Top 12 Anticipated Movies For Autumn (and December) - 2016

Well, today - around 10 a.m. - marked the official first day of Autumn. It also marked my son’s 9^th birthday.

For his big day, I purchased him a book that I came across at The Learned Owl book shop called 101 Movies To See Before You Grow Up, a great little handbook for movie-lovers under 5-feet tall.

Not bragging or anything, but we've seen most of the movies in this book. But, there are a few that we haven’t gotten to just yet (Lord of the Rings and It's a Wonderful Life ... I’m looking at you!).

In any event, it was that book that jogged my memory to put out a top 12 list of anticipated autumn (and some December) movies. I almost entirely, but not totally, forgot.

So, here’s my list – with some short write-ups. Don’t forget to follow my OneSentence Movie Reviews on twitter!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Great book that my daughter and I read together. Tim Burton direction. A bunch of weird kids and creatures. Creepy-licious!

The Girl on the Train

The director of The Help (Tate Taylor). Emily Blunt. Mystery thriller in the same vein as Fincher's Gone Girl.

The Accountant

Ben Affleck. Math savant. Government conspiracies, and murders!

A Monster Calls

A sad, sad book. A fantastical monster. Director of The Orphanage and The Impossible (Antonio Bayona).

Doctor Strange

Odd Marvel Superhero. Hopeful great acting by Benedict Cumberbatch. Sorcery, mysticism and Tilda Swinton.

Hacksaw Ridge

Director Mel Gibson is back to war. A man (Andrew Garfield) who rejects violence. Bloodiest battle of WW2.

Arrival

Director of Prisoners and Sicario (Denis Vlleneuve) takes on UFOs. Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Two-Time Academy Award Winning Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi). War Movie. Shot in 3D at 120 frames per second

Nocturnal Animals

All-star cast. Getting great reviews at film festivals. A mysterious manuscript from an estranged husband arrives at the wife’s (Amy Adams) front door.

The Founder

Story of Ray Croc, the founder of McDonalds. Michael Keaton in a Michael Keaton-esque role. The director of one of my 2013 sleepers of the year Saving Mr. Banks (John Lee Hancock).

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The secret map to the Death Star. Mysterious reshoots. Director Gareth Andrews (Monsters, Godzilla). An actual Star Wars war movie?

Passengers

Chris Pratt. Jennifer Lawrence. Two people who wake up on a spacecraft 60 years before everyone else. Can you say original sci-fi?

Others that almost made the list:

• Manchester By The Sea
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• The Magnificent Seven
• Lion
• The Birth of a Nation
•  Loving
• La La Land
• Queen of Katwe
• Deepwater Horizon
• Bad Santa 2