2023 Fall movie calendar and guide: The best fall movies to watch this season
By Ricky Valero
It’s almost time to sit by the fireplace, drink your Pumpkin Cold Brew, and check out the list of movies that are coming to theaters or your favorite streaming platform this fall. Do you know which fall movies you’ll be watching this season? Below, I am sharing my annual Fall Movie Calendar.
Whether it’s theaters or streaming, hundreds of movies are released every month. However, when the fall rolls around, typically, we see fewer big blockbusters and more Award films, but as of late, we have a strong mix of both. With all that said, I highlight some movies that need to be on your radar this fall.
Fall Movie Calendar: The best movies to watch in September 2023
The Equalizer 3
Release date: Sept. 1 (theaters)
Director: Antonie Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman
Synopsis: Robert McCall is retired from his days and enjoying his time in Southern Italy. However, his new friends are under control by the local crime bosses leading to McCall taking charge against the mafia.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Release date: Sept. 8 (theaters)
Director: Nia Vardalos
Starring: Stephanie Nur, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Andrea Martin
Synopsis: The Portokalos family travels to a family reunion in Greece for a trip full of love, twists and turns.
Sitting in Bars with Cake
Release date: Sept. 8 (Prime Video)
Director: Trish Sie
Starring: Yara Shahidi, Odessa A’Zion, Ron Livingston, and Bette Midler
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, the film follows best friends Jane (Shahidi) and Corinne (A’Zion), who are navigating life in LA in their twenties. After a life-altering diagnosis, the pair face unlikely challenges like never before.
El Conde
Release date: Sept. 15 (Netflix)
Director: Pablo Larraín
Starring: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, and Paula Luchsinger
Synopsis: The story revolves around Augusto Pinochet who is not dead but an aged vampire who, after 250 years in this world, has decided to die once and for all due to ailments brought about by his dishonor and family conflicts.
The Expendables 4
Release date: Sept. 22 (theaters)
Director: Scott Waugh
Starring: Jason Statham, 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Sylvester Stallone
Synopsis: The Expendables are back and battling a new army that is bigger than any army than they have ever fought before.
Cassandro
Release date: Sept. 22 (Prime Video)
Director: Roger Ross Williams
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, and Joaquín Cosío
Synopsis: Cassandro follows Saúl Armendáriz, a gay wrestler from El Paso whose rise to international stardom after he created the Lucha Libre character Cassandro in the world of professional wrestling.
It Lives Inside
Release date: Sept. 22 (in theaters)
Director: Bishal Dutta
Starring: Megan Suri, Neeru Bajwa, Mohana Krishnan, Beatrice Kitsos, and Betty Gabriel
Synopsis: When a mythological demonic spirit latches onto Sam’s former best friend, she is forced to face her past to overcome it.
Flora and Son
Release date: Sept. 22 (Apple TV+)
Director: John Carney
Starring: Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Synopsis: Flora, a single mom is unsure what to do with her teenage son, Max. After some recommendations, she finds Max a hobby which leads him to play the guitar. After meeting a washed-up musician, Flora, and Max discover the power of music.
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Release date: Sept. 29 (theaters)
Director: Cal Brunker
Starring: McKenna Grace, James Marsden, Kristen Bell
Synopsis: A meteor lands in Adventure City that leads to the PAW Patrol pups getting superpowers turning them into The Mighty Pups.
SAW X
Release date: Sept. 29 (theaters)
Director: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Steven Brand
Synopsis: John Kramer and his crazy Jigsaw games are back to go after a bunch of scammers who convinced him into getting a experimental treatment.
Fall Movie Calendar: The best movies to watch in October 2023
Pet Sematary: BloodLines
Release date: Oct. 6 (Paramount+)
Director: Lindsey Anderson Beer
Starring: Henry Thomas, Samantha Mathis, Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, Jack Mulhern, Natalie Alyn Lind, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Pam Grier, and David Duchovny.
Synopsis: In 1969, a young Jud Crandall has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine behind, but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to Ludlow. The film is based on the untold chapter of Stephen King’s chilling novel, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.
The Burial
Release date: Oct. 6 (in select theaters) | Oct. 13 (Prime Video)
Director: Maggie Betts
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, a handshake deal goes sour, and funeral owner Jeremiah O’Keefe gets a smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary, to save his family business.
Dumb Money
Release date: Oct. 6 (in theaters)
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, Sebastian Stan, America Ferrera
Synopsis: Based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop into the world’s hottest stock.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Release date: Oct. 13 (in theaters)
Director: Sam Wrench
Starring: Taylor Swift
Synopsis: One of the biggest tours of all time is coming to theaters as you can experience The Eras Tour concert.
ORDINARY ANGELS
Release date: Oct. 13 (theaters)
Director: Jon Gunn
Starring: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Amy Acker, Drew Powell, Skywalker Hughes, and Emily Mitchell
Synopsis: Based on a true story, the film centers around Sharon (Swank), a struggling hairdresser in a small town who finds a new sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Ritchson), a widower making ends meet for his two daughters.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Release date: Oct. 20 (theaters)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro
Synopsis: In the 1920s, members of the Osage tribe are being murdered leading to a F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.
Priscilla
Release date: Oct. 27 (theaters)
Director: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi
Synopsis: When teenager Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who’s already a meteoric rock ‘n’ roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, and a gentle best friend.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Release date: Oct. 27 (theaters)
Director: Emma Tammi
Starring: Matthew Lillard, Josh Hutcherson, Mary Stuart Masterson
Synopsis: A security guard starts working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. In his first night at the job, he realizes the shift won’t be easy because of what actually went down at Freddy’s.
Fall Movie Calendar: The best movies to watch in November 2023
Fingernails
Release date: Nov. 3 (Apple TV+)
Director: Christos Nikou
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Jessie Buckley, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson, and Annie Murphy
Synopsis: Anna and Ryan have found love, and it was proven by new technology. However, Anna still isn’t sure, so she takes a job at the love testing place and meets Amir.
The Persian Version in theaters Nov. 3
Release date: In select theaters starting Oct. 13, with a wide release on Nov. 3
Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Starring: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, Chiara Stella, Tom Byrne, and Shervin Alenabi.
Synopsis: When a large Iranian-American family gathers, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past and to discover they are more alike than they know.
The Holdovers
Release date: Nov. 10 (theaters)
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
Synopsis: A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He forms an unlikely bond with a troublemaker and with the school’s head cook.
The Marvels
Release date: Nov. 10 (theaters)
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani
Synopsis: Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau powers all get entangled forcing them to work together to save the world.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Release date: Nov. 17 (theaters)
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Rachel Zegler, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage
Synopsis: Coriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
Next Goal Wins
Release date: Nov. 17 (theaters)
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Knightley, Kaimana
Synopsis: The story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0.
Trolls Band Together
Release date: Nov. 17 (theaters)
Director: Walt Dohrn, Tim Heitz
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Synopsis: Poppy discovers that Branch was once part of a boy band, BroZone, with his brothers: Floyd, John Dory, Spruce, and Clay. But when Floyd is kidnapped, Branch and Poppy embark on a journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd.
Napoleon
Release date: Nov. 22 (theaters)
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Miles
Synopsis: Napoleon takes an personal look at Napoleon Bonaparte’s origins and his relationship with his wife, Josephine.
Saltburn
Release date: Nov. 24 (theaters)
Director: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard Grant, and Carey Mulligan
Synopsis: Student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
Fall Movie Calendar: The best movies to watch in December 2023
The Bikeriders
Release date: Dec. 1 (theaters)
Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy
Synopsis: It follows the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members.
Magazine Dreams
Release date: Dec. 8 (theaters)
Director: Elijah Bynum
Starring: Jonathan Majors, Taylour Paige
Synopsis: A Black amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence.
Wonka
Release date: Dec. 15 (theaters)
Director: Paul King
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant
Synopsis: The story will follow how a young Will Wonka met Oompa Loompas in one of his earliest adventures.
The Color Purple
Release date: Dec. 25 (theaters)
Director: Blitz Bazawul
Starring: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Taraji P. Henson
Synopsis: A musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel about the struggles of an African American woman living in the South in the 1900s.
Ferrari
Release date: Dec. 25 (theaters)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Jack O’Connell, Patrick Dempsey, and Sarah Gadon
Synopsis: Enzo Ferrari is in a crisis as bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife built from nothing. Between the loss of their son and a marriage on the rocks, Ferrari rolls the dice on one race to save it all.
Next. Do you have to watch all Equalizer movies before The Equalizer 3?. dark
Which of the following movies listed are you most excited to check out?