It's that magical time of year when you start prepping for the holidays, cold weather, and — if you're a movie buff — excellent movies. More serious fare tends to come out this time of year, but so do huge, epic movies like, say, the long-awaited sequel to Star Wars or the grand finale of The Hunger Games. We have all the movies that are coming out over the next two months that you need to know about right here. A handful of them are already gaining Oscar buzz [1], so see what's coming out and start assembling your own must-see list.
Brooklyn
- Who's starring: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, and Emory Cohen
- Why you should be interested: This immigrant drama (based on the book of the same name) is also a romantic-looking love triangle, as Ronan's character is torn between an American boy and an Irish boy back home.
- When it opens: Nov. 4
- Watch the trailer for Brooklyn [2].
Miss You Already
- Who's starring: Drew Barrymore [3] and Toni Collette
- Why you should be interested: This is about two best friends coping when one gets cancer. This is our new Beaches. Hopefully.
- When it opens: Nov. 6
- Watch the trailer for Miss You Already [4].
Trumbo
- Who's starring: Bryan Cranston and Patricia Clarkson
- Why you should be interested: Not only is it sweet relief to see Cranston in a new project, but blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is such a different role than Walter White.
- When it opens: Nov. 6
- Watch the trailer for Trumbo [5].
The Peanuts Movie
- Who's starring: Charlie Brown and his friends!
- Why you should be interested: Your favorite cartoon characters have not been bastardized; author Charles M. Schulz's son and grandson are both writers on the film.
- When it opens: Nov. 6
- Watch the trailer for The Peanuts Movie [6].
Spotlight
- Who's starring: Rachel McAdams [7], Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo [8], and Liev Schreiber [9]
- Why you should be interested: As unsavory as it is, this all happened, and it's important to see how a dedicated group of journalists exposed a huge molestation scandal within the Catholic church.
- When it opens: Nov. 6
- Watch the trailer for Spotlight [10].
Spectre
- Who's starring: Daniel Craig [11] and Christoph Waltz
- Why you should be interested: Craig is one of the best Bonds in recent memory (sorry, Pierce), and after the devastating events of Skyfall, we have to see where he goes next.
- When it opens: Nov. 6
- Watch the trailer for Spectre [12].
By the Sea
- Who's starring: Angelina Jolie [13] and Brad Pitt [14]
- Why you should be interested: It's Jolie and Pitt as a couple in distress in 1970s France. And Jolie directed. Do you need more?
- When it opens: Nov. 13
- Watch the trailer for By the Sea [15].
The 33
- Who's starring: Antonio Banderas [16], Rodrigo Santoro, and Lou Diamond Phillips
- Why you should be interested: The Chilean mine collapse just happened in 2010 — and though this depiction is sure to be harrowing, at least you know there is a somewhat happy ending.
- When it opens: Nov. 13
- Watch the trailer for The 33 [17].
Love the Coopers
- Who's starring: Diane Keaton [18], John Goodman, Olivia Wilde [19], Amanda Seyfried [20], Marisa Tomei, and Ed Helms
- Why you should be interested: Because you can't resist the latest ensemble comedy if it's about the holidays.
- When it opens: Nov. 13
- Watch the trailer for Love the Coopers [21].
Carol
- Who's starring: Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett [22]
- Why you should be interested: Blanchett and Mara — who play forbidden lovers in 1950s New York — earned rapturous raves for each of their performances at Cannes.
- When it opens: Nov. 20
- Watch the trailer for Carol [23].
Legend
- Who's starring: Tom Hardy, in a dual role as real-life gangster twins Reginald and Ronnie Kray
- Why you should be interested: Did you read the part about the dual role? This is going to be a feat, any way you slice it.
- When it opens: Nov. 20
- Watch the trailer for Legend [24].
Secret in Their Eyes
- Who's starring: Julia Roberts [25], Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Nicole Kidman [26]
- Why you should be interested: The plot is brutal — an FBI investigator's daughter is murdered, and the case reopens 13 years later to drag her back in — but the talent assembled is staggering.
- When it opens: Nov. 20
- Watch the trailer for Secret in Their Eyes [27].
Mockingjay — Part 2
- Who's starring: Jennifer Lawrence [28], Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Donald Sutherland
- Why you should be interested: Are you kidding? We've been waiting years for Katniss to get her revenge on President Snow. It's time — even though we say goodbye to the Hunger Games franchise with it.
- When it opens: Nov. 20
- Watch the trailer for Mockingjay — Part 2 [29].
Creed
- Who's starring: Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan
- Why you should be interested: The Rocky movies were your favorite when you were a kid — or if they weren't, Michael B. Jordan is here to be your new favorite movie boxer.
- When it opens: Nov. 25
- Watch the trailer for Creed [30].
The Good Dinosaur
- Who's starring: The voices of Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin [31], and Frances McDormand
- Why you should be interested: Pixar can melt the heart of a person of any age, which is what the previews for this animated tale about a dinosaur and his human friend have already done.
- When it opens: Nov. 25
- Watch the trailer for The Good Dinosaur [32].
The Night Before
- Who's starring: Seth Rogen [33], Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie
- Why you should be interested: Besides the fact that this preview is one of the funniest trailers we've seen all year, it also boasts cameos by stars like Miley Cyrus [34].
- When it opens: Nov. 20
- Watch the trailer for The Night Before [35].
Victor Frankenstein
- Who's starring:Daniel Radcliffe [36] and James McAvoy [37]
- Why you should be interested: You know the story well, but this time we're getting an emphasis on the relationship of the good doctor (McAvoy) and a much less hunchbacked Igor (Radcliffe).
- When it opens: Nov. 25
- Watch the trailer for Victor Frankenstein [38].
The Danish Girl
- Who's starring: Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander
- Why you should be interested: Redmayne is still hot off of his Oscar win, and he could be going two for two as Lili Elbe, a real-life transgender pioneer in 1920s Europe.
- When it opens: Nov. 27
- Watch the trailer for The Danish Girl [39].
Youth
- Who's starring: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, and Rachel Weisz [40]
- Why you should be interested: In today's youth-obsessed culture, this is the artful and sweet side of what it's like to reflect back on your life.
- When it opens: Dec. 4
- Watch the trailer for Youth [41].
In the Heart of the Sea
- Who's starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland [42], and Cillian Murphy
- Why you should be interested: This is the true story of the real whale that would inspire Herman Melville's Moby Dick.
- When it opens: Dec. 11
- Watch the trailer for In the Heart of the Sea [43].
Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens
- Who's starring: Harrison Ford [44], Oscar Isaac, Simon Pegg, and Carrie Fisher
- Why you should be interested: No big deal; it's just the new Star Wars movie, which is only the cinematic event of the year.
- When it opens: Dec. 18
- Watch the trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens [45].
Sisters
- Who's starring: Tina Fey [46] and Amy Poehler [47]
- Why you should be interested: This beyond-perfect pair have not been costars in a movie together since Baby Mama. This comedy is your Christmas gift.
- When it opens: Dec. 18
- Watch the trailer for Sisters [48].
Daddy's Home
- Who's starring: Mark Wahlberg [49] and Will Ferrell [50]
- Why you should be interested: Ferrell plays the stepdad infringing on Wahlberg's character's family. If this doesn't lead to laughs, we don't know what will.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for Daddy's Home [51].
The Big Short
- Who's starring: Brad Pitt [52], Christian Bale [53], Ryan Gosling [54], and Steve Carell [55]
- Why you should be interested: Not only does this movie look like it does for the housing crisis what Moneyball did for baseball, but it has the most insanely stacked cast [56].
- When it opens: Dec. 11
- Watch the trailer for The Big Short [57].
The Revenant
- Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio [58] and Tom Hardy
- Why you should be interested: Birdman director Alejandro González Iñárritu turns his lens to the brutal 1820s wilderness to portray a tale of revenge. Plus, this could be another shot at an Oscar for DiCaprio.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for The Revenant [59].
Point Break
- Who's starring: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey, and Teresa Palmer
- Why you should be interested: The original is a cult classic, so why should you give this a chance? For the insane stunts that real athletes performed to bring the remake to a new level of extreme, bro.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for Point Break [60].
Joy
- Who's starring: Jennifer Lawrence [61], Bradley Cooper [62], and Robert De Niro [63]
- Why you should be interested: This equation of David O. Russell, David O'Russell's regular actors, and the story of Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), the entrepreneur who created the Miracle Mop, is nothing less than irresistible.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for Joy [64].
The Hateful Eight
- Who's starring: Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samuel L. Jackson [65], and Channing Tatum [66]
- Why you should be interested: Mr. Quentin Tarantino [67] is giving us another Western with a cast that's simply mind-boggling. Yes, please.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for The Hateful Eight [68].
Concussion
- Who's starring: Will Smith [69], Alec Baldwin [70], and Gugu Mbatha-Raw
- Why you should be interested: A sports movie that's not about worshipping everything involved? Color us intrigued.
- When it opens: Dec. 25
- Watch the trailer for Concussion [71].