What to watch in November: 7 new movies and TV series

The last month of the fall movie season is coming and it looks really interesting. There are a lot of cool premieres in both the movie and TV series segments. There will be a lot to watch in November.

1. The Marvels

I’ll start the list of movies with a brief reminder about the release of the next Marvel superhero movie, the sequel to Captain Marvel in 2019.

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has regained her identity, defeated the Kree, and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But because of the unintended consequences, Carol has to take on the burden of a destabilized universe. One day, her duty calls her to an anomalous wormhole connected to the Kree. She’ll have to team up with a Jersey City fan named Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s adopted niece, Monica Rambo, to save the world.

This will be the studio’s shortest movie ever, and we have nothing more to say. I believe that after the completion of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, nothing interesting is expected in this cinematic universe, but a significant number of fans who still make money even for dubious projects may disagree with me.

The premiere in Ukraine is scheduled for November 9.

2. The Killer

The killer is facing a psychological crisis and feels remorse for his crimes. The longer he thinks about it, the more he begins to lose his mind.

Although this project is bypassing theaters and will be released directly on Netflix, it would be a real crime not to mention the new film by cult director David Fincher. After all, he has directed Fight Club, The Social Network, Lost, Seven and many other truly great films, some of which have earned him the fame of the “King of Modern Thrillers.” We are going to see a philosophical and intense story about a very ambiguous personality of a killer played by Michael Fassbender. I hope that after so many years of filming dubious movies like Alien: Covenant” and “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”, the actor will finally have the opportunity to reveal his talent to the fullest. Another big star is the incredible Tilda Swinton, who makes any movie look good with her participation.

The movie will be available on Netflix on November 10.

3. The First Code

The First Code is a documentary that will show Ukraine’s contribution to the development of IT technologies. It is no secret that one of the first computers in Europe was created in Ukraine in 1950.

The film also tells the story of the real-life fight against the enemy by IT specialists who united into a 300,000-strong virtual army, and ordinary people who were able to resist the enemy using smartphones.

The documentary will premiere on November 16.

4. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

“The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” tells the story of young Coriolanus, who is the last hope of his family, the once proud Snow clan, which has fallen out of favor with the post-war Capitol. With his fortune and life in jeopardy, Snow reluctantly becomes the mentor of Lucy Grey Byrd, a tribute to the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Grey captivates Panem’s audience, Snow sees an opportunity to change their fate.

The Hunger Games was a rather significant phenomenon in its time, which started a fashion for adaptations of teenage dystopian novels. In fact, it was the only normal series of films of this genre from an artistic point of view, because colleagues like Divergent and The Maze Runner received much worse adaptations. In turn, Suzanne Collins’ adaptations were dynamic and interesting films, and Katniss Everdeen became an idol for teenage girls.

Even before The Squid Game came out, these films popularized the concept of Koshun Takami’s Battle Royale for the Western generation. The concept of “in a dystopian world, people are forced to kill each other for a prize” was most likely only borrowed by The Hunger Games. Although the author has never mentioned Takami’s work as an inspiration, there are many parallels and it is unlikely to be a coincidence.

In 2015, the final installment was released, ending the story, but The Hunger Games is such a profitable franchise that the author was only too happy to write a prequel novel in 2020 called A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This month, we will see the movie adaptation and find out whether the fashion for movies based on teen books will revive. Fans of The Hunger Games will definitely be interested to plunge back into this interesting and cruel world with a new plot and main characters. By the way, the central character will be Kyriolan Snow, who was the main antagonist of the original. It will be interesting to see his development as a character, as the stories of villains are usually quite dramatic.

The Hunger Games will return to the big screens on November 16.

5. Napoleon

Napoleon is a spectacular epic that details the difficult ups and downs of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless rise to power through the prism of his unstable relationship with his wife Josephine.

Another cult director decided to show the audience what a real movie should look like this month! Ridley Scott. Napoleon. Joaquin Phoenix. These three components alone are enough to clear all your plans at the end of this month and go to the movies right now. In his previous collaboration with Joaquin Phoenix, Ridley Scott created the best contemporary representative of the peplum genre, Gladiator. I hope Napoleon will be an equally cool movie. What you shouldn’t worry about is the epic nature of the upcoming biopic. In total, we will see 6 battle scenes from the director, who has been making monumental films for half a century, so it is worth going to see this movie in IMAX format.

The film’s theatrical release is scheduled for November 23.

6. Wish

In the kingdom of Rosas, any wish can come true. To do this, you don’t have to keep them to yourself for a long time, but have to give them to the local king, Magnifico. The charismatic and influential king is trusted by everyone, but 17-year-old Asha feels an inexplicable anxiety coming from him. One day, she gets away from people and turns her wishes to the sky. Soon, a real star with the same name answers Asha’s wishes. After the Star fell from the sky, it turned out that it had the magical power to grant wishes. Together, Asha and the Star must overcome the evil that is growing in Rosas, fight for a better future, and make all the dreams of the kingdom’s inhabitants come true.

This year, Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary. Walt Disney’s creation brought the world Mickey Mouse, the first full-length cartoon – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, more than 60 cult cartoons, almost all of which are immortal masterpieces. “The Lion King”, “101 Dalmatians”, “Bambi”, “Lilo and Stitch”, the most famous interpretation of “Winnie the Pooh” and a very long list of wonderful cartoons with eternal stories and incredible music. Although in recent years the company has occasionally caused negative emotions among viewers due to its decisions regarding the acquisition of popular franchises such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, new cartoons can still pleasantly surprise. “Paradise and the Last Dragon had a very interesting setting, and Encanto captivated with its songs and Colombian flavor.

“Wish” is a project dedicated to the company’s centennial, and the name itself already reminds us of the main idea of all the studio’s works: wish fulfillment. I hope Disney really tried their best and their new cartoon will surprise us and become a modern classic. Moreover, there are no other big-budget animated films on the big screen this month, and Wishes will be a great opportunity to go to the movies with your family.

I also recommend watching the short film Once Upon A Studio, which features all the Disney characters of the last 100 years. The moment when Mickey Mouse pays homage to his “father” Walt Disney is really very touching.

We are waiting for the anniversary Disney cartoon on November 23.

7. The Marsh King’s Daughter

For twelve years, Helena lived in isolation under the supervision of her father, a tyrant and murderer known as the Swamp King. It was only when he was imprisoned that the girl finally began to live a normal life. Now she has a new family that knows nothing about her mysterious past. Many years later, the Swamp King escapes from prison, and Helena is forced to help the police catch the legendary criminal to keep her loved ones safe. But to do so, she will have to use all the skills her cruel father taught her.

The movie is based on the 2017 novel by Karen Dionne. Not all people have good parents, but the heroine Daisy Ridley was particularly unlucky in this situation. The plot of the movie sounds creepy, and Ben Mendelsohn as a murderous father can really scare, this actor knows how to play a scumbag. So far, the project looks interesting and atmospheric, and I hope it will turn out to be a good thriller.

On November 30, we will find out how the heroine will solve this difficult situation.

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This month’s series segment is very diverse and interesting, you will definitely find something to watch!

1. Those Who Stayed

Each episode of The First Days is a fictional mini-film inspired by real events, and some of the characters have real-life prototypes. Olga and her children are forced to live in the same house with two husbands, one current and one former. Maxim is caught up in the war at work, at the zoo, where he cannot leave. A homeless man who lives in a car helps the local volunteer organization, and the boy Yegor calms himself by shooting down missiles like evil birds in his imagination. The German Klaus arrives in Kyiv to pick up a girl, but finds himself among the volunteers and joins their work, and the Ukrainian pop legend, whose prototype was Andriy Danylko, streams from his apartment in the capital and becomes an inspiration for millions. The protagonists must save themselves, save their loved ones, and preserve their humanity and faith in victory.

The Ukrainian mini-series anthology by Anastasia Lodkina tells 6 stories based on real situations or events that happened to different people at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The series was released on Netflix on November 1.

2. All the Light We Cannot See

The series All That Invisible Light tells the story of two teenagers at the height of World War II: a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, and a German boy, Werner Pfennig, who is forced to join the Nazi regime and serve in its ranks.

A drama series by Shawn Levy with a star-studded cast about love during World War II. The original novel by Anthony Dorr won the Pulitzer Prize for Best Fiction in 2015, so the project has a strong foundation. Hugh Laurie and Mark Ruffalo in the supporting roles will definitely please the audience.

The 4-part series is already available on Netflix and launched on November 2.

3. The Curse

The Curse explores the relationship between a couple who are trying to conceive a child while filming a new home improvement show. At one point, they begin to suspect that they have been cursed by someone and that is why they cannot have children.

The new comedy series starring Emma Stone looks quite unusual according to the synopsis, but sometimes experiments work and we get something new in the genre. And the format of an imaginary reality show should perfectly reveal the characters’ personalities, as there have been no projects with such an element of storytelling for a long time.

We are waiting for the comedy experiment on November 10 on Paramount+.

4. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and finds that he must defeat her seven evil exes to date her.

The new anime adaptation of the cult comic book series Scott Pilgrim looks interesting. In 2010, Edgar Wright’s highly acclaimed film with live actors was released, but if you wanted to see a “live comic book”, then this release is just for you. All the actors from the 2010 film took part in the voice acting, so it’s definitely worth watching in the original. Ubisoft has recently re-released their beat’em up game based on this franchise, so I also recommend checking out this project, as it perfectly complements the comic and the 2010 movie.

You can watch Scott Pilgrim’s epic confrontation with his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes on November 17 on Netflix.

5. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Following the tumultuous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the startling revelation that monsters are real, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tells the story of two siblings who follow in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to a secret organization known as The Monarch. The clues lead them to a world of monsters and an army officer, Lee Shaw, who knows the terrible truth.

A new project from the MonsterVerse universe. It brings together the legendary kaiju monsters from the universe of Godzilla and King Kong, whom our favorite lizard fought in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong. Next year, a new feature film, Godzilla and Kong: New Empire, and this month we will be able to see the first TV series in this franchise.

This franchise usually produces mediocre but entertaining films. Unfortunately, they have almost no competitors. The last milestone in this genre was Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, released in 2013. However, perhaps the format of the series will allow Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” will change this. Kurt Russell plays the main role in it, and his own son Wyatt Russell will play him in his youth.

We look forward to the battle of the monsters on November 17 on Apple TV+.

6. Squid Game: The Challenge

In 2021, Netflix released an incredibly popular series called The Squid Game, and while the second season is still in development, the streaming service decided to strike while the iron is hot. At the end of November, a reality show based on the original series will be released, with the only difference being that, unfortunately, none of the participants will be killed. This is actually a very smart idea, as this format perfectly complements the series and it is always interesting to watch hundreds of people fight for a prize. With 456 invited players and a prize of $4.56 million, this project has already become the largest reality show in terms of the number of participants and the amount of reward.

The reality show is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on November 22.

7. Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials

It’s not a new series, but it was hard not to add it to this list because on November 23, Doctor Who turns 60! It is the longest-running science fiction series in history. It ran from 1963 to 1989, followed by an unsuccessful feature film and then a 2005 relaunch, which is still on air today. The series has survived so long because of the main character, the alien Doctor: when he dies, he regenerates and this changes his appearance and character, in fact, every few seasons the main character changes dramatically. Over the past 60 years, the character has been played by more than 15 actors, with David Tennant’s 10th Doctor being the most popular.

The last 3 seasons of the series under the direction of Chris Chibnall were of rather poor quality, so the old showrunner Russell T. Davies returned to the project, who once revived the project. He decided to go with the trump card and cast David Tennant as the 14th Doctor, who restored faith in the series with his appearance. His companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate, will also return, and one of the villains will be played by Neil Patrick Harris.

Unfortunately, the 14th Doctor himself will only appear in three specials in honor of the series’ anniversary, and then Shuti Gatwa will play the role of the next Doctor. It seems that the screen time is not enough, but a good character and three episodes are enough to sink into the soul of the audience. The Eighth and War Doctors were on screen even less, but they have a fairly impressive fan base. I hope that the next incarnation of the iconic character Gatwa will reveal better than Jodie Whittaker did, who had a hard time doing so due to a bad script. In general, Doctor Who has had its ups and downs, but it has always tried to surprise the viewer with something new, so we are looking forward to the Christmas specials, and even more so to the 14th season with an updated version of our favorite character.

It will premiere on November 25 on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland and on Disney+.