The “new movie” release window is getting flexed pretty hard as streaming services go by their own schedule. Now including, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday-specific releases, there are 16 new movies dropping this week including a pair of awards season hopefuls and a couple of others starting their streaming runs. Let’s take a look.
November 14 (Monday)
Stutz (Netflix)
Director: Jonah Hill | Stars: Jonah Hill and Phil Stutz
How do you make a movie not just about being in therapy but about your therapist without crossing into some very gray areas? That’s the question Jonah Hill is attempting to answer as he tackles documentary filmmaking from the director’s chair. As an advocate for mental health, I appreciate his being forthcoming about his own experiences and how they helped him. It seems like it’s coming from a good place, so I will give it a chance.
November 16 (Wednesday)
In Her Hands (Netflix)
Directors: Tamana Ayazi, Macel Mettelsiefen | Stars: Zarifa Ghafari
This documentary follows 26-year-old Zarifa Ghafari as she becomes one of the first female Afghan mayors under increasing Taliban pressure. It is certainly an interesting documentary subject with high stakes.
Poker Face (Theaters)
Director: Russell Crowe | Writers: Stephen M. Coates, Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe directing a film that he wrote and stars in about a tech billionaire who drugs all of his friends at a high-stake poker game…say no more. I am so in. This could be a total disaster too, but I have to check it out.
November 17 (Thursday)
Bantú Mama (Netflix)
Director: Ivan Herrera | Writers: Clarisse Albrecht
Stars: Clarisse Albrecht, Euris Javiel, Johnny Morale
This film from the Dominican Republic follows a woman who escapes police custody after a fortuitous accident. She takes up residence with a group of youths that are willing to shelter her and, in exchange, she becomes something of a surrogate mother to them. This one looks intense and stylish crime thriller and that’s more than enough to get me on board.
A Christmas Story Christmas (HBO Max)
Director: Clay Kaytis | Writers: Jean Shepherd, Nick Schenk, Peter Billingsley
Stars: Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, River Drosche
Ralphie is back for a whole new Christmas Story and Peter Billingsley is back in the role. He also helped write the movie, so at least it’s close to the heart when it comes to making a sequel to a beloved holiday film. Honestly, it’s a good fit for an HBO Max film and I will probably put it on once we get past Thanksgiving.
November 18 (Friday)
Bones and All (Theaters)
Director: Luca Guadagnino | Writers: David Kajganich, Camille DeAngelis (novel)
Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance
The trailer for this one is pretty great paired with Leonard Cohen’s “You Want it Darker” but it seems to be a little vague on purpose. We see there’s blood and romance, but the lead is sort of buried. To my knowledge, it’s about a couple of fine young cannibals in love but the trailer isn’t graphic in that way. I’m really bummed this one isn’t playing anywhere close by because it almost strikes me as Luca Guadagnino’s lens Natural Born Killers to some degree, but different tonally and stylistically. I will find my way to it soon.
She Said (Theaters)
Director: Maria Schrader
Writers: Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey (NY Times)
Stars: Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan, Patricia Clarkson
Based on the New York Times’ investigation into the sexual assault case involving Harvey Weinstein, this film obviously carries a great deal of public attention. Stories about investigative journalism are often impactful and I think that’s going to be the case here. I like the cast quite a bit and this is going to be the first new movie I see this week.
Bad Axe (Theaters + VOD)
Director: David Siev | Stars: Skyler Janssen, Michael Meinhold, Chun Siev
This documentary feature focuses its scope on an Asian-American family, living in the small town of Bad Axe, whose lives are turned upside down when their restaurant is forced to close due to the pandemic and some begin to turn their hatred and frustration towards them. I can already tell this one is going to be sad and my heart goes out to this family who saw their American dream in shambles. I am hoping it will ultimately be a story of perseverance and hope.
*EO (Theaters) – Editor’s Pick*
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski | Writers: Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski
Stars: Sandra Dryzmalska, Isabelle Huppert, Lorenzo Zurzolo
This is a story about a donkey. It won the Jury Prize at Cannes and is Poland’s entry for Best International feature and if the trailer is any indication, I can totally see why. The cinematography looks absolutely astonishing and I like the idea of telling an emotional story through the eyes of an animal. If I had to bet, I will probably be crying in this one so I am going to go out on a limb and give this my Editor’s Pick.
The Inspection (Theaters)
Written & Directed by: Elegance Bratton
Stars: Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, and Bokeem Woodbine
This is the debut feature for Elegance Bratton so I can’t claim familiarity, but this is one that has grown on me more since I have seen the trailer a few times. Usually, the opposite is true, so that’s a good sign. Jeremy Pope has been praised for his part in the lead but I am also very interested to see Gabrielle Union and Bokeem Woodbine in these serious dramatic turns. This isn’t #1 on my list this week, but it’s on the list.
The Menu (Theaters)
Director: Mark Mylod | Writers: Seth Reiss, Will Tracy
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult
Speaking of moves that became less appealing the more I saw the trailer, this is a good example. The first trailer I saw made it look like a stylish horror-thriller, but the tone has shifted to make it seem more like a comedy. I enjoy dark comedies but that’s not what intrigued me about the film, to begin with. I love the cast and Mark Mylod has directed episodes for a number of TV shows I like, so I am still going to see this. It’s just not going to be the first on deck.
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (Theaters)
Director: Jeff Lamberg | Stars: Walt Disney (archival), Andy Warhol, Veda Cienfuegos
This documentary focuses on Walt Disney and how he was able to make Mickey Mouse a global icon. This is perfect for Disney fanatics, which I am not one of. It is interesting to see this positioned later in the year after another documentary came out about the darker side of Disney. I am always interested in large group behavior, so I would be curious to sit down and watch it through that scope. I will wait for it to hit Disney+ before I do that.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW…
The People We Hate at the Wedding (Amazon)
Director: Claire Scanlon
Writers: Grant Ginder (book), Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, Wendy Molyneux
Stars: Allison Janney, Ben Platt, Kristen Bell. Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Claire Scanlon is a long-time television veteran and she gets to put her second feature film here, based on the book by Grant Ginder. This is a strong cast and I literally just used Allison Janney for my daily guessing game, so I am inclined to take that as a sign. With everything that’s out in theaters, this isn’t something that I would prioritize over others, but I don’t have to because it’s on Amazon Prime Video.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Theaters)
Director: Stephen Donnelly
Writers: Leslie Bricusse, Charles Dickens (novel), Stephen Donnelly
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Oliva Colman, James Cosmo
Charles Dickens’ supernatural Christmas story is adapted time and time again, and I don’t really have an issue with it. The reason it gets told so many times is that it’s a great story that tackles some universal human stuff. Whether or not this will be better than other versions remains to be seen but the animation looks wonderful and you get Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman doing voices. What’s the worst that could happen? I am still not fully ready for the Christmas season, so I’ll hold off for a bit.
Slumberland (Netflix)
Director: Francis Lawrence | Writers: David Guion, Michael Handelman
Stars: Jason Mamoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O’Dowd
A young girl crosses over into the dream world where she teams up with a freaky Jason Mamoa in the hopes of reconnecting with her dead father. That probably sounds a lot darker than this one is. After all, it’s a PG movie that’s straight to Netflix.
Taurus (Theaters + VOD)
Written & Directed by: Tim Sutton
Starring: Colson Baker, Megan Fox, Scoot McNairy, and Ruby Rose
It is very interesting to see that Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly’s name isn’t even listed on the home page for this film on IMDB despite it being prominently featured on the poster. It looks like another story of a self-destructive rock star so it’s hard to say what to expect. I will let someone else make that call.
The Wonder (Netflix Nov. 16th)
Director: Sebastián Lelio
Writers: Emma Donaghue (book), Sebastián Lelio, Alice Birch
I already went over this one when it had its theatrical debut a week ago, but now it comes home to Netflix. If you don’t want to go to the movies and prefer to watch from your couch, this would be at the top of that list.
Spirited (Apple TV+)
Director: Sean Anders | Writers: Anders, John Morris
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer
Another spin on the A Christmas Carol tale, this one goes the comedy route. It too was on my release list last week but comes home to streaming on AppleTV+ so you can get in the holiday spirit where you are most comfortable.
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