Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

October 7, 2022

Amsterdam

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in the ’30s, it follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The prospects of a David O. Russell film at the box office seems in direct proportion to its Oscar buzz…Joy barely had any and it didn’t do well whereas his prior films did and did great. So, since this one seems to be on the low end of Oscar expectations, so go the box office predictions.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. It skipped the festival circuit, which isn’t a good sign and early reviews have been all over the place. I suspect that the film might end up skipped, though some craft category considerations might be possible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Premise: From IMDb: “Feature film based on the children’s book about a crocodile that lives in New York City.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Youngsters just aren’t getting to the box office at the level they used to, which makes this film a tough sell. That said, it could still do well with the pandemic being declared over, even if it isn’t over.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

TAR (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in the international world of classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár. widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s been a long time since Todd Field released a film, so we don’t really have a viable comparison. That said, the film is said to be a bit odd even if good, so it should have niche success.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Cate Blanchett’s name is already being bandied about as a possible three-time Oscar winner for this. I’m not sure if I buy that buzz, but a nomination seems certain at this point.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 14, 2022

Halloween Ends

Premise: From IMDb: “The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in this final installment of the franchise.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Good. Halloween Kills released during the pandemic and did decently. This one should bounce upwards as it’s being billed as the last film in the series…though that’s doubtful.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Till

Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Emmett Louis Till and the legacy of his mother who pursued justice for her lynched son.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. As The Woman King proved, there is a market for well-made historical dramas. While the rah-rah nature of The Woman King isn’t a good fit for the horrific injustices being discussed in Till, it could still have a decent run at the box office.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. This is another film that skipped the festival circuit, though it is set for a release at the beginning of October at the New York Film Festival. Not quite as prestigious as the one-two-three punch of Telluride, Venice, and Toronto, but that could be helpful if the film was still being worked on. It has a lot of potential due to the subject matter, but we’ll have to see how critics like it.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 21, 2022

Black Adam

Premise: From IMDb: “Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods-and imprisoned just as quickly-Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Testing Dwayne Johnson’s drawing power, this film could very well make a lot more than I’ve predicted. Still, I want to be conservative because Johnson in a non-heroic role might turn some viewers off and DC has a lackluster history with recently releases.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. The Oscars haven’t loved superhero movies and this looks like many others, which means its chances are probably weaker than more prominent efforts that look original.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Ticket to Paradise

Premise: From IMDb: “A divorced couple that teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.”
Box Office Prospects: $85 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Julia Roberts and George Clooney haven’t done romantic comedies in long enough that their box office potential cannot be adequately tested. Still, anything north of this prediction wouldn’t be surprising.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. Roberts and Clooney have been recognized for their dramatic work, but seldomly for their comedic work, which will likely work against the film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Banshees of Inisherin (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Martin McDonagh’s films do decent box office business, but this seems like it will be a tough sell for some.
Oscar Prospects: Excellent. Early word out of the festivals has been ecstatic with Gleeson and Farrell both being singled out for praise and the film seems certain to score at least a writing nomination, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did far better than that.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

My Policeman (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The arrival of Patrick into Marion and Tom’s home, triggers the exploration of seismic events from 40 years previous.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Is Harry Styles popular enough to turn a limited release drama into a box office hit? It seems unlikely, especially when critics aren’t giving it the boost it would otherwise need.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. The film hasn’t done terribly well with critics and it won’t do well at the box office, so its chances are dropping by the day.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Wendell and Wild (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Two scheming demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, must face their arch-nemesis, the demon-dusting nun Sister Helly, and her two acolytes, the goth teens Kat and Raul. However, Raul cannot see them so Kat helps Wendell and Wild to help him.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There aren’t a lot of frames of reference for Henry Selick’s films. The stop-motion genre has always severely underperformed its computer-animated rivals, which is disappointing, but the combination of animation and the Jordan Peele name might well turn this into a surprisingly big hit.
Oscar Prospects: Good. A nomination seems certain at this point unless the film is terrible, which I doubt. A win is another story. Although Disney/Pixar has been struggling to assert its chances this year, that allows Netflix, which has been chomping at the bit for a victory in this category for a few years now, may finally have the chance. Though losing to this film would be a most fascinating turn of events.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 28, 2022

Prey for the Devil

Premise: From IMDb: “A nun prepares to perform an exorcism and comes face to face with a demonic force with mysterious ties to her past.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Good. Exorcism films still do decently well at the box office even if they are a dime a dozen. While it won’t do huge business, it will likely do well enough to score a sequel.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Armageddon Time (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Poor. James Gray isn’t a director who scores huge box office tallies, so don’t expect much from this one.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While the film wasn’t terribly well received, some minor buzz emerged around Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong, but I suspect the film’s weaknesses may hinder their chances.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Call Jane (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A married woman with an unwanted pregnancy lives in a time in America where she can’t get a legal abortion and works with a group of suburban women to find help.”
Box Office Prospects: $8 M
Expectations: Uncertain. These kind of small period dramas don’t often do well with audiences.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Yet, they do well with Oscar voters sometimes. Especially in a world where the right to an abortion has been outlawed in many areas, the timely relevance of the film could be enough to bolster the film’s chances, but its festival run has been lackluster, so perhaps Sigourney Weaver is the only one with a shot at a nomination, especially when there are other abortion-related efforts releasing closer to the time when Oscar voters are paying attention.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.