Put away those Halloween decorations, it’s time for … Thanksgiving! (At least for my American readers.) Resist the temptation to skip ahead to December, although maybe get a headstart on your holiday shopping because of supply chain issues. Luckily, there’s nothing stopping the flow of great movies onto your streaming services. I’ve rounded up 10 new additions that are worth your time in November.
Children of Men, Amazon Prime
We’re only six years removed from the dystopian future imagined by Alfonso Cuarón in Children of Men, although the pandemic has certainly made it feel even closer — if not already here. A world defined by bleak outlooks, political violence, issues with birthrates … stop me if you’ve heard these before! And yet, unto us a child is born. This futuristic reimagining of the Nativity story sees Clive Owen’s caustic Theo Faron trying to help escort a miracle pregnancy to safety. If the story doesn’t wrap you up, then Emmanuel Lubezki’s immersive cinematography certainly will.
Eyes Wide Shut, HBO Max
If you only know Stanley Kubrick’s directorial swan song for its bizarre plot twists and sensual shenanigans, it’s time to reconsider giving this a watch. I’ve seen Eyes Wide Shut three times now, with each new watch peeling away layers of oddity and irony to reveal its rotten core of a marriage marred by distrust and jealousy. (Yet again, another sneaky Christmas movie — the festive holiday lights provide a frequent ironic contrast to the isolation and depravity of the characters and story.) Sure, you can read the dissolution of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s marriage out of the movie if you want — but go deeper into the nebulous territory where couples play games with one another for an even more perverse, propulsive watch.
Fargo, Hulu
Speaking of themed seasonal viewings (a coincidence that the first three selections happen to have this in common!), the ground gets riper for Fargo as it gets whiter with snow. This forerunner of our true crime fascination charts the vast web of a crime gone wrong by a pathetic used car salesman and the two dim-witted criminals he hires to do his dirty work … and the good-natured police chief who lets her humanity guide her. The Coens do a hell of a job juxtaposing midwestern nice with American avarice in this pitch-perfect thriller.
It’s Complicated, Amazon Prime
It is my life’s solemn duty to keep you informed of when and where you can watch any movie by Nancy Meyers (or Nora Ephron). You simply must accept this as a central content pillar of this newsletter. Anyways, this is an alert that the raucous and rousing rom-com It’s Complicated is now on Amazon Prime. I maintain that when the first few notes of The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” play during the film’s centerpiece party sequence are among the closest we can get to heaven on earth.
Michael Clayton, Hulu
The comedian Joe Mande sells a parodic yard sign that reads as follows: “We belive the legal thriller Michael Clayton starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Wilkinson is a vastly underrated cinematic masterpiece and easily one of of the five best films of the 21st century.” It is currently sold out. If I had a yard, this would be in it. This is perhaps the leanest movie I’ve ever seen, not a shot out of place or a moment misjudged in its tight two-hour runtime.
Moonstruck, HBO Max
I can’t say I’d been a huge fan of Moonstruck in the past until I, like many, rediscovered its charms during the pandemic. This charmer of a classic rom-com provides the genre pleasures you could want and then some memorable characters on top. It’s also one heck of a New York movie, for those who care. One memorable montage of characters across the city each staring up in wonder at the same moon in the sky is exactly the feeling I get living here; this scene reduced me to a puddle of tears the last time I watched it. I’d really kill to see this on a big screen in New York one day, maybe even outdoors, but I’ll just keep using YouTube until my dream becomes a reality.
Munich, Peacock (free with ads)
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that many would consider Steven Spielberg’s prime to be back in the 1970s and 1980s, where he redefined the blockbuster and launched any number of generational touchstones. But his recent stretch in the 2000s has been equally fruitful in deeper, richer tones. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Munich, but it’s a film I can never really shake. This meditation on the destructive ends of retributive violence broods profoundly on both a thematic and aesthetic level. For nearly three hours, you’re in the hands of a true master as he smuggles a morality play into a revenge thriller.
The Nightingale, Netflix
(CW: sexual violence) It takes a LOT for a movie to unsettle me. The Nightingale made me squirm, as any movie that seeks to convey the terror of rape as a tool of power to preserve hierarchies of gender and race should do. This Australian tale finds an unlikely pairing between an Irish convict woman and an Aboriginal tracker, each united in trauma and a desire to inflict revenge upon a vile British officer. This one is not for the faint of heart, but those who can stomach director Jennifer Kent’s unflinching vision of perseverance in the wake of human depravity should find their travails handsomely rewarded.
Nightmare Alley, Criterion Channel
Full disclosure: unlike every other movie I recommend here, I actually haven’t seen Nightmare Alley! But if you want to see the 1947 film noir classic that Guillermo del Toro is adapting for his new movie of the same name arriving next month, then perhaps you’re like me and curious to see the original! I’m planning to make some time to watch this in November, and if you join me in doing so, give me a shout!
The Sparks Brothers, Netflix
If you want to see that other Edgar Wright movie from 2021, you’re in luck! His first documentary, The Sparks Brothers, just dropped out of the blue on Netflix. Thanks to Wright’s energetic and emphatic tribute to the underrecognized genius of musical group Sparks, some of their songs will undoubtedly be in my Spotify Wrapped next month. Don’t let the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime scare you away. He's just giving a comprehensive overview of a band constantly reinventing itself in exciting ways — and extending an open invitation to come and join the cool kids in their veneration of Sparks.
WHAT I WATCHED
Folks, please don’t sleep on seeing Dune on the biggest screen you can (preferably IMAX if the option is available to you). It is not hyperbole to say that these were among the most immersive, awe-inspiring images I’ve ever seen projected before my eyes. It took my breath away repeatedly for two and a half hours.
WHAT I HEARD
The most important bit of aural pleasure I can pass along to you this week is a Spotify playlist of the album that Nancy Meyers gave to her cast and crew for Something’s Gotta Give.
These were the songs she played on set as they made a delightful film, and maybe it can give you a delightful day:
WHAT I WROTE
My interview with The Souvenir Part II writer/director Joanna Hogg and actress Honor Swinton Byrne is now live at Slant. After not caring much at all for the austerity of the first Souvenir film, it really knocked me off my feet how much I adored the more emotional and introspective follow-up. I’d honestly argue you could probably just read the Wikipedia summary of the predecessor and jump right into the second part.
Also, I’ll resurface both my review of Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho from Venice (good, with some noted reservations) as well as my ranking of his filmography in light of the two new additions this year — both on /Film.
WHAT I READ
Had some downtime here and there this week and finally began the long process of cleaning out my Twitter bookmarks. (This process will continue until the end of time, or until Jack Dorsey decides he wants to join Zucc in the metaverse.)
I love a good close read of a star image, and I got to read two excellent ones this week: Timothée Chalamet in The Guardian and Jessica Chastain in Vulture.
If you want deep analyses of recent releases, might I recommend this Slate piece on No Time to Die and a non-binary read on Titane.
As a reminder, Thursday’s post will be for subscribers ONLY. Don’t miss it (although if you subscribe later, you’ll be able to read it on the website).
Yours in service and cinema,
Marshall