Another summer of blockbusters is past us, and we are now starting to get into a new round of award-season contenders for the coveted Oscar nomination. There are always going to be a few blockbuster films during this time of year, but a good crop of the best picture nominees come out during the fall and early part of the winter season. Here are some films to look out for this coming semester.

White Boy Rick – 9/14/18 Rated R

White Boy Rick is the true story of Ricky Wershe Jr., (played by Richie Merrit) and his rise as Detroit’s biggest street hustler, drug kingpin and an FBI informant. He and his father, played by Matthew McConaughey, rise through the ranks to become a legend around the city of Detroit during the height of the crack epidemic.

Venom – 10/5/18 Not Yet Rated 

This movie may or may not be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Disney and Sony find out if it’s a box office success or not. Fans of the comics and the Spider-verse should be flocking to theaters this October to see the symbiote’s stand-alone movie. No matter which iteration of Venom you like, villain or hero, Venom should redeem his “Spiderman Three” appearance.

Mid90s – 10/19/18 Not Yet Rated 

“Mid90s” is the directorial debut of Jonah Hill. The film follows Stevie, played by Sunny Suljic, a 13-year-old boy and his summer during the mid ’90s. My concern for this film comes from Hill’s comedy background. A24 seems to lean highly on their dramas, but they have time and time again proven to hire the right directors and create Oscar-worthy movies.

The Oath – 10/21/18 Not Yet Rated 

Imagine a United States where you have to sign a Patriots Oath, basically pledging your undying loyalty to the country and its deadline is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Politics is the only possible discussion that is going to happen during Thanksgiving. The Oath is director Ike Barinholtz first feature film. This comedy looks to be a big hit and a perfect exaggeration of everyone’s worse Thanksgiving nightmares.

Bohemian Rhapsody – 11/2/18 Rated PG-1

Rami Malek leads his band of actors to portray Queen, one of the most iconic rock bands in history. The movie shows the years leading up to the band’s famous live show at the 1985 Live Aid Show. Malek told Jimmy Kimmel on his show that “the greatest honor from playing someone like Freddie Mercury is getting the acceptance of the legendary bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor.” If those two are happy with this, fans of the band should be too.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald – 11/16/18 Rated PG-13 

The next chapter in the Fantastic Beasts series of the Harry Potter cinematic universe should be just as good as the last one, if not better. No matter which house you belong to, everyone should be flying to the theater on their broomsticks to see this film. If you aren’t excited to see Jude Law as a young professor Albus Dumbledore, then you aren’t excited for this movie.

Halloween – 10/19/18 Rated R 

What I can only assume is the last movie in the historic horror franchise, “Halloween” follows Laurie Strode’s, played by Judy Greer, last stand against the famed serial killer. Horror and movie fans should ideally be going to see this movie on Halloween. If you aren’t a fan of horror, then you can always go and see “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” which comes out the weekend before.

A Star is Born – 10/5/18 Rated R

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper star in this remake of the 1954 film by the same name. Instead of a struggling actress meeting and falling in love with an established actor, it is a struggling singer who falls in love with an established country star. This is Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, and it looks very promising for him. Lady Gaga should see an Oscar nomination and even win for her original song in the film alongside a year of big, original hits.

Night School – 9/28/18 Rated PG-13

My fear with comedies is that they give away their best jokes in the trailer. I’m not the biggest fan of Kevin Hart movies, but love his stand up and hope that there are more jokes beyond the capital of Belgium being waffles. This isn’t a film that I necessarily recommend needing to see in the theaters, but would watch it once it gets to your favorite streaming service.  

Assassination Nation – 9/21/18 Rated 

All the gore of The Purge with none of the politics. It looks like an interesting concept in what would happen if a whole town was hacked and their most private information was public to anyone. Though, does it need to be so gory to deserve a red band trailer? It should make you leave the theater questioning why getting hacked automatically leads to the purge and makes you hate the internet a little bit more. Hopefully, people who go to see this think twice about what they post and search online from now on.

First Man – 10/12/18 Rated PG-13 

An intimate look at the life of Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, in the years leading up to the famous Apollo 11 mission. If you are a fan of Hidden Figures or docudramas, then this should be the film for you.

The Front Runner – 11/21/18 Rated 

Hugh Jackman plays senator Gary Hart during the 1988 presidential campaign. It should be an interesting film coming out after the midterm elections are finally over. The story of the 1988 election is Hart’s alleged affair that tanks his promising presidential run. Jackman should give one of the best performances of the year, earning him an Oscar nomination.