Ben Affleck’s directorial venture Air Amazon takes audiences through the high-stakes partnership between Nike and basketball legend Michael Jordan, in which the shoe company made a significant investment in the rookie athlete to create the iconic Air Jordan shoe line. In the movie, Matt Damon portrays Sonny Vaccaro, a Nike executive who pursues Jordan to sign a lucrative deal, while Viola Davis gives a powerful performance as Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother.
Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, based on Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers, delves into the story of a London screenwriter, portrayed by Andrew Scott, who enters into a mysterious relationship with a neighbor played by Paul Mescal. As he struggles to write a film inspired by his deceased parents, he discovers that his mother and father (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) are living as if they did not die in a car accident 30 years earlier.
American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson, features Jeffrey Wright as a novelist grappling with professional jealousy and writer’s block as he navigates his dysfunctional family. This dark comedy earned the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Anatomy of a Fall, a legal thriller starring Sandra Hüller, examines the ambiguity surrounding a woman accused of pushing her husband out of their attic window. Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning film delves into the couple’s marriage, which takes center stage in the wife’s murder trial, while their young son struggles with his moral questions about his mother’s possible guilt.
Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City is a comedy about a small desert town visited by an extraterrestrial presence in the 1950s. The film boasts an ensemble cast including Jason Schwartzman, Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks.
Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, explores the existential crisis faced by the eponymous doll when the boundaries between Barbie Land and the real world break down. Ryan Gosling delivers a scene-stealing performance as Ken.
The Bikeriders, inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 book, follows a motorcycle club based in Chicago in a period drama starring Jodie Comer and Austin Butler, with Tom Hardy co-starring as the club’s leader during the rise of ‘60s American counterculture.
The Color Purple, a musical adaptation produced by Oprah Winfrey and starring Fantasia Barrino, explores the coming-of-age story of a young black woman, Celie, in the rural South.
Dream Scenario, directed by Kristoffer Borgli and starring Nicolas Cage, is an inventive fantasy film about a college professor whose life turns chaotic when he starts appearing in other people’s dreams.
Dumb Money, directed by Craig Gillespie, examines the GameStop short squeeze of January 2021, with Paul Dano leading a star-studded ensemble cast including America Ferrera, Shailene Woodley, and Sebastian Stan.
Fair Play, a psychological thriller by Chloe Domont, features Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich as a young couple keeping their relationship secret from colleagues at a hedge fund. When Dynevor’s character lands a promotion over Ehrenreich’s Luke, their dynamic takes a dark turn.
Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann, stars Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, balancing personal and professional struggles as he enters his team in the 1957 Mille Miglia race. Penelope Cruz co-stars as Laura, Ferrari’s estranged wife and business partner.
The Holdovers, a 1970-set comedy by Alexander Payne, reunites the director with actor Paul Giamatti as a teacher overseeing students unable to return home over Christmas break.
Todd Haynes’ May December is an unsettling melodrama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, exploring the aftermath of a woman revealed to have sexually abused a seventh-grade boy.
Memory, directed by Michel Franco, stars Peter Sarsgaard as Saul, a man struggling with dementia, and Jessica Chastain as Sylvia, who is dealing with her own demons.
Napoleon, helmed by Ridley Scott, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine.
In Nyad, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Annette Bening portrays marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, supported by Jodie Foster as her coach and best friend.
Cillian Murphy takes on the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of the Manhattan Project in Universal’s Oppenheimer.