What We’re Watching This Fall
There are plenty of mystery, thriller and horror options in theaters and on streaming services this fall, including adaptations of novels by Zakiya Dalila Harris, B.E. Jones and Michael Connelly, plus new takes on the classic works of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. Here’s a rundown of what we’re most excited to check out.
The Other Black Girl
Author Zakiya Dalila Harris co-created this series based on her 2021 novel, which combines a possibly supernatural threat with the more mundane (but equally upsetting) threat of institutional racism. Sinclair Daniel plays Nella, an editorial assistant at a New York City book publisher who’s initially thrilled to learn that another young Black woman is joining her workplace. But Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) may not actually be on Nella’s side, and her arrival plunges Nella into corporate intrigue and a potential wide-ranging conspiracy. All 10 episodes are now streaming on Hulu. Read our review.
The Exorcist: Believer
After helming a trilogy of direct sequels to John Carpenter’s original 1978 Halloween, filmmaker David Gordon Green takes on a similar project for 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, which was based on William Peter Blatty’s novel. The first of Green’s three planned sequels to the original movie brings Ellen Burstyn back to the franchise for the first time as Chris MacNeil, mother to possessed girl Regan MacNeil. Leslie Odom Jr. plays a father who seeks Chris’ help when his own daughter becomes possessed. Opens October 6 in theaters.
A Haunting in Venice
Kenneth Branagh embraces spookiness in his third film based on Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries. Branagh returns as director and star for a loose adaptation of Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, set in a creaky old house in Venice, Italy, on Halloween. Poirot attempts to debunk the techniques of a supposed psychic medium played by Michelle Yeoh, and of course he ends up solving a murder, too. Tina Fey joins the franchise as another beloved Christie character, mystery writer Ariadne Oliver. Now playing in theaters. Read our review.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan has an impressive track record of delivering new interpretations of classic works of supernatural fiction with his Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, and he takes on the oeuvre of Edgar Allan Poe in this new eight-episode series. While the title comes from a specific Poe story, the series will draw on many of the author’s works, creating a new narrative from various Poe classics. The sprawling cast features many regular Flanagan collaborators, including Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas and Kate Siegel. Premieres October 12 on Netflix.
Wilderness
B.E. Jones’ novel becomes an enjoyable mix of pulp and soap opera in this six-episode adaptation. Jenna Coleman plays previously dutiful wife Liv Taylor, who may turn homicidal after discovering that her husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has been cheating on her for nearly all of their short marriage. On a road trip through the American southwest, she contemplates just how much punishment Will deserves. Liv’s internal struggle between forgiveness and vengeance anchors a show that’s full of unhinged twists. All six episodes are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Read our review.
Bosch: Legacy
As played by Titus Welliver, author Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch has become one of the longest-running TV detectives thanks to his two separate series on Amazon’s Prime Video and Freevee. The second season of Bosch: Legacy is the ninth overall season of Bosch’s adventures, this time based on Connelly’s 18th Bosch novel, 2015’s The Crossing. Bosch and his associate Honey Chandler (Mimi Rogers) track a killer and fall under FBI suspicion, while Bosch’s cop daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) faces a mysterious kidnapper. The second season premieres October 20 on Freevee.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese adapts David Grann’s 2017 true-crime book for his latest epic about American corruption and violence. Set in the 1920s, the movie follows a federal investigation into the murders of several members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma. Scorsese’s longtime collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio lead the cast as ruthless rancher William Hale and his conflicted nephew Ernest Burkhart, with Jesse Plemons as FBI agent Tom White and Lily Gladstone as Ernest’s Osage wife Mollie. Opens October 20 in theaters.
A Murder at the End of the World
The OA creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij pivot from sci-fi to thriller for this murder mystery set at a remote estate. The Crown’s Emma Corrin stars as an amateur detective who’s one of eight guests summoned to an isolated retreat by an eccentric billionaire (Clive Owen). She must put together clues when one of the guests is found dead, in a limited series that’s likely to be just as mind-bending as Marling and Batmanglij’s previous work. Premieres November 14 on Hulu.
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Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He’s the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and the former TV comedies guide for About.com. He has written about movies, TV, and pop culture for Vulture, Polygon, CBR, Inverse, Crooked Marquee, and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.