The prospect of a filmmaker as reliably bold as Sofia Coppola making a movie about Priscilla Presley is a very tantalizing idea, especially so soon after Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which all but ignored the singer’s wife, played here by rising star Cailee Spaeny (alongside fellow ascendant luminary Jacob Elordi as Elvis). Although it’s currently sitting on an impressive 3.7 average, a clear consensus has yet to be formed among the range of reactions to Coppola’s film, which is the second adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, previously made into a 1988 TV movie starring Susan Walters and Dale Midkiff.

“Rendered with so much delicacy and empathy,” says Iana, while KYK advises that the film “is unabashedly critical of Elvis”. “Sofia’s most fragrant film since Marie Antoinette,” says The Cause of Armageddon. Or perhaps Grace’s view captures the emerging consensus: “Gave me so much anxiety I wanted to throw up. Another triumph by Sofia Coppola! ELVIS UR TOAST!!!” P.S. Cailee gave us her four faves, which include Broadcast News and 2001: A Space Odyssey (“Got to get Kubrick on there”). Now in US theaters and coming to the UK and other regions in early 2024.

Speaking of Broadcast News… filmmaker/​actor/​comedian/​author Albert Brooks is one of the most revered cinematic comedic talents of the past 50 years. Beginning with his insanely prescient satire of reality TV, 1979’s Real Life, he’s written, directed and starred in a string of amazing films, but is probably still better known for acting performances in movies like Taxi Driver, Broadcast News and Finding Nemo. His high-school pal Rob Reiner turns the documentary spotlight on Brooks for Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (which evokes the title of one of his best movies). Austin enjoyed “watching Albert Brooks do his thing on all the old late-night shows” (and shares a cautionary tale for next time you think you might try to pitch Jon Favreau on a project—don’t be that guy!). Now streaming on Max.

Nicolas Cage’s welcome second (or is it third?) act continues to hit new heights with Dream Scenario, a high-concept black comedy in which Cage plays a frustrated writer and professor who becomes an overnight celebrity after showing up in the dreams of a whole bunch of people. Maybe everybody. “Like a strange amalgamation of Charlie Kaufman and Ari Aster,” promises Jack. Zach calls it “another late-career highlight for Nicolas Cage”. “This is everything I wanted The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent to be,” admits Brett. Connor says the film “could’ve gone either way but thankfully this is a wild and highly original ride.” Now in US theaters.

Following a short run in theaters, where Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s stellar score could really be appreciated (alongside all those Smiths bangers), David Fincher’s new feature The Killer is now available on Netflix for mass consumption. Not to be confused with John Woo’s 1989 classic, nor his own upcoming remake, this is a passion project for Fincher that follows a hilariously steely international assassin (Michael Fassbender) whose worldview is challenged when he has to clean up a botched hit.

Among Letterboxd reactions, members such as Joe and George are noting the parallels between the main character’s perfectionism and the filmmaker’s reputation for meticulousness. “It might be Fincher’s most biographical film,” Brian reckons. “A cold, stylish revenge story that is as ruthless as it is ridiculous,” says Seth, nailing it. “Chilly, cynical, and clinical, but witty and ironic,” adds Katie, also nailing it, and perhaps perfectly encapsulating Fincher’s overall cinematic aesthetic at the same time. In theaters, and now streaming on Netflix.

The great Todd Haynes (Carol) reteams with his Safe and Far from Heaven star Julianne Moore for May December, in which Moore plays a woman whose one-time tabloid-fodder relationship with a much younger man (Charles Melton from Riverdale) is challenged when an actress (Natalie Portman from Mars Attacks!) spends time with her to prepare for a true-life movie about the couple.

Those who have already caught May December on the festival circuit are delighting in its complex appeal: “So chuffed that Todd Haynes finally made his sleazeball movie, this is a gorgeous and slippery film, maybe the most difficult ethical provocation since Verhoeven’s Elle,” says Josiah. “So juicy and tantalizing, I really can’t believe what I saw,” admits Drew. “A mind-boggling balancing of tones,” celebrates Claire. In theaters November 17, then on Netflix from December 1.

Although it was filmed prior to Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi’s new caper, Next Goal Wins, represents something of an opportunity for the filmmaker to reassert his comedic powers following the middling reception to his second Marvel movie. Around Letterboxd HQ, we’re excited about Waititi platforming some of New Zealand’s most well-loved actors of Samoan descent, like Oscar Kightley (Sione’s Wedding), Dave Fane (Our Flag Means Death) and Frankie Adams (The Expanse).

Adapted from the 2014 documentary of the same name, Waititi’s version (and it is very much a version of events) charts the efforts of a hapless American Samoan soccer team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. James says that although it “indulges in sports-film clichés, [Next Goal Wins] is able to stand above standard sports films with Taika Waititi’s comedic touch”. Will calls it “a slight, but pleasant, funny, and very enjoyable conventional underdog sports story”. “I would argue it’s fine!” writes Katey. In theaters November 17.

Following a directorial diversion into family movies and conservation docs, Eli Roth recommits to his horror roots with Thanksgiving, an expansion of the short trailer he made for the original (America-only, ultimately) 2007 release of Grindhouse. If you count Hobo with a Shotgun, it’s the third Grindhouse trailer to become a proper movie, following Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, which was successful enough to generate a sequel. So it only remains for Edgar Wright’s Don’t and Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women of the SS to get the expansion treatment. The original mock Thanksgiving trailer was pretty nasty stuff, and the actual trailer for the new film suggests that Roth is doing everything he can to live up (down?) to that. Bless his disturbed heart. In theaters November 17, a week before Thanksgiving.

To follow-up her Oscar-winning feature debut Promising Young Woman, actor/​writer/​director Emerald Fennell has made a lush social thriller inspired by one of her—and many, many Letterboxd members’, including your humble Call Sheet editor—favorite movies, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Existing in the same realm of Specious Clique Adoption classics as Brideshead Revisited and Donna Tartt’s 1992 novel The Secret History, the mid-2000s-set Saltburn sees Barry Keoghan’s Oxford outsider spend the summer at the titular estate with the rich family of a charismatic classmate played by Jacob Elordi. “Tastefully trashy, glitzy glamorous ’00s and indi-sleaze vibes done right,” writes CityGirl. In his four-star review, Joe says the “unapologetically horny” movie takes far fewer risks than Fennell’s previous film. Benji counters that it is “way darker than I thought it was gonna be.” In theaters November 17.