Fall sneaks: Must-see movies

It’s the pause between the three-hour rock concert and the acoustic encore. Summer’s mindless pyrotechnics are finally finished, and the year-end’s somber cinema is still weeks away. The fall movies bridge the gap between those disparate seasons, meaning there’s as much time for frivolity as for gravity.

Between now and Oct. 29, some 70 movies are set to premiere — a slate that includes David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” the sequel to “Paranormal Activity” and Ryan Reynolds’ thriller “Buried.”

Among so many options, a handful of titles rise above the ranks. We’ve seen the following six movies and believe you should too. They may not appear to have much in common, yet they are all accomplished, distinctive works. The perfect recess, in other words, between summer and winter.