Upcoming Movies You Should Be Hyped About: November 2017

photo courtesy of collider.com

Winter is coming… and that means blockbusters, yall.

THOR: RAGNAROK

(November 3^rd)

photo courtesy of marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com

     It’s been about four months since the last Marvel Studios movie, so naturally another one’s on the way. This time, it’s everyone’s favorite Asgardian Avenger, Thor, who returns to the big screen in Thor: Ragnarok, the third Thor standalone movie and the seventeenth (!) installment in the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s stellar track record means that any new movie probably deserves our attention, but Ragnarok has some aces up its sleeve in case you find yourself suffering from superhero overload.

     First, it’s a tonal overhaul from the previous Thor films, aiming for something closer to the cosmic, colorful Guardians of the Galaxy vibe. Second, it boasts an incredible cast—featuring Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, who’s along for the ride, Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, and Cate Blanchett as villainess Hela. And last, Ragnarok  (which, by the way, is the word for the Norse apocalypse, which envisions a cataclysmic end to all our favorite Norse deities, including Thor) has earned mostly rockstar reviews from critics, so all signs point to good things for the God of Thunder’s latest venture.

     Also, for all you nerds out there, the events of Ragnarok should have pretty significant ramifications for next year’s all-star MCU conclusion, Avengers: Infinity War. It’s basically required reading.

Watch the trailer here. 

LADY BIRD

(November 3rd)

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     Actress and screenwriter Greta Gerwig makes her solo directorial debut with Lady Bird, a movie currently receiving near-universal praise on the film festival circuit. Lady Bird stars Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan as Lady Bird (no, not that Lady Bird), an eccentric and determined teenager in Sacramento who butts heads with her equally strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf). Billed as a small-scale story with profound insights about the mother-daughter relationship, Lady Bird should be a meaningful—and funny—debut for Gerwig.

Watch the trailer here. 

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

(November 10^th)

photo courtesy of foxmovies.com

     Murder on the Orient Express is the fourth adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous murder mystery novel. This one’s pretty self-explanatory; Murder on the Orient Express is essentially the grandmother of all murder mysteries and is therefore inherently awesome. But with the incredibly talented Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Thor, Cinderella) directing and a ridiculously star-studded cast (are you ready for this? Branagh as Poirot, along with Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, and Olivia Colman), Murder on the Orient Express is an absolute must-see.

Watch the trailer here. 

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

(November 10^th)

photo courtesy of vulture.com

     Frances McDormand (Fargo, Almost Famous) stars in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a dark dramedy that’s getting its fair share of positive buzz. The movie tells the story of Mildred Hayes, a bold, small-town woman whose daughter was raped and murdered several months ago. In response to the local police’s inadequate handling of the investigation, she rents three billboards to issue a direct challenge to the Sheriff. Controversy ensues.

On top of what’s shaping up to be a captivating story, Three Billboards has an impressive cast, with such heavyweights as Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, and Peter Dinklage joining McDormand.

Watch the Red Band trailer here. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE

(November 17^th)

photo courtesy of superherohype.com

     The DC Extended Universe finally has its answer to Marvel’s Avengers with the superhero team-up Justice League. The movie sees heroes Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) unite to take town a cosmic threat too big for any one of them to handle. It’s no secret that Warner Brothers has had trouble rolling out its DC slate of films, with Wonder Woman being its only unqualified commercial and critical success. Word of mouth from the studio has tried to position Justice League as a shift in tone—having implemented valuable lessons from Batman V Superman and Wonder Woman—but I think it unlikely that the studio managed to completely overhaul the final product with such a fast-track production schedule. So we’ll have to wait and see if Justice League can get its Wonder Woman on and transcend its predecessors (read: retcon all of Warner Brother’s previous decisions). I’d love to see this blow away expectations, but… don’t hold your breath.

Watch the trailer here. 

COCO

(November 22^nd)

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     Coco is the latest film from Pixar, and that’s honestly ‘nuff said. Sure, Pixar’s once-sterling track record has become a bit pockmarked over the last few years, but they still know how to do it like nobody else. The movie, which draws on Día de los Muertos for inspiration, follows a young boy named Miguel whose passion for music leads him on an adventure through the mysterious and wonderful Land of the Dead. Combine what’s sure to be a touching, heartfelt story with vibrant visuals, and there’s no telling how far Coco will go.  

Watch the trailer here. 

HONORABLE MENTION:

DARKEST HOUR

(November 22^nd)

photo courtesy of flickreel.com

     Darkest Hour follows British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as Hitler’s shadow threatens to spread over Great Britain. I think Darkest Hour will be an interesting one to watch, but I’m not sold yet. Promotional footage released so far hasn’t been exceptionally promising, and screenwriter Joe Wright has a tendency to produce middle-of-the-line scripts from remarkable source material. It also has yet to be seen how Darkest Hour will relate to Dunkirk, the year’s previous WWII film: whether it will compare unfavorably or capitalize on that film’s critical success. But most definitely working in Darkest Hour’s favor is its lead actor, Gary Oldman, whose performance—and mind-blowing physical transformation for the part—might just give John Lithgow a run for his money.

Watch the trailer here.