It has been less than a year since the Oscar night ‘slap heard around the world’ – that ludicrous moment when Will Smith walked onto the stage during a live Oscar broadcast and slapped host Chris Rock across the face. Most of us felt it could be a while before we see Will Smith anywhere around the Academy Awards. But yesterday Apple dropped the new trailer for “Emancipation”, a historical thriller that will be releasing right during the heart of awards season.

“Emancipation” is based on a harrowing yet important true story. Smith plays Peter, a slave who escapes from a Louisiana plantation after being scourged nearly to death. With hunters chasing after him, Peter makes his way North where he eventually joins the Union Army. Images of Peter’s hideously scarred back were eventually published, offering proof of the brutal treatment of slaves by Southern slave owners. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film looks intense and Smith looks completely invested in the role. Hopefully it delivers.

“Emancipation” opens in theaters December 2nd before streaming on Apple TV+ December 9th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor. That pairing was all I needed to be excited for the upcoming dramady “Raymond & Ray”. It’s the latest film from writer-director Rodrigo García, and it recently had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. From the first trailer, the movie looks to be telling a pretty familiar story. But with big names like Hawke and McGregor leading the way, you know that you’re going to get something worth seeing.

The two co-leads play the titular half-brothers, Raymond (McGregor) and Ray (Hawke). They come together to handle the affairs of the estranged and recently deceased dead father. They learn it was their father’s dying wish that his sons attend his funeral. They begrudgingly go and learn it was also their father’s wish that they dig his grave (“What?” Raymond asks as if reading our minds). Along the way, the brothers are brought closer together while learning more about their father and coping with the pain that comes with his memory. I love the look of this.

“Raymond & Ray” streams on Apple TV+ starting October 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I’m curious to see how many people will be turned off by this description alone – a cannibal love story. Yes, that sounds utterly ridiculous, but I guess human flesh-eaters need love too. “Bones and All” is the latest film from Luca Guadagnino, and it stars Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet. If I’m honest, the two leads don’t really excite me. Russell wasn’t great in the two “Escape Room” movies (but how much of that was horrible material?). And while I know this is considered sacrilege, I like Chalamet’s work more than I love it. But I’ll give the pair this, they’re really going for it here.

“Bones and All” follows two lovers with a shared fondness for eating people as they make a road-trip across America during the 1980s. The new trailer shows the film to be a queasy mix of romance and horror all with Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker” bopping in the background. Most attractive is the interesting supporting cast that includes Mark Rylance, Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, David Gordon Green, and Jessica Harper among others. This looks like a movie with a lot of potential to go either way.

“Bones and All” hits theaters November 23rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Since premiering in May at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the autobiographical drama “Aftersun” has earned itself an enthusiastic following. The early buzz from first viewers is exciting, and critics have sang the film’s praises calling it “sensuous”, “visually arresting”, “extraordinary”, and “devastating”. A24 has shared the film’s first trailer, and while it’s hard to gain a cohesive grasp of the film, it gives us a good sense of what has the critics so enamored.

“Aftersun” is the feature film debut of writer and director Charlotte Wells. Her movie sees a woman named Sophie reminiscing about her childhood, specifically a vacation to Turkey with her father, Calum. The memories begin warm, sweet, and joyous. But 20 years later Sophie is struggling to reconcile the father of her memories with the man he is today. The film stars Paul Mescal & Frankie Corio and looks to be a real heartbreaker. I can’t wait to see it for myself.

“Aftersun” is set to release October 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I proudly admit, one of my favorite Netflix Original movies to come out since the streaming service started offering them was 2020’s “Enola Holmes”. Yes, I know it’s not ‘Oscar material’ and it’ll never make its way into the Criterion Collection. But I adored the lively mystery adventure centering around the teenage sister of renowned detective Sherlock Holmes. So naturally I’m all onboard for the upcoming sequel.

Enola Holmes sees Millie Bobby Brown returning in the titular role with Henry Cavill also back as Sherlock (Sam Claflin where are you?). In the new trailer we see Enola has opened up her own private detective agency. But it’s tough for a teenage girl to establish herself, especially in the late 19th century. But when a young girl hires Enola to find her missing sister…well let’s just say a new adventure begins. I love the look of this, and Brown is overflowing with the same energy and charisma she had in the first movie. I can’t wait to see what director Harry Bradbeer has in store for us this time around.

“Enola Holmes 2” debuts November 4th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I haven’t gotten a good enough read of the upcoming horror film “Smile” to know whether to be excited for it or not. There are parts of the trailer that are genuinely creepy. But there are also hints that this could be yet another throwaway creeper with a fairly familiar premise. But I will say that the absolutely bonkers new poster certainly grab my attention. I’m not saying it’s great, but I have to admit it’s pretty wacky. And what can I say? I kinda like wacky. What do you think?

DIRECTOR – Parker Finn

WRITER – Parker Finn

STARRING – Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Rob Morgan, Caitlin Stacey, Jessie T. Usher, Kal Penn, Robin Weigert, Judy Reyes, Gillian Zinser, Dora Kiss, Kevin Keppy

RELEASE – September 30, 2022