Trailer Blitz: Bang Bang, Dead of Winter, Steve, Fairyland, Eleanor the Great, Swiped, Plainclothes, Killing Faith and More
Time to catch up on this week's movie trailers! Here's a list of films coming to screens soon!
★ “Bang Bang” Trailer: Tim Blake Nelson Transforms into a Menacing Ex-Boxer in Vincent Grashaw’s Gritty Fighting Thriller — In Theaters September 12th
This just might be a great showcase for the acting talents of veteran character actor Tim Blake Nelson. Known for often portraying feeble-looking characters due to his thin frame, he’s about to blow minds as he seamlessly transforms into a menacing ex-boxer who may be as dangerous outside the ring as he ever was inside it.
In the upcoming thriller Bang Bang, Nelson takes on the role of Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski, a retired prizefighter whose glory days are long gone—and whose chances at happiness and money are even further out of reach. That is, until he reconnects with his estranged grandson, whose natural fighting skills pull him back into the ring—this time as a trainer.
But as old wounds resurface and an ex from his past questions his true motives, Bang Bang must confront whether he’s teaching resilience and strength... or merely passing down the same rage that once consumed him.
Tim Blake Nelson appears to deliver a knockout performance (pun intended) alongside a strong cast that includes Glenn Plummer, Nina Arianda, Erica Gimpel, Daniella Pineda, Andrew Liner, and Kevin Corrigan.
Directed by Vincent Grashaw (What Josiah Saw, Coldwater) and written by Will Janowitz, Bang Bang is set to hit theaters September 12th.
★ “Dead of Winter” Trailer: Emma Thompson Becomes an Unlikely Hero in This Icy Hostage Thriller with Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca — In Theaters September 26th
What makes a good thriller—one so intense that every choice carries weight, and each decision thickens the air with pressure? A great thriller is often defined by a tense situation that forces audiences to wonder how they themselves would respond. Add a few strong actors to the mix, and you might just have something unforgettable. And isn’t it even better when an unexpected actor shows up and adds that extra edge-of-your-seat jolt?
Emma Thompson isn’t exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think of an icy hostage thriller set in the middle of a deadly Minnesota blizzard. But the Oscar-winning English actress may prove to be the perfect unlikely hero in this new nail-biter, where the only thing colder than the Minnesota winter might be the hearts of those holding a young woman hostage.
In the upcoming Dead of Winter, Thompson stars as Barb, a grieving recluse who drives deep into the northern Minnesota wilderness to fulfill her late husband’s final wish: scattering his ashes at his favorite fishing spot. While pulling onto the now-frozen lake in her truck with no one around for miles, Barb suddenly finds herself caught in a perilous situation she never could have imagined.
Bam! A gunshot echoes in the distance.
Barb has stumbled onto a hostage ordeal after spotting a young woman being held captive by a desperate armed couple. Unwilling to leave the girl in danger, she makes the fateful choice to intervene—setting off a deadly standoff in the middle of a blizzard where surrender isn’t an option and survival is anything but certain.
Judy Greer (playing against type, here) and character actor Marc Menchaca (Ozark, The Companion) co-star as the ruthless captors now forced to deal with Thompson’s Barb, an unexpected witness who refuses to back down.
Directed by Brian Kirk, acclaimed TV helmer of Game of Thrones and The Day of the Jackal, and the director of 2019’s cop thriller 21 Bridges (one of Chadwick Boseman’s final films), Dead of Winter storms into theaters September 26th.
★ “Steve” Trailer: Cillian Murphy Plays a Troubled Headteacher in Director Tim Mielants’ 1990s Reform School Drama with Jay Lycurgo, Tracey Ullman, and Emily Watson — In Theaters September 19th, and on Netflix October 3rd
Cillian Murphy earned an Oscar for portraying atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s award-winning epic. For that role, Murphy had to convey the quiet intensity of a brilliant mind carrying the extraordinary weight of unleashing humanity’s most devastating weapon.
In his follow-up, Murphy once again teams up with Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants, having just collaborated on last year’s Irish coal-miner drama Small Things Like These. Now, the Oscar-winning Irish actor must once again shoulder an extraordinary weight of pressure and responsibility with great emotional intensity—this time as a schoolteacher witnessing the collapse of a generation in decline.
In the upcoming Netflix original film Steve, Murphy stars as Headteacher Steve, a compassionate educator at a last-chance reform school in mid-1990s England. Set over the course of one turbulent day, Steve struggles to keep the institution afloat while grappling with his own fragile state of mind. Meanwhile, troubled teen Shy (Jay Lycurgo, from the DC superhero series Titans) teeters on the brink of self-destruction, torn between violent impulses and the chance for redemption—forcing Steve to confront not only his student’s turmoil, but his own inner battles.
Steve is based on English writer Max Porter’s acclaimed novel Shy, with Porter himself penning the screenplay and reimagining it for the screen. The film also features comedy legend Tracey Ullman in a dramatic turn, alongside British rapper Simbi Ajikawo (aka Little Simz) and two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson rounding out the cast.
Steve will make its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival before opening in select theaters on September 19th. The film will then officially debut on Netflix on October 3rd.
★ “Fairyland” Trailer: Scoot McNairy and Emilia Jones Navigate a Father–Daughter Coming-of-Age in Sofia Coppola-Produced LGBTQ Family Drama — In Theaters October 10th
Every once in a while, we need a good reminder that not all families look the same. In fact, some of the most compassionate and resilient people come from families that look nothing like the ones we’re used to seeing. Sometimes a family has a traditional father and mother, while others are made up of all sorts of shapes, sizes, and bonds that don’t fit the traditional mold. But no matter the form it takes, family is still family, and it never makes them any less real, meaningful, or full of love.
Fairyland aims to hit those emotional chords as it explores the unique bond between a gay father and his daughter, who is raised with the freedom to be herself no matter what.
Produced by filmmaker Sofia Coppola through the family banner American Zoetrope, the film stars Scoot McNairy as a devoted father who, after the untimely death of his daughter’s mother, moves to San Francisco to live openly while navigating the shifting social and political landscape of the 1970s and ‘80s.
With constant struggles against his daughter’s more conservative grandparents, McNairy’s character turns to the local San Francisco community for support as he guides his daughter through a world of bohemian freedom, artistic expression, and, ultimately, the devastating shadow of the AIDS crisis.
Emilia Jones, of CODA fame, stars as McNairy’s daughter, with child actress Nessa Dougherty portraying her during adolescence. The cast also includes Cody Fern, Maria Bakalova, Bella Murphy, along with singer Adam Lambert and Geena Davis.
Fairyland is based on Alysia Abbott’s acclaimed memoir about being raised by an openly gay father in 1970s and ‘80s San Francisco during the AIDS epidemic. First-time feature filmmaker Andrew Durham writes and directs.
In theaters October 10th.
★ “Eleanor the Great” Trailer: Scarlett Johansson Directs June Squibb and Erin Kellyman in a Moving Story of Loss and Unlikely Friendship — In Theaters September 26th
As Black Widow and one of the key members of the Avengers, Scarlett Johansson faced all sorts of herculean tasks and missions against impossible odds. In her most recent blockbuster, Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson battled a deluge of monstrous dinosaurs with the confidence of a strong woman in charge. But nothing could have prepared her for her latest challenge—perhaps her most daring job yet: stepping into the role of director.
After a career of acting, producing, and even singing with two studio albums under her belt, Johansson finally takes a stab at calling the shots on set as she makes her directorial debut with a heartfelt dramedy about the unlikely friendship between an elderly woman and a young woman grieving the loss of a loved one—and the sense of purpose that blossoms between them.
In Johansson’s debut Eleanor the Great, 95-year-old actress June Squibb (Nebraska, Thelma) takes on the title role of Eleanor Morgenstein, a sharp-tongued, delightfully difficult 94-year-old who, after a heartbreaking loss, spins a tale so personal it begins to blur the line between memory and invention.
Eleanor soon strikes up a friendship with Nina (played by Erin Kellyman, from Willow: The Series and Solo: A Star Wars Story), a 19-year-old journalism student who hopes to feature Eleanor’s story in her class assignment. Bonded by a shared sense of loss—Eleanor mourning her long-term partner and Nina grieving her mother—the two women, despite their generational differences, forge an unlikely yet deeply meaningful connection, revealing how the stories we cling to are often the ones that end up defining us.
Written by Tory Kamen and directed by Johansson, Eleanor the Great also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, and Rita Zohar, and is slated to open in theaters September 26th.
★ “Swiped” Trailer: Lily James Stars as Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe in This Tech Industry Biopic with Dan Stevens and Myha’la Herrold — Streaming September 19th on Hulu/Disney+
The Social Network taught us that the origins of social media companies can be as cutthroat, dramatic, and betrayal-filled as any Shakespearean tragedy. And that hasn’t changed. If anything, the scandals have only grown bigger—while the finances have become more astronomical than ever.
In the upcoming biographical drama Swiped, Lily James (Pam & Tommy, Baby Driver, The Iron Claw) stars as Whitney Wolfe, the real-life tech entrepreneur who created the online dating app Bumble, revolutionizing the way users swiped on potential matches. The film follows Whitney’s journey from a recent college graduate challenging Silicon Valley’s boys’ club—first at Tinder, then with her own company, Bumble—as she rose to become one of the world’s youngest billionaires, only to witness the industry turn inward and begin devouring itself.
Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg (Unpregnant, 2020's Valley Girl remake) and written by Goldenberg, Bill Parker, and Kim Caramele, Swiped also stars Dan Stevens, Myha’la Herrold, Jackson White, Ben Schnetzer, Pierson Fodé, Clea DuVall, Pedro Correa, Ian Colleti, and Coral Peña. The film, produced by 20th Century Studios, will debut on streaming September 19th on Hulu/Disney+.
★ “Plainclothes” Trailer: Tom Blyth Goes Undercover in Carmen Emmi’s 1997-Set Closeted Gay Cop Thriller with Russell Tovey and Maria Dizzia — In Theaters September 19th
This new thriller asks: what happens when your job is to entrap the very community you belong to, while desperately trying to hide that part of yourself from the world?
Plainclothes, a 1997-set emotionally charged thriller, stars Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the MGM+ series Billy the Kid) as Lucas, a closeted gay rookie cop assigned to work undercover in a sting operation targeting gay men using a local mall bathroom for random sexual hook-ups.
However, things take a shocking turn when Lucas, off duty, finds himself at the very same mall bathroom—where he has an unexpected encounter with Andrew (Russell Tovey), one of his targets. As pressure mounts and suspicions grow among family members, Lucas scrambles to conceal his secret affair with Andrew, as both men harbor truths that could destroy everything they’ve built.
For Lucas, it’s his police career; for Andrew, it’s his marriage. And in 1997, coming out of the closet meant risking not only your reputation but also your livelihood, your safety, and in many cases, the relationships you held closest.
Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Carmen Emmi and shot in a grainy ‘90s aesthetic, Plainclothes also stars Amy Forsyth, Christian Cooke, Maria Dizzia, and Gabe Fazio.
Winner of this year’s Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble at Sundance, the film is set to hit theaters on September 19th.
★ “Killing Faith” Trailer: Guy Pearce Plays a Skeptical Doctor in This Supernatural-tinged Western Thriller with DeWanda Wise and Bill Pullman — In Theaters October 3rd
After earning a nomination for his supporting turn as a ruthless industrialist in last year’s acclaimed breakout The Brutalist, you might think Guy Pearce would be chasing more arthouse fare. Well, it seems the Australian actor is more than happy to wade into the mucky muck of a genre-bending western, portraying a grimy physician whose skeptical beliefs are shaken when he encounters a young girl touched by a supernatural power.
Written and directed by Ned Crowley (Middle Man), Killing Faith unfolds in the plague-scorched deserts of 1849 Arizona, where sickness and violence have given rise to something far more sinister. A faithless doctor (Pearce), a determined mother (DeWanda Wise, Jurassic World: Dominion), and a fervent preacher (veteran actor Bill Pullman) collide in a harrowing tale of belief, fear, and survival—centered on protecting a special child whose very touch is deadlier than the plague itself.
Co-starring Blade Runner’s Joanna Cassidy, The Walking Dead’s Josh McDermitt, along with Raoul Max Trujillo, Jamie Neumann, and Jack Alcott, Killing Faith is set to be released in theaters October 3rd.
⇩ Additional Trailers:
★ “Compulsion” Trailer: Charlotte Kirk Tangled in Murder and Betrayal in Director Neil Marshall’s Sexy Malta-Set Action Thriller — In Theaters and on VOD September 19th
A sun-soaked getaway in Malta spirals into a storm of cons, cover-ups, and murder when a young woman is drawn into a deadly game of deception. As secrets crack and a dogged detective closes in, paradise turns into a trap in this new thriller from cult genre helmer Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers, Game of Thrones). Starring Charlotte Kirk, Anna-Maria Sieklucka, and Zach McGowan. In theaters and on VOD September 19th.
★ “It Was Just an Accident” Trailer: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or–Winning Moral Thriller Confronts Vengeance and Forgiveness — In U.S. Theaters October 15th
When a humble mechanic in Tehran suspects he’s found his sadistic former jailer, he and fellow ex-prisoners seize the man and clash over whether to seek mercy or revenge. Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi delivers a searing moral thriller on memory, truth, and the price of violence—winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. In U.S. theaters October 15th from NEON.
★ “Grow” U.K. Trailer: Priya-Rose Brookwell Enters a Super-Pumpkin in John McPhail’s Quirky British Comedy with Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuval — In U.K. Theaters October 10th
A rebellious teen (Priya-Rose Brookwell) turns a small farming town upside down when she enters her genetically engineered super-pumpkin into the cutthroat local contest. Between sabotage, quirky rivals, and raising her pumpkin “Peter” from seed to superstar, she stumbles onto something even bigger than victory: family, community, and maybe even love. From Anna and the Apocalypse director John McPhail and co-starring Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuval, this heartwarming British charmer blossoms into theaters in the U.K. October 10th.
★ “Doin’ It” Trailer: Lilly Singh Tackles High School Sex Ed in Sara Zandieh’s Awkwardly Hilarious Sex Comedy — In Theaters September 19th
An Indian-American teacher (Lilly Singh) takes on high school sex ed, despite being a lifelong virgin raised in a strict household. Now she’s fumbling her way through anatomy, hormones, and hilariously awkward lessons, learning about sex right alongside her students. Directed by Sara Zandieh and co-written by Singh, the film also stars Ana Gasteyer, Sabrina Jalees, Sonia Dhillon Tully, and Stephanie Beatriz. Class is officially in session September 19th.
★ “Just Breathe” Trailer: Kyle Gallner and Shawn Ashmore Face Off in This Tense Rivalry Thriller — On VOD & Digital September 16th
After a year behind bars, Nick Bianco (Kyle Gallner) is ready to rebuild his life and rekindle an old flame. But when he discovers his parole officer (Shawn Ashmore) is after the same woman, a dangerous rivalry ignites... one that could cost him his freedom all over again. Written and directed by Paul P. Pompa III, this tense, emotionally charged thriller is being released on VOD/Digital September 16th.
★ “aka Charlie Sheen” Trailer: New Tell-All Documentary Revisits the Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Hollywood’s Wildest Star — Premiering September 10th on Netflix
With seven years of sobriety under his belt, infamous Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen is finally ready to set the record straight. Directed by Andrew Renzi (Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?), this revealing Netflix documentary traces Sheen’s Malibu upbringing, meteoric rise to stardom, and infamous fall from grace. Through unflinching interviews with Sheen, his family, and friends—including Denise Richards, Jon Cryer, Sean Penn, and even Heidi Fleiss—aka Charlie Sheen revisits the chaos, the comedy, and the cost of living in the spotlight. Premiering September 10th on Netflix.
★ “Bodyguard of Lies” Trailer: Paramount+ Original Documentary Exposes the Hidden Truths and Hidden Costs of the Afghanistan War — Premiering September 23rd on Paramount+
The first unflinching documentary on the Afghanistan War, this lays bare the deceptions fed to Americans and the staggering cost of a truth long concealed—thousands of lives lost, trillions of dollars spent, and decades of secrets buried. Premiering Tuesday, September 23rd exclusively on Paramount+.
★ “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” Trailer: Netflix’s New True-Crime Documentary Revisits the Jussie Smollett Scandal with New Evidence and Interviews — Premiering August 22nd on Netflix
From the producers of Don’t F**k with Cats and Tinder Swindler comes a shocking true-crime documentary that reexamines one of the most infamous scandals of the decade. With interviews from police, lawyers, journalists, investigators—and Jussie Smollett himself—the doc digs into new claims and contested evidence, leaving viewers to decide: who’s really telling the truth? Premiering Friday, August 22nd on Netflix.