The Fall 2017 Theater Bucket List

There’s nothing like watching a movie in a theater. No television set can match the big screen, the powerful sound system, the intensity, energy and the uninterrupted focus you can experience in a dark room full of movie fans.

As the year starts winding down, you’ll have many options for a good movie getaway. But make sure to put the following mix of romance, biographical stories, comedy and horror films on your bucket list before the end of the year:

Chavela (MusicBox Distribution): If you love inspiring biographies, you must watch this film that celebrates the life of legendary ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, whose existence and rise to fame was paved with passion, sensational rumors, and headlines about her encounters with celebrities and artists such as Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The film, which features never-before-seen interview footage of Chavela shot 20 years before her death in 2012, shows how her free spirit and determination to challenge cultural norms in 1950s Mexico made her an icon ahead of her time. In select theaters as of October 4.

Happy Death Day (Universal Pictures): If horror movies are your thing, you can’t miss this one. It even premieres on Friday the 13th! A college student is caught up in a nightmare she can’t seem to escape from as she relives the day of her murder over and over again while she tries to discover her killer’s identity. Get ready to scream on October 13.

The Shape of Water (FOX Searchlight): Director Guillermo del Toro directs this romantic fantastical tale of Elisa, a lonely mute woman who works as a cleaning lady in a remote high-security government lab, whose life changes when she discovers and bonds with a mysterious creature that is part of a classified experiment. In theaters December 8.

Pitch Perfect 3 (Universal Pictures): The Bellas are back! After winning the world championships, the Bellas have split up, but they reunite for an overseas USO tour to make music and some questionable decisions, one last time. Don’t miss the next chapter of Pitch Perfect with Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson on December 22.

Downsizing (Paramount Pictures): Size does matter! Well… if you want to have a better life. That’s the premise of this sci-fi comedy/social satire starring Matt Damon, who is sold on the idea that getting shrunk to 5 inches can save him money, allow him to live a better life and even participate in a solution to over-population in the world by conserving resources. But things may not go as planned, especially when his wife, played by Kristen Wiig, backs out of the deal. Catch the film before it shrinks away on December 22.