• PROJECT POWER. THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. TESLA. MESSAGE MAN. DESERT ONE. SAM. AVA. ANTEBELLUM. ALL NIGHTER. ENTWINED. UNKNOWN ORIGINS. ESCAPING FREEDOM. FIRST KISS. SHIRLEY. FIRST COW. WENDY. BAD TRIP.
* LIFF. Flare. LFF. Raindance. FrightFest.
• TENET. MULAN. THE NEW MUTANTS.

AFTER CLASS
BAD EDUCATION
BLOOD ON HER NAME
CARMILLA
CUT OFF (Ger)
THE DEATH & LIFE OF JOHN F DONOVAN
FAITH BA$ED
GUNS AKIMBO
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Fr)
HOMEWRECKER
INVISIBLE LIFE (Br)
KNIVES AND SKIN
THE LODGE
THE LONGEST NIGHT (Ec)
THE PRINCE (Chl)
THE RENTAL
THE SURROGATE
THIS IS NOT BERLIN (Mex)
TOMMASO
TREMORS (Gua)

* films I've seen, reviews en route

MULAN

dir Niki Caro; with Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Gong Li, Jason Scott Lee, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Jun Yu, Jimmy Wong 20/US
release US/UK 4.Sep.20

This is the kind of live-action remakes Disney should be doing, retelling the story in a completely new style. Here, an animated romp becomes a full-on action adventure with a powerful female protagonist. Niki Caro was an inspired choice as director, with her ability to combine art and storytelling. And the trailer looks seriously gorgeous too. Alas, Disney has decided to gut the industry for some quick streaming cash with this movie, rather than giving it the showcase it clearly deserves.

THE NEW MUTANTS

dir Josh Boone; with Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga, Happy Anderson, Henry Zaga, Colbi Gannett, Thomas Kee 20/US
release US/UK 28.Aug.20
Shot more than two years ago, then delayed by both Disney's acquisition of Fox and extensive reshoots, this looks like an interesting new direction for Marvel's X-Men, described as a cross between Stephen King and John Hughes. This certainly tracks with filmmaker Boone, who previously directed The Fault in Our Stars before moving on to King adaptations. And the cast has an intriguing mix of young stars who are also great actors.

BLACK WIDOW

dir Cate Shortland; with Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray Winstone, William Hurt, O-T Fagbenle, Robert Downey Jr 20/US
release US/UK 6.Nov.20
Marvel finally gives Johansson the spin-off she deserved way back when she first played this character a decade ago. Of course, after the events of Endgame, it's unclear how this movie will fit into the over-arching Avengers story - a prequel? flashback? alternate reality? game changer? Whatever, the presence of powerhouse costars like Pugh and Weisz bodes very well indeed. As does the quirky hiring of Aussie director Shortland, gifted at making wrenching indie dramas. Bring it on.

NO TIME TO DIE

dir Cary Fukunaga; with Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen 20/UK
release UK 12.Nov.20; US 25.Nov.20
Making a Bond movie seems to get more complicated year by year, and this one certainly went through some messy gyrations, including a false start with Danny Boyle. But Cary Fukunaga is a terrific filmmaker who should be able to bring something fresh to the franchise, and it will be interesting to see Craig reconnecting with figures from his previous 007 adventures. It's not only about the action - the story needs to be clever and engaging, and the characters just a little bonkers.

A QUIET PLACE PART II

dir John Krasinski; with Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, Lauren-Ashley Cristiano, Wayne Duvall, Okieriete Onaodowan 20/US
release US/UK delayed
The first film was 2018's best break-out surprise, and it didn't scream out for a sequel, so let's hope Krasinski has found somewhere inventive to send these characters. Blunt, Jupe and Simmonds are so good that the idea of watching them do pretty much anything makes this a muse-see, and the trailer hints at some intriguing big twists, plus added Murphy and Hounsou. It's hard to imagine that this will be better than the original, but we can hope.

ANTLERS

dir Scott Cooper; with Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan, Cody Davis 20/US
release US/UK delayed
This looks like an intriguing shift in direction for writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), dipping into creepy horror alongside producer Guillermo del Toro. The low-key cast adds even more interest, avoiding starry leads for actors who are much easier to identify with as things turn seriously creepy in a rural Oregon community. And of course del Toro's visual effects experience clearly comes in handy when the monsters appear.  

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

dir-scr Emerald Fennell; with Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Laverne Cox, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Alison Brie, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Molly Shannon, Sam Richardson, Connie Britton, Max Greenfield, Adam Brody, Alfred Molina 20/US
release US/UK delayed
The trailer for this thriller doesn't give much away, aside from Mulligan's scene-tearing performance as a woman seeking some kind of vengeance against someone who did her wrong. The attitudes look fierce, with a terrific cast of actors given rather a lot to chew on. It's definitely the kind of trailer that makes you sit up in the cinema and take notice. The big question is director Fennell, a writer-actress who is making her feature directing debut. But one of her writing-producing credits is Killing Eve.

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Also on my want-to-see list...

Summer: AN AMERICAN PICKLE    THE GREEN KNIGHT   
PENINSULA    SPONGEBOB: SPONGE ON THE RUN   
BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC    WONDER WOMAN 1984   
Autumn: THE FRENCH DISPATCH    SOUL   
Winter: FREE GUY    PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY   
TOP GUN: MAVERICK    RESPECT   
Spring: GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE   
Summer: JUNGLE CRUISE    MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU   
Release TBC: ANTEBELLUM    SPIRAL   
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW