Holiday season movie preview
Here’s what you should know about the blockbusters and awards-season contenders coming your way in November and December.
Nov. 4
DOCTOR STRANGE
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The gist: Marvel attempts to launch another superhero franchise with Doctor Strange, about a neurosurgeon who, after an injury and a soul-seeking journey, learns how to move among multiple dimensions.
The stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton
The good: A roster of talented actors and some mind-bending and cityscape-bending effects reminiscent of Inception.
The bad: There’s sorcery and magic in this one, which has been untested waters for the Marvel universe until now.
Recommended if you like: Origin stories where it takes the superhero most of the movie to become a superhero, Oriental architecture, heavy cloaks, Tilda Swinton pulling off the bald look
Nov. 11
ARRIVAL
The gist: Twelve alien ships are hovering at various locations around the world. A linguistics expert is brought in to attempt to decipher their language while citizens become restless and geopolitical conflicts escalate.
The stars: Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner
The good: This looks to be serious, thought-provoking sci-fi, and Adams is getting plenty of buzz for her emotional performance.
The bad: Less visual effects and more lofty philosophical questions, which may deter viewers (see Interstellar).
Recommended if you like: Characters donning orange hazmat suits, tense war-room debates, Hooked on Phonics
Nov. 18
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
The gist: The first in a new trilogy from J. K. Rowling serves as a prequel to the Harry Potter series. A young wizard arrives in 1920s New York with a peculiar briefcase filled with a number of dangerous creatures. Of course, they escape.
The stars: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston
The good: Relying on a more adult cast gives Rowling a chance to explore some new themes with David Yates, who directed the last four, much darker Potter films.
The bad: This is Rowling’s first foray into screenwriting, and unlike the Potter films, it doesn’t have the benefit of crib notes (read: seven books) on the multitude of characters and creatures introduced. Might get confusing for the casual fan.
Recommended if you like: Flapper outfits, cobblestone streets, finding out what the wizarding world in America is like, lots of wispy, blue-tinted CGI smoke
Nov. 23
ALLIED
The gist: A Canadian intelligence officer and a French resistance fighter fall for each other against the backdrop of 1940s North Africa.
The stars: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode
The good: Everyone loves a World War II epic, and with Robert Zemeckis at the helm, it’s got awards season written all over it.
The bad: The Jolie-Pitt divorce will likely overshadow this film and will definitely keep Pitt and Cotillard from promoting it.
Recommended if you like: Cotillard wearing a ’40s dress and red lipstick while unloading a few rounds from a semiautomatic, the Saharan desert but with more romance and less sun damage
Dec. 9
LA LA LAND
The gist: An homage to classic movie musicals. The simple storyline follows a starry-eyed couple as they pursue their dreams in Hollywood.
The stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons
The good: Gosling and Stone have great chemistry, and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle knows his way around smart, musically inclined stories.
The bad: A musical in modern times might be jarring, corny and a hard sell for today’s audiences.
Recommended if you like: Sudden dance numbers, bold color palettes, falling in and out and in and out of love
Dec. 9
OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY
The gist: Pretty much what the title suggests—coworkers throw a massive office party that spirals out of control.
The stars: Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, Kate McKinnon
The good: It’s in the over-the-top vein of The Hangover and has a capable comedic ensemble.
The bad: Its trailer throws out some predictable jokes, which means it might be as “meh” as The Hangover’s sequels or basically an extended SNL sketch.
Recommended if you like: Christmas sweaters, Kate McKinnon as your weird and naughty coworker in a Christmas sweater, HR violations
Dec. 21
PASSENGERS
The gist: Two passengers aboard a 5,000-passenger spaceship wake up before the rest of their crew during a long mission to a new planet. They set out to discover why their alarm clocks went off early.
The stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen
The good: With two of our brightest young stars finding romance amidst deep-space danger, it’s a recipe for big-budget popcorn fodder.
The bad: There’s something nondescript about the spaceship sets and pedestrian about their line readings, signaling everyone might have phoned this in for a quick buck.
Recommended if you like: Sleek, modern design, pretty people in spacesuits, that hotel bar scene in The Shining except with a robot bartender
Dec. 25
FENCES
The gist: A former Negro league baseball player struggles to provide for his family in 1950s Pittsburgh. Based on the much-loved play by August Wilson.
The stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo
The good: Washington directs, and he and Davis both received Tonys for the 2010 stage revival, so they know what to do with the material.
The bad: A serious, prestige film, it will get plenty of award nominations but might not pack the theaters.
Recommended if you like: Stirring monologues, critiquing stage-to-screen adaptations, Davis doing world-weary mother like no one else can.
This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of 225 Magazine.
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