7 Must-See Movies Hitting Theatres This Fall

Stronger (September 22)

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this Oscar-buzzy biopic about Jeff Bauman, the Boston man who lost both of his legs while waiting for his girlfriend, Erin Hurley, at the finish line during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Orphan Black star, Emmy winner, and national treasure, Tatiana Maslany (in her first major movie role), plays Hurley, who saw Bauman through the trying post-bomb period depicted in the movie. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Maslany is almost enough to make you forget the real-life Bauman and Hurley broke up earlier this year.

Battle of the Sexes (September 22)

In 1973, tennis champ, master promoter and unabashed chauvinist Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) set out to prove male supremacy by challenging female champ Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) to the ultimate on-court showdown. The so-called “Battle of the Sexes,” was a massive television event, and about so much more than tennis. We won’t give away the ending, but we will say that the movie has the real-life heroine’s seal of approval: BJK walked the red carpet with Carell and Stone at TIFF.

Victoria and Abdul (September 22)

Judy Dench plays charmingly crotchety old monarchs the way Serena Williams plays tennis, which means there is plenty to love about this historical drama. The movie is based on the later years of Queen Victoria, England’s longest serving monarch (until QE2), who, at age 81 formed a friendship with Abdul Karim, a 24-year-old Indian man. Karim came over to serve Her Majesty during her Golden Jubilee year, and ended up staying on as her footman, then teacher and ultimately dear friend.

The Mountain Between Us (October 6)

Kate Winslet and Idris Elba play two strangers who end up stranded together after their small plane crashes in the snow-covered mountains of northern Utah. With minimal supplies and little chance of rescue, the pair takes survival into their own hands. (Spoiler alert: The sub-zero temperatures don’t prevent plenty of sparks.)

Blade Runner 2049 (October 6)

Bioengineered humans are taking over in this Denis Villeneuve–directed sequel to the 1982 neo-noir thriller. Set 30 years after the original, 2049 sees Harrison Ford reprising his role as officer Rick Deckard, and introduces Ryan Gosling as "K," a human replicant on a mission to destroy Deckard. The movie plays out a pretty horrifying "what if?" scenario around artificial intelligence and unlike a lot of sequels, with its raw grittiness and superb cinematography, Blade Runner 2049 does not disappoint.

Goodbye Christopher Robin (October 13)

This revealing historical biopic tells the story behind the story of everyone’s favourite pot-bellied bear. Author A.A. Milne returns from the Great War yearning to write something that matters. And, of course, he does it with the Winnie The Pooh series, which was inspired by his own young son. But all is not picnics and honey pots on the home front as Christopher Robin grows to resent the spotlight brought on by Pooh’s success.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (October 13)

Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler play rival siblings in this dark comedic drama about the most dysfunctional clan this side of the Royal Tenenbaums. (Like Wes Anderson, writer/director Noah Baumbach specializes in family angst.) Dustin Hoffman is Harold Meyerowitz, an eccentric New York sculptor whose success casts a long shadow over his three adult kids. Emma Thompson is a scene-stealer as Maureen—the boozy boho stepmom.