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You know how, when you’re watching a good thriller, and the suspense is solid, and everything is building, and you’re holding your breath, and it’s all so exciting that you feel almost giddy with anticipation of what’s coming? No? Just me? Well, whatever the case, that’s how I feel around this time of the year. The Award Season buzz is building, some of the contenders are starting to hit theaters, and it’s just so exciting that I can hardly stand it.
We’ve already taken a look at the movies of September and October. So now let’s build up to the big guys: the Award Season releases of November and December.
As always, I have to start with my disclaimer: especially during this time of year, release dates can (and most likely will) change—and other releases will open slowly, making their way to different markets on different weeks. Also…I list films here by the week of release, typically using Friday as the standard release day—but some films may open earlier in the week. So, as always, keep an eye on your local listings for exact release dates.
NOVEMBER 1:
Let’s just dive right in, shall we? Because, at this time of year, Award Season just doesn’t mess around.
Opening this week, Martin Scorsese’s latest, The Irishman, starring Robert De Niro as a former mob hitman who looks back on his life, his career, and his part in the disappearance of his old friend, Jimmy Hoffa.
For more action and crime, there’s Motherless Brooklyn. Edward Norton directs and stars as a detective in 1950s New York who’s attempting to solve the murder of his mentor.
For more crowd-pleasing, big-budget action, Arnold Schwarzenegger returns in Terminator: Dark Fate, which follows Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor as she sets out to save a young girl who holds the fate of the world in her hands.
Also this week: Harriet tells the story of Harriet Tubman’s escape to freedom and fight to free others. Two young couples try to figure out life and love in Waves. In Burden, Garrett Hedlund plays a rising KKK leader who’s protected by an African American pastor (Forest Whitaker) after he chooses to leave. And the documentary Kingmaker explores the political career for Imelda Marcos.
Kristin’s Pick: I’m not even sure where to begin with this exciting list of options. But there’s just something about Scorsese and De Niro that make The Irishman irresistible.
NOVEMBER 8:
Looking for some explosive action? Roland Emmerich is sure to give you just what you’re looking for in Midway, which tells the story of the all-important Battle of Midway during World War II.
For some supernatural scares, there’s Doctor Sleep. Based on Stephen King’s follow-up to The Shining, it stars Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Danny Torrance, who attempts to protect a girl with similar powers from a cult called The True Knot.
If you’re looking for some family entertainment, try Nickelodeon’s Playing with Fire, a family comedy about three tough firefighters attempting to rescue three wild kids. Or, if your family prefers animation, there’s Arctic Dogs, starring Jeremy Renner as the voice of Swifty the Arctic Fox, whose quest to be appreciated as a top courier leads him and his friends on a mission to save the world.
Or, if you’re ready for the holiday romance, there’s Last Christmas, starring Emilia Clarke as a young woman who finds romance while working as a department store elf.
And finally this week, Honey Boy is based on the life and career of Shia LaBeouf, who struggled to navigate a budding acting career while trying to come to terms with his difficult childhood.
Kristin’s Pick: This week seems to offer a little bit of fun for everyone. But since I’ve always loved The Shining, I’ll give my pick to Doctor Sleep.
NOVEMBER 15:
Hollywood does love a good reboot. And this week, Charlie’s Angels gets the reboot treatment, with Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska taking over as the trio of private detectives.
For some winter chills, there’s The Lodge, starring Riley Keough as a future stepmom who’s snowed in with her fiancé’s kids when strange and terrifying things begin to happen.
Meanwhile, Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen face off in The Good Liar. When a con artist (McKellen) meets a wealthy widow (Mirren) and realizes that he actually cares about her, his latest con gets complicated.
And in Ford v Ferrari, Matt Damon and Christian Bale team up as the car designer and driver challenged with building and racing the car that can take on Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Also this week, a teenage girl takes responsibility for caring for her father in Mickey and the Bear. And an honors student is on trial for murder in All Rise.
Kristin’s Pick: Yet again, this week offers all kinds of intriguing options—but the cast alone makes The Good Liar my pick.
NOVEMBER 22:
Holiday weekends are typically filled with big releases—but, this year, the excitement begins a week early, with a couple of eagerly-anticipated new films.
Up first this week, Elsa and Anna, Olaf and Sven, set off on a quest to find the answers to Elsa’s powers to save Arendelle in Frozen II.
Or, for the kid in all of us, there’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as beloved children’s television host Fred Rogers who befriends a cynical journalist (played by Matthew Rhys).
Kristin’s Pick: This is definitely a difficult decision—but my love of Mr. Rogers wins out. My pick goes to A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Please remind me to pack my tissues for the screening.
NOVEMBER 29:
Last weekend saw a couple of big releases, and the fun continues with the Thanksgiving weekend release of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, a comic crime thriller starring Daniel Craig as a detective who’s brought in to investigate the murder of a beloved crime novelist.
Also this week, Queen & Slim follows the story of a young couple (played by Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya) whose first date takes a disastrous turn when they’re pulled over by the police.
Kristin’s Pick: Again, I’m looking forward to both of this week’s new releases—but I’ve got to give my pick to Rian Johnson and his all-star cast in Knives Out.
DECEMBER 6:
The week after Thanksgiving weekend is notoriously slow—and this week is no different. This week, Katie Holmes stars in Brahms: The Boy II, a horror flick about a family who moves into an old mansion and finds their son befriending a lifelike doll.
Also this week, the French drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells the story of a young painter (Noémie Merlant) who is commissioned to paint a young bride’s wedding portrait.
Kristin’s Pick: I’ll admit that I’m over creepy doll movies. So I’ll give my pick to Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
DECEMBER 13:
After a brief pause in the big-buzz releases, this week kicks off with the release of Jumanji: The Next Level, which finds the four friends from 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle returning to the game and facing deadly new challenges.
Or, for some holiday horrors, there’s the latest remake of the 1974 classic Black Christmas—the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and killed by a stranger during their holiday break.
Also this week, an Austrian refuses to fight for the Nazis in Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life.
Kristin’s Pick: There’s just something about The Rock and Kevin Hart that I just can’t pass up. So my pick this week goes to Jumanji.
DECEMBER 20:
Thanks to Disney, each December, audiences travel to a galaxy far, far away. This week, in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, director J. J. Abrams finishes the Skywalker Saga as the remaining members of the Resistance gear up for another battle.
If Star Wars isn’t your thing, you might prefer Cats, director Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical.
Meanwhile, Bombshell tells the true story of a group of women who took on Fox News head Roger Ailes. And Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy once again team up in Superintelligence, with McCarthy starring as a woman who’s chosen to be observed by a form of artificial intelligence.
Kristin’s Pick: Though the Star Wars films have definitely had their ups and downs lately, my pick goes to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
DECEMBER 27:
And finally this week, we close out the year with a long list of new releases for Christmas and beyond—starting with director Sam Mendes’s war drama, 1917, the story of two young British soldiers on a mission to deliver important information deep behind enemy lines.
Meanwhile, director Greta Gerwig releases her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel Little Women. Alfre Woodard stars as a prison warden confronting her demons as she prepares to execute another inmate in Clemency. And Adam Sandler plays a New York City jeweler looking to pay off his debts in the crime caper Uncut Gems.
Or, for the kids, there’s Spies in Disguise, starring Will Smith as the voice of a superspy who’s forced to rely on his geeky team after he’s accidentally turned into a pigeon.
Kristin’s Pick: I’m a fan of classic literature and Greta Gerwig as a director, so I’m looking forward to Little Women.
And there you have it…another Award Season full of action and drama and Oscar bait. If you have any favorites or predictions—any movies that you’re really excited to see—I’d love to hear about them on the NightsAndWeekends Facebook page. Head on over, and let’s chat! And, in the meantime, enjoy the season!
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