From psychological thrillers and gothic horror to big-screen comedy, South African drama and a return to Panem, November’s cinema line-up has plenty to keep film fans busy. The month also brings live theatre and opera to the big screen, alongside stories of survival, ambition, family and a few rather unusual relationships.
6 November
Wild Horse Nine
Academy Award-winning writer-director Martin McDonagh returns with a story about friendship, secrecy and moral compromise. Set against the backdrop of Easter Island, Wild Horse Nine follows veteran CIA operatives Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), whose decades-long careers in the shadows of Cold War politics have left them with a complicated shared history. Their off-duty arrival on the island comes with motives neither is entirely willing to reveal.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend
Ancient mythology meets large-scale cinematic spectacle in Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Based on the celebrated epic, the film follows Rama (Ranbir Kapoor), a prince bound by sacrifice, and Ravana (Yash), an immortal king driven by vengeance, as a prophecy brings their destinies together.
13 November
Victorian Psycho
A new governess arrives at a gothic manor in 1858, bringing rather more than lessons in table manners. Victorian Psycho follows Winifred Notty, whose psychopathic tendencies become increasingly difficult to conceal as members of the household begin disappearing. Set against the constraints of Victorian society, the film explores a mind caught between rebellion and madness.
How to Rob a Bank
What happens when bank robbers turn their crimes into social media content? How to Rob a Bank takes the familiar heist formula and gives it a digital-age twist, following a crew of social media-savvy criminals whose increasingly public robberies attract the attention of a veteran FBI agent and a brilliant software engineer. With their most ambitious job still ahead, the crew's growing fame could prove to be their biggest liability.
A Talent for a Murder
Helen Mirren stars as renowned writer Patricia Highsmith in this thriller about a young man sent from New York to Switzerland to persuade her to write one final instalment of the Ripley series. What begins as a literary proposition takes a sinister turn.
Prima Facie
Based on Suzie Miller’s acclaimed stage play, Prima Facie stars Cynthia Erivo as Tessa Ensler, a successful defence barrister whose confidence in the legal system is shaken by a traumatic personal experience. Directed by Susanna White, the film examines justice, power, consent and what happens when someone who has spent their career navigating the law is forced to experience it from the other side.
Ebenezer
Johnny Depp takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a gothic reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story. Set in early Victorian London, the film follows the cold-hearted businessman as supernatural visitors confront him with his past, present and future in a bid for redemption. This version brings a darker mix of horror and comedy to a familiar festive tale.
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George Michael: The Faith Tour
Fans of George Michael can revisit one of the defining moments of his career with this restored concert film, featuring previously unseen and unheard 35mm footage from his 1988 performance at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. Capturing the singer at the height of his creative powers, the film is preceded by an original short by Mary McCartney, featuring newly discovered audio and imagery from the Faith era.
20 November
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The Hunger Games universe returns with its sixth instalment, turning the clock back to the 50th Hunger Games. The story follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) from District 12 on the morning of the Reaping for the Second Quarter Quell, when twice as many tributes will be sent into the arena. It offers a closer look at the Games that shaped the character who would later become mentor to Katniss and Peeta.
Ghost Soldier
Jim Caviezel stars in this action thriller as Henry “Fitz” Fitzgerald, a former Special Forces soldier and weapons developer living quietly off the grid. His peaceful existence is disrupted when a powerful foreign corporation moves to seize land belonging to him and his neighbours. With his military training and advanced weapons at his disposal, Fitz takes on the corporation in a fight for his community.
27 November
Wicker
Olivia Colman and Peter Dinklage lead this comedic fable about love, marriage and social convention. The story centres on an ostracised fisherwoman who commissions a husband from the local basketmaker. When her wicker creation, played by Alexander Skarsgård, turns out to be more than she bargained for, his arrival sets off a wave of jealousy and disruption in the village.
Paper Tiger
James Gray returns to crime drama with this story of two brothers in 1980s Queens whose promising business venture draws them into the dangerous orbit of the Russian mob. Starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson, the film explores the pressure that organised crime places on family ties and personal loyalties.
Fight Like a Girl
South African actor Ama Qamata stars in this drama from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based on a powerful true story. She plays a teenage survivor of widespread sexual violence against women and girls in the DRC, discovered by a boxing coach while living homeless on the streets. Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, the film confronts the realities of violence while focusing on the resilience and strength of women and girls.
Spirit
Written and directed by Tebogo Malope, Spirit brings together five stories of resilience and redemption. A former boxing champion, a student activist and a priest find their lives intersecting with those of a businessman and his wife, as their individual journeys become increasingly connected.
Godzilla Minus Zero
The sequel to Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One returns to post-war Japan, where a nation already devastated by the aftermath of World War II faces another wave of destruction with the arrival of the giant monster. The film continues its reimagining of Godzilla as a terrifying force against a backdrop of national trauma.
Disney’s Hexed
A teenage girl discovers that her unconventional nature comes with some rather extraordinary abilities in Disney’s animated coming-of-age adventure. Billie, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, is pulled out of suburban life and into the magical witch realm of Hexe. Alongside her cautious mother Alice (Rashida Jones), she begins uncovering family secrets that could change the world of witches.
Focker-in-Law
The Focker family is back, with Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson reprising their familiar roles. Ariana Grande joins the cast as Olivia in a new chapter that brings more awkward family dynamics, relationship complications and attempts to make a good impression.
Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases here.
