Oz Perkins (The Blackcoat's Daughter, Gretel & Hansel) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, and Blair Underwood.
Oz Perkins' family tree has a connection to an entire legacy of horror films. The up-and-coming director is the son of legendary Pscyho actor, Anthony Perkins (the very same Anthony Perkins whose iconic performance as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece would influence and redefine the genre for many decades to come), and his career behind the camera has been on the rise for quite some time now, with three features to his name that have each showcased a talented filmmaker whose assured vision, tone, and atmosphere is perhaps a promise of someone whose attempting to carve out their own personal legacy in the genre. His upcoming film is backed by none other than Neon (perfect) and follows an FBI agent (It Follows' Maika Monroe) who is assigned to an unsolved case involving a serial killer (Nicolas Cage.) As the case becomes more complicated and evidence of the occult is discovered, she begins to realize that she may have a personal link to the killer and that she must act quick if she's to prevent another murder from happening. Test screenings have been very positive so far, with many citing Cage's performance as the killer as one of the actor's all-time best! Perkin's previous films were very small and struggled to find their audience, so perhaps the pedigree of his next film will land him more widespread recognition and acclaim.
RELEASE: July 12th.
46. House of Spoils
Directors: Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down) Cast: Ariana DeBose, Barbie Ferreira, and Arian Moayed.
If there's one thing I've learned from Blumhouse- the production company founded by producer Jason Blum in 2000 that is mainly known for its horror filmography- it's that they should never be underestimated. In a post-pandemic industry, they've had films such The Black Phone and M3GAN make a killing at the box office while racking up strong reception from critics and audiences alike (no easy feat), and they've even been able to transcend their success into the field of major awards players as well with films like Get Out, BlacKkKlansman, and Whiplash. It's a studio that, despite its shortcomings (and it's had many), has the ability to surprise, which is a huge reason why I've got my eyes on one of their upcoming films, House of Spoils. Directed by filmmaking duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy and led by Oscar-winning actress, Ariana DeBose, of West Side Story fame, the film centers on a talented young chef who opens her first restaurant, an endeavor that quickly becomes a highwire juggling act that finds her battling kitchen chaos, a dubious investor, and crushing self-doubts. But the story takes an even more sinister turn when the specter of the estate's wealthy owner shows up to add to the chaos, hellbent on haunting the establishment and sabotaging her success at every turn. Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy earned their stripes after the success of their directorial debut, Blow the Man Down, in which they brilliantly demonstrated their ability to build slow-burn, Hitchcockian suspense while still emphasizing character and an acute sense of time and place. Their sophomore feature sounds even more ambitious and has an even greater pedigree of talent and money behind it, so I'm excited to see what kind of flavors their ghostly kitchen offering yields. FX's The Bear has already proven there is an audience for dramatic stories set amidst restaurant madness, so this may be the type of cinematic concoction that takes those ideas a thrilling step further.
RELEASE: TBA.
45. A Different Man
Director: Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life) Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, and Adam Pearson.
One director from this year's Sundance lineup who is expected to break out in a huge way is Aaron Schimberg. His last film, Chained for Life, is virtually unheard of in most circles (I only just watched it for the first time last year), and his debut feature, Go Down Death, is even more obscure and one I still haven't seen. Having seen Chained for Life though, however, I can attest that it is an extremely artful and thought-provoking film that challenges ideas about conformity, the commodification of beauty (specifically in Hollywood) and conceptions about storytelling, especially when storytellers attempt to articulate the experiences of marginalized communities that they are neither a part of nor fully understand. Chained for Life centers the perspective of the people within the disabled/malformed community, but it's clear that the scope of its message is broader than that. Schimberg's upcoming film, A Different Man, looks like an expansion of those themes explored in his previous feature, but through different dimensions and introspective reassessment. The A24-produced film tells the story of Edward (Sebastian Stan), a man who suffers from neurofibromatosis (a rare genetic disorder) and undergoes facial reconstructive surgery to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. But what seems like a dream-come-true at a new life gradually morphs into a devasting nightmare when a stage production is made that is based on Edward's life, and his new, handsome face causes him to lose the role he was born to play! Fixated on the new play and its lead star (Under the Skin's Adam Pearson, reteaming with Schimberg for the second time and who actually struggles with neurofibromatosis is real life), Edward's obsessions manifest themselves in ways that blend reality with the surreal, taking him on an internal journey that underlines one man's quest for self-actualization. (See, this is the type of psychological thriller I live for.) Also starring is The Worst Person in the World breakout, Renate Reinsve, as Edward's former love interest.
RELEASE: The film has its premiere at Sundance on January 21st before it goes on to screen at Berlin, with a theatrical release still to be announced.
44. Nosferatu
Director: Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe.
Oh no you didn't, Robert Eggers! Who do you think you are?! You think you can just remake F.W. Murnau's silent film masterpiece that gave us one of the most iconic and tragic monsters to ever grace the screen?! Well, clearly he does, because that's precisely what he's done, so what the hell are the rest of us going to do it about it! Actually, none of this should come as any surprise. Eggers has long professed his love of the 1922 classic in which Max Schrek infamously played the titular "Nosferatu" (the Romanian word that alludes to "vampire") at its center, Count Orlok, and it's been his dream to one day revisit the film through his own singular vision. The original silent film was highly controversial when it came out, which faced an infamous legal battle from Bram Stoker's estate over copyright infringement due to how the film heavily borrows from Stoker's book, Dracula, and the court ruled for all copies of the film to be destroyed. However, everyone knows that destroying a vampire is easier said than done, which is perhaps why several copies of Murnau's film survived the ruling, and the rest is history. Now it's Eggers turn. The cast is certainly solid enough (however, I was more excited when Anya Taylor-Joy was set to play Ellen Hutter before she dropped out and was replaced with Lily-Rose Depp) and I'm sure Eggers will bring his signature attention to details, visuals, and magical realism, but I'm still very skeptical. I love Murnau's film to pieces and it was already remade once in 1979 by Werner Herzog (a sublime adaptation by the way), not to mention all the renderings we've had of Dracula in the first place (Francis Ford Coppola's film is still a favorite I return to often), that I just don't really see the need for Eggers' film to exist in the first place. But since it's coming anyway, regardless of how I feel, and since Eggers is one of the most talented and visionary new directors to have emerged in the last decade, I will obviously be there opening weekend to see what he and his team of artists have created. First images of the film look stunning (no surprise), but test screening have been less exciting; the word so far is very mixed- from the execution to the performances- but Eggers' visual compositions remain infallible. All of these reactions were to an unfinished cut obviously, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see before making a final opinion.
RELEASE: December 25th.
43. We Live in Time
Director: John Crowley (Brooklyn, Boy A) Cast: Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Adam James, and Marama Corlett.
John Crowley's last film, an adaptation of Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Goldfinch, was a major disappointment and miscalculation on the director's part, but my love for his 2015 film, Brooklyn, is strong enough that I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. Not much is known about his next film, other than it's a romance backed by A24, is headlined by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield (enough to sell me right there), and based on a script from award-winning playwright, Nick Payne (whose film credits are very few, but has garnered both a Laurence Oliver Award and Tony nomination for his work.) Because the details regarding the picture are so sparce, it was hard for me to place the film any higher than this, but what details there are have me excited enough (Brooklyn certainly proves that Crowley knows how to tell a compelling romance.) Hopefully more to come on this.
RELEASE: TBA.
42. Challengers
Director: Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, A Bigger Splash) Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist.
Luca Guadagnino is no stranger to stories that underline the messy and complex nature that can often define romantic relationships. Whether it's two flesh-craving loners living on the margins of society who find in each other a human conduit for their need for love and connection as in Bones and All, or how the unexpected visit of a woman's former flame and his daughter tests the strength and limitations of her marriage in A Bigger Splash, or a young boy navigating a lush summer of sexual awakening and the thrill and heartache of first love in Call Me by Your Name, Luca Guadagnino is a master at articulating the slippery and knotty ways love and desire entangle and the mystery of the unspoken that drives those two things. It's no wonder then that he instantly clicked with the script of his upcoming film, Challengers, penned by Justin Kuritzkes, which is set in the sweaty world of competitive tennis and gets its heat from the toxic love triangle at its center. Right in the middle of this love triangle is Tashi (Zendaya), a professional tennis player turned coach who has transformed her husband (Mike Faist) from a mediocre player into a grand slam champion. But after he's set back by a recent streak of losses, she enrolls him in a challenger event that pits him against Patrick (Josh O'Connor), his wife's ex-lover and his former best friend, setting in motion a chain of events that reignites old tensions both on and off the court. Guadagnino says he was attracted to the project because of the "beautifully complex and fucked up characters" that drive the script, which he found himself falling in love with, and has called the film "fairly fizzy, sexy, and hyperkinetic." Test screenings have been very positive and reiterate how the director describes his latest work, with special notices for Zendaya and O'Connor's performances and an electrifying score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross!RELEASE: April 26th.
41. Civil War
Director: Alex Garland (Annihilation, Ex Machina) Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman.
It's...probably not the film that any of us were asking for in a stressful election year, but (for better or for worse) a rapidly escalating civil war set in a dystopian (or perhaps prophetic) vision of America in the not-so-distant future sets the tone and serves as a catalyst for the drama and stakes of Alex Garland's next film, (the not-so-subtlety titled) Civil War. The plot follows a group of journalists and their cross-country journey to document the unfolding of these events. I love Alex Garland. Annihilation is without a doubt one of my favorite sci-fi films of the last decade. Garland has always been a talented writer that engages themes around technology, philosophy, and psychology in ways that are smart and fascinating, and as a director has demonstrated a sophisticated visual palette that elevates his lofty material. But after his last film, Men, I've started to get the impression that some of Garland's stories and the characters that inhabit them feel more like window dressings whose primary function is to enrich and compliment an idea, rather than the idea enriching the story and the characters. That being said, I still really enjoy his work (I even liked Men, despite the criticisms I had with it) and I was really disappointed when he announced he was retiring from directing in 2022 (Civil War is expected to be his last directorial work, at least for a while), but I can't pretend like the premise of his next film might just be too...on the nose. One thing is for sure though, and that is that Garland is an extremely ambitious and visionary storyteller, and I have no doubt that Civil War will continue to highlight the scope and cinematic thrills that have been become a trademark of his work. The film, which is backed by A24, is the studio's most expensive movie to date, so hopefully Garland has made the most of his generous budget.
RELEASE: April 12th.
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