Fall movies come into focus as summer winds down

There have been a number of big summer movies like "F1: The Movie," "Superman" and "Jurrassic World: Rebirth." But these popcorn movies are not likely destined for big awards.

Studios like to hold back the Oscar contenders for the fall, so in this week's episode we dive into which movies to watch for this fall and into the winter. You can also review a full list of notable films below.

August releases

“Honey Don’t!” – Ethan Coen continues his Margaret Qualley-a-thon with this comedy about a private investigator who looks into a series of deaths tied to a church. Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans co-star.

“Splitsville” – Divorce makes strange bedfellows, particularly when the ex discovers his best friends have an open marriage. Dakota Johnson, Kyle Marvin star.

“Eden” – Looking for a better life, a group of people head to the Galapagos and realize what they’re up against. Jude Law and Ana de Armas star in this based-in-fact drama directed by Ron Howard.

“Relay” – Payoffs between corporations brings a broker into the line of fire. Riz Ahmed, Lily James and Sam Worthington star.

“Hollywood Grit” – A private investigator has to find out what happened to his daughter. Tyrese, Max Martini star.

“Lurker” – How strange is the world of stardom? A worker finds out as he gets closer to a music star. Alex Russell wrote and directed this drama starring Theodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe.

“The Thursday Murder Club” – Friends in a retirement home solve mysteries. Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley are in the home.

“The Roses” – An updated look at “War of the Roses” lets Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman square off. Jay Roach directs.

“Caught Stealing” – Austin Butler gets the Darren Aronofsky treatment as a baseball player caught in the underbelly of New York City. Bad Bunny is along for the ride.

“The Toxic Avenger”—When a janitor is the victim of a toxic accident, a new crimefighter emerges. Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay and Taylour Paige star.

“Jaws” – The first summer blockbuster returns to the big screen after months on television. Now, you can see what audiences were scared of in 1975.

“Love, Brooklyn” – Friends navigate the pitfalls of life in Brooklyn.

September releases

“Megadoc” – Mike Figgis looks at the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.”

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” – Those creepy paranormal investigators say they’re taking on one last case (sure) to settle their own lives. Patric Wilson and Vera Farmiga return.

“The Threesome” – A threesome leads to problems, particularly since life’s not always fantasies. Zoey Deutch and Jonah Hauer-King star.

“Twinless” – Two men bond in a support group. Dylan O’Brien, Lauren Graham and Arkira Chantaratananond star.

“Hamilton” – Celebrating its “ten-cennial,” the Broadway hit brings its performance capture version (which ran on Disney+) to the big screen. Updates about the performers make this more than a night out.

“The Baltimorons” – Sobriety leads to a dental emergency which leads to a romance with the dentist. Jay Duplass directs; Michael Strassner co-writes and stars.

“The Long Walk” —You thought the Hunger Games were bad, how about this: Teenage boys compete in a walking contest. If they don’t keep up, they’re shot. Based on a Stephen King story, it’s one of the year’s most harrowing.

“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” – Those Smell the Glove guys reunite after a 15-year hiatus for one last concert. Rob Reiner directs; the original actors return.

“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” – The Crawleys face scandal, financial ruin and social disgrace. To get out of it, they look to a younger generation. Expect all but Maggie Smith to be back.

“The History of Sound” – Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor embark on a World War I project that brings them close to their country and each other.

“Code 3” – One last shift for a paramedic who has to train his replacement. What could go wrong? Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery star.

“Him” – What a guy won’t do to be a football star. Here, one goes to a compound where anything can happen. Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans and Julia Fox star.

“American Sweatshop – Yup, it’s the world of social media. An insider discovers just how dark the world is (like we didn’t know).

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” – Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie bond in a unique journey (which, of course, says nothing but suggests there’s more to this than two big stars).

“The Summer Book” – A girl and her grandmother become closer in Finland. Emily Matthews and Glenn Close star. (Could this be the one that finally wins Close an Oscar?)

“Xeno” – Ready for another E.T.? This one finds a teenager relating to the alien. Josh Cooke, Lulu Wilson star.

“Waltzing with Brando” – When Marlon Brando wants an ecologically perfect retreat in Tahiti, he calls on a Los Angeles architect. Tia Carrere, Richard Dreyfuss and Jon Heder star.

“Eleanor the Great” – Scarlett Johansson directs June Squibb in this drama about a 94-year-old who has plenty of stories to tell.

“One Battle After Another” – Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this dark comedy about a group of revolutionaries reuniting to save one of their group’s daughter. Paul Thomas Anderson directs; Benicio Del Toro (who starred in a Wes Anderson film earlier this year) and Sean Penn co-star.

October releases

“The Smashing Machine” – Dwayne Johnson tries his hand at mixed-martial arts as UFC champion Mark Kerr. The makeup may be a stretch, but Benny Safdie directs, Emily Blunt disappears in an unlikely role.

“Tron: Ares” – Jared Leto gets to run the race. Jeff Bridges is here, too, but this is about a new program (Ares) that’s about to embark on a dangerous mission.

“Roofman” – A robber evades authorities by hanging out in a toy store. Channing Tatum plays the thief, Peter Dinklage and Kirsten Dunst swirl around him.

“Anemone” – Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of retirement for this film directed by his son, Ronan. The plot? Good question, but it will have that DD-L prestige.

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” – Jennifer Lopez stars in the Tony winner fans have been asking for. The big question: Were they looking for Lopez to star in it? Bill Conden directs.

“If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You” – Rose Byrne gets the Oscar buzz as a woman trying to juggle multiple traumas, including a sick child and an absent husband.

“Soul on Fire” – This is the story of a St. Louis native who survived burns which covered his body. Joel Courtney plays John O’Leary. William H. Macy and John Corbett co-star.

“Good Fortune” – An angel meddles in the lives of a venture capitalist and a gig worker. Seth Rogen, Azizi Ansari and Keke Palmer star in this comedy written and directed by Ansari.

Black Phone 2 – More trouble ensues when the phone rings. Sequel to a better-than-average horror film.

“After the Hunt” – Julia Roberts plays a college professor who wonders what could happen when a student levels an accusation against a colleague. Ayo Edebiri co-stars.

The Mastermind – A family man leads a double life in the 1970s. Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim star.

“Pets on a Train” – Animated animals get caught up in a train heist.

Hedda” – “Hedda Gabler” gets the big-screen treatment with Tessa Thompson in the title role.

Blue Moon – The life of Lorenz Hart is told by Richard Linklater with Ethan Hawke as Hart. Andrew Scott plays Richard Rodgers.

“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” -- Bruce Springsteen gets the Bob Dylan treatment with Jeremy Allen White in the title role. This, however, only covers the creation of the “Nebraska” album.

“Regretting You” – Family issues emerge after the death of a husband and father. Based on Colleen Hoover’s best-seller, it stars Allison Williams and Mckenna Grace.

“The Watchers” – M. Night Shayamalan’s daughter Ishana makes her directorial debut with this thriller about an artist who gets trapped in an Irish forest.

“Anniversary” – A good cast (Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch) in a thriller directed by Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa.

“Bugonia” – Emma Stone continues her run with Yorgos Lanthimos. The film is a remake of a South Korean effort about two men kidnapping an executive, convinced she’s an alien bent on destroying Earth.

“Nouvelle Vague” – Richard Linklater has another entry this year. This one’s a look at Jean-Luc Godard and actress Jean Seberg. Guillaume Marbeck and Zoey Deutch start.

November releases

When We Pray – Jamie Foxx directs the story of brothers who become pastors at divergent churches.

Predator: Badlands – While “Alien: Earth” takes over TV screens, the “other” scary creature takes on a remote planet.

The Running Man” – Glen Powell steps into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s shoes as a contestant in a game show which features killers all around the world.

Nuremberg – Set during the Nuremberg trials, a psychiatrist interviews Nazi prisoners to determine if they are fit to stand trial. Rami Malek and Russell Crowe square off.

Peter Hujar’s Day – What was New York’s art world like in 1974? Rebecca Hall and Ben Whishaw play two who know. Ira Sachs directs.

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” – The Four Horsemen get help from newbies hoping to use illusions to get away with big cash.

Jay Kelly – It’s an ensemble film but it stars George Clooney as a George Clooney-level star who reflects on life with his manager (played by Adam Sandler). Noah Baumbach directs. Indecipherable – A boy, home alone, gets shaken by the things that go bump in the night.

Wicked: For Good – At long last, we find out what happened to Glinda and Elphaba. Expect at least one new song and bigger roles for the men in their lives. No place like home? That’s included, too. Cynthia Orivo and Ariana Grande could double up on the Oscar nominations.

Rental Family – Oscar winner Brendan Fraser plays an American actor who plays roles in other people’s lives.

STZ – Zombies result when a trio of scientists launch a bio-attack on a bus filled with women. (No kidding.)

Zootopia 2 – Residents of Zootopia return for more adventure and product placement. Judy and Nick are on the trail of a new resident, a snake.

About the show

Streamed & Screened is a podcast about movies and TV hosted by Bruce Miller, a longtime entertainment reporter who is now the editor of the Sioux City Journal in Iowa and Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer for Lee Enterprises based in Madison, Wisconsin. The show was named Best Podcast in the 2025 Iowa Better Newspaper Contest.

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A podcast about movies and TV, hosted by Bruce Miller, editor of the Sioux City Journal, and longtime entertainment writer covering Hollywood, television and streaming programs. Get Bruce's insights and enjoy interviews with directors, stars and experts. Co-hosted by Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer for Lee Enterprises.