The Marvels, The Killer, Tiger 3 and More: The 9 Biggest Movies in November

What are the biggest movies releasing in November 2023? The Marvels is poised to continue the erratic Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in style, transporting us to a destabilising universe where Carol Danvers’ (Brie Larson) powers get entangled with other intergalactic heroes. It is the shortest film in the franchise — running at 105 minutes — and is slated to hit theatres worldwide on November 10. Chase that down with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which serves as an origin story for Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), the future tyrannical president of Panem, as he navigates responsibilities and young love. It’s out November 17 in cinemas.

Salman Khan leads the charge on the local end with a new addition to YRF’s spy-thriller series, Tiger 3, on a mission to save the country from a mysterious threat who’s keeping tabs on his family. This marks the year’s second theatrical release from the Bollywood star, following Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which was met with disappointment from both fans and critics alike. Khan is also producing a movie dropping this month called Farrey, in which an orphan genius is lured by her wealthy friends at a prestigious school into helping them cheat in exams. Soumendra Padhi — best known for Netflix’s Jamtara — directs the film, which releases November 24.

Other notable releases this month include David Fincher’s highly anticipated return to the crime/ serial killer genre in a twisted odyssey starring Michael Fassbender, who muses about life and philosophy as he begins to crack psychologically. The Killer will be up for streaming November 10 on Netflix. For your convenience, we have curated the biggest November 2023 releases coming to theatres and Netflix, which you can check out below. Also, feel free to browse our Entertainment hub to keep track of any other releases that might interest you.

Lakeerein

When: November 3
Where: Theatres

A year into their marriage, Kavya (Tia Bajpai) visits the local police station to file a report for marital rape against her husband Vivek (Gaurav Chopra), a well-respected college professor. As you’d expect, things don’t go her way, with cops and family members not believing her story, all the while her husband tries to threateningly reason with her and suppress the story. Much like real life, it’s a fate other women in Lakeerein also suffer from, some of whom are way too scared to report such crimes. As such, the film plays out from Kavya’s perspective, who takes matters to the court, representing their struggles as she tries to avoid stupid questions like “If your consent isn’t automatically reserved for your husband, whom are you saving it for?”

Representing her in court is Geeta Biswas (Bidita Bag), a patient lawyer who abides by the rules and believes Kavya’s handling of the situation was a bit reckless. Conversely, Vivek is aided by Dudhari Singh (Ashutosh Rana), who even privately meets her as a form of intimidation, trying to divert Kavya from her goal. Directed by Durgesh Pathak, it is worth mentioning that Lakeerein might be a tough watch for some — not just because of the triggering subject, but because the dialogue is entirely written in pure Hindi language (based on the trailer).

The Killer

When: November 10
Where: Netflix

Mindhunter season 3 is not happening, but it’s always fun seeing David Fincher delve back into the realm of thrillers. His latest tracks an unnamed assassin for hire (Michael Fassbender) holed up at an abandoned Parisian WeWork, with a tactile sniper rifle pointing at his target’s location. Killing someone involves a lot of waiting and observing, as you get accustomed to a boring routine, which in this case is heavily OCD-driven — reducing heart rate to 100BPM before pressing the trigger, listening to The Smiths, or sleeping upright to stay alert. Through it all, we’re treated to a lengthy voiceover about his well-paying profession, politics, and the morality of human beings. That is until he overthinks, and his psyche begins to crack, leading to a fatal miss that catapults him on a globe-trotting quest to clean up the mess.

The Killer establishes that being good at a hitman’s job entails that one must ‘forbid empathy’, albeit it’s something he’s unable to fully exert due to his love life. If the film does follow Alexis Nolent’s acclaimed graphic novel to the full extent, we’ll get to see him making mistakes and questioning his choices at such a later stage in his career — ideals that make us normies feel utterly insignificant in the face of the bigger forces at play. Switching between new IDs, vehicles, and cliché tourist shirts, the Killer makes swift work of the baddies and gradually climbs the hierarchical chain as part of a revenge plot thread which I won’t disclose for spoiler reasons.

Marking screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker’s second credited collaboration with Fincher — first being 1995’s Se7en — the film also stars Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) as his handler, Tilda Swinton (Suspiria) as a rival assassin, and Sophie Charlotte as the Killer’s love interest.

The Marvels

When: November 10
Where: Theatres

Having reclaimed her identity from the ruthless alien race of Kree, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is dealing with being on her own — stuck in the solitary blackness of space, awaiting the routine wholesome phone calls from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Watching over a now-destabilised universe, she is inadvertently pulled into a wormhole, presumably created by a Kree imperialist Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who intends to restore her homeland to former glory. Oddly though, the act somehow entangles Captain Marvel’s powers with those of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and her S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), forcing them to work together to save the universe.

Basically, every time a Marvel uses their powers, they switch places with the other ones no matter where they’re located or if they are in the middle of a fight. Understandably, they must now learn to sync up their abilities to perform the best combos and lay waste to oncoming threats, ping-ponging between planets and getting startled by the Flerken Goose’s tentacles. It appears as though all of these problems are caused by a sacred bangle, like the one Kamala wears, granting Dar-Benn the will to harness magical powers designed to destroy Carol. Nia DaCosta, who previously helmed an episode of Ms. Marvel, serves as the director of The Marvels, charting a new chapter in MCU’s Phase 5.

All Upcoming Marvel Movies and Web Series

Tiger 3

When: November 12
Where: Theatres

Following a cameo in the blockbuster film Pathaan, Salman Khan returns as the infamous RAW agent Avinash ‘Tiger’ Rathore, now being targetted by the Indian government over a major conspiracy. An enigmatic villain from his past, played by Emraan Hashmi (Selfiee), has come for revenge, claiming that Tiger stole his family from him. As such, he plans on doing the same by targeting his wife, the former ISI agent Zoya (Katrina Kaif) and their son, while painting them as enemies of the nation. Forced to pick between his nation and his family, Tiger engages in some Mission: Impossible-esque stealth missions and some gung-ho-style gunfights, hoping to unmask the criminal. Directed by Maneesh Sharma (Fan), Tiger 3 is also expected to feature a cameo of Shah Rukh Khan’s character from Pathaan, essentially forming a bridge.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

When: November 17
Where: Theatres

Long before Coriolanus Snow ever became the ruthless dictator of Panem, he was simply the last hope for his dying lineage, hoping to prove his worth at the 10th annual Hunger Games, which serves as a deathmatch for members of the impoverished districts. As a last-minute change, the students are tasked with mentoring the competitors, which the young Snow (Tom Blyth) sees as a chance of redemption since his namesake was tarnished after the war. Enter Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler), his girl tribute who defiantly sings during the reaping ceremony, instantly charming him as Snow forms ideas in his mind to manipulate her voice to turn the contest’s odds in his favour.

But things get complicated when he develops feelings for Lucy, to the point where he questions the Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) about the goal of the Hunger Games and the horrific mutations stored within her underground laboratory — which includes a giant tank of rainbow-coloured snakes. She believes that the terror of becoming prey easily turns someone into a predator, presenting the contest as a spectacle for amusement for the higher class. Francis Lawrence, who directed the original Jennifer Lawrence-led trilogy, returns to direct this standalone arc, poised to feature an interesting twist to reveal who between Snow and Lucy ultimately ends up being the snake and the songbird.

The ensemble cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also includes Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the game creator Dean Casca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Express) as the first-ever host, and Euphoria-fame Hunter Schafer as Coriolanus’ older cousin Tigris Snow.

Watch the Trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Rachel Zegler in a still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Next Goal Wins

When: November 17
Where: Theatres

Another Fassbender entry this month, Next Goal Wins sees him as a Dutch-American football coach Thomas Rongen, who’s faced with the choice of either accepting his firing or undertaking a near-impossible job. The latter entails that he convert the American Samoa national football team into an elite squad — considered one of the weakest teams in the world, after their crushing 31-0 defeat to Australia during the 2001 FIFA World Cup. He must achieve this while grappling with his alcohol addiction and language barrier, in addition to dealing with players who are afraid of going for the ball.

He’s basically got the toughest job on the island, but the countless hours of practice help him cope and form an inseparable bond with the folks. In addition to writing and directing this uplifting sports movie, Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) stars in it as a goofy moustachioed American-Samoan priest, alongside Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Will Arnett (BoJack Horseman), and Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, the first trans woman player to compete in the global tournament.

Napoleon

When: November 24
Where: Theatres

Just like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon will first get a wide theatrical release before eventually heading to Apple TV+. Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott (Alien) paints a deeply personal portrait of the revered titular Frenchman, going all the way from his origins to his self-coronation as the Emperor of France, as he climbed the ladder through ruthless military tactics. All of this is presented through his volatile relationship with his wife Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby), who often claims that Napoleon Bonaparte would be nothing without her involvement. Promising epic war sequences that make use of grand practical effects, director Scott claimed that reconstructing the battlefield made him start to think like Napoleon.

The research also expands to historical paintings from artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, with a scene depicting the Emperor’s Egyptian expedition as he stood before the majestic Sphinx. David Scarpa, who last collaborated with Scott on 2017’s All the Money in the World, has written the script for Napoleon, which also stars Tahar Rahim (Extrapolations) as executive head of the Directory Paul Barras, Ben Miles (Hijack) as Napoleon’s advisor Caulaincourt, and Catherine Walker as the Archduchess of Austria Marie-Antoinette.

Farrey

When: November 24
Where: Theatres

Niyati (Alizeh Agnihotri), an orphan genius living under her warden’s care in Delhi, ends up topping her 10th board exams, consequentially securing schooling at a prestigious academy. When the other rich kids notice her performance, she gets roped into a cheating racket — starting with simple tactics like sneaking chits into the exam room to gradually evolving into something risky. It appears as though she’s making good money by helping out her friends, but in the process, she might end up losing the honest reputation she’d built since her childhood. Soumendra Padhi, best known for the phishing scam Netflix show Jamtara, directs Farrey, enlisting a cast featuring Sahil Mehta (Made in Heaven), Prasanna Bisht, and Zeyn Shaw (Class).

May December

When: November 30
Where: Netflix

Talented TV actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) travels to Georgia to do research about Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), wanting to embody the latter’s personality for an indie film she’s about to star in. A long time ago, the 36-year-old Gracie was involved in a scandalous affair with a seventh-grader, serving prison time and making tabloid headlines for wanting to keep the baby. The unconventional pair now have a family together — one that looks eerily normal to Elizabeth until her relentless and questions start revealing long-hidden secrets and suppressed feelings to the surface, forming cracks in their relationship.

Playing the young husband Joe Yoo is Charles Melton (Riverdale), who’s lived his entire life not feeling like the victim, also begins to see the issue and ponder why the couple never had a proper discussion about their so-called love life. Frequent Moore collaborator Todd Haynes directs May December from a screenplay by debutant Samy Burch, which itself is loosely inspired by the real-life story of the US-based sex offender and teacher Mary Kay Letourneau.


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Review: Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Warrants the Love-Hate Reception | FirstShowing.net

Review: Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Warrants the Love-Hate Reception

by Manuel São Bento
May 3, 2023

Filmmaker Ari Aster returns with his third film, following the highly acclaimed Hereditary and the also well-received Midsommar. These two movies established the filmmaker as one of the most original voices currently working in Hollywood, despite being far from a commercial director. The target audience for his stories is a niche public that appreciates out-of-the-ordinary storytelling, experiences that leave the most observant viewers totally perplexed and, in many cases, needing multiple viewings to understand everything the auteur wants to convey. That said, Beau is Afraid has quickly become the year’s most divisive film…

We all recognize the impact that the hype surrounding a movie has on the expectations of those who watch it. Viewers are influenced, in some shape or form, to compulsively love or hate a new film which, without the enormous anticipation and buzz previously generated, wouldn’t provoke such an extreme reaction. Usually, this type of situation happens more often with franchises and popular sagas, but Beau Is Afraid achieved the same amount of anticipation due to Aster’s impressive growth in the industry and viewers who are fond of him. Everyone expected a divisive reception months before already.

Some place Beau is Afraid as one of the best movies they’ve ever seen, others have called it a “career-killer”. Both seem exaggerated at first reading, but the latter claim is almost more absurd than the film itself – the difference is that the movie is purposefully surreal. The simple fact that many react online as soon as the film is over when this one in particular undoubtedly requires time to let thoughts sink in, demonstrates much of what film criticism has become. Nowadays, it’s more important to be the first tweet than to offer an honest reaction closer to what they really think. Preface over, moving on.

Ari Aster’s Hereditary is one of my favorite horror flicks of the last decade, and I really enjoy Midsommar, despite being just few notches below the first one. That said, I don’t usually deal well with surrealist stories, so my expectations were moderately controlled, knowing in advance that I would probably leave the theater without absolute certainty about a lot of things. Without wanting to sound arrogant and also with an admission up front that there are parts of the movie that I need to rewatch or study some extensive essays on, Beau is Afraid isn’t that “difficult to get.”

Naturally, Beau is Afraid is an extremely complex film, filled with the tiniest details and profound character arcs. However, it’s not one of those movies that makes viewers leave their theater without comprehending anything they’ve seen. Guilt, extreme anxiety, and a complicated mother-son relationship are the main themes that Aster makes evident through his very unique, unconventional storytelling. Many mind-boggling films leave the most avid cinephiles scratching their heads, but I don’t consider this one to be one of them.

Beau is Afraid can be divided into five sections. In each, all of Beau’s (Joaquin Phoenix) complexities are made known to the audience. His constant anxiety takes the reins at the beginning of the movie, putting viewers in the mind of someone who imagines the worst-case scenario in every situation he’s faced with. Throughout the film, the technical brilliance of the various film crew departments is nothing short of remarkable and, at times, truly impressive. The level of detail in all areas of the big screen is worthy of immense respect and, above all, admiration.

Beau is Afraid Review

If the first “chapter” is simple to follow, the second is the heaviest chapter. Not that it’s hard to understand – a couple is responsible for Beau until he’s ready to continue his journey to meet his mother – but Aster spends a significant portion of the runtime on this section of the screenplay. Here, the feeling of guilt is deepened beyond its limit, taking up many seemingly unnecessary minutes to repeat clear messages over increasingly ridiculous sequences. I checked my watch at one point, thinking that the movie would be approaching the two-hour mark… and it hadn’t reached halfway yet.

Fortunately, the third section comes at the right time, giving me reasons to invest in the story again. Beau is Afraid delivers one of the most mesmerizing, dazzling sequences of the year, blending 2D animation, live-action, and award-winning production and set design. It’s also the most fascinating storyline in the entire flick, capturing my full attention due to an incredibly captivating narration of a fictional story about Beau’s past, present, and future. The protagonist’s most heartfelt desires are placed at the front of the stage, with all the spotlights pointing towards him.

The last two parts of the film dive deep into Beau’s relationship with his mother. This last hour is precisely what I’m still processing. On one hand, Beau is Afraid manages to perfectly portray the intricacies of each family member, the mistakes each made along their life span, their regrets, their good deeds, and everything else that’s possible to judge. On the other hand, some surreal components reduce the dramatic impact that I consider more important and essential to the narrative.

Untangling the movie in this way and analyzing it through the “chapters”, Beau is Afraid becomes easier to understand and… contemplate. It’s impossible to deny the fact it’s a slow burn that, at several moments, asks the viewer to remember to stay focused. It’s a tough watch whose conclusion can be unrewarding. Personally, I also have some difficulties putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, and trying to connect all the plot points across the five sections isn’t a straightforward task after a single viewing.

Beau is Afraid is the kind of movie I admire more than I enjoy. Replay value is more dependent on issues related to film analysis than actual entertainment. Technically, it’s a movie with much to praise, but at the end of the day, viewers want to feel satisfied with what they’ve just watched. Aster’s style permeates through the film, becoming even more inaccessible. It holds all the characteristics of a love-hate flick, but honestly, many of the polar reactions are due to external reasons related to the filmmaker more than the movie itself.

A final note to mention Bobby Krlic’s score (he also scored Midsommar) – atmospheric at times, anxiety-inducing at others, as well as Pawel Pogorzelski’s cinematography – the lingering camera contributes tremendously to the levels of tension and suspense. Beau is Afraid would be a much heavier viewing without Joaquin Phoenix as the lead. The actor won’t surprise anyone, delivering yet another entirely complete, layered portrayal. Patti LuPone, Zoe Lister-Jones, Nathan Lane, and Amy Ryan also stand out.

Final Thoughts

Beau is Afraid is by far Ari Aster’s most complex, inaccessible film to date, although guilt, extreme anxiety, and an intricate mother-son relationship are clear themes deeply explored across five sections – the second is one of the most mesmerizing, visually stunning sequences of the year. The more I think about what I watched, the more I admire the unique, thought-provoking, overwhelmingly surreal storytelling by one of the most authentic voices working today. That said, the three-hour runtime feels really heavy, the analysis of the movie as a whole raises some issues, and while all the technical departments are award-worthy, stating “it’s not for everyone” is a perfect description of one of the most divisive films you’ll see in a long while.

Manuel’s Rating: B-
Follow Manuel on Twitter – @msbreviews / Or Letterboxd – @msbreviews

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