7. 12 Years A Slave (Oct 18)
Easily one of the year's most anticipated movies, director Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) returns with his third feature, depicting the life of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man who ends up being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Given McQueen's success to date in the art-house circles, it's little surprise that his latest has attracted an incredible supporting cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Paulson, Michael K. Williams, Scoot McNairy, and of course, McQueen's seemingly permanent collaborator, Michael Fassbender.
The Buzz: It premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival next Friday, and the expectation so far is that Ejiofor could very well scoop Best Actor honours for his performance. Given the bewildering array of supporting talent on hand, it would surprise nobody if they showed up in the nominations announcement next year also.