The sunny days of summer may be behind us. It appears we’re officially out of that apathetic movie malaise that bridges the summer blockbusters to the holiday season with pretenders and leftovers.
This weekend sees the release of the Downton Abbey movie and the annual big fall sci-fi movie, “Ad Astra.” Big films to look forward to are on the way.
At the same time, you shouldn’t assume that all the big releases over the next three months are guaranteed winners. Even if a movie gets a Christmas Day release, it could still be as maligned as a piece of coal. Remember “Holmes and Watson” last year? Exactly.
You can never be certain until the credits roll, but looking ahead to the rest of 2019, the calendar looks promising. Here are 10 films that look like contenders for your viewing pleasure, and 10 you might want to keep out of the ring.
10 safe bets
1. “Joker” (release date: Oct. 4, rating: R)
Watching the trailer for this one, it’s hard to even see it as a comic book movie. It will be interesting to see how Todd Phillips’ dark origin story for Batman’s most notorious foe —starring a super-creepy Joaquin Phoenix — will turn out.
2. “Zombieland: Double Tap” (release date: Oct. 18, rating: R)
The original “Zombieland” ranks alongside Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” on the short list of classic zombie send-ups. “Shaun” never got a sequel, so this will be our first chance to see if there’s enough comic magic to justify a second ride on the Funny Zombie Train.
3. “Jojo Rabbit” (release date: Oct. 18, rating: PG-13)
Taika Waititi was the guy who put the funny in “Thor: Ragnarok,” and before that he helmed the under-the-radar gem “Hunt For the Wilderpeople.” His next movie? IMDb describes it as, “a young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.” Simple enough. But go watch the trailer. You weren’t expecting that, were you?
4. “Ford v. Ferrari” (release date: Nov. 15, rating: TBD)
The director of “Logan” and “Walk the Line” teams up with Matt Damon and Christian Bale to tell the story — in IMAX, no less — of the 1966 Le Mans, a 24-hour endurance race in France. This one smells like Oscar bait. Or gasoline. One or the other for sure.
5. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (release date: Nov. 22, rating: TBD)
This one is a no-brainer: Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers? Is there anyone else out there you would even consider to play the cardigan-clad icon of children’s television? If the 2018 documentary didn’t satisfy your Mr. Rogers fix, this looks like it should do the trick.
6. “Frozen II” (release date: Nov. 22, rating: TBD)
Even if “Frozen” isn’t your favorite Disney movie, or even if you — cough — gave the first movie a mediocre review, it’s hard to imagine this one being bad. And if you exist anywhere near a kid under the age of 10, you know you’re going to get stuck seeing it regardless. Might as well hope for it to be really, really good, if only for your own sake.
7. “Knives Out” (release date: Nov. 27, rating: TBD)
“Star Wars” fans will likely debate Rian Johnson’s “Last Jedi” until the end of time, but “Knives Out” — a dark comic “Clue”-like whodunit starring Captain America, Chris Evans, and a host of familiar faces — looks like a return to the kind of work the director did before he set off for a galaxy far, far away.
8. “Jumanji: The Next Level” (release date: Dec. 13, rating: TBD)
Unlike 2017’s “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Next Level” won’t have the benefit of surprise (or low expectations), but even if Jake Kasdan’s effort is half as good as its predecessor, audiences should be in for a fun ride.
9. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (release date: Dec. 20, rating: TBD)
The Disney-driven “Star Wars” renaissance has lost a lot of momentum in the last year or two (seriously, why didn’t they wait until Christmas to release “Solo” last year?), but with JJ Abrams back at the helm, it’s hard to believe that the final installment of the Skywalker Saga will be anything short of epic.
10. “Little Women” (release date: Dec. 25, rating: PG)
Good cast (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep), good director (Greta Gerwig), good source material. The latest take on the Louisa May Alcott novel should be a welcome release on Christmas Day.
10 movies to worry about
1. “Jexi” (release date: Oct. 11, rating: TBD)
Another thought-provoking sci-fi about a lonely guy who develops an attachment for his AI operating system. I’m not saying the premise isn’t relevant, or even interesting. I’m just saying Spike Jones made “Her” six years ago already.
2. “Gemini Man” (release date: Oct. 11, rating: PG-13)
This one feels like it could qualify for either of these lists. Maybe it’s the lingering stench of “After Earth,” but in spite of an interesting concept (assassin gets hunted by a clone of himself), it might be best to put this upcoming Will Smith sci-fi vehicle in the “wait and (maybe) see” category for now.
3. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” (release date: Oct. 18, rating: TBD)
Angelina Jolie and her enhanced razor-sharp cheekbones return in the sequel to the 2014 “Sleeping Beauty” prequel. The first one was good, but not great. What are the chances that “Mistress of Evil” ups the ante?
4. “Terminator: Dark Fate” (release date: Nov. 1, rating: R)
It would be great to think that one day a “Terminator” sequel will return us to the quality of the first two, but hope is fading fast. Linda Hamilton may be back, but is anyone really betting on “Dark Fate” to restore the franchise glory?
5. “Arctic Dogs” (release date: Nov. 1, rating: PG)
The movie is called “Arctic Dogs,” but the main character is a fox. The original title was “Arctic Justice.” Based on the trailer and the IMDb summary, this is a mess of a story packed with celebrity voice performances. Woof.
6. “Midway” (release date: Nov. 8, rating: TBD)
The World War II subject matter — the Battle of Midway — is sound. The question is: What is the director of “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow” going to do with it? We’ll get spectacle for sure, but will that be enough?
7. “Doctor Sleep” (release date: Nov. 8, rating: R)
The trailer for this “Shining” sequel — based on Stephen King’s 2013 book — is pushing the Stanley Kubrick vibe from the 1980 film pretty hard. Problem is, Kubrick has been dead for 20 years. So is “Doctor Sleep” just going to be someone’s impression of a Stanley Kubrick movie? Will King hate this one too, as he famously did with Kubrick’s film? Be cautious with this one.
8. “Playmobil: The Movie” (release date: Dec. 6, rating: TBD)
Sure, the Lego movies proved that toys can make the transition onto the big screen in a way that isn’t completely humiliating (a formula that took “Transformers,” what, six movies to figure out?). But Legos and Transformers are one thing … but Playmobil?
9. “Brahms: The Boy II” (release date: Dec. 6, rating: PG-13)
Do you remember 2016’s “The Boy?” The movie about the creepy doll that a British couple addresses as if it was a human? That movie was not good (right now it has a 6.0/10 rating on IMDb). How often do bad movies produce good sequels? Let’s just say “Brahms” doesn’t have good odds.
10. “Cats” (Dec. 20, rating: TBD)
We’ve seen some successful musicals come out around Christmas in recent years. “La La Land” won Best Picture (until it didn’t). “Greatest Showman” was pretty successful, in spite of its unique interpretation of the life of P.T. Barnum. “Cats”? “Cats” does not look good. “Cats” looks horrifying.