20. E-Book
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Olivia Ross, Juliette Binoche Guillaume Canet
Synopsis: A Godard-esque exploration of Paris, with elements of humor infused abundantly, marking the distinctively ironic comic style of Assayas.
Why Anticipate: Olivier Assayas, arguably one of the most underrated auteurs working in cinema today, stunned critics and cinephiles with his bizarrely beautiful ‘Personal Shopper’, which went on to win the Best Director award at Cannes last year.With ‘E-Book’, however, it looks like the auteur is making a massive tonal shift once again, since it’s a comedy, and with the great Juliette Binoche joining the cast, things can only get better.
19. Under the Silver Lake
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace
Synopsis: The story centers around a man investigating the mysterious disappearance of a woman.
Why Anticipate: David Robert Mitchell has displayed finesse over controlling plot-driven movies. All of his movies, including ‘The Myth of the American Sleepover’ and ‘It Follows’ have been heavy on storylines, but his writing has always been so nuanced and rich that the plot-points in his films never feel convoluted. We hope he continues his fine flow with this one, as it certainly has the looks of a slick, indie neo-noir thriller.
18. I Think We’re Alone Now
Director: Reed Morano
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning
Synopsis: The story centers around two people who find solace in each other’s company after managing to survive an apocalypse
Why Anticipate: The story certainly makes for an intriguing sci-fi flick and a lot depends on Mike Makowsky’s script. Also, this would be director Reed Morano’s third feature film and we truly believe the film has the stuff for her to make her mark as a filmmaker.
17. The Wild Pear Tree
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Cast: Hazar Erguclu, Murat Cemcir
Synopsis: The film follows a writer who returns to his village and tries his best to arrange money in order to get himself published.
Why Anticipate: Because Nuri Bilge Ceylan is one of the greatest directors working in cinema today. Because his last film was a Palm d’Or winner. Because no other filmmaker since the great Andrei Tarkovsky and Michelangelo Antonioni, managed to explore existentialism and ennui with such profound emotional depth and philosophical value.
16. The Little Stranger
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Cast: Domhall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter
Synopsis: The film follows a doctor who gets ensnared in a web of supernatural events after he goes on to visit one of his patients’ house.
Why Anticipate: Abrahamson’s ‘Room’ was deeply humane, uplifting story about a mother and a son and his precise, detailed style is what turned a seemingly ordinary story into an uplifting tale of love, survival and determination there. But it would be interesting to see the man delving into this whole other genre. Let’s hope he doesn’t get Shyamalan-zoned!
15. Wildlife
Director: Paul Dano
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould
Synopsis: The film follows a teenager who is forced to witness the harsh realities of life as he grows up after his father abandons him and his mother finds another man.
Why Anticipate: Actor Paul Dano’s directorial debut has the looks of a perfect American drama and with Gyllenhaal leading the acting zone,things can only get better. However, the inherent emotional aspects of the film could push it towards the melodrama zone, so it would really interesting to see Dano’s approach to the story.
14. A Star is Born
Director: Bradley Cooper
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Stefani Germanotta, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle
Synopsis: A movie star helps a young singer/actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
Why Anticipate: Bradley Cooper directing Lady Gaga! That enough of an incentive to be super-excited for the film. It is true that we don’t know about Cooper’s directing talent, but here is the good news: The studio shifted the release from May to October. That tells me the film is Oscar-calibre. Lady Gaga .. Best Actress?
13. Backseat
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Bill Pullman and Alison Pill
Synopsis: The story of Dick Cheney, the most powerful Vice President in history, and how his policies changed the world as we know it.
Why is it anticipated?: One look at Bale’s transformation for the role and you won’t be asking this question again. But there’s much more to the film than the master transformer, such as the stellar ensemble and Dick Cheney’s own original intriguing life story. ‘The Big Short’, McKay’s last collaboration with Bale and Carell, was a treasure trove of crisp filmmaking and wry humour, both of which we can also expect from this upcoming film.
12. Radegund
Director: Terrence Malick
Cast: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Michael Nyqvist
Synopsis: The film, set in 1943 Austria, tells the story of a conscientious objector who is asked to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
Why Anticipate: Terrence Malick continues to be one of the most polarizing figures in contemporary cinema, but one can just not look past the kind of humanity and empathy he displays in his films. The man has always ventured into different areas, including romantic dramas, crime dramas and period pieces and it would be really interesting to see how the maverick filmmaker would go on to capture the most devastating period in human history.
11. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Director: Xavier Dolan
Cast: Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon
Synopsis: The film is about a reporter who goes on to expose the correspondences of a TV star and focuses mostly on the relationship between the two characters.
Why Anticipate: Well, it’s Xavier Dolan. And, there’s Jessica Chastain, and Natalie Portman, and Susan Sarandon as well. Honestly, we couldn’t have thought of a better way to sell this movie.
Read More: Best Comedy Movies of 2017
