Venice Film Festival: From 'Joker 2' to 'Queer,' Here are 10 Movies to Get Excited About

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are getting ready to descend on the Venice Film Festival this week, from George Clooney and Angelina Jolie to Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt.

But while the allure of A-listers on those picturesque docks is a welcome return to form after last year's lower-wattage edition amid the strikes, the spotlight that matters most will be on their films. Along with Cannes, Venice – which runs from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7 – is one of the most glamorous launching pads for awards season. The films that do well on the Lido will be dominating the conversation until the Oscars in March.

In this year's lineup, there's both big Hollywood fare ("Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2" to "Wolfs") and a vast array of intriguing films from auteurs around the world. At festivals, the best thing is to keep an open mind and see as much as possible – you never know what might hit. In the meantime, though, here are 10 films to get excited about at Venice.

"Joker: Folie à Deux" (Sept. 4)

No matter which side of the "Joker" discourse you were on five years ago, the fact that all involved would bring the sequel back to Venice to play in competition is promising. "Joker: Folie à Deux" doesn't need the festival buzz, after all. The first film made over $1 billion and was nominated for 11 Oscars. Venice chief Alberto Barbera told Deadline that it's completely different from the first, a dystopian musical that is "one of the most daring, brave and creative films in recent American cinema" and "confirms Todd Phillips as one of the most creative directors working at the moment." It'll be in theaters Oct. 4.

"Queer" (Sept. 3)

Luca Guadagnino returns to Venice with "Queer," an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel, starring Daniel Craig in a performance that Barbera has called "career defining." It follows an American expat to Mexico City on a quest for a drug. There, he encounters all sorts of characters and develops an obsession with a young man. The novel was written in the early 1950s, a sort of companion piece to "Junkie," but not published until 1985. Others have attempted to adapt it before, including Steve Buscemi and Oren Moverman. "Queer" is also seeking distribution.

"April" (Sept. 5)

Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili's sophomore film is about Nina, an OB-GYN working in rural Georgia who also performs abortions, despite the laws of the country. When a newborn dies in her care, an investigation fuels rumors about her morality and professionalism. Three years after the abortion drama "Happening" snagged the top prize at Venice, the buzz is that this will be one of the breakouts. Kulumbegashvili's debut, "Beginning," about the bombing of a Jehovah's Witnesses church, made waves on the festival circuit in 2020. "April," which is seeking a U.S. distributor, is also set to play at TIFF and the New York Film Festival.

"The Room Next Door" (Sept. 2)

Pedro Almodóvar's English-language debut, with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton starring? We barely even need a description to get excited about that, which is probably good because details are vague. He's said that it's about an imperfect mother and a resentful daughter who are estranged because of a "profound misunderstanding." In addition to tackling subjects like war, death, friendship and sexual pleasure, Almodóvar said, "it also talks about the pleasure of waking up to birds bringing a new day at a house built on a natural reserve in New England." It'll also make a stop at the New York Film Festival before a December release.

"The Brutalist" (Sept. 1)

This 3 1/2-hour drama from filmmaker Brady Corbet follows architect László Toth (Adrien Brody) and his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) on a decadeslong journey as they flee Europe following World War II and attempt to set up a life in America. There, Toth meets industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), who commissions him to design a modernist monument, changing their lives for better and worse. Corbet ("Vox Lux") is not always going to be a filmmaker for everyone, but he's never not interesting. Focus Features and Universal are distributing, but the movie does not yet have a release date.