Major Film Releases November 2021

Major Film Releases
November 2021

As the year draws closer to an end, the cinema begins to erupt with awards-bait films that will hopefully garner some attention in the upcoming awards season, as well as offering some unique films for other tastes.

Here are the major film releases coming to cinemas (and streaming) in November 2021...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
**RELEASE DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

Eternals

November 5
In Theaters

Along with "Shang-Chi," "Eternals" will be the most ambitious unknown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. The Eternals in the comics are a group of superheroes who've existed for thousands of years, but never interfered with human conflicts, unless it involved Deviants - evil counterparts of the Eternals that have arrived due to the infamous snap in "Infinity War" and again in "Endgame." Not much is known about these eternal heroes in the general populous, so it'll be interesting to see how they're accepted into the MCU. The film does boast a strong cast including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan and Kit Harrington, and behind the camera is Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, so the pedigree is off the charts. I'm excited to see where they go here, and I hope that it'll be a big success.

Spencer

November 5
In Theaters

There's been no shortage of films, miniseries, and plays about the People's Princess, Diana. Some were met with acclaim, while most fell flat (looking your way Naomi Watts' "Diana"), but "Spencer" looks like it'll be one of the best portrayals of Diana Spencer, with critical acclaim given to Kristen Stewart who plays the iconic Princess. Set during December 1991 with the marriage between Diana and Charles already on the rocks, the film centers on what could've happened during that time that led to the eventual shocking divorce. Both Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have received negative critiques since their abysmal "Twilight" series, but both have rebounded nicely with crafty independent work, and buzz is going around that Stewart is a lock for an Academy Award nomination for her performance - so there is hope for anyone.

Clifford the Big Red Dog

November 10
In Theaters & Paramount+

Based off the beloved children's book series, "Clifford" centers around a young girl who doesn't fit in anywhere who finds a red dog and raises it as her own, naming him Clifford. One day Clifford grows to astronomical size, and the little girl doesn't want to get rid of him despite all the antics he causes due to his tremendous size. The animation of Clifford looks totally terrible, and reminds me of the old Nintendo Pets, and it might entertain young children but that'll probably be it. At least it's also going to be released on Paramount+ so parents can throw it on for the little ones as they go about doing something more worthwhile - like watching paint dry.

Home Sweet Home Alone

November 12
Disney+

Everyone knows about the Christmas classics "Home Alone" and "Home Alone: Lost in New York", but did you know there's three other "Home Alone" films? And one of them featured the breakout role for Scarlett Johansson? Neither did many other people, and "Home Sweet Home Alone" will end up as one of those forgettable sequels, a film no one asked for, and one I feel bad for the actors for because they'll undoubtedly receive flack for doing this soulless endeavor. When a boy is left home alone while the rest of his family takes a vacation to Tokyo, he must defend the homestead from two burglars on Christmas - sound familiar? The only reason I want to watch this is to find out the illogical reason as to why the kid was home alone with no means to contact anyone with all the new technologies that've been invented since the first "Home Alone," but I bet it'll still not make any sense. The trailer looks like a parody of the original, and it'll just be a painful reminder that sometimes Hollywood returns to the old well long after it runs dry.

Red Notice

November 12
Netflix

In order to stop a criminal mastermind from stealing priceless artifacts, a FBI profiler joins forces with another criminal to stop her. If this plot sounds familiar it's because it is, but looking at the actors playing this triangle of deceit makes it looks almost watchable. Dwayne Johnson stars as the FBI profiler who looks like he's playing to his strengths in almost sleepwalk fashion, while Ryan Reynolds is now doing his third film this year (after "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" and "Free Guy") as his generic comedic role, but it's Gal Gadot I'm most excited to see, as she'll be playing a bad guy for the first time (at least I can remember). This looks to be typical with the same action, humor, and story that's been done before, but I have some hope due to the actors involved.

Belfast

November 12
In Theaters

Another film garnering Oscar buzz, "Belfast" is written and directed by Kenneth Branagh and serves as a semi-autobiographical tale of a working class family growing up in the tumultuous 1960s Belfast known as The Troubles. This looks like a tender, sweet, and perfectly performed film shot in glorious black-and-white and featuring a strong supporting cast including Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, and featuring young newcomer Jude Hill as the main character Buddy.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

November 19

A film that was supposed to be released in the summer of 2020, the highly anticipated sequel to the "Ghostbusters" franchise finally hits theaters on November 19. Taking place thirty years after the second film (and completely ignoring the much-maligned female-centric "Ghostbusters" film), "Afterlife" centers around a family moving to a small town in Oklahoma to a home gifted to them by the kids' deceased grandfather, and the children discover that their grandfather was actually one of the famed Ghostbusters. As paranormal activity begins to rise, the children band together and use the tactics from the old Ghostbusters crew to craft a new legacy. Starring McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and appearances by the classic crew - Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, "Afterlife" looks like it'll breathe new life into the long-dormant franchise and craft a new legacy to follow.

King Richard

November 19
In Theaters & HBOMax

Will Smith stars in the biopic "King Richard" as Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams, and the painstaking journey he goes on to make them worldwide success stories and change the history of tennis forever. Smith has already garnered critical praise for his role, and look for him to earn more than a few nominations come award season in this heartwarming, uplifting biopic that'll focus on the strength of the human spirit to accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Tick, Tick...Boom!

November 19
In Theaters & Netflix

Making his directorial debut, Lin-Manuel Miranda tells the story of Jonathan Larson, a thirty-year-old who feels like life is passing him by, as he watches his friends succumb to the growing AIDS crisis and sets out to change the world through music, giving birth to the mutiple-Tony Award winning musical "Rent." Featuring Andrew Garfield in another powerful role, this looks like a fantastic blend of musical and drama, filled with emotional performances and a solid story that'll touch your heart and prove that it's never too late to chase your dreams, and never give up on them.

Encanto

November 24
In Theaters

Say hello to Disney's newest princess, Mirabel Madrigal, a woman who has absolutely no powers and who seems like an ordinary person surrounded by magical family members who must find a way to save her magical home from being destroyed. Featuring songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Encanto" looks to be one of those great Disney epics where an underdog lead goes on an epic journey of self-discovery as well as saving those closest to her as she discovers who she really is and finds the inner power inside that she never knew she had. So, basically, typical Disney - but with such lavish visuals, emotional story, and strong vocal performances, this looks to become another beloved Disney classic in the years to come.

House of Gucci

November 24
In Theaters

Proving murder and family drama never go out of style, "House of Gucci" focuses on the highly public lives of the Guccis, who are most well-known for their high-level fashion creations. Centering on the well-known murder of Maurizio Gucci, the movie features strong performances by a slew of Oscar winners and nominees, including Lady Gaga (who'll undoubtedly earn another nomination here), Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, and Al Pacino in this Ridley Scott-directed biopic that'll be filled with intrigue, suspense, and of course high fashion.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

November 24
In Theaters

Films based on video games historically don't have a great track record, but the original "Resident Evil" film still is hailed as one of the best (again, that's not saying much). The franchise seemingly was run into the ground with its numerous sequels, but now it's getting a reboot with "Welcome to Raccoon City." Centering on the story of the first two games, the movie finds a group of people who head to Raccoon City - home of the Umbrella Corporation - as they try to find out the evil inside and try to stop it from spreading. This film will feature more characters from the video games (such as Claire and Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine), and feature a younger cast including Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kramen and Robbie Amell that'll take on the iconic "Resident Evil" monsters in all its CGI gory glory.

There are the major films coming out in November 2021.
Here is the order in which I'm most excited to see them, from least to most:

#12 - Clifford the Big Red Dog
#11 - Home Sweet Home Alone
#10 - Red Notice
#9 - Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
#8 - Belfast
#7 - King Richard
#6 - Encanto
#5 - House of Gucci
#4 - Spencer
#3 - Tick, Tick...Boom!
#2 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife
#1 - Eternals