The marquees at cinemas around the country make a curious fact about Hollywood abundantly clear: Streamers like Netflix and Apple TV+ are increasingly responsible for some of the most exciting new material on the big screen, jockeying for space and mindshare in competition with the latest releases from traditional studios. This is especially clear throughout November, which includes a slew of highly anticipated new movies set to hit the big screen (as well as smartphone screens), some of the biggest of which are backed by streaming giants.
The 5 most anticipated movies coming this month
The new movies coming this month run the gamut from biographies of famous figures to gripping psychodramas. In this post, we’re taking a closer look at five of the most-anticipated titles (according to Rotten Tomatoes), and you’ll find story summaries as well as the release dates included with each title’s listing below.
#1: The Killer (Nov. 10)
“Paris, night. An unnamed man in unremarkable clothes, The Killer (Michael Fassbender) watches from the floor of an empty office, across from the plush apartment of his target, rifle at hand. Measured, controlled, he takes every step to ensure the job goes flawlessly…
“It doesn’t …”
So goes Netflix’s creepy introduction to this highly anticipated new feature film from director David Fincher, the same David Fincher who refuses to give Mindhunter fans the third season they’ve been dying for — although, truth be told, The Killer very much looks like a sublime consolation prize.
Here, Michael Fassbender plays the role of the titular assassin, a killer who moves with a kind of feral grace and intensity — and who lives by a code that calls for never improvising. He’s just had a near-miss before he finds himself battling his employers and himself on an international manhunt.
#2: The Marvels (Nov. 10)
The last of the MCU movies of 2023 will feature the characters of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), all of whom are the central figures in this sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel. That previous film, you’ll recall, introduced Carol to the audience just in time for the Infinity Saga’s big Avengers: Endgame finale.
As far as the plot of The Marvels goes, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) is the story’s villain. She’s the new leader of the Kree, and she has two objectives. First, she wants to restore the empire that Carol destroyed. Second, she wants to hurt Carol’s favorite worlds. Check out our deep-dive guide covering The Marvels right here.
#3: Napoleon (Nov. 22)
Napoleon is director Ridley Scott’s soon-to-be-released biopic of the infamous French military commander, backed by Apple. The film covers six of Napoleon’s famous battles, while also telling the story of the rise and fall of Napoleon through the eyes of his partner, Joséphine (played by Vanessa Kirby).
Joaquin Phoenix stars in the title role, a perfect casting choice to convey Napoleon’s arrogance and ambition with lines like “I’m not built like other men. Those in power only see me as a brute, unfit for higher office.”
Per Apple: “Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.”
#4: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Nov. 17)
The new Hunger Games movie is focused in large part on the character of Coriolanus Snow, who was played by Donald Sutherland in the original. Here, it’s years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem. The 18-year-old Snow is the last hope for his lineage, as his once-proud family has fallen from grace in the Capitol.
From the Rotten Tomatoes summary: “Franchise stalwart Francis Lawrence returns to direct The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which takes place 64 years prior to the events of the original films and focuses on the relationship between a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) during the 10th annual Hunger Games. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, and Jason Schwartzman co-star.”
#5: Wish (Nov. 22)
Finally, from the Oscar-winning co-director of Frozen comes this Disney film about Asha — an idealist with a sharp wit, and who makes a wish so powerful that it’s answered by a tiny little ball of cosmic force called “Star.” When you wish upon a star, in other words, a new spin on the old dynamic that’s also just in time for Disney’s 100th anniversary.
From Disney: “Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe — the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico — to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.”
