By Lori Vernon
SEPTEMBER MOVIE PREVIEW
S
adly, summer has ended, and it’s
time once again for the cinemas to
fill with more high-brow fare: the
character-driven dramas, literary adap-
tations, and award-contending biopics.
In other words, “serious” films. I’m not
sure if It Chapter Two or the new Rambo
sequel fit that bill, but both are sure to
lure viewers into theaters. Here are some
of our September picks.
Stiles, Lizzo, and Cardi B.
Ad Astra
Directed by James Gray
Rated PG-13 - September 20
Twenty years after renegade scientist
Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones)
never returned home from a mission to
Neptune in search of extra-terrestrial life,
his son Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), an Army
Brad Pitt in Ad Astra
IT Chapter Two
Directed by Andrés Muschietti
Rated R – September 6
IT’s been 27 years since the evil clown
Pennywise terrified the members of the
Losers' Club as kids - and you know what
that means. HE’S BACK! Every 27 years
evil revisits the town of Derry, Maine, and
Chapter Two brings together the now 40-
something gang, who've long since gone
their separate ways to face their worst
nightmares and finally banish him forev-
er. Finn Wolfhard, James McAvoy, Jaeden
Lieberher, Jack Dylan Grazer, Bill Hader,
Jessica Chastain, Andy Bean, and Bill
Skarsgard as the evil Pennywise are back
for this anticipated sequel to Stephen
King’s epic horror classic.
The Goldfinch
Directed by John Crowley
Rated R - September 12
Adapted from the best-selling novel
by Donna Tartt, the film follows the story
of Theodore Decker (Ansel Elgort) who
survived the bombing of New York’s
Metropolitan Museum of Art at age 13
that killed his mother. Taken in by a
wealthy family, Theo grows up with lots
of questions regarding his grief and guilt
that his foster mother (Nicole Kidman)
can’t answer. Through it all, he holds on
to one tangible piece of hope from that
terrible day - a painting of a tiny bird
chained to its perch.
12 illinoisentertainer.com september 2019
Corps engineer, travels through the solar
system to find his missing father, who
may pose a severe threat to humanity.
Gray called it a futuristic version of
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness set in
the most realistic version of outer space
seen yet. Also starring Ruth Negga,
Donald Sutherland, John Finn, and Jamie
Kennedy.
Rambo: Last Blood
Directed by Adrian Grunberg
Rated R - September 20
When his friend’s daughter is kid-
napped, Vietnam vet John Rambo
(Sylvester Stallone) crosses the Mexican
border to bring her home. The senior citi-
zen soon finds himself up against one of
Mexico's most ruthless cartels in the final
installment of the classic 80s film. You
know what that means - guns, explosions,
and blood.
Downton Abbey
Directed by Michael Engler
Rated PG - September 20
It’s 1927, and PBS’s wealthy Crawley
family and their loyal servants are back in
the big-screen adaptation of Julian
Fellowes classic TV series, this time to
prepare for a royal visit from the King and
Queen. Maggie Smith, Matthew Goode,
Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville,
Elizabeth McGovern, and Allen Leach are
all back for fun.
Hustlers Judy
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Rated R - September 13
Adapted from a 2015 New York
Magazine article by Jessica Pressler that
went viral, this is the story of a small-time
crime ring run by a group of ex-strippers,
led by Destiny (Constance Wu) and
Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), who have an
exceptional talent for creatively coercing
wealthy New York businessmen out of
their money. Starring Will Ferrell, Adam
McKay, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Directed by Rupert Goold
Rated: PG-13 - September 27
Thirty years after starring in "The
Wizard of Oz," beloved actress and singer
Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) arrives
in London to perform sold-out shows at
the Talk of the Town nightclub. While
there, she reminisces with friends and
fans and begins a whirlwind romance
with musician Mickey Deans (Finn
Wittrock), her soon-to-be fifth husband.