Although the trailer screams “We saw M3GAN and really, really liked it!”, the level of talent involved in this smart-house genre offering suggests there is probably more to it than the marketing department might have us believe. For one, it’s written and directed by Oscar nominee Chris Weitz, who made his name alongside his brother Paul with American Pie, and went on to an eclectic solo directing career that includes the first attempt at a Philip Pullman adaptation, the second Twilight movie and acclaimed LA-immigrant drama A Better Life, all the while contributing to the screenplays for blockbusters such as Cinderella, Rogue One and The Creator. It’s safe to say that the success of M3GAN has opened up the possibilities for what can be achieved with this scale of sci-fi thriller in many people’s minds, and Weitz has recruited top-tier actors like John Cho and Katherine Waterston to fill out his vision, with a little David Dastmalchian in there as a treat. Now in theaters.

Two of the most interesting (and arguably underutilized) English actresses working today headline The Wasp, a new thriller about what happens when two old friends reconnect after time spent apart, and one makes a startling proposition. Olivier-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm wrote the screenplay, adapted from her acclaimed 2015 play of the same name. If the leads didn’t already have me on board, Lucia’s review certainly would have done the trick: “They put Gone Girl in a food processor of cruelty. (This is a compliment).” “One of the most unique tales of vengeance I’ve seen in a while,” says Alfonso. Rae acknowledges that the film’s stage-bound origins are evident, but exclaims, “Oh my god they make it work beautifully!” Now in select US theaters.

One genre that seems like it will never go out of fashion, no matter how maudlin or earnest its exponents tend to be, is the uplifting and inspiring sports movie. The relatively few good ones seem to justify the many not-so-great ones, but it’s nice that the little guy keeps at it. This genre clearly has heart, if little else, at times. Taking its title from a famous Mets rallying cry (I think—I’m from New Zealand, I barely know about cricket), You Gotta Believe wears its aspirationally inspiriting heart on its sleeve. Greg Kinnear and Luke Wilson, both the Hollywood equivalent of a Triple-A slugger who couldn’t cut it in the Majors (did I get that right?), lead this apparently true tale of a Little League team’s miraculous 2002 run. I present snarky, but I would definitely cry watching this. Now in US theaters. 

Re-releases used to be as inherent a part of moviegoing as telling people off for using their phones is now, but that was before, well, you know, and the criteria for what justifies a second theatrical bow is different these days. Shaun of the Dead qualifies from multiple angles—beyond the fact that it’s celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, the collective fondness for it continues to endure, and its multiple iconic moments and lines will surely play like gangbusters in a theater. The low standard for cosplay required (all you need is a white shirt and some red on you) will surely contribute. Plus, Edgar Wright’s rom-zom-com is one of our top 25 highest-rated horror films of all time, and to mark the anniversary we got him to read some of your reviews. There are legions of reviews that could be cited here, but let’s just stick with Trin’s all-encoming assessment: “british people”. Now in select US theaters.

Apparently inspired by her own mental-health journey, actor-turned-filmmaker Nadine Crocker writes, directs and stars in Continue. She plays a depressive who is involuntarily institutionalized after attempting to take her own life, but goes on to find hope in unexpected places. Continue’s intriguing ing cast includes Emily Deschanel, Dale Dickey, Shiloh Fernandez and Lio Tipton (Two Night Stand), an actor long overdue a breakout role whom old-school reality-TV fiends will recognize as a former America’s Next Top Model contestant. Shane says the “themes about suicide and the impact to all lives around you are treated with plenty of respect.” In select US theaters September 6.

They’ve been threatening us with a Beetlejuice sequel for decades now, and even in an era where every last beloved piece of intellectual property is being mined into oblivion, it still seems kinda crazy that we’re actually getting one. The original film cemented Tim Burton’s ability to spin his unique aesthetic obsessions into event cinema, and although those aesthetics have since become something of an industry standard, Burton himself recently bounced back with the success of Netflix’s Wednesday following a string of flops, so he’s well primed to set his inner child free once again. Wednesday star Jenna Ortega leads Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz. Michael Keaton is, of course, back as the titular demon, as is Catherine O’Hara, ed by new additions Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe, all of whom seem very well suited to this world. In theaters the world over September 6.

With a trailer that suggests a no-holds-barred hagsploitation throwback with a little Yuppies In Peril-spice mixed in, new A24 thriller The Front Room looks like a whole heap of fun. And that’s before you realize it was written and directed by twins Sam and Max Eggers, the latter of whom co-wrote their older brother Robert’s 2019 film The Lighthouse. Brandy Norwood leads The Front Room as a wife who welcomes her casually racist mother-in-law (stage legend Kathryn Hunter, soon to be seen in Megalopolis) into her home as a tenant in a moment of desperation, but soon regrets it. Jamie knows what I want to hear: “I think I just witnessed the birth of a camp classic!” “An excellent return to film for Brandy,” asserts Oscalito, who says he “cackled throughout this entire thing.” K8emck calls it “wild, weird, and funny!”. In US and Canadian theaters September 6.

If you’ve read the many books about the making of The Sopranos, you’ll be cognizant of how inscrutable a talent Edie Falco is. She is repeatedly described by her colleagues from that landmark series as a “lunch-pail actor”, meaning that while the other actors felt and lived and displayed the torment of the characters they were tasked with embodying, Falco, on the other hand, showed up cheerfully, delivered her lines perfectly and ate her lunch with a smile on her face. She delivers arguably the most devastating performance in a series overflowing with them, and she never broke a sweat. I’m not sure a film has quite been able to channel that quiet power yet, but independent dramedy I’ll Be Right There has as good a chance as any. Brendan Walsh, who directed multiple episodes of Nurse Jackie—Falco’s follow-up to The Sopranos—helms the film, which centers around Falco’s Wanda, who’s fighting to serve her own needs while contending with a demanding family. The great Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid) plays her mother, after recently having performed similar duties in Nicole Holofcener’s You Hurt My Feelings. That’s not a complaint. In select US theaters September 6.