November is upon us, and the cinematic calendar is inching closer to its finish line with a crowded month of offerings that feature everything from nostalgic family dramas to cannibalist love stories.
There are a lot of options and marketing campaigns to wade through this month, starting on Nov. 11 with arguably the biggest event movie of the year: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to Marvel’s 2018 billion-dollar grosser “Black Panther” takes place after the death of King T’Challa, played in the first film by the late Chadwick Boseman, and centers around the nation of Wakanda attempting to stave off colonization after the death of their king. The success of the first film, coupled with Coogler’s impeccable directorial credibility, gives “Wakanda Forever” a legitimate chance to be the best Marvel movie since “Avengers: End Game” in 2019, and potentially rival the box-office dominance of its predecessor.
Releasing on the same day is “Spirited,” a musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. With the unconventional casting of Reynolds and Ferrell, “Spirited” could either be a disaster or a fun musical romp. Either way, it’s probably going to be worth watching.
Furthermore, “She Said”, hits theaters Nov. 18, following the based-on-true-events story of two New York Times reporters, Jodi Kantor, and Megan Twohey, as they break the seismic Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct story that led to the “Me Too” movement and Weinstein’s eventual imprisonment. “She Said” stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan and has already invoked comparisons to prestigious journalism films “All The President’s Men,” and “Spotlight.”
“The Menu” opens the same day and stars Ralph Fiennes as an eccentric, potentially murderous chef who’s cooking for, and presumably terrorizing, a group of couples on a remote island. Directed by Mark Mylod – who’s primarily worked within the world of television – the film is described as a hybrid between horror and comedy. “The Menu” is the wildest card on the list, and a film with an incredibly high degree of difficulty, but still one with the potential to peak movie going curiosities.
On Nov. 23, cinema icon Steven Spielberg is back since 2021’s “West Side Story,” this time tapping into his own family dynamics in an attempt to render an idealized portrait of his youth. “The Fablemans,” chronicles Spielberg’s childhood and filmmaking journey through the eyes of his parents and their marital discord.
“The Fablemans” is shepherded by Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, who play Spielberg’s parents, as well as a supporting performance by Seth Rogan, who plays a Fableman family friend. The film has garnered strong critical praise for its warm familial tones and seems to be an early contender for best picture.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, but coincidentally falling on the same day as “The Fablemans,” is “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal love story with Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell playing the romantically linked cannibals in question.
An admittedly insane premise that’s sure to offend a large number of moviegoers and critics. “Bones and All” promises to be provocative, if not outright offensive. Either way, it’s an interesting creative choice for Chalamet, who seems to be doing everything in his power as of late to shed his heartthrob label. Students can catch the month’s most-anticipated films at theaters around the city, including some within minutes of the St. John’s University Queens campus.
