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- Godzilla Minus Zero — Yamazaki’s wartime kaiju sequel to watch
- Behemoth! — Tony Gilroy’s tense character drama with Pedro Pascal
- Paper Tiger — James Gray’s New York crime tale of brothers and consequences
- A Long Winter — Andrew Haigh adapts Colm Tóibín with quiet power
- Clarissa — A Lagos-set take on Woolf’s social and emotional textures
- NAZA — A documentary probe into surveillance, warfare, and language
- Misty Green — Chris Rock’s dramatic turn about fame, race, and reinvention
- The Only Living Pickpocket in New York — A love letter to the city with a ticking clock
- Tender Loving Care — Mike Leigh’s intimate story of family, loss, and renewal
- You Can See Everything — Nathan Fielder’s close-up on Elizabeth Holmes
- Club Kid — Jordan Firstman’s bold, stylish NYC nightlife drama
- Bucking Fastard — Werner Herzog’s return with surreal sisterhood and rivalry
- Bitter Christmas — Pedro Almodóvar on art, memory, and personal cost
- The Debut — Jesse Eisenberg’s community-theatre comedy-drama with Julianne Moore
The New York Film Festival lineup this year reads like a cinephile’s dream: marquee auteurs, buzzy documentaries, and crowd-pleasing blockbusters. From intimate dramas that probe memory and family to larger-than-life spectacles and controversial nonfiction, the festival showcases films likely to dominate awards conversations and streaming feeds this season. Below are 14 titles that critics and audiences are already circling.
Godzilla Minus Zero — Yamazaki’s wartime kaiju sequel to watch
Takashi Yamazaki returns with a sequel that continues the World War II backdrop of his surprise hit. Expect ambitious set pieces and emotional stakes tied to history.
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- Director: Takashi Yamazaki
- Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada
- How to watch: Opens in theaters and IMAX on Nov. 6
Behemoth! — Tony Gilroy’s tense character drama with Pedro Pascal
Tony Gilroy, known for high-tension scripts, delivers a moody drama centered on a musician who scores films for a living. Atmosphere and character conflict are the draw.
- Director: Tony Gilroy
- Starring: Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Will Arnett
- How to watch: Theatrical release on Dec. 4
Paper Tiger — James Gray’s New York crime tale of brothers and consequences
James Gray sets his new thriller in Queens, where two brothers chase opportunity and collide with organized crime. Expect moral complexity and tight performances.
- Director: James Gray
- Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller
- How to watch: In theaters Nov. 13
A Long Winter — Andrew Haigh adapts Colm Tóibín with quiet power
Andrew Haigh turns a Tóibín novella into a slow-burning drama set in the Colorado mountains. It’s a coming-of-age story fused with tension and longing.
- Director: Andrew Haigh
- Starring: Fred Hechinger, Caitríona Balfe, Martin Freeman
- How to watch: Theatrical date TBA
Clarissa — A Lagos-set take on Woolf’s social and emotional textures
Arie and Chuko Esiri relocate the spirit of Mrs. Dalloway to modern Lagos. The film explores status, memory, and friendship through a lush, contemporary lens.
- Directors: Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
- Starring: Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, India Amarteifio
- How to watch: Limited release on Dec. 11
NAZA — A documentary probe into surveillance, warfare, and language
Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor assemble interviews with Israeli officers to reveal how terms and technology shape modern conflict. The film is stark and unsettling.
- Directors: Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
- Focus: Use of AI and surveillance in targeting operations
- How to watch: Limited theatrical release starts Sept. 30
Misty Green — Chris Rock’s dramatic turn about fame, race, and reinvention
Chris Rock writes and directs a drama about a once-celebrated Black actress navigating Hollywood’s indifference. The film confronts the industry’s biases head-on.
- Director: Chris Rock
- Starring: Rosalind Eleazar, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick
- How to watch: Select theaters on Oct. 9
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York — A love letter to the city with a ticking clock
Noah Segan’s feature debut stars John Turturro as an aging thief whose latest heist goes wrong. The film blends suspense with affection for New York’s streets.
- Director: Noah Segan
- Starring: John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Tatiana Maslany
- How to watch: Opens in NYC and L.A. Oct. 23; nationwide Oct. 30
Tender Loving Care — Mike Leigh’s intimate story of family, loss, and renewal
Mike Leigh focuses on a social worker confronting a breakup and her father’s fading memory. The film balances sorrow with warmth and small moments of joy.
- Director: Mike Leigh
- Starring: Kate O’Flynn, Amanda Lawrence, Marion Bailey
- How to watch: Theatrical release on Dec. 4
You Can See Everything — Nathan Fielder’s close-up on Elizabeth Holmes
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim take viewers inside a fraught living arrangement with Elizabeth Holmes. The documentary blurs boundaries between access and performance.
- Directors: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim
- Subjects: Nathan Fielder, Elizabeth Holmes
- How to watch: In theaters Oct. 16
Club Kid — Jordan Firstman’s bold, stylish NYC nightlife drama
Jordan Firstman writes, directs, and stars in a story about a club promoter whose life shifts when he becomes responsible for a young newcomer. Expect energy and edge.
- Director: Jordan Firstman
- Starring: Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva
- How to watch: Theatrical release on Nov. 6
Bucking Fastard — Werner Herzog’s return with surreal sisterhood and rivalry
Werner Herzog makes a rare NYFF appearance with a film about two sisters who move and speak as one. The odd premise yields unsettling and dreamlike scenes.
- Director: Werner Herzog
- Starring: Rooney Mara, Kate Mara, Orlando Bloom
- How to watch: Theatrical date TBA
Bitter Christmas — Pedro Almodóvar on art, memory, and personal cost
Pedro Almodóvar intertwines two linked stories about artists mining real lives for cinema. Rich color and emotional intensity mark this semi-autobiographical drama.
- Director: Pedro Almodóvar
- Starring: Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
- How to watch: Limited release Nov. 13; expands Nov. 25
The Debut — Jesse Eisenberg’s community-theatre comedy-drama with Julianne Moore
Jesse Eisenberg directs a lovingly observed film about a woman who rediscovers herself through local theater. Performances and backstage life take center stage.
- Director: Jesse Eisenberg
- Starring: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey
- How to watch: Opens in theaters Dec. 11
