“Honey Boy”
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs,
Synopsis: A young actor tries to reconcile with his father after surviving a turbulent childhood.
What You Need to Know: Regardless of your personal opinion on Shia LaBeouf himself, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that he isn’t an imposing, fascinating figure in Hollywood as he’s seemingly wrestled with his demons publically, often in pursuit of some form of artistic expression. Few of his career moves have stated this as clearly though as his upcoming film which he wrote and starred in (as his own father), “Honey Boy,” and is based on his own experiences of being a child actor. Taking the back seat in terms of control though with Alma Har’el directing (best known for her documentary work) the film premiered at Sundance and was met with immediate praise. Our critic wrote, “’Honey Boy’ may center on the impressive portrayals of three talented actors, but it’s the woman behind the camera that makes it soar. You simply can’t wait to see what she does next.”
Release Date: November 8
“Charlie’s Angels”
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinski, Elizabeth Banks
Synopsis: A trio of elite private investigators armed with the latest in high-tech tools, high-performance vehicles, martial arts techniques and an array of disguises unleash their state-of-the-art skills on land, sea, and air to track down a kidnapped billionaire-to-be and keep his top-secret voice-identification software out of lethal hands.
What You Need to Know: If we were to go strictly by the trailers alone, there are two guesses we might wager: the first, that Kristen Stewart looks to be having a blast and the second, that it probably isn’t going to be very good. That being said, it does at the very least look entertaining and trailers aren’t always indicative of the final product. Yet another update on the franchise, this time directed by Elizabeth Banks with a mix of industry mainstays such as Stewart and up and comers onboard, like “Doctor Sleep” the quality of “Charlie’s Angels” is up in the air at the moment, but hopefully it will be a relative crowd-pleaser, opposed to being dead on arrival.
Release Date: November 15
“Ford v Ferrari”
Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal
Synopsis: Based on the remarkable true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby and the fearless British-born driver Ken Miles, who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
What You Need to Know: The latest from “Logan” and “Walk the Line” director James Mangold, teamed with stars Christian Bale and Matt Damon in a true story picture, released in a prime awards season slot, “Ford v Ferrari” has built itself a mighty surge of attention. Despite the historical drama setting of the feature, our critic noted that it manages to “keep you at the edge of your seat.” With a screenplay by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller, the film operates in spite of its auto racing framework, diving deeper into the interpersonal relationships of the two men at the center of the story. Our critic at Telluride wrote “…’Ford v Ferrari’ is the sort of cinematic entertainment that sucks you in and won’t let you go until you cross the finish line.”
Release Date: November 15
“The Report”
Cast: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Ted Lavine
Synopsis: The story of Daniel Jones, lead investigator for the US Senate’s sweeping study into the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, which was found to be brutal, immoral and ineffective. With the truth at stake, Jones battled tirelessly to make public what many in power sought to keep hidden.
What You Need to Know: Actor Adam Driver is one of the best of his generation and there will be no shortage of him in the upcoming months with his awards-worthy turn in “Marriage Story” and his reprisal of fan-favorite Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” A quieter, just as noteworthy performance is in the drama “The Report” which premiered at this year’s Sundance to solid praise across the board for all involved. Our critic called it “dense” but signaled Driver and Annette Bening out for their strong work. Based on the true-life events and investigation that lead to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on CIA torture, director and writer Scott Z. Burns had his work cut out for him. Our critic credited him making the story work, writing, “Burns deserves kudos for bringing a story to the big screen that clearly needs to be told, is practically screaming to be said, but the cinematic tools at his ready are often too limited to clarify it beyond the facts.”
Release Date: November 15
“Frozen II”
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Grof, Sterling K. Brown
Synopsis: Elsa the Snow Queen and her sister Anna embark on an adventure far away from the kingdom of Arendelle. They are joined by friends, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
What You Need to Know: The “Let It Go” phenomenon lasted just long enough to sour the film it was spurned from, despite relatively positive reviews and an Oscar win as well for Disney’s “Frozen.” Naysayers (hello) existed from the get-go though, making the prospect of an unnecessary (if inevitable) sequel all the more frustrating. That said, and I don’t say it lightly, the trailers for “Frozen II” haven’t just looked stunning – expanding a magical world we merely glimpsed in its predecessor – but it seems to have adopted a grandiose scale it needs to capture the same emotions. It, quite frankly, looks great and hopefully will manage to overcome a trend of animated sequels not being able to meet the levels of their originals.
Release Date: November 22
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Cast: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper,
Synopsis: After a jaded magazine writer is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor.
What You Need to Know: With the popularity of last year’s documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” it’s hardly surprising that a feature film would be next. What makes it seem less opportunist is who is involved, starting with director Marielle Heller straight off the success of the superb “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Tom Hanks signing on to play the titular character only made the entire project more enticing. Focusing primarily on a small portion of his life with much of the story being handed off to journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) the film immediately forgoes your typical biopic trappings and ultimately lends itself to a touching tribute to an impressive figure and the kindness he sought and expressed. Our critic who saw it at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival wrote, “…Heller creates a world that blurs the lines between every form of communication to serve panoramic impact of her sensitive, almost magical design.”
Release Date: November 22
“Knives Out”
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson
Synopsis: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.
What You Need to Know: After directing one of the most interesting “Star Wars” films with ‘The Last Jedi‘ and generating quite a bit of ill will for it, director Rian Johnson is having a bit of fun with his latest, a whodunnit that skewers expectations. A reminder about the thrills of big concept original storytelling, the cast list for “Knives Out” is an embarrassment of riches and leading the charge is 007 himself, Daniel Craig, once again getting the chance to have a blast with a character who is larger than life. Regardless of the cast, Johnson’s name being attached is more than enough incentive with films such as ‘The Last Jedi,’ “Looper,” “Brick,” and television work on “Breaking Bad” more than enough proof that he’s one of the most intriguing and exciting talents on the scene today. Our critic said, “…the genre maestro has his audience in good hands, ‘good’ in this instance meaning both ‘skilled, capable, expert’ and ‘decent, ethically sound.’”
Release Date: November 27
“Queen & Slim”
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloe Sevigny, Sturgill Simpson
Synopsis: While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man (“Get Out’s” Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman (Jodie Turner-Smith, in her first starring feature film role), are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run.
What You Need to Know: Little is known yet beyond what we’ve seen in trailers for the upcoming “Queen & Slim,” aside from it being dubbed a modern-day “Bonnie & Clyde.” What we do know is that the talent involved is a group of promising new talents and exciting up and comers. Written by Lena Waithe and directed by Melina Matsoukas (in her first feature directional debut) and starring “Get Out” and “Widows” star Daniel Kaluuya, Bokeem Woodbine, Indya Moore, and relative newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith as co-lead, the film bridges pulpy crime drama with realism. The film will premiere at the upcoming AFI Fest, meaning we only have to wait a little while longer to see if the promise of the creative talent is lived up to.
Release Date: November 27
