It’s November! The fall films are in full swing. A mixture of blockbuster and arthouse films are going to be released in the upcoming weeks. So buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Doctor Strange
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
With: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton
What is it about? After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant and conceited surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Heads Up: This is one of the best reviewed MCU films, a film that looks visually quite different from the other Marvel films, yet it is still a part of the same world they built throughout the last decade. Also with such a stellar cast, led by the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch, I think a visit to the Doctor is mandatory this weekend. As our own Faizan Rashid put it in his 4 stars review: “it becomes quite clear that Marvels most entertaining films are those that are gracefully playful, eccentric in tone and don’t take themselves particularly seriously. In that regard, Doctor Strange hits the bullseye“.
Trolls
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, Mike Mitchell
With: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, and Zooey Deschanel
What is it about? After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends.
Heads Up: This a very colorful and lighthearted animation from Dreamworks Studios who gave us Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. The trailer is delightful and the main theme song Can’t Stop The Feeling is already one of the biggest hits of the summer. So if you have young ones, take them to it, and I think you will be satisfied as well.
The 9th Life of Louis Drax
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
With: Jamie Dornan, Aiden Longworth, Sarah Gadon, and Aaron Paul
What is it about? A psychologist who begins working with a young boy who has suffered a near-fatal fall finds himself drawn into a mystery that tests the boundaries of fantasy and reality.
Heads Up: Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hill Have Eyes, Piranha 3D) is a director specialized in the horror and thriller genre, with a mix-bag of good and clunky films. The reviews of this one are more negative, but the trailer had me intrigued with both its premise and visuals. Maybe not enough to watch it in cinema, but I might catch up with it on home viewing.
American Pastoral
Directed by: Ewan McGregor
With: Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, and Dakota Fanning
What is it about? A hardworking man, who’s been a staple in his quaint community for years, watches his seemingly perfect middle class life fall apart as his daughter new radical political affiliation threatens to destroy their family.
Heads Up: This Ewan McGregor directorial debut was received poorly by critics upon its premier at Toronto International Film Festival. I say don’t bother.
Captain Fantastic
Directed by: Matt Ross
With: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, and Samantha Isler
What is it about? In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.
Heads Up: It has been a long time since we have watched Viggo Mortensen on the big screen. This film received decent reviews, and Mortensen is getting a heap of praise for his terrific turn. That said, the film is already out for home viewing, but I am still gonna recommend it nevertheless.
Under the Shadow
Directed by: Babak Anvari
With: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, and Bobby Naderi
What is it about? As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home.
Heads Up: This Iranian horror film has been getting some of the best reviews of the year, with 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This film is shot in Jordan and set in 80s war ravaged Tehran. It is also this year’s UK official submission for the Foreign Language Oscars (the director is British Iranian). I am really looking forward to seeing it. I say for sure go for it.
