By this point in the year, there are usually some obvious Academy Award front-runners, but 2024 in cinema just continues to zig where others have zagged, and there remains a relative dearth of films that have captured the kind of attention that leads to golden glory. This mild Oscar vacuum is allowing for any movie with a whiff of prestige to become a potential contender, and Conclave’s pedigree puts it in good position. It has a director (Edward Berger) coming off an Oscar-lauded feature (All Quiet on the Western Front) and a heavyweight cast in the form of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow. Concerning the secretive titular process by which a new pope is chosen, this one is “smart and excessive”, notes Maxine. “Airport fiction adapted as pure camp,” says Theo. Ethan breaks it down as “Knives Out but for an election instead of a murder. About as fun as you’d expect—which is to say, very!” Well, I’m convinced. Now in select US cinemas, with a European rollout through November.

The Venom films have been the biggest (only?) successes in Sony’s hazily defined Spider-Man ing-character universe, but it still seems crazy to some comic-book people that the big-screen Venom exists separately to the web-slinger, to whom his origins are inextricably linked in the source material. It’s not a coincidence that Venom looks like an evil Spider-Man, but in the movies, it appears to be. Anyway, the Venom–verse “culminates” this month with Venom: The Last Dance, which sees franchise screenwriter Kelly Marcel take the directorial reins, making her a rare female director of a male-led superhero movie. David reckons it’s a “snappy conclusion to a franchise that shines as long as its protagonist is on screen.” Maggie warns that “if you’re not on board with the Venom films by now, this is not a great place to start,” then adds, “but if you have a joyful and curious spirit, you will be rewarded.” Sirintheo got emotional: “This had me crying like I lost a family pet to ‘Memories’ by Maroon 5. Mortifying experience.” Now in theaters worldwide.

Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley teams up with her Murder on the Orient Express co-star (and real-life husband) Tom Bateman for the new thriller Magpie, which she leads and he wrote. Ridley and Shazad Latif (What’s Love Got to Do with It?) play a couple whose marriage comes under strain when he chaperones their actor daughter on a movie shoot with a prominent star played by Matilda Lutz, who first gained prominence as the lead in The Substance-director Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 feature Revenge. “Genuinely one of the funniest, [most] enthralling and crowd-pleasing thrillers/melodramas I’ve seen in years,” raves Sam. Ridley is being singled out for praise by many Letterboxd , with William calling her performance “complex, subtle, and nuanced”. “Haven’t hated a husband this much since Gone Girl,” is Kendall’s intriguing assertion. Now in select US theaters.

94 years old and still cranking ’em out, screen-legend Clint Eastwood directs his 40th (by my count) feature in Juror #2, which some are speculating might be able to take advantage of that aforementioned Oscar vacuum to add some more gold to Eastwood’s already stuffed trophy cabinet. Nicholas Hoult plays a man who realizes he may be personally responsible for the murder that he is currently assessing as the titular member of the jury. There’s plenty to get excited about in the ing cast—Chris Messina, J.K. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland and Toni Collette (who played Hoult’s mother in the actor’s 2002 debut, About a Boy, and here plays the prosecutor). In US, UK, Canadian and French theaters November 1.

With all-time classics like Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and Cast Away on his résumé, director Robert Zemeckis is one of the most successful purveyors of across-the-board hits in the history of the movie business. The man has taken a lot of big swings, and many have connected, although he hasn’t had a breakout in a while. His new film, Here, reunites the two stars of one of his biggest sensations for another digitally enhanced high-concept exercise in cinematic precision. Taking place over several decades, Here sustains one single shot to tell the story of a couple (played by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright) as seen from the corner of their living room. We recently published a Journal piece detailing how Letterboxd rank Zemeckis’s films—where will Here land? In US, Australian and New Zealand theaters November 1.

Following his documentary Occupied City, Oscar-winning British filmmaker Steve McQueen returns to scripted narrative—but sticks with World War II—for Blitz, in which Saoirse Ronan (whose breakout movie, Atonement, also concerned The Blitz) plays a London factory worker who sends her young son (Elliott Heffernan) to the countryside to avoid the dangers of regular German aerial assaults on the British capital, then struggles to find him when he attempts to return to her. “To literally no one’s surprise, Saoirse Ronan is incredible,” says Adam. Many reviews are noting that this is a relatively straightforward film for McQueen, but Joe rationalizes that “sometimes a master chef feels compelled to prepare something that isn’t too complicated, and is just well made and easy to digest”, and Katey sticks up for it as “mother and son cinema at its finest”. Filmmaker Allan Arkush lauds it as a “heartfelt and very personal version of Oliver Twist”. In select US and UK cinemas November 1, on Apple TV+ from November 22.

Acclaimed French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (A Prophet) adapts his own opera libretto (itself based on a book) for Emilia Pérez, which, of all the films discussed in this newsletter, is looking like the one that will most be able to capitalize on that perceived Oscar vacuum. Not that it’s not deserving or anything. Indeed, critical fervor is building around the musical, which concerns a lawyer in Mexico (played by Zoe Saldaña) who is hired by a cartel boss (Karla Sofía Gascón) to assist her in faking her own death so that she can live her true self. Édgar Ramírez and Selena Gomez co-star. “A powerful film about love, ion and identity,” hails Joe, who goes on to call it “bold, ambitious, unique and genre bending”. “A trans-musical crime-thriller telenovela romance? Yeah it’s a masterpiece,” declares Karl. “An explosion of heart, identity, and self-discovery wrapped in one wild, emotional ride,” praises Aisha. Now in select UK theaters. In select US cinemas November 1. On Netflix November 13.

Cited by our managing editor Mitchell Beaupre as one of the highlights of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, A Real Pain has Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed) and Kieran Culkin playing not-much-like-each-other cousins on a trip to Poland to honor their grandmother’s experiences during the Holocaust. Seth says the film’s “ardent self-discovery sentiments feel truly honest and human”, while Julia observes that “Kieran Culkin is the only actor that can make me cry while laughing and laugh while crying”. Culkin’s getting a lot of love from our for this one, and Corey reckons the two actors’ “chemistry is off the charts”. “Explores collective pain, unprocessed trauma, and self discovery while blending comedy and drama together seamlessly,” says Connor. In select US theaters November 1.