28. Prisoners
Release Date: 4th October (UK) / 20th September (US)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello
What’s The Story? When two young girls go missing during Thanksgiving, one of their fathers takes it upon himself to do what the cops are trained and paid to do. Instead of assisting law enforcement, he takes matter into his own hands when he suspects a local man has nabbed his daughter. The trailer is a damn fine example of Hugh Jackman’s ability to yell and look badass without titanium appendages.
Impress Your Mates: Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale were originally in line to play the two leads.
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29. Captain Phillips
Release Date: 11th October
Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener
What’s The Story? Based on true events, the film tells the story of Captain Richard Phillips and the hijacking of his boat the MV Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009. Under the direction of The Bourne Supremacy‘s Greengrass, this tale of a US ship and crew held hostage for the first time in over 200 years is surely headed straight into Oscar waters.
Impress Your Mates: The hijacking was the first successful pirate seizure of an American vessel since the early 19th century.
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30. Gravity
Release Date: 18th October (UK) / 4th October (US)
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
What’s The Story? Bullock and Clooney play two astronauts on a mission in space, who are left floating out in that great vast darkness after a load of galactic debris crashes into their shuttle. Talk about being in the back end of beyond. Talk about being in the middle of nowhere. Makes you feel like you were really milking it that time you moaned about being stuck at a bus stop for twenty minutes.
Impress Your Mates: Angelina Jolie refused an offer for the lead role. Twice.
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31. Ender’s Game
Release Date: 25th October (UK) / 1st November (US)
Director: Gavin Hood
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley
What’s The Story? Set 70 years after a devastating war against a race of aliens called Buggers (no, really), a gifted lad is sent to an intergalatic military school wherein he is trained to hone his skills in order to save the human race from its end. Quite a lot of pressure, that. Expect scenes behind the back of the bike sheds with Ender nicking fags off his mates.
Impress Your Mates: Based on the novel by Orson Scott Card.
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32. Thor: The Dark World
Release Date: 30th October (UK) / 8th November (US)
Director: Alan Taylor
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christopher Eccleston
What’s The Story? When Jane Foster (Portman) is deemed a worthy trophy the denizens of the Dark World quite fancy having in their cabinet, Thor goes on a mission to do everything he can to protect her. Luckily for him and us, that includes thrashing his hammer about and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Impress Your Mates: During its London shoot, the production went under the title of Thursday Morning. A meta nod to Thor, who the day is named after.
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33. The Family
Release Date: 8th November (UK) / 13th September (US)
Director: Luc Besson
Stars: Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer
What’s The Story? After being bungled into the witness protection program, a mafioso and his family are relocated to a quaint French town. Before long, their gangster desires to scam old ladies and whack people with crowbars takes over. DeNiro could do this in his sleep, it’s the double act of him and Pfeiffer as a married couple that makes this latest from Besson intriguing.
Impress Your Mates: The film was originally titled Malavita.
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34. Drinking Buddies
Release Date: 8th November (UK) / 23rd August (US)
Director: Joe Swanberg
Stars: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston
What’s The Story? When two brewery employees become friends, they realise the chemistry between the two of them may point to them becoming much more. It’s no surprise there, considering they’re always sucking down the soup. Their existing relationships make for an awkward yet funny look at love. The cast is absolutely stellar, and Swanberg’s mumblecore origins point to this being a sleeper hit.
Impress Your Mates: A lot of the dialogue was improvised by the cast.
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35. Don Jon
Release Date: 15th November (UK) / 27th September (US)
Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore
What’s The Story? New Jersey stud, Don, is obsessed with the gym, close with his family and a devout churchgoer. When he meets a beautiful woman who models her romantic ideals upon Hollywood’s films, he must weigh up his own unhealthy obsession with porn. If you’ve landed a date with Johansson, surely it’s a no brainer when it comes to chucking out the jazz mags?
Impress Your Mates: JGL’s directorial debut.
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36. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Release Date: 22nd November
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
What’s The Story? Following on from the events in The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta head out on their Victor’s Tour of the districts which fuels a huge riot across the whole of Panem. The follow-up book packs in a grittier, bleaker…well, let’s just say it ain’t all hiding in trees in this one. There’ll be hiding in bushes, too.
Impress Your Mates: Following on from Catching Fire, the final film in the trilogy, Mockingjay, will be released as two films.
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