November 2020 Preview | Fight Films Fill Docket As Holiday Season Officially Kicks Off
Now that Halloween is over and we’ve moved out of October, it is now officially the holiday season. Yes, the world is still grappling with eradicating a pandemic, which means going to the movies is still an activity most people aren’t keen on. The sad news is that we’re seeing many blockbuster films get pushed back to 2021 or farther. November casualties include Dune (originally scheduled for November 20), The Eternals (originally scheduled for November 6), Godzilla vs Kong (originally scheduled for November 20), and Raya and the Last Dragon (Originally scheduled for November 25).
The good news, however, is that there is still a great selection of movies coming theaters that are open and VOD. With a diverse selection from family dramas to comedies to horror flicks, here are the highlights for currently scheduled movie releases in November 2020:
JUNGLELAND (November 6)
SYNOPSIS: Jungleland is a love story between two brothers whose bond is tested as they struggle for their piece of the American Dream. Stan (Charlie Hunnam - The Gentlemen, Sons of Anarchy) and Lion (Jack O’Connell - Unbroken, Starred Up) are intent on settling debts and making it big in the brutal and unforgiving underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. But when Stan fails to pay back a debt to a dangerous crime boss (Jonathan Majors - Lovecraft Country, The Last Black Man In San Francisco), they must travel across the country to a high stakes tournament. They’re tasked to deliver an unexpected traveler (Jessica Barden - The End of the F***ing World) along the way, putting their close knit relationship and their lives in jeopardy.
WHAT I THINK: The strong cast that makes Jungleland such an appealing upcoming film. And with the trailer giving off a low-key yet inspiring vibe around the story, there’s sure to be a lot of heartfelt emotion as director Max Winkler navigates audiences through the increasingly dramatic relationship between these two brothers and their precarious circumstance.
Jungleland opens in select theaters November 6, then VOD on November 10.
KINDRED (November 6)
SYNOPSIS: When her boyfriend Ben (Edward Holcroft) suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte (Tamara Lawrance) collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother, Margaret (Fiona Shaw), and his controlling stepbrother, Thomas (Jack Lowden). They are determined to care for her, at least until the baby arrives. Charlotte accepts their help, but as the days go by, she begins to doubt their intentions. As her inexplicable visions intensify and the haze of lies grows, Charlotte decides that her only option is to break free from this family once and for all.
WHAT I THINK: Just because Halloween is over doesn’t mean it’s too late to enjoy a suspense/thriller. The premise here seems quite intense, and if the trailer is any indication, Kindred is poised to be a terrifying film experience.
Kindred opens in theaters and VOD on November 6.
CHICK FIGHT (November 13)
Tis the season for fight films (apparently) with another bare-knuckle underground fighting film entering the ring. This one, however, takes on a completely different tone with a seemingly fun premise and comical script.
SYNOPSIS: When Anna Wyncomb (Malin Akerman) is introduced to an underground, all-female fight club in order to turn her life around, she discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine.
WHAT I THINK: Good comedies are hard to come by, but Chick Fight seems ready to deliver. The trailer communicates a fun and entertaining kind of film that might just be perfect for grown up entertainment going into the holidays.
Chick Fight opens in theaters on November 13.
DREAMLAND (November 13)
SYNOPSIS: In Dreamland, Eugene Evans (Finn Cole - Here Are The Young Men) is coming of age in the Texas Dust Bowl. Clinging to a dream of escape and reunion with his biological father, Eugene and his family struggle to keep their home amidst a plague of Dust Storms and foreclosures. In a nearby town, five innocent civilians are killed in the midst of a holdup, and the local authorities are pursuing the fugitive bank robber, Allison Wells (Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey, Bombshell). When a $10,000 bounty is placed for the capture of Ms. Wells, Eugene seizes the opportunity in hopes that this monetary reward will prevent the foreclosure of his family farm.
WHAT I THINK: Dreamland is Miles Joris-Peyrafitte sophomore directorial feature length film, and he has a great cast to support this Dust Bowl era narrative. Featuring a cast that includes Finn Cole (who stars in the new film Here Are The Young Men), Garrett Hedlund (who played alongside Jungleland’s Jack O’Connell in Unbroken), and of course the incredible Margot Robbie, Dreamland just might be a standout film this month.
Dreamland opens in over 100 theaters nationwide on November 13, then release on premium VOD on November 17.
FREAKY (November 13)
SYNOPSIS: When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming. With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla (Celeste O’Connor, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), ultra-fabulous Joshua (Misha Osherovich, The Goldfinch) and her crush Booker (Uriah Shelton, Enter the Warriors Gate)—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree.
WHAT I THINK: Horror/comedy is a fun genre, especially in November when the content is dark enough to sustain some of the recent Halloween spirit, but light enough to be a fun watch with family and/or friends during the holiday season. Writer and director Christopher Landon is the recent king of Friday the 13th entertainment with Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2 being both critical and box office successes. Hopefully Freaky can continue upholding that reputation.
Freaky opens in theaters only on November 13th, then reaches VOD in December.
AMMONITE (November 13)
SYNOPSIS: In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognized fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.
Since it’s World Premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ammonite has had many sell-out screenings at major film festivals, including at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Although it looks and feels like an American star-studded version of last year’s French hit Portrait of a Lady On Fire, comparing the two might be a disservice to Ammonite, which seems to have the talent to tell its own compelling story.
Ammonite will open in theaters on November 13.
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOUNREY (November 13)
The holiday season has begun, so bring on the holiday movies!
SYNOPSIS: In the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle's (Forest Whitaker) fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it's up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (Madalen Mills) - and a long-forgotten invention - to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.
WHAT I THINK: This could actually be - as they might sensationally say - the holiday event of the season. It seems to be a soulful mix of musical, comedy, fantasy, sci-fi and Christmas genres. And while this movie could’ve done massive business in theaters, I do believe this is the kind of magic society needs at home right now. Its just quite the surprise (and an unexpected delight) that it’s coming from Netflix rather than Disney.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey releases exclusively on Netflix on November 13.
EMBATTLED (November 20)
Yes, one more fighting movie - but hear me out. This one might just be the best of them all.
SYNOPSIS: Cash (Stephen Dorff), channeling high levels of aggression because of an abusive upbringing, has worked his way up to becoming a World Champion MMA fighter. The family, however, is torn apart for multiple reasons, including the birth of his second son Quinn (Colin McKenna) who has Williams Syndrome. While Cash continues to make his fortune in the ring, his eldest son Jett (Darren Mann, Giant Little Ones) becomes the care-giver to his younger brother. When Jett decides to follow his father’s fighting footsteps and take to the fight game, he faces his past head on, embarking on a course inevitably pitting father versus son in a battle.
WHAT I THINK: Though the subject matter might seem similar to Jungleland - family drama in the world of high-stakes fighting - Embattled features boxing in a professional MMA capacity and approaches family drama from a unique and contentious father vs. son perspective. This is a film that will likely have a lot to say about the fabric of family and the pitfalls of toxic masculinity, with what is likely to be the best performance in Stephen Dorff’s career to date.
Embattled opens in select theaters and on VOD on November 20.
THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (November 25)
SYNOPSIS: The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family. The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans. The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family. Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together.
WHAT I THINK: It wouldn’t be the holiday season without a new animated movie. It seems entertaining enough, and while I was more interested in catching an original animated feature this month (both original animated movies Raya and the Last Dragon and Soul were pushed out of November), The Croods 2 seems eager to fill that demand for family friendly entertainment just in time for Thanksgiving this year.
I’m excited to watch most of these movies this month. But personally, the one I’m looking forward to most is Embattled. I know the boxing/fighting genre is crowded, but Embattled seems to have a fresh and unique conflict at the center of its premise in addition to what seems to be great performances from its lead cast, including Darren Mann who had a noteworthy supporting role in Giant Little Ones and Stephen Dorff.
Which movie are you looking forward to most this month? Scroll down just below the social media icons and hit “Leave a comment” to let us know what you can’t wait to see this month!