What to watch this fall if you've only got time for 6 movies

Welcome to our 2019 Fall Movie Preview. All week long we’re covering the films you need to know about as we head into the final months of the year, from indie gems to awards hopefuls to blockbuster smashes.

We get it: There are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a week, and so much cash you can save up in all that time. If you’re going to get anything else done, you need to prioritize. And maybe that means you don’t get to see every movie you’d like to, but you still want to make sure you come out of the season having witnessed some great stuff.

So we’re finishing our fall movie preview with the titles that, for our money, seem most worth going the extra mile for. Here’s what to watch if you only have time for six movies…

… and you enjoy the unexpected: Parasite (Oct. 11)

Despite what its title may lead you to assume, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is not a sci-fi or supernatural story — it finds plenty of twists and shocks in the real world to work with. The film transitions so seamlessly between comedy, horror, and tragedy that it’s tough to explain what exactly it is without giving away too many of its secrets, but what we can tell you is that it’s about what happens when a very poor family ingratiates themselves into the lives of a very rich one — and that the results have had critics tossing around phrases like “best film of 2019.”

… and you’d never miss a Scorsese: The Irishman (Nov. 1)

We are always going to make room for a Martin Scorsese-directed mob drama, even if it requires quite a lot of room indeed — three and a half hours, according to the latest reports. Robert De Niro stars as Frank Sheeran, a war vet turned hitman; Al Pacino plays union boss Jimmy Hoffa, who disappeared in 1975; Joe Pesci comes out of retirement to portray mob boss Russell Bufalino.

… and you relish a good cry: Marriage Story (Nov. 6)

Would you like to be utterly crushed by the slow dissolution of a once-blissful marriage? Then has Noah Baumbach got the thing for you. Marriage Story stars Adam Driver (him again — he’s also in The Rise of Skywalker and The Report this fall) and Scarlett Johansson as a pair of artists battling for custody over their young son, as they prepare to move to opposite coasts. The video above is part of a matching set with another teaser that offers his perspective on her, just to give you an idea of the kind of heartbreak to expect from this movie.

… and you’re with the kids: Frozen II (Nov. 22)

It’s the moment every kid in your life has been waiting for since they got “Let It Go” stuck in your head the first time: Anna and Elsa are back for Frozen II. The Disney sequel sends the sisters on an epic journey to discover the truth about their past, in an effort to save their kingdom’s future — while also making time for an adorable marriage proposal, some intriguing new characters, and, of course, a new earworm or two.

… and you crave that opening-night rush: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Dec. 20)

At a time of fragmented tastes and limitless entertainment options, Star Wars is the rare property that still brings huge swaths of the moviegoing public together in anticipation and celebration. The secrecy surrounding The Rise of Skywalker means that we don’t really know what to expect from it, but the mere promise of a return to the galaxy far, far away — not to mention a reunion with beloved characters like Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren — is reason enough for us to line up on opening weekend.

… and you’re a total Jo: Little Women (Dec. 25)

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been a formative text for generations upon generations of girls (and some boys as well), and it’s hard to think of anyone we’d rather see bring it to life than Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig. It doesn’t hurt that she’s collected quite the star-studded cast (including two of her Lady Bird leads, Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet), or that this version of the story reportedly extends into their young adult lives — thus allowing this childhood classic to grow up a bit with its audience.

Here’s what else to watch if…

Monday: … you want to be creeped out
Tuesday: … you just wanna have fun
Wednesday: … you’re with the family
Thursday: … you’re all about awards season
Friday: … you’ve only got time for 6 movies