Movies Not to Miss: November 2018

Writer: Casey Lee

Which of these are you going to watch?

With the end of the year approaching, studios seem to be rushing to get the last of their best titles in before the year wraps up. November is traditionally the month when the Fall and award contenders are starting to make an appearance, but this month's schedule is anything but for anyone anticipating a slower release of blockbusters.

This month is packed with so much anticipated titles that we couldn't find the space to fit them all in, so are doing a first for many in our list of recommendations; we are attaching honourable mentions for movies that we would equally recommend to our selection.

So, for this month's honourable mentions, we would include: "Overlord" for fans of J. J Abrams' 'black box' concept of filmmaking. "The Great Battle", a Korean dramatisation of the Siege of Ansi against the armies of the Tang dynasty by the Goguryeo kingdom. "The Hate U Give", an adaptation of the young adult novel by Audrey Wells of a young black girl fighting against racism with a noteworthy performance from "The Hunger Games" alumni Amandla Stenberg. "Robin Hood" is director Otto Bathurst's debut to Hollywood with Taron Egerton leading as the archer-robber. Lastly is "Creed 2", Adonis Creed continues his climb to be a world champion that puts him on a collision course with Ivan Drago, the son of the man who killed his father in "Rocky IV".

Christmas comes early in November with an adaptation of a Christmas classic. Director Lasse Hallström helms this adaptation of the short story by E.T.A Hoffmann and the ballet by Marius Petipa, with Joe Johnston also taking co-directing credits for some reshoots that had to be done. Set to be made with dazzling effects and grand CG-work to bring to life the scale of the magical world in "The Nutcracker", Mackenzie Foy takes the magical trip through the kingdoms led by Eugenio Derbez as the Flower Realm King, Richard E. Grant as the Snow Realm King and Lil Buck as the Mouse King. Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman are also in the cast, and James Newton Howard will have the hard job of composing the music to do justice for "The Nutcracker".

General Release Date: 1 November

2018 has surprisingly been a terrific year for musicals and movies revolving around music and musicians. While fans of ballads have been crying their heart out from the latest remake of "A Star is Born" with Lady Gaga, rock faithful have been anticipating this title that follows the life of the legendary Queen frontman. A potential career-changing turn for Rami Malek who transforms into Freddie Mercury, and perhaps not so for the Weinstein-affected director Bryan Singer, this is for the fans who want to relive the favourite hits of the band, rather than a riveting biopic that unveils the darker history of the legend.

General Release Date: 1 November

Set in 1795 when the British East India Company is expanding its rule over the Indian subcontinent, a ship of thugs (pirates seem to be copyrighted) disrupt and rebel against British ships and trade. Seeking to put down this act of colonial defiance, they hire a small-time thug to infiltrate the rebel ship and bring down its ringleader. Christmas may be a month away, but this is the month to celebrate Deepavali. If the news of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise getting a reboot and losing their captain has disheartened you, then it might be good to know that the formula has lived and spread elsewhere in the world. Produced with a budget running into US$28 million, "Thugs of Hindostan" is set to be one of the most expensive Bollywood film to be made, starring a slew of its superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The big name doesn't end with the cast, as this will be helmed by "Dhoom 3" director Vijay Kirshna Acharya, with music by Ajay-Atul and lyrics written by Amitabh Bachchan.

General Release Date:: 8 November

Things may be going downhill for Johnny Depp. With him potentially losing his one lasting franchise, Depp is hanging up his pirate hat to take up the wands of the Wizarding World. After being captured by the Magical Congress of the United States of America or MACUSA, Gridelwald escapes and assembles a new generation of wizards with one purpose: to rule over the no-majs. Director David Yates returns for this sequel, along with a whole host of familiar faces with Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, and Ezra Miller, fighting for different sides of those who want to see domination and those who want harmony with the no-majs. "The Crimes of Grindelwald" seems to already be taking a darker tone with friendships tested and lost, but fans of the Harry Potter world would be more than delighted to see Jude Law take on the mantle of Albus Dumbledore. James Newton Howard also returns to score for this sequel.

General Release Date: 15 November

When work started for a sequel to "Wreck-It Ralph", it had to go through several iterations in the script, which explains the long wait. Now the arcade duo Ralph and Vanellope are entering the cyberspace to acquire a virtual steering wheel or else the world of Sugar Rush gets shut down. John C. Reily and Sarah Silverman reprise their video game characters, as they get acquainted with strangers on the internet played by Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, and Bill Hader. Much like how it did in the 2012, this sequel will not be shy about placing product placements, easter eggs, callbacks and references, just that this time Disney will be able to access its entire library of properties from The Muppets, Star Wars, Marvel comics and even Pixar characters.

General Release Date: 22 November

The one-location horror can be a test and showcase of a filmmaker's creativity and mastery of form. "The Pool", as unassuming as it sounds, is the setting chosen by Thai director Ping Lumpraploeng to demonstrate his tension-building and suspense, as a man finds himself trapped at the bottom of a dried pool. From unfortunate accidents to existential dread to a crocodile, "The Pool" is one of the less conventional horror thrillers that we could be seeing this year, from a country that is far too comfortable with relying on the supernatural for their scares.

General Release Date: 22 November

Malaysia's current favourite buddy cop duo are back. After a record-setting run at the local box office that sparked new hope for Malaysian action cinema, it was certain that a sequel was going to be made. But can the magic of the producers and directors sustain for this second round? For most intents and purposes, "Polis Evo 2" resembles much of what a sequel is supposed to do, being bigger and better than the first one. Instead of Ghaz Abu Bakar returning for directing duty, it has now been taken over by "Polis Evo" producer Joel Soh, who will be co-directing with Andre Chiew. Soh will still be handling the screenwriting aspect (with a few other co-writers) that gave the first installment its solid structure, and this time has Shaheizy Sam and Zizan Razak bickering on an island held hostage by a terrorist group. All will be on board to see if a formula has been found and turn "Polis Evo" into one of the sustaining action franchises of Malaysia.

General Release Date: 29 November

Masters of giving villainous characters a heart of gold, Illumination Entertainment is taking their brand of slapstick comedy and slapping it on another classic Christmas villain, the Grinch. When the Grinch plans to finally wreak havoc on Christmas for the people of Whoville, he encounters a young girl who is looking for Santa to thank him. Voiced by a grumpy Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character, other voices in the cast includes Rashida Jones, Cameron Sheely, Angela Lansbury and Pharrell Williams, with music provided by "The Nightmare Before Christmas" composer Danny Elfman.

General Release Date: 29 November