The final hurdle of 2019 has arrived, and it comes bearing gifts. As more films are announced or debuted, film festivals are bursting with exciting new stories. And with Toronto International Film Festival almost under wraps, moviegoers have been blessed with a plethora of films to sink their teeth into. With award season only a few months away, here are the films that are creating the most buzz within the industry.

Credit: Esquire

5. Dolomite is my Name (dir. Craig Brewer / 4th October 2019)

Eddie Murphy is back and with a (credible) bang too. The famed actor will take on the titular role of Rudy Ray Moore, a filmmaker who was responsible for bringing the character of Dolomite to life through various stand-up comedy shows and blaxploitation films. The film is equally backed by a stellar cast made up of the likes of Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Ron Cephas Jones, Chris Rock and more. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, Dolomite is expected to be released in limited cinemas before premiering on Netflix on October 25th.

Credit: USA Today

4. Bombshell (dir. Jay Roach / 20th December 2019)

Bombshell covers the 2016 resignation of chairman/CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, following sexual allegations from dozens of women including hosts Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson. Not only is the film culturally topical but boasts a cast of some powerhouse actresses including Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Bombshell goes undercover in the world of right-wing broadcast news and it’s possible we’ll get more than we bargained for.

Credit: Vanity Fair

3. Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig / 25th December 2019)

Gerwig may have only made her directorial debut in 2017 with the award-winning Ladybird, but she’s quickly climbed up the ranks to become a well admired director. Now, her second film will adapt the internationally renowned Little Women, based on the 1868 novel of the same name, that has already enjoyed seven remakes. The coming-of-age story features an ensemble of women including Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, Florence Pugh and veterans Meryl Streep and Laura Dern. Hopefully, Gerwig will offer the film a flair unseen in previous adaptions.

Credit: The Verge

2. The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese / 27th November 2019)

Netflix has dominated the streaming world for several years and now it may be ready to take over the film industry. Bagging Martin Scorsese for a Netflix distributed film is quite impressive, especially considering the weight of the story. The film focuses on the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa and the Bufalino crime family. Despite the infamous story, what makes this film incredibly exciting is the de-aging technology used on both Al Pacino and Robert de Niro. The actors recreated a scene from the film Goodfellas, which they both worked on, in order to see if the technology could actually work. The Irishman will run for a brutal 210 minutes and will be released on Netflix after a limited theatrical release.

Credit: Games Radar

1.Joker (dir. Todd Phillips / 4th October 2019)

This is definitely the most anticipated film on the list and it’s not hard to see why. Not only is the titular character of Joker played by the extremely talented Joaquin Phoenix but offers the well-known character an origin story that is bound to leave us uncomfortable for a while. The movie will be the first live action film within the Batman series to receive an R-rating due to its ‘violent apnd disturbing content’. The psychological thriller is reminiscent of the Dark Knight trilogy more so than any of the other DC films, making it that much more thrilling. After Joker premiered at the Venice Film Festival, the film received an eight-minute standing ovation and won the top prize at the Toronto Film Festival.

Aisha Mohamed
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