“Widows”
Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry
Synopsis: The story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica, Alice, Linda, and Belle take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
What You Need to Know: After the tripleheader of “Hunger,” “Shame,” and “12 Years a Slave,” it didn’t matter what Steve McQueen chose as his next project, we just want to see it as soon as we possibly can. Teaming up with Viola Davis was a masterstroke as the two bring out some of their best work in the thrilling “Widows.” The film manages to be a tense character study while simultaneously playing to its pulpier, crime thriller notes. Our critic found issue in the directors ability to marry the differing tones but said “…there’s no denying that when Davis snarls ‘Let’s go’ as they pull their masks on, and Hans Zimmer’s relentless score kicks in, that we’re there, we’re with them, and we’re ready to go too.”
Release Date: November 16
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Cast: Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, Bill Heck
Synopsis: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is a six-part Western anthology film, a series of tales about the American frontier told through the unique and incomparable voice of Joel and Ethan Coen. Each chapter tells a distinct story about the American West.
What You Need to Know: We’re always going to turn out for the Coen Brothers because, while every few years they’ll deliver something less than stellar, they’ll always have an “Inside Llewyn Davis” or “No Country for Old Men” ready to astonish audiences. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” finds itself wedged between the better and lesser versions of the directors with a format that’s both frustrating and befitting the story being told. Our critic said that while not every segment worked, “Taken individually, there are cherishable moments and performances scattered throughout ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ like so many flecks of gold amid the silt.”
Release Date: November 16
“Creed 2”
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone
Synopsis: Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family.
What You Need to Know: What with the history of “Rocky” sequels, there were so many ways that “Creed” might’ve gone wrong, with or without Ryan Coogler’s involvement. Instead, the film was a massive hit, both financially and critically, with Sylvester Stallone even earning an Oscar nomination for his return to his most iconic character. “Creed” solidified Michael B. Jordan’s rising star status and primed Coogler for his greatest achievement as he took charge of Marvel’s “Black Panther.” However, with any sequel comes some trepidation. This is especially true with “Creed 2,” as one of the key figures, Coogler, doesn’t sit in his same position with relative newcomer Steven Caple Jr. taking it on the directing duties. That said, there’s enough energy in the trailer and story potential to make this a must-see.
Release Date: November 21
“Roma”
Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey
Synopsis: Acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón returns with his most personal, and perhaps best, film to date, as he tells the story of a family in 1970s Mexico City.
What You Need to Know: In nearly thirty years, Mexican filmmaker and Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón has only ever made seven movies. That’s roughly just over 2 films per decade and not a lot for a filmmaker considered one of the greatest in the world. Unfortunately, there was a seven-year gap between “Children Of Men” (2006) and the Oscar-winning “Gravity” (2013) and then another five-year gap between his 3D sci-fi astronaut film and his latest, “Roma,” a much more personal, but no less ambitious movie. “Roma” is essentially a family movie, or rather, a recollection movie for Cuarón, looking back on his life as a boy and through the lens of the nanny/housekeeper that helped raise him. It’s in black and white, features no known stars in the U.S. and sounds simple, but is shot in this ambitiously orchestrated long takes, absolutely so much going on in each frame with an extreme depth of field and clarity. And so much so it’s kind of unnerving. The intimate film, which we called “an immensely moving and stunningly personal glimpse into the past,” has already won the Venice Film Festival‘s equivalent of Best Picture (the Golden Lion) and Netflix is so high on its Oscar chances for the movie (Best Picture and Best Director nominations are a certainty), they are taking the rare move where they are releasing the movie early, theatrically, before they put it onto their streaming service. It’s a crazy Oscar season this year, but no matter what happens, “Roma” will certainly be in the mix and may help Netflix nab its first major Academy Award(s).
Release Date: November 21