It List fall movie guide: The buzzy, spooky and critically acclaimed films to catch this season

Kelsey Weekman

Welcome to the It List Fall Guide, where we share our picks for the best in entertainment. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases that we can't wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.

If summer moviegoing is all about catching new releases on the biggest screen possible, its fall counterpart might be a little more low-key — but that doesn’t mean the movies are lower quality.

We’re anticipating a few action-packed films, as well as extravagant musicals. Movies with awards buzz are typically released in the cooler months, so we’ll finally get to watch the flicks that critics have been raving about, as well as a few trailblazing, offbeat ones. Let’s not forget spooky season, which begins in the lead-up to Halloween and continues as long as you can tolerate watching scary movies.

Get your calendars ready. Yahoo Entertainment selected our most-anticipated movies scheduled for release between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, and as a bonus, some honorable mentions.

The actor Paul Mescal in gladiator costume.
Paul Mescal stars in the long-awaited Gladiator II. (Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection) (©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection)

🍿Why you should see it:

  • In the sequel to the 2000 film Gladiator, Paul Mescal plays Lucius, who must enter the Colosseum after his home is invaded by the Roman army.

  • A few of the original cast members will be returning, but the ones who died in the first movie are still dead in the second.

  • We’re excited to see buzzy stars like Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn enter ancient Rome.

🗓️ Release date: Nov. 22

🪪 Rating: R

⏰ Run time: 2 hours and 21 minutes

🤩 Stars: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington

Here are more action films on our shortlist:

The actress Demi Moore
Demi Moore stars in The Substance. (Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection) (Courtesy Everett Collection)

🍿Why you should see it:

  • An aerobics star (Demi Moore) is offered a substance to transform into an enhanced version of herself.

  • Moore told Entertainment Weekly that she thought about quitting acting before taking on this role, which got her excited about the craft once again.

  • Critics can’t stop talking about how gross and unsettling the body horror in this movie is, so it’s definitely not for everyone.

🗓️ Release date: Sept. 20

🪪 Rating: R

⏰ Run time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

🤩 Stars: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid

Other scary films on our shortlist:

An animation scene of people on a boat and a whale.
Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return to voice beloved characters in Moana 2. (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection) (©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection)

🍿Why you should see it:

  • Beloved heroine Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) is once again sailing to new skies with Maui (Dwayne Johnson) in the sequel to the 2016 hit — and this time, she’s embracing her role as a big sister.

  • When the trailer dropped, it received more views in 24 hours than any other animated Disney movie in history.

🗓️ Release date: Nov. 27

🪪 Rating: Not yet rated

⏰ Run time: Not yet announced

🤩 Stars: Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho

Other musicals on our shortlist:

Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in a movie scene.
Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison star in Anora. (Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection) (Courtesy Everett Collection)

🍿Why you should see it:

  • Mikey Madison stars as a sex worker from Brooklyn who has a fairy-tale romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, but the news of their marriage isn’t received well by his family.

  • The film took home the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival and has been receiving Oscar buzz.

🗓️ Release date: Oct. 18

🪪 Rating: R

⏰ Run time: 2 hours and 19 minutes

🤩 Stars: Mikey Madison

Other critically buzzy movies on our shortlist:

Animated LEGO bricks in a movie scene.
Pharrell Williams is portrayed by animated LEGO bricks in Piece by Piece. (Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection) (©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection)

🍿Why you should see it:

  • The life story of Pharrell Williams, from his childhood in Virginia to his massive success in the fashion and music industries, is illustrated through animated LEGO bricks. You read that right.

  • The film stars a number of well-known rappers and singers who play themselves, like Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake and Snoop Dogg.

  • It’s musical, animated, features a ton of well-known stars and showcases a biography that fans might not be familiar with — we definitely haven’t seen anything like it.

🗓️ Release date: Oct. 11

🪪 Rating: PG

⏰ Run time: 1 hour and 33 minutes

🤩 Stars: Pharrell Williams, Morgan Neville and Kendrick Lamar

Other unconventional films on our shortlist:

Looking for more fall fun? Check out our guides:

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