【18+ Archives】

Welcome to our 2019 Fall Movie Preview. All week long we're covering the films you need to know about as we head into the final months of the year8+ Archives from indie gems to awards hopefuls to blockbuster smashes.

Nothing beats ice-cold air-conditioning in the middle of summer. But as we head into autumn, we're looking for a different kind of chill.

We're talking about the kind that comes from watching a movie that raises goosebumps on your arms, puts ice in your veins, sends shivers down your spine.

So what if Halloween's not for another couple months? You can spook yourself all season long, if you just know where to look.

Here's what to watch if you want to scare yourself silly...

... and clowns give you nightmares: IT Chapter Two (Sept. 6)

Set 27 years after the first It, Chapter Twofinds the Losers Club all grown up (and played by A-list stars like Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader). But some things about childhood you never get over, and the gang once again finds themselves terrorized by the monster that almost destroyed them once before. Pennywise may be the literal embodiment of evil, but you've gotta hand it to him: Dude is nothing if not consistent.

... and you're literally Batman: Joker (Oct. 4)

Despite being one of Batman's most famous nemeses, Joker has remained an enigma. We don't know a lot about who he is or where he came from, and maybe we don't wantto know. But Jokeroffers one explanation, and it is by all appearances a compelling one -- anchored by an eccentric performance from Joaquin Phoenix and a surprisingly dramatic turn from The Hangoverdirector Todd Phillips. Love it or hate it, you know there'll be a lot to talk about here.

... and you were a big fan of The Witch: The Lighthouse (Oct. 18)

If 2016's The Witchleft you dying to see what writer-director Robert Eggers might get up to next, you're in luck. He's back this fall with The Lighthouse, a tale of two lighthouse keepers (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) in late 19th century Maine -- and if the glowing reviews out of Cannes are any indication, he hasn't lost his touch for unbearable dread, his eye for period detail, or his taste for thick old-timey accents.

... and Stephen King is your jam: Doctor Sleep (Nov. 8)

It's the sequel to The Shiningwe didn't know we needed. Directed by Mike Flanagan and based on Stephen King's 2013 novel, Doctor Sleeppicks up with an adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) forced to reckon with his traumatic past when he meets a young girl with psychic abilities like his own. The film's got a high bar to clear, given how beloved the 1978 book and 1980 film adaptation are, and we can't wait to see it try.

... and you're looking for an excuse not to babysit: The Lodge (Nov. 15)

Has anything good ever happened in a remote cabin in the woods? The Lodgebrings together two kids (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) and their dad's fiancé (Riley Keough) in a beautiful holiday home, and then traps there by way of a severe snowstorm. Naturally, strange and upsetting things start to happen -- though whether their origins are accidental or purposeful, supernatural or psychological, remain frightfully murky.

... and the weirder, the better: In Fabric (Dec. 6)

Anything can be horrifying in the right context, and in In Fabric, that includes the very clothes on your back. The latest from director Peter Strickland (Duke of Burgundy) centers on a dress that is literally to die for -- as in, it'll bring destruction to all who wear it. It's a knowingly ridiculous premise filtered through a strange, off-kilter tone, and it won't be for everyone. But if all of that sounds like your style, you may as well try it on for size.

Come back to learn what to watch if...

Monday: ... you want to be creeped outTuesday: ... you just wanna have funWednesday: ... you're with the familyThursday: ... you're all about awards seasonFriday: ... you've only got time for 6 movies