AARP Fall Movie Preview 2025

Get the ultimate guide to the best films coming to screens big and small

Tim Appelo,

AARP

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Published September 03, 2025

june squibb in a scene from eleanor the great

June Squibb, 95, stars in "Eleanor the Great," in theaters Sept. 26.

Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

The sunny, silly season is over, so now’s the time when movies get seriously entertaining, with some of them ambitious for Oscars and AARP Movies for Grownups Awards.

Here’s the lowdown on the 20 most promising probable hits and contenders. Put them on your calendar, and don’t forget to pass the popcorn!

Coming in September

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (in theaters Sept. 12)

The 1930s bring money trouble to the well-born Crawleys. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) gets ejected from a society event because she’s scandalously divorced (so unladylike!), and Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti, 58), the yacht-loving playboy brother of Cora (Elizabeth McGovern, 64), is back from America.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (in theaters Sept. 12)

Like 1984’s original film, This Is Spinal Tap, it’s a mock documentary about an imaginary band (and later a hit live act in real life), improvised by musician/actors Christopher Guest, 77, Michael McKean, 77, and Harry Shearer, 81, with both films’ director, Rob Reiner, 78, as their hapless director, Marty DiBergi (who’s grateful to have survived his unsuccessful, imaginary movie Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla). Costarring as themselves: Paul McCartney, 84, Elton John, 78, Garth Brooks, 63, and Tricia Yearwood, 60.

The Long Walk (in theaters Sept. 12)

Based on the first novel by Stephen King, 77, who wrote it at 19, this is the grueling story of 100 teen boys forced to march by the ruthless Major (Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, 73) — and if they stop, they die. It’s a film by Francis Lawrence, who directed The Hunger Games sequels.

Clemente (in theaters Sept. 12, on History Channel Sept. 23)

Baseball fans will cheer this documentary on major league legend Roberto Clemente, a poverty-to-stardom story told through archival footage and deep interviews with, among others, Rita Moreno, 93, Michael Keaton, 73, and Roberto Clemente Jr.

The Lost Bus (in theaters Sept. 19, on Apple TV+ Oct. 3)

Bourne franchise director Paul Greengrass, 70, directs Matthew McConaughey, 55, in the fact-based story of a school bus driver who risked all to rescue a teacher (America Ferrera) and her kids from Paradise, California’s terrifying, apocalyptic 2018 Camp Fire. It’s written by Mare of Easttown’s Brad Ingelsby. Greengrass told Empire magazine, “I wanted it to be the most realistic depiction of fire ever put on film.”

Eleanor the Great (in theaters Sept. 26)

Scarlett Johansson directs Thelma star June Squibb, 95, as the witty, difficult Eleanor, who leaves New York after her best friend dies. She bonds with new friends in Florida, but she claims some of her late friend’s life experiences as her own.

One Battle After Another (in theaters Sept. 26)

In an action-comedy adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, an ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio, 50) is attacked by scary Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn, 65) and races to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

Coming in October

The Smashing Machine (in theaters Oct. 3)

In his most ambitious role, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 53, plays mixed martial arts champion Mark Kerr, whose tumultuous life was depicted in a 2002 documentary of the same name.

Michael (in theaters Oct. 3)

The Michael Jackson story, with Colman Domingo, 55, as Michael’s abusive genius dad, Joe Jackson.

After the Hunt (in select theaters Oct. 10; wide release Oct. 17)

A Yale professor (Julia Roberts, 57) faces trouble when her star student (The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri) accuses her colleague (Andrew Garfield) of sexual assault—and the professor’s got a few secrets of her own.

Tron: Ares (in theaters Oct. 10)

Jeff Bridges, 75, is back as Kevin Flynn, designer of the digital universe Tron, in a sequel to the 1982 classic. Jared Leto, 53, plays an AI program named Ares, who rides a light cycle on a mission to the real world of humans.

Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (in theaters Oct. 17)

Ben Stiller, 59, directs his dream project, a biography of his stellar actor parents Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld) and Anne Meara (Sex and the City).

A House of Dynamite (in limited theaters Oct. 3, on Netflix Oct. 24)

Kathryn Bigelow, 73 (Zero Dark Thirty), directs an Oscar-buzzed thriller about a White House team racing to save the U.S. from a missile zooming our way. Idris Elba, 53, Jared Harris, 64, and Rebecca Ferguson costar.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (in theaters Oct. 24)

Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) plays Bruce Springsteen making his groundbreaking 1982 album Nebraska.

Coming in November

Frankenstein (on Netflix Nov. 7)

Dr. Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) treats his monster creation (Jacob Elordi) as cruelly as his own abusive father (Charles Dance, 79) treated him — and the monster gets mad. Christoph Waltz, 69, plays the arms merchant who finances the ominous experiment. Will this cinematic experiment by director Guillermo del Toro, 61, win him a fourth Oscar?

Nuremberg (in theaters Nov. 7)

The true story of the psychiatrist (Rami Malek) who had to determine whether Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe, 61), was fit to be tried for war crimes by Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon, 50).

Bugonia (in theaters Nov. 7)

Yorgos Lanthimos, 52, directs his Poor Things star Emma Stone in a comedy thriller about a corporate CEO (Stone) kidnapped by a man (Jesse Plemons) who’s convinced she’s an alien, and he must save Earth from her. Alicia Silverstone, 49 (Clueless), plays a conspiracy theory obsessed journalist who makes matters worse.

Jay Kelly (in theaters Nov. 14, on Netflix Dec. 5)

A famous actor (George Clooney, 64) goes on the road with his devoted manager (Adam Sandler, 59) to collect a lifetime achievement award at an Italian film festival. In his 60s, he’s still trying to find himself. “If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear,” Clooney told Vanity Fair. The amazing cast includes Laura Dern, 58, as his publicist; Stacy Keach, 84, as his dad; Jim Broadbent, 76, as his mentor; and Billy Crudup, 57, as his actor buddy who failed to make it.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (in theaters Nov. 14)

A pack of squabbling magicians (Morgan Freeman, 88, Woody Harrelson, 64, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco) team up with some younger illusionists to take down the criminal gang of Veronika Vanderberg (Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike, 49).

Hamnet (in select theaters Nov. 27, wide release Dec. 12)

Oscars might go to this adaptation of the best-selling novel about Mrs. William Shakespeare (Jessie Buckley), who loses her only son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), inspiring bereaved Mr. Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) to write Hamlet.

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Tim Appelo covers entertainment and is the film and TV critic for AARP. Previously, he was the entertainment editor at Amazon, video critic at Entertainment Weekly, and a critic and writer for The Hollywood Reporter, People, MTV, The Village Voice and LA Weekly.