By Tom Moore and Valerie Kalfrin
The Halloween season might be ending, but November brings plenty of great films to be on the lookout for. There are plenty more female-directed horror films looking to make a post-Halloween splash for the genre as well as some highly anticipated awards contenders that are sure to make some big debuts. Plus, some film festival favorites are finally hitting theaters and streaming meaning that awards season is truly underway.
“Dear Zoe”: Gren Wells (“The Oversharer”) directs this adaptation of Philip Beard’s novel about a teen (Sadie Sink, “The Whale”) who dotes on her younger sister, Zoe, until the unthinkable happens, fracturing her relationship with her mom (Jessica Capshaw, “Grey’s Anatomy”) and stepdad (Justin Bartha, “Sorry for Your Loss”). Support comes from her biological father (Theo Rossi, “Emily the Criminal”) and a charming delinquent next door. In theaters and on demand on Nov. 4.
Trailer HERE
“My Policeman”: This drama from director Michael Grandage (“Genius”) features pop sensation Harry Styles (“Don’t Worry Darling“)as a 1950s lawman who falls for a closeted museum curator (David Dawson, “All the Old Knives”) while courting a schoolteacher (Emma Corrin, “The Crown”).Currently in limited release, it hits Prime Video on Nov. 4.
Trailer HERE
“Soft & Quiet”: The feature directorial debut of Beth de Araujo takes viewers into a real-time thrill ride that follows an elementary school teacher whose plans of hosting a mixer with like-minded women gets turned upside-down with the arrival of a woman from her past, leading to some chaotic and volatile conflicts. “Soft & Quiet” hits theaters on November 4th.
Trailer HERE
“Falling for Christmas”: A former Vanity Fair “It Girl,” Lindsay Lohan was a charming child and teen star of the 1990s and early 2000s (“The Parent Trap,” “Freaky Friday”) before unfortunately becoming a tabloid fixture. Now in her thirties, she’s healthy, happily married, and returning to films with this romantic comedy about an heiress with amnesia who winds up in the care of a handsome lodge owner (Chord Overstreet, “The Swing of Things”). Longtime producer Janeen Damian (“Much Ado About Christmas”) directs. Catch it on Nov. 10 when it hits Netflix.
Trailer HERE
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”: In this heavily anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Oscar-winning “Black Panther,” the nation of Wakanda mourns its king while facing a threat from undersea ruler Namor (Tenoch Huerta, “The Forever Purge”). Expect an emotional tribute to original “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020, and plenty of action from writer-director Ryan Coogler, co-writer Joe Robert Cole, and Wakanda’s formidable women, Letitia Wright (“The Silent Twins”), Lupita Nyong’o (“The 355”), Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead”), and Angela Bassett (“9-1-1”). Martin Freeman (“Angelyne”), Winston Duke (“Spenser Confidential”), Dominique Thorne (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), and Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) costar. It arrives in theaters on Nov. 11.
Trailer HERE
“Is That Black Enough For You?!?”: Director and producer Elvis Mitchell (“Black Lightning”). celebrates the history of Black cinema in this documentary, focusing largely on the 1970s. It features archival and new interviews with many key players from that era and other stars reflecting on their accomplishments, including Margaret Avery, Harry Belafonte, Charles Burnett, Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, Glynn Turman, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Dee Williams, and Zendaya. See it on Netflix on Nov. 11.
Trailer HERE
“The Inspection”: Elegance Bratton (“Pier Kids”) wrote and directed this drama about a young, gay Black man (Jeremy Pope, “One Night in Miami”) rejected by his mother who decides to join the Marines, facing few other options for his future. Costars Gabrielle Union (“L.A.’s Finest”) and Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”). In theaters on Nov. 18.
Trailer HERE
“Bad Axe”: Director David Siev (“Year Zero”) delivers a real-time glimpse into the life of an Asian-American family living in Trump-era rural America during the 2020 pandemic as they deal with obstacles in the form of Neo-Nazis, the pandemic, and generation scars while trying to keep their restaurant and American Dream alive. In theaters Nov. 18. ITOL’s Editor-in-Chief Joan Amenn saw “Bad Axe” at this past SXSW. Check out her original review here.
Trailer HERE
“She Said”: One of the biggest Oscar contenders of the fall hits theaters this November as director Maria Schrader’s (“I’m Your Man”) new film touches on the efforts of two female New York Times journalists uncovering the truth behind Harvey Weinstein’s horrific history of sexual assault. The film stars Carrie Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”) and Zoe Kazan (“The Big Sick”) as journalists Megan Twohey and Jodie Kantor, respectively, and is an emotional epic about truth-searching. In theaters Nov. 18. Our very own Calum Cooper caught this at LFF2022. See his original review here.
Trailer HERE
“Leonor Will Never Die”: Director Martika Ramirez Escobar’s feature directorial debut is a psychological dramedy that follows Leonor (Sheila Francisco, “The Bicycle”), a retired screenwriter who finds herself leading her unfinished action screenplay after falling into a coma. The film is set to be an homage to Filipino action flicks of the 70s and 80s and hits theaters on November 25th. Our very own Valerie Kalfrin caught this at Sundance 2022. See her review here.
Trailer HERE
“Devotion”: Director JD Dillard (“Sweetheart,” “Sleight”) is set to deliver his biggest film that takes viewers deep into the Korean War as two fighter pilots, Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors, “Lovecraft Country”) and Tom Hudner (Glen Powell, “Top Gun: Maverick”), as their growing comradery makes them pivotal fighters in the air. In theaters Nov. 23.
Trailer HERE
“Nanny”: Nikyatu Jusu’s directorial debut will take viewers into a horror thrill ride following Senegalese immigrant Aisha (Anna Diop, “Titans”) as she becomes the nanny for a wealthy Manhattan family but becomes plagued by dreamlike horrors that begin to bend her reality. The film has a limited release on November 23 before heading to Prime Video next month. Our very own Calum Cooper caught “Nanny” at this past LFF2022. Check out his review here.
Trailer HERE
Notable mentions:
– “Causeway,” directed by Lila Neugebauer, comes to Apple TV+ on November 4
– “Enola Holmes 2,” starring Millie Bobby Brown, comes to Netflix on November 4
– “The Wonder,” starring Florence Pugh, comes to Netflix on November 16
– “Wednesday,” starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams releases on Netflix on November 23
In Their Own League 