The 63rd Edition of New York Film Festival (NYFF63) is one of the biggest film festivals of the Fall and we couldn’t be more excited to be attending! This year, NYFF offers its most stacked lineup in recent memory with a mix of world premieres and highly-anticipated screenings that are catching our attention.
The world premiere of Roman Day-Lewis’ feature debut, Anemone, will undoubtedly shake-up the tightening Best Actor race with Daniel Day-Lewis coming out of retirement. As a New Jersey-based website, we can’t stop thinking about Scott Cooper’s biopic on “The Boss,” himself, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. And, there’s even something for anime fans with the 4K restoration of Angel’s Egg and the latest from Mirai director Mamoru Hosoda, Scarlet. NYFF63 has a very diverse selection of upcoming films to talk about, so let’s dive into our most anticipated films.
This year’s Gala selections are absolutely top-notch, with two films we’re particularly jazzed about. The first is Luca Guadagnino’s psychological-thriller After the Hunt, the Opening Night selection. The film takes viewers into an Ivy League scandal where a respected college professor (Julia Roberts) finds herself at odds with her own dark secrets after her protoge (Ayo Edibiri) accuses her colleague (Andrew Garfield) of sexual assault. At this point, anything Guadagnino directs is worth watching and his latest offers a discomforting and riveting glimpse into the lingering effects of the #MeToo movement. Based on what we’ve seen so far, Guadagnino’s organic thrills and a hooky debut script from Nora Garrett could make for a compelling watch that gets deep under your skin. Plus, with a highly-talented cast that’s led by a performance from Roberts full of Oscars buzz, we’re locked and loaded for After the Hunt.
The Centerpiece selection, Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, focuses on an estranged family reuniting and reconciling with unresolved tensions. Jarmusch reunites with Adam Driver for another film that’s bolstered by a surrounding cast including Cate Blanchett, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Vicky Krieps, and more. With so much talent on-screen at once, viewers should prepare for a feast of great acting.
The festival’s Closing Night selection is the world premiere of Bradley Cooper’s new film, Is This Thing On?. In it, Will Arnet plays a New York stand-up going through a rough divorce as he struggles to find a sense of purpose. With Arnet leading the film’s comedy and personal drama, Cooper is ready to make viewers laugh and cry the whole way through while putting a distinct spotlight on the NYC comedy scene. After everything Cooper achieved with A Star is Born and Maestro, we can’t wait to see what he delivers with Is This Thing On?.
When looking at the Main Slate, there are some standouts we’re going to be first in line for. After his incredible performance in Challengers, Josh O’Connor’s stock is on the rise and we’re thrilled to see the combination of his acting prowess and Kelly Reichardt’s vision in The Mastermind. The film sees O’Connor play an amateur art thief whose latest heist forces him on the run and shows that he’s a little in over his head. The Mastermind has been described as an anti-thriller that delivers searing thrills and surprising comedy set against a smokey, Nixon-era atmosphere – all of which sounds amazing.
Reichardt is truly an underrated visionary, and everything she’s putting into The Mastermind makes us believe that it could be that hidden gem crowd-pleaser everyone should keep their eyes on. We’re also checking out the most recent Palme D’Or winner, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident. The film, which was secretly filmed in Iran, follows a man who’s ensnared into personal vengeance and moral revelations. Ever since its premiere at this past Cannes Film Festival, the buzz for this film hasn’t died down and it looks to provide a chilling look into human struggle and revenge that will certainly keep us gripped until the end.
As we shift gears towards the Spotlight section of NYFF63, we have to start with Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. Multi-award winner Jeremy Allen White steps into the shoes of “The Boss” for a chronicle of Bruce Springsteen making his 1982 album Nebraska. With Jeremy Strong working alongside White’s Springsteen as producer/manager John Landau, it seems like Springsteen’s life is getting the cinematic treatment it deserves. We’re already imagining New Jersey theaters singing along to the music, and there’s already plenty of talk about White being a Best Actor frontrunner.
Deliver Me From Nowhere is easily one of the biggest films of NYFF63 – only to be rivaled by the world premiere of Roman Day-Lewis’ Anemone as it sees Daniel Day-Lewis return to the screen after nearly a decade. Day-Lewis portrays a man living in isolation as he reunites with his estranged brother (Sean Bean). Just the idea of seeing Day-Lewis in a new role has us in awe, and a clearly personal tale of family written by Roman and Daniel Day-Lewis feels like a fitting return. Not to mention, in between all the crushing dialogue, a recent trailer teased some strange fantasy elements as well that has us curious to see what Anemone has in store for viewers.
Lastly, we’re watching some intriguing anime offerings from NYFF63 and we couldn’t be more eager to see Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet before it hits theaters in December. Hosoda’s latest animated epic follows a murdered princess who reawakens to embark on a quest of revenge for her and her father’s deaths. While we’ve seen Hosoda tackle more family-focused drama between elements of sci-fi, Scarlet sees him dive headfirst into, what’s sure to be, an action-packed adventure fueled by bloodthirsty rage and visually stunning animation.
Scarlet is likely going to be a big awards contender and one of the best animated films of the year, making it an absolute must-watch for us at NYFF63. Plus, as a part of the festival’s Revivals section, Ghost in the Shell fans should be thrilled that the 4K restoration of Mamoru Oshii’s 1985 cult-classic Angel’s Egg is playing at NYFF63. The film has been described as a major departure from Oshii’s usual style and his first original work as it takes viewers into a dark-fantasy world brimming with visual flair and nostalgic anime designs.
Want to hear more about films playing at NYFF – like Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite or Mary Bronstein’s Sundance-favorite If I Had Legs I’d Kick You? Want to take a deeper dive into more Revival screenings to take a look at rising talent in the Currents section? Or just want to know how to get tickets to every screening at NYFF63? For more information on the festival, just head to their website and stay tuned for our coverage!
 & our anticipation for Anemone, Deliver Me From Nowhere, After the Hunt & more.){kind=link}