Netflix has released its fall line-up of original movies, and there’s a little something for everyone: These movies run the gamut from family-friendly animated comedies to dark and disturbing thrillers and documentaries. Big-name actors like Mahershala Ali, Julia Roberts, Colman Domingo, and Emily Blunt all show up, alongside directors like David Fincher, Wes Anderson, and David Yates.
As always, though, it’s the surprises that we’re really on the lookout for…and a few of these movies have especially intriguing premises, even if they’re from names that we’re less familiar with. In any case, your at-home movie watching is probably sorted, at least through Christmas.
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America (Sept. 6)
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Documentary filmmaker Brian Knappenberger—perhaps best known for We Are Legion, his 2012 look at the hacktivist collective Anonymous—is here taking on not just decades of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America, but the organizational culture that allowed cases to be ignored, dismissed, and actively covered up. The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America premieres on Netflix Sept. 6.
Love at First Sight (Sept. 15)
From the book The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, this sounds like a cute rom-com about a couple of people (Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy) who meet and bond on a long transatlantic flight, only to lose each other in the chaos of Heathrow airport. Love at First Sight premieres on Netflix Sept. 15.
El Conde (Sept. 15)
Netflix is giving this one a limited theatrical release prior to its Netflix debut, an indication of faith in its award-season prospects and probably not surprising given that its director, Pablo Larraín (Spencer), has created several films that have racked-up awards and Oscar nominations. The story revolves around Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet—but this dark comedy is no traditional biopic. The general (Jaime Vadell) is a centuries old vampire, finally ready to die…but not having much luck. El Conde premieres on Netflix Sept. 15.
The Saint of Second Chances (Sept. 19)
Morgan Neville, Academy Award-winning director of 20 Feet from Stardom, takes a look at Mike Veeck, son of baseball promoter and impresario Bill Veeck. Mike blew up not only his own baseball career but also his father’s, and the movie looks like a charming comeback story. The Saint of Second Chances premieres on Netflix Sept. 19.
Spy Kids: Armageddon (Sept. 22)
Though it’s a reboot of the two-decade-old franchise, it’s not likely to represent too wild a departure: Robert Rodriguez, who wrote and directed the previous four films in the series, is back in the chair for this update, joined by his son, Racer Rodriguez, on writing duties. Here, the children of a couple of secret agents (Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi) accidentally unleash a computer virus that threatens their parents (and also the whole world), forcing them to pick up the Spy Kids mantle. Spy Kids: Armageddon premieres on Netflix Sept. 22.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Sept. 27)
Another film that’s getting a limited theatrical release to make it eligible for major awards, this one is a team-up of sorts between beloved-if-problematic writer Roald Dahl and writer/director Wes Anderson, adapting the titular story about a rich man who tries to learn to see without using his eyes so that he can cheat at gambling…and get even richer. Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade lead the impressive cast. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premieres on Netflix Sept. 27.
Forgotten Love (Sept. 27)
You might not have read Polish author Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz’s novel, Znachor, but it’s very much a cult sensation for readers of its native language. In the novel, as in the new movie, a respected doctor loses his memory, family, and livelihood before reconnecting with his grown daughter many years later, even though the two don’t understand their connection. Forgotten Love premieres on Netflix Sept. 27.
Reptile (Oct. 6)
Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, Eric Bogosian, Alicia Silverstone, and Frances Fisher lead the cast of this noir-sounding crime drama about a hardened detective investigating the brutal murder of a real estate agent. It’s getting a limited theatrical release, which suggests that Netflix feels good about its awards-season prospects. Reptile premieres on Netflix Oct. 6.
Fair Play (Oct. 13)
Chloe Domont, director of several acclaimed short films, takes her first run at a feature film here, and the buzz is already solid. It’s a relationship thriller involving a couple (Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich) who work together at a cutthroat financial firm. When an opportunity for promotion comes up, the previously mutually-supportive pair begin to slowly turn on each other. Fair Play premieres on Netflix Oct. 13.
The Devil on Trial (Oct. 17)
The sensational case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who stabbed his landlord to death in 1981, gets another look here—after the case got a fictionalized take in the third Conjuring movie. It was the first time that demonic possession had ever been attempted as a defense in a United States court of law, and it’s unclear if this new doc will approach the story with any more or less credulity than The Devil Made Me Do It…but it should be interesting, regardless. The Devil on Trial premieres Oct. 17.
Old Dads (Oct. 20)
Bill Burr directs this comedy about three guys (Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale, Bokeem Woodbine) who have to navigate becoming fathers later in life. Old Dads premieres on Netflix Oct. 20.
Pain Hustlers (Oct. 27)
David Yates directs Emily Blunt as a desperate single mom who becomes wrapped up in a racketeering scheme involving a pharmaceutical company. Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, and Andy Garcia join her in a film about the ethical compromises that American society forces on us. Pain Hustlers premieres on Netflix Oct. 27.
Sister Death (TBD in Oct.)
I’m a big fan of Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza, whose Rec is far and away one of the best zombie films of the last couple of decades. This one is a prequel to his also-very-good 2017 film, Veronica, and is set just after the Spanish Civil War, when novice nun Narcisa (Aria Bedmar) signs on to teach at a school for young girls, only to find some spooky stuff going on. It was filmed almost entirely at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo de Cotalba, so there’s almost guaranteed to be plenty of atmosphere. Sister Death premieres on Netflix sometime in October, but the official date hasn’t been released yet.
Wingwomen (Nov. 1)
This one looks like a fun heist movie about two best friends, Carole and Alex, who also happen to be master thieves looking to get out of the business. Naturally, this last big score goes pretty spectacularly wrong. Wingwomen premieres on Netflix Nov. 1.
NYAD (Nov. 3)
Diana Nyad, a world-class athlete who gave it up for a career as a sports journalist, decides that, at the age of 60, she’s got one last feat to achieve: the 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida, which she plans to not only do, but also be the first to do without a shark cage. Annette Penning and Jodie Foster star in this drama based on a true story. NYAD premieres on Netflix Nov. 3.
Sly (Nov. 3)
Best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen, director Thom Zimny turns his lens on Sylvester Stallone for a retrospective on the multi-hyphenate entertainer’s life and career. Even if you’re not a huge Stallone fan, it’s likely to be pretty interesting. Sly premieres on Netflix Nov. 3.
The Killer (Nov. 10)
Any new David Fincher movie is a big deal, and here he teams with Michael Fassbender playing an assassin who gets caught up in an international manhunt when a hit goes horribly awry. It’s based on a French comic book series, and, of course, is getting a limited theatrical release before it streams on Netflix. The Killer premieres on Netflix Nov. 10.
Stamped From the Beginning (Nov. 15)
Roger Ross Williams directs this documentary that adapts Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s 2016 New York Times bestseller. The film uses animation to bring to life important figures in the history of anti-Black racism, and includes contributions from Dr. Angela Davis, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and Dr. Jennifer L. Morgan, along with Dr. Kendi. Stamped From the Beginning premieres on Netflix Nov. 15.
Best. Christmas. Ever! (Nov. 16)
Mary Lambert, the wildly eclectic director of everything from Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” music video to Pet Sematary, is helping us get the jump on the holiday season with this story of two women, one of whom leads a seemingly perfect life (at least according to her Christmas letters) and the friend who’s determined to prove that everything isn’t quite as rosy as it seems. Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Jason Biggs, and Matt Cedeño star. Best. Christmas. Ever! premieres on Netflix Nov. 16.
Rustin (Nov. 17)
Colman Domingo stars in this essential biopic on often-forgotten activist and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who made history as the architect of the 1963 March on Washington but was often excluded from the narrative of the era because of his unapologetic queerness. Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald are among the impressive cast. It’s getting a short theatrical release in advance of streaming on Netflix. Rustin premieres on Netflix Nov. 17.
Leo (Nov. 21)
Adam Sandler stars in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school—as seen through the eyes of a class pet. It looks cute. Leo premieres on Netflix Nov. 21.
Family Switch (Nov. 30)
Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, and Brady Noon star in this Freaky Friday-esque comedy in which an entire family does the body-swap thing. Family Switch premieres on Netflix Nov. 30.
Nuovo Olimpo (TBD Nov.)
This romantic drama set partly in the 1970s sees two men meet and fall madly in love at the age of 25, only to be separated and spend the next three decades searching for each other. Nuovo Olimpo premieres on Netflix in November, but the date hasn’t been announced yet.
May December (Dec. 1)
Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, Carol, The Velvet Underground) helms this story about a couple with a tabloid past, whose relationship begins to crumble when, twenty years later, an actor shows up to research them for a new film. Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton star. May December premieres on Netflix Dec. 1.
The Archies (Dec. 7)
Now that Riverdale is done, the world almost certainly needs another offbeat take on the Archie-verse. This one’s a musical set in an Anglo-Indian community in 1960s India, in a hill station town named…Riverdale. Looks like a lot of fun, honestly. The Archies premieres on Netflix Dec. 7.
Leave the World Behind (Dec. 8)
Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon star in the adaptation of the popular Rumaan Alam novel about a devastating cyberattack that brings a disparate group together. Leave the World Behind premieres on Netflix Dec. 8.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Dec. 15)
The multi Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman Animations (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep), teams up with the also Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away) for a sequel to 2000’s stop-motion classic Chicken Run. I’m not sure what more you’d need to know. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget premieres on Netflix Dec. 15.
Maestro (Dec. 20)
Bradley Cooper stars and directs in this biopic about composer Leonard Bernstein and his lifelong relationship with actress and activist Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. So far, the discourse has been largely about Cooper’s prosthetic nose…but don’t count the actor/director out. It’s getting a short theatrical release ahead of awards season. Maestro premieres on Netflix Dec. 20.
Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire (Dec. 22)
Zack Snyder is back in this intriguing (if busy-looking) sci-fi epic set on a peaceful colony at the edge of the galaxy that suddenly finds itself threatened by a tyrannical power, and the mysterious Kora (Sofia Boutella) assembles an army of peasants and orphans. Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, and Anthony Hopkins are just some of the big names that will be stopping by for the star war. Rebel Moon premieres on Netflix Dec. 22.