30. Beautiful Boy
DIrector: Felix Van Groeningen
Starring: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan, Timothy Hutton and Kaitlyn Dever
Synopsis: Chronicles meth addiction and recovery through the eyes of a father who watches his son Nic as he struggles with the disease.
Why is it anticipated?: ‘Beautiful Boy’ is based on a bestselling novel Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff. The premise, which looks to explore a dysfunctional yet intimate father-son dynamic, looks very promising. It is also the first Hollywood film helmed by acclaimed director Felix Van Groeningen, who has made Academy nominated films in his home country of Belgium.
29. Mary Queen Of Scots
Director: Josie Rourke
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant, Guy Pearce
Synopsis: Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
Why is it anticipated?: A period drama with a stellar cast always has “anticipated” written all over it. Saoirse Ronan, who plays the titular character, had a stellar 2017 we can naturally only expert greater things from her next year. The supporting cast also has some heavyweight names increasing the hype. Director Josie Rourke is a theater veteran and it will be interesting to see how she brings a period drama to life on the screen.
28. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
Director: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason
Synopsis: The film follows a computer hacker and a reporter who are trapped in a web of spy agents, federals and hackers.
Why Anticipate: Fede Alvarez is one of the most promising directors working in cinema today and though the film gives the impression of a mundane crime thriller, we do expect the director to maintain the same sense of control and riveting tension that he did in ‘Don’t Breathe’, one of the better movies of 2016.
27. The House That Jack Built
Director: Lars Von Trier
Starring: Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Bruno Ganz
Synopsis: The plot revolves around the film’s titular character, a highly intelligent serial killer, and chronicles his life and the various murders he committed that turned him into one of the most feared men in the US state of Washington.
Why Anticipate: Well, didn’t you read the name of the director? Honestly, what more reason do you need? Danish provocateur Lars Von Trier is undoubtedly the most controversial filmmaker working today. Love him or hate him, but you just can’t dismiss the kind of impact this man has had on modern cinema. And what more? You’ve got Matt Dillon, Uma Thruman and Bruno Ganz! Though the plot seems like a conventional Hollywood serial killer flick, we know that Von Trier considers it blasphemous to associate himself with anything that is even remotely traditional.
26. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Adam Driver, Olga Kurylenki, Robert Duvall
Synopsis: Adapted from a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes, the film tells the story of an ad exec who travels back to the 21st century London and 17th century La Mancha, where the titular character mistakes him for his squire.
Why Anticipate: One could even objectively say that this is the most anticipated film of the year, considering the fact that Gillaim tried to make this film a total of eight times over a period of 19 years. Gilliam is a maverick filmmaker, an eccentric who never stuck to traditional Hollywood filmmaking methods and by the looks of this film, one could certainly say that it might just be the masterpiece Gilliam has been wanting to churn out since years.
25. On the Basis of Sex
Director: Mimi Leder
Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux
Synopsis: The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Why Anticipate: With more and more women stories being told, it is not surprising that films like ‘On the Basis of Sex’ will be welcomed and anticipated. Also keep an eye on the film because of its Oscar chances, especially for Felicity Jones.
24. Ophelia
Director: Claire McCarthy
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, Tom Felton
Synopsis: A re-imagining of Hamlet, told from Ophelia’s perspective.
Why Anticipate: A reimagining of Shakespeare story? Sign me in. On top of that, we have Naomi Watts, a veteran and one of the best actresses of this generation, and Daily Ridley, one of the most promising newcomers. What else do you need?
23. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on the Foot
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill
Synopsis: The film revolves around John Callan, a young man who becomes paralyzed after a car accident.
Why Anticipate: How can film with a cast that has the likes of Phoenix and Mara go wrong? No, it just can’t. Gus Van Sant has been more of a hit-and-miss director, but when he hits, it’s home run. The book is based on the memoir of the same name written by Callan and it would be interesting to see how Van Sant would bring infuse his own vision and bring the man’s life onscreen.
22. Boy Erased
Director: Joel Edgerton
Starring: Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges
Synopsis: Based on Gerrard Conley’s memoir titled ‘Boy Erased: A Memoir’, ‘Boy Erased’ tells the story of a young man who was outed to his parents when he was a teenager. Themes of identity, self-discovery and love remain the film’s central focus.
Why Anticipate: Apart from the touching story, the cast certainly looks terrific and the great Nicole Kidman looks in great shape to give another memorable performance. A film as bold, as humane such as this could be turned to many different ways, which is what makes it really exciting.
21. Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan, Toby Kebbell
Synopsis: A lady detective goes on to reconnect with her old mates from one of her undercover missions in order to delve deeper into her past.
Why Anticipate: Nicole Kidman as a leading LAPD detective. What more do you need? While the story doesn’t look particularly original or intriguing, we hope Karyn Kusama’s indie style gives the film a distinctive touch. Moreover, Kusama’s work in television has been particularly notable, and it’s always exciting to see new, fresh indie talent exploding onto the scene.
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