November reminds people to be thankful for everything around us, even if that includes all the poorly-made, pre-Christmas season films that are released throughout the month.
The month of November manages to sit right between bad horror movie season and bad Christmas movie season. Despite these high stakes, many production companies will be releasing movies that are still highly anticipated.
The Spectrumcompiled a list of all the movies to check out.
“Widows” - Nov. 16
Viola Davis stars as the lead in this film. That should be the only necessary selling point. Everything Viola Davis touches turns to gold.
“Widows” is the story of four women, brought together by the death of their husbands, who have to try and reclaim their lives after their husbands’ criminal debts are revealed. The film is originally based off of a BBC mini series that premiered back in 1983. The strong female-driven cast coincides with the influx of women-empowering films that has appeared through the last decade.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” - Nov. 16
Many can agree The Fantastic Beasts series is not Harry Potter.
This sequel doesn’t change that despite J.K. Rowling’s push and a feeble attempt at tying the two together with an appearance made by Voldemort’s horcrux snake Nagini. The series will be releasing its second installment in November. This sequel will feature the growing bond between Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law and Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne.
“Creed II” - Nov. 21
November is truly the month for sequels.
“Creed” was a smash at the box office, so it only makes sense that Hollywood would pursue a sequel to the “Rocky” franchise. Michael B. Jordan reprises his role as Adonis Creed, the new heavyweight boxing champion who is trained by Rocky Balboa. The film follows along Creed’s fight against Viktor Drago –– who surprisingly is not a character from “Game of Thrones.”
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” - Nov. 21
Another sequel will grace the screen this month following the success of Disney’s “Wreck It Ralph.” This sequel jumps ahead six years after the original film. The plot looks into the expansion of the Internet and the addition of a wi-fi router to the arcade.
Although Disney is almost always a safe bet, the plot draws similarities to films like “The Emoji Movie.” The use of the Internet as a backdrop for an animated film has a lot of potential, so hopefully Disney will do a better job.
“If Beale Street Could Talk” - Nov. 30
Based on the James Baldwin novel, “If Beale Street Could Talk” is another strongly-cast film that showcases a strong female lead. The potential Oscar-bait follows the story of a pregnant African American woman who has to prove her husband innocent of a crime. The story looks into the implications of racism and the law. The film comes at a very politicized time following the midterm elections.
“The Possession of Hannah Grace” - Nov. 30
“The Possession of Hannah Grace” is the epitome of the weird-release-season within November.
The film releases right at the cusp of November and December, directly before the start of the Christmas season. It isn’t even a campy horror-Christmas film like “Krampus” or “Anna and the Apocalypse.” It’s just a horror film. The story follows a newly rehabilitated ex-cop who has to find work at the city Morgue. Spooky things ensue.
Samantha Vargas is the asst. arts editor and can be reached at samantha.vargas@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @SamVargasArts
Samantha Vargas is an English/ film studies double major with a minor in media study. She spends her free time finding shows around buffalo and hanging out with her cat.
