BOY ERASED – November 2

A surefire film that will bring in at least a few Oscar nods, Boy Erased is based off the real life memoir of Garrard Conley, the gay son of a Baptist preacher who is sent off to a gay conversion camp.  Lucas Hedges—who has yet to be involved in anything that isn’t hailed with critical acclaim—plays the lead role with Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman playing his parents.  The film was adapted for the screen and directed by Joel Edgerton, who also plays the director of the conversion camp, and with Edgerton’s last writer/director project, The Gift, as a base, Boy Erased looks like it’s going to be an absolutely gripping emotional roller coaster.

 

OVERLORD – November 9

Overlord is what you get when you take Call of Duty: Zombies, Behind Enemy Lines, and J.J. Abrams‘ clout and throw it in a blender.  This dark horror/action/suspense film promises to be as grotesquely stunning as the Nazi zombies themselves.  Jovan Adepo and Wyatt Russell play Boyce and Ford, two American paratroopers that discover their secret mission is beyond their worst fear. On first glance, this movie may look like a throwaway, and it’s not going to have the same critical response as others, but I think this movie is just going to be fun.  It’s going to be wild and weird and everything you could want in a movie about Nazi zombies.

 

WIDOWS – November 16

I’m just going to list the cast: Viola Davis (Fences), Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious franchise), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby), Cynthia Ervio (Bad Times at the El Royale), Liam Neeson (Taken), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), David Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Robert Duvall (The Godfather trilogy), and Colin Farrell (S.W.A.T.)…Oh and if that wasn’t enough Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) is directing and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) wrote the screenplay.  Just go see the movie.

 

Creed II – November 11

After the huge success of Creed, Ryan Coogler came back on to help do the sequel with the same cast of characters.  This time, Adonis, played by Michael B. Jordan (you should hopefully know who this is by now), will confront the demons of his family’s past as he prepares to face the son of Ivan Drago, the very man that killed his father in the ring.  Watch the first trailer and tell me you aren’t pumped to see this showdown. Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok) reprise their roles from the first film in what’s sure to be a knockout (I just cringed typing that joke).

 

The Front Runner – November 21

in 1988, Gary Hart was a shoe-in for the Democratic presidential nomination.  It was all but a done deal, until he was caught in a scandalous love affair and everything went sideways.  Hugh Jackman and Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring) play Gary and Oletha Hart, and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) plays Billy Dixon, Hart’s campaign manager and longtime friend.  Director Jason Reitman has struck gold before with films like Juno and Up in the Air, and with a top notch Jackman pushing for Best Actor with his role, I won’t be surprised if he does it again. We’re all familiar with Jackman’s bromance with Ryan Reynolds, but if you missed Reynolds’ PSA to see the movie, you have to check it out.

 

Green Book – November 21

The Green Book was an actual pamphlet used in the 1960s as a guide to which hotels, restaurants, and other establishments in the deep South were safe for African-Americans, and this movie is about a true friendship set to this background. I have been a big Mahershala Ali guy ever since his role as Remy Danton in House of Cards, and since then I have yet to  be disappointed with any of his performances. Team him up with Viggo Mortensen—looking nothing like the role we all know him from—as his Italian-American chauffeur and companion, and you have the makings of a great relational drama.