Get ready for what's coming over the next two months with our 2019 Fall and Winter Holiday Movie Preview. After an uneven summer that started out big (thanks to Avengers: Endgame) but was down in overall attendance, the box office recovered in September and October thanks to hits like IT Chapter Two, Joker, even as movies like The Goldfinch and Gemini Man floundered.
With November and December upon us, it's time for the customary late-year rush of Oscar hopefuls and tentpoles aiming to dominate the holiday box office frames on the horizon. As has become our tradition at Screen Rant, this year's fall/winter holiday preview will focus on the films that are going to be playing nationwide from the get-go (as opposed to the limited releases that will gradually expand to additional markets).
So, with that out of the way, here are our 15 Films to Check Out Over the Fall and Winter Holidays in 2019 (in the order of their release).
15. Terminator: Dark Fate (November 1)
Plot Summary: Sarah Connor s forces with a soldier from the future to protect a young woman who's being hunted by a time-traveling Terminator.
The Breakdown: Fourth time isn't typically the charm, but that seems to be the case with the Terminator films, judging by the early reviews for picking up praise for Linda Hamilton's performance as a seasoned, but still badass as ever Sarah Connor, in combination with the work from the rest of the cast and the action scenes by Deadpool director Tim Miller. After nearly thirty years, it appears Terminator is, at long last, back... to form.
14. Doctor Sleep (November 8)
Plot Summary: 40 years after his terrifying stay at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance helps a teenager who's targeted by a dangerous cult for her own "shining" abilities.
The Breakdown: early Doctor Sleep reactions praising the movie for being a worthy sequel to both King and Stanley Kubrick's tellings of The Shining.
13. Last Christmas (November 8)
Plot Summary: Kate is a young woman with a habit of making poor life decisions when she meets Tom, a charming fellow who seems too good to be real.
The Breakdown: Yes, the theories have only gotten wilder since then... which isn't to say they aren't much ado about nothing. Either way, between the cast, Emma Thompson as cowriter, and Bridesmaids' Paul Feig directing (not to mention, the gorgeous backdrop of London during the winter holidays) Last Christmas is worth keeping on your radar, ghostly boyfriends or not.
12. Charlie's Angels (November 15)
Plot Summary: After blowing the whistle on dangerous technology, a systems engineer is recruited by the Townsend Agency (which now operates worldwide).
The Breakdown: All appearances to the contrary, Elizabeth Banks' the trailers suggest it's as silly, stylish, and action-packed as the entries before it. Still, Sony's had mixed success with reviving its biggest properties in 2019 (see Men in Black: International, Zombieland: Double Tap), so it remains to be seen how their latest attempt goes.
11. Ford v Ferrari (November 15)
Plot Summary: Automative designer Carroll Shelby and his driver, Ken Miles, try to build a racing car for Ford that can finally defeat the Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The Breakdown: Between entered both Matt Damon and Christian Bale's names for consideration in next year's Best Lead Actor Oscar category. All in all, it appears that James Mangold's acclaimed "dad movie" has the makings of yet another home-run for the Walk the Line and Logan director.
10. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (November 22)
Plot Summary: Journalist Lloyd Vogel begrudgingly agrees to write a profile piece about Fred Rogers, only to find his perspective on life transformed.
The Breakdown: Despite what its marketing would suggest, the early word from those who caught the film's premiere at TIFF 2019 is Can You Ever Forgive Me?) for her direction, which no doubt comes as welcome news for Sony. Expect this one to get a serious Oscar push in the months to come, for those reasons.
9. Frozen II (November 22)
Plot Summary: Elsa, together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, sets out on a dangerous journey to protect her kingdom and discover why she was born with magical powers.
The Breakdown: really builds upon the mythology and themes from the first Frozen. Naturally, the sequel will still include all the trademark elements audiences associate and love about Disney Animation (as it should), but it's also shaping up to be a richer, yet equally entertaining and fun piece of storytelling than its beloved predecessor. Fingers crossed, Frozen II will prove to be an exciting return to Arendelle, as promised.
8. Knives Out (November 27)
Plot Summary: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey inexplicably dies just after his 85th birthday, Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.
The Breakdown: If Rian Johnson's its pre-release screenings should help its cause there.
7. Jumanji: The Next Level (December 13)
Plot Summary: When Spencer vanishes into the world of Jumanji, his friends follow him and discover the game's changed since last they played.
The Breakdown: Dwayne Johnson is headed back to the jungle yet again for December's adding Danny DeVito and Danny Glover to the equation, and having them "play" The Rock and Kevin Hart, no less. It's still going to be tough to replicate the unexpected fun of Welcome to the Jungle, but The Next Level is certainly making an irable go at it.
6. Black Christmas (December 13)
Plot Summary: The of a college sorority find themselves being hunted by a mysterious killer while preparing for the winter holidays.
The Breakdown: The 1974 slasher classic a far cry from the previous two iterations, and in a promising way. Judging by its trailer, director Sophia Takal and writer April Wolfe have made a horror movie that's as much about the patriarchal legacy of its setting, Hawthorne College, as it is a loner stalking and murdering young women, and it's an intriguing and relevant twist to the original film's premise. That also bodes well for the rest of this particular reboot, which is angling to cap off what's been another great twelve months for horror movies in general.
