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The changing of the seasons from summer to autumn brings with it pumpkin spice lattés, adorable layered outfits, gorgeous multicolor leaves, and, of course, a buttload of excellent movies all vying for a chance at Oscar season.
Despite the fact that 2021 has looked a little different for the movies this year, the Fall 2021 movie season is still rich with exciting new releases. In fact, because many studios are looking for ways to get their films in front of audiences that might not yet feel ready to return to movie theaters, this year is one of the biggest yet for streaming movies coming out in Fall 2021. From highly-anticipated big-budget blockbusters like Dune and the Matrix 4 on HBO Max to quiet period dramas like Passing and The Hand of God on Netflix, there’s going to be something for everyone this autumn. And best of all, you should be able to stream most of those somethings from the safety and comfort of your couch at home.
This season will be a good one for musical lovers—you’ve got Cinderella on Amazon, Everybody Loves Jamie on Amazon, and tick, tick… BOOM! on Netflix all coming down the pipeline. It’s also going to be a good couple of months for Westerns, with both The Harder They Fall starring Regina King and The Power of the Dog starring Benedict Cumberbatch coming to Netflix.
There’s a lot to keep track of, so, for your convenience, Decider has compiled a list of the 27 most exciting films coming to streaming services—or films that we know will come to streaming services after limited theatrical runs—this fall. Enjoy!
1
'Worth'
Release Date: September 3
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Amy Ryan, Tate Donovan,
Why We’re Hyped: There are plenty of stories to tell about the horrific terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Screenwriter Max Borenstein and director Sara Colangelo decided to tell a story not often talked about— the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Michael Keaton stars as the attorney tasked with the impossible job of figuring out how to put a dollar sign on the families who suffered an incalculable loss. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the attack, it’s sure to be a moving watch.
2
'Cinderella'
Release Date: September 3
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Cast: Camilla Cabello, Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, and Pierce Brosnan
Why We’re Hyped: There have been perhaps a few too many Cinderella movies over the years, but audiences might be willing to make room for one more. Directed and written by the always-hilarious Kay Canon, this musical comedy looks campy, fun, and ridiculous in a way the shows it won’t take itself too seriously.
3
'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'
Release Date: In theaters September 3, on VOD or Disney+ after 45 days in theaters
Streaming Service: VOD or Disney+
Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung
Why We’re Hyped: While there is not yet an official streaming release date for the latest Marvel movie, Disney recently announced that Shang-Chi will come to “streaming” after 45 days in theaters. Whether that means the film will be available to rent and buy on VOD, or on Disney+, remains to be seen. Either way, we’re excited to watch this superhero movie about an ex-assassin who is pulled back into his old life.
4
'KATE'
Release Date: September 10
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Tadanobu Asano, Jun Kunimura, and Woody Harrelson
Why We’re Hyped: If you saw Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Birds of Prey, you know that she would absolutely crush it as the lead of her very own action movie. And lo and behold, that’s exactly what KATE is, starring Winstead as a ruthless operative hellbent on revenge… until she forms an unexpected bond with one of her victim’s daughters.
5
'Malignant'
Release Date: September 10
Streaming Service: HBO Max and theaters
Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, and Michole Briana White
Why We’re Hyped: Director James Wan—who co-created the Saw and Insidious franchises, and created The Conjuring universe—isn’t slowing his roll any time soon. His latest horror flick, Malignant, is an original story starring Annabelle Wallis as a woman tormented by visions of grisly murders.
6
'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'
Release Date: September 17
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Cast: Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant
Why We’re Hyped: This British coming-of-age musical comedy follows a 16-year-old kid (Max Harwood) who dreams of becoming a drag star. Based on the stage show of the same name by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae, this musical looks fabulous, fun, and heartfelt—and that’s exactly the kind of movie we need in 2021.
7
'Prisoners of the Ghostland'
Release Date: September 17
Streaming Service: on VOD and in theaters, same day
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya
Why We’re Hyped: Starring Nicolas Cage as a ruthless bank robber, the film is described as a “delirious mash-up of Western, samurai, and post-apocalyptic thriller “and “a sly spoof of the mythical hero’s journey.” Sion Sono is known for his out-there films and combined with Nicolas Cag, Prisoners of the Ghostland is practically begging for cult classic status.
8
'The Starling'
Release Date: In theaters Sept. 17, on Netflix Sept. 24
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant,
Why We’re Hyped: Melissa McCarthy already proved she’s a drama queen with her Oscar-nominated role in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and we’re excited to see her do it again in this drama from writer Matt Harris and director Theodore Melfi. Starring McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd as parents grieving the death of their baby girl, you’ll want to make sure you have a full box of tissues for this one.
9
'The Guilty'
Release Date: In theaters Sept. 24, on Netflix October 1
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal
Why We’re Hyped: Written by Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Antoine Fuqua, the entirety of The Guilty takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. If that’s not enough to intrigue you, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the 911 operator attempting to assist an abduction victim, and Gyllenhaal fans know he rarely delivers a bad performance.
10
'Black as Night'
Release Date: October 1
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Cast: Asjha Cooper, Keith David, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle, and Craig Tate
Why We’re Hyped: Amazon is once again partnering with Blumhouse for its annual spooky season “Welcome to the Blumhouse” horror series. Of the four new horror movies coming to the streaming service, the most intriguing is Black as Night, written by Sherman Payne (Legacies, Scream: The TV Series, Shameless) and directed by Maritte Lee Go. The premise, which follows an insecure teenage girl who finds confidence through hunting vampires, sounds very Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and we’re here for it.
11
'Diana: The Musical'
Release Date: October 1
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Jeanna de Waal, Roe Hartrampf, Erin Davie, Judy Kaye
Why We’re Hyped: It’s been over a year since Broadway closed its doors in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in an unprecedented move, Broadway is coming to streaming by premiering Diana: The Musical on Netflix two months before the show will open in previews on Broadway in December. Starring Jeanna de Waal leads as Princess Diana, the show was filmed in 2020 without an audience with the original Broadway cast.
12
'The Many Saints of Newark'
Release Date: October 1
Streaming Service: HBO Max and theaters
Cast: Michael Gandolfini, Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga
Why We’re Hyped: If you’re a fan of The Sopranos, you might want to start your rewatch now, because this movie from Sopranos writers David Chase and Lawrence Konner will tell the story of a young Tony Soprano and will star Michael Gandolfini in the role originated by his late, great father. Set in the 1960s and 1970s in Newark, New Jersey, the film will provide an origin story for the TV character you know and love.
13
'Dune'
Release Date: October 22, 2021
Streaming Service: HBO Max and theaters
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac
Why We’re Hyped: The highly-anticipated sci-fi film directed by Denis Villeneuve is the first of a two-part adaptation of the popular 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. With the promise of sandworms and special effects galore, get ready for your nerdiest friends to be talking about Dune for years to come.
14
'Army of Thieves'
Release Date: October 29
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ruby O. Fee
Why We’re Hyped: That didn’t take long—the sequel to Zack Snyder’s zombie action flick, Army of the Dead, is already here! Well, technically, Army of Thieves is a prequel, and will focus on the German safecracker Ludwig Dieter played by Matthias Schweighöfer, who will also direct. The story comes from Zack Snyder and screenwriter Shay Hatten, and takes place before the events of Army of the Dead during the early stages of the zombie outbreak in Las Vegas.
15
'The Harder They Fall'
Release Date: In theaters October 22, on Netflix November 3
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Regina King, Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Damon Wayans Jr.
Why We’re Hyped: Director Jeymes Samuel, who also co-wrote the script with Boaz Yakin, is about to bring back Westerns with this cowboy heist flick that looks like too much fun. Jonathan Majors stars as an outlaw who rounds up a gang of criminals to seek revenge on his rival, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) after Buck is released from prison. With a cast as stacked as this movie, it’s hard to go wrong.
16
'Finch'
Release Date: November 5
Streaming Service: Apple TV+
Cast: Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones
Why We’re Hyped: If I’m understanding the premise of this movie correctly, Tom Hanks, a dog, and a robot all set off on a cross-country adventure together, like some sort of wholesome post-apocalyptic fever dream of a movie. Who wouldn’t be excited about that?
17
'Passing'
Release Date: In theaters October 27, on Netflix November 10
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Bill Camp, and Alexander Skarsgard
Why We’re Hyped: Based on the 1929 novella by Nella Larson of the same name, Passing is an intricate look at identity through two childhood friends—Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga) and Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson), both of whom are mixed Black women who can pass as white. One chooses to hide her ethnicity, while the other embraces it. We can’t wait to see what these two powerhouse actors do with the story on screen.
18
'Red Notice'
Release Date: November 12
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds
Why We’re Hyped: Three of the biggest movie stars working together in one heist movie? Netflix really knows how to use its money! Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as an FBI agent who is forced to work with two rival criminals (Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds) to hunt down the world’s most wanted. Basically, attractive people are going to be shooting at each other. Who could say no?
19
'tick, tick... BOOM!'
Release Date: In theaters November 12, on Netflix November 19
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Henry, Bradley Whitford, Judith Light
Why We’re Hyped: The brief and wondrous life of RENT composer Jonathan Larson is being brought to the screen via a film adaptation of Larson’s lesser-known, semi-autobiographical musical, tick, tick… BOOM! Directed by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film will star Andrew Garfield as Larson when he was an aspiring theatre composer, feeling far off from his dream. For the theater kids in your life, tick, tick… BOOM! is going to be the movie event of the year.
20
'Bruised'
Release Date: In theaters November 17, on Netflix November 24
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Halle Berry, Adan Canto, Shamier Anderson and Stephen Henderson
Why We’re Hyped: This sports drama is Oscar-winner Halle Berry’s feature directorial debut, and we are here for a veteran of the industry branching out into new artistic endeavors. Berry also stars as Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter who is given a second chance—both at being an MMA fighter and at being a mother.
21
'King Richard'
Release Date: November 19
Streaming Service: HBO Max and theaters
Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal, and Dylan McDermott.
Why We’re Hyped: No, this is not a Shakespeare adaptation—it’s a biographical drama starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father and the coach of superstar tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. While it may feel early for a biopic, considering Serena is still at the height of her career, it will no doubt be fascinating to learn about the man who raised two of the greatest athletes in the world.
22
'The Power of the Dog'
Release Date: In theaters November 17, on Netflix December 1
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Why We’re Hyped: Oscar-nominated director Jane Campion (The Piano) has adapted the Thomas Savage 1967 novel of the same name, and from the looks of the trailer, she’s going full creepy Western. Benedict Cumberbatch is perfectly cast as a rancher who mercilessly torments his sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst), in a movie that is sure to both fascinate and disturb audiences.
23
'The Unforgivable'
Release Date: In theaters November 24, on Netflix December 10
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, and Viola Davis
Why We’re Hyped: Sandra Bullock is back in action The Unforgivable, in which she stars as a recently released prisoner attempting to re-enter society after committing a violent crime. Her only hope for redeeming herself for her crime is to find her estranged sister—and that’s easier said than done. With a strong cast and an interesting premise, The Unforgivable looks promising.
24
'The Hand of God'
Release Date: In theaters December 3, on Netflix December 24
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo
Why We’re Hyped: This Italian drama is written, directed, and produced by Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino (La Grande Bellezza, The Young Pope), and promises to be the director’s most personal film yet. Set in Sorrentino’s hometown, the story follows a boy Fabietto Schisa, growing up in Naples in the 1980s. You can expect joy, sorrow, fate, and more in this heartfelt coming-of-age tale.
25
'Don't Look Up'
Release Date: In theaters December 10, on Netflix December 24
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Timothee Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep
Why We’re Hyped: Writer/director Adam McKay is back at it again with another star-studded dark comedy. This time the biting humor will be brought to you by two low-level astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who attempt to warn humankind that a massive asteroid is about to destroy the Earth. Unfortunately, their media tour doesn’t quite have the intended effect.
26
'The Lost Daughter'
Release Date: In theaters December 17, on Netflix December 31
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Dagmara Dominczyk
Why We’re Hyped: I’d watch absolutely anything starring Olivia Colman, but I’m especially excited for this drama from writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal, who adapted it from the novel of the same name. Colman plays a woman on vacation who becomes obsessed with a mother and daughter, and is sent spiraling down her own memories of being a young mother. The Lost Daughter is going to be a special one—I can feel it.
27
'The Matrix Resurrections'
Release Date: December 22, 2021
Streaming Service: HBO Max and theaters
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith
Why We’re Hyped: The Matrix franchise is back at it again with another movie, just in time for the Keanu Reeves renaissance. This one is notable for being directed solely by Lana Wachowski (who also co-wrote the script with Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell), who worked with her sister Lilly on the previous three films. (Lilly was busy with her show Work in Progress and was unable to return.)
