The Look Ahead - November 2024
The Look Ahead - November 2024
Movie, TV, Book, and Game releases this month
We’re back with this month’s Look Ahead!
I hope everyone has a great spooky season! I got to take in a ton of 80s horror for the first time this year. My personal new favorites found were Psycho II, From Beyond, and The ‘Burbs.
I also loved watching A Pup Named Scooby-Doo again for the first time in a long time. I adore this iteration of the Scooby Gang.
That being said, we are now firmly in the awards-bait season, so there’ll be a lot of best-of-the-year potentials finally coming out. This time of the year is also when I crunch on my backlog of things I missed or put off, so lots of catching up with things too.
More than any other month, I’m very excited to watch a lot of TV, and strangely, November has no books that have caught my attention.
That being said, much like my Weekly Recaps, I wanted to revamp The Look Ahead and I’ll just be sharing the things that I’m really, really excited about, which will drastically shorten the list.
Movies
Music by John Williams | 11/1 | Disney+
From his early days as a jazz pianist to his 54 Oscar nominations and five wins, this documentary celebrates Williams’ countless contributions to the moving image arts, music for the concert stage, as well as his indelible impact on popular culture.
Directed by long-time Spielberg collaborator Laurent Bouzereau (who also had an excellently reviewed book on Spielberg released this year), this documentary feels like it was made for me. I had no idea it was coming out but it’s now jumped to my list of most anticipated. I’m frothing at the mouth to watch! By all appearances, it will be a documentary that won’t try to analyze the man, but rather stand in testimony to his greatness, and honestly…I’m okay with that right now. There’ll be time to criticize the man behind the myth, but for now, I want to revel in that myth.
All We Imagine as Light | 11/15 - Theaters (Limited)
In Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s routine is troubled when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her boyfriend. A trip to a beach town allows them to find a space for their desires to manifest.
This was a Cannes Film Festival Palm d’Or nominee and Grand Prize winner, and multiple critics I respect and love have given it rave reviews so I’m very excited. There’s a melancholic aura over the whole film, which is also very much a “Movie For Colton” tone. I also keep hearing how much the ending makes people want to rewatch, which is instantly a good sign. One of my favorite directors of all time - Kurosawa - had the word humanist used in praise for his films and I keep seeing that same word for this movie. It makes me hopeful and excited.
Ghost Cat Anzu | 11/15 | Theaters (Limited)
Karin, 11 years old, is abandoned by her father at her grandfather’s house, the monk of a small town in the Japanese countryside. Her grandfather asks Anzu, his jovial and helpful although rather capricious ghost cat, to look after her. The meeting of their strong characters causes sparks, at least at the beginning.
After watching the trailer, I couldn’t NOT have this on my list. I love the animation style and the absurdity of it all. I’ve not seen either of the co-directors’ previous movies, but Nobuhiro Yamashita is a name I’ve heard in praise for Linda, Linda, Linda and Let’s Go Karaoke. Really this just comes down to a fun trailer and great art direction!
Gladiator 2 | 11/22 | Theaters
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
To say I love Gladiator does not do justice to my feelings for the original. Just the existence of this movie is enough to get me to watch it. But then I get to see Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger all in a movie together? Along with returning cast members Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi? Seated. Though I wish Djimon Honsou was returning, he will be sorely missed.
As I write this the first screening in LA was shown on the Paramount lot and the little I allowed myself to read was very positive. Screenings like that are always a little hyperbolic, however, I’m allowing myself to fall a little into the hype.
Wicked | 11/22 | Theaters
Elphaba, an ostracized but defiant girl born with green skin, and Glinda, a privileged aristocrat born popular, become extremely unlikely friends in the magical Land of Oz. As the two girls struggle with their opposing personalities, their friendship is tested as both begin to fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and The Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Whoever decided to make this into two movies should be fired, but despite that, I am excited about this. While my love for the stage musical has definitely cooled in the many years since I first listened to it, I still like it. But what I really hope for is a musical doing absolute numbers at the box office. I wish it and Gladiator II weren’t in direct competition, but oh well! I also don’t love Ariana’s involvement, but I’m deeply in the minority in my opinion of her. I actually don’t know if I’ll like this and the CGI in the trailer gives me slight pause, but I will be sat for a GLICKED double feature on the weekend of the 22nd.
Flow | 11/22 | Theaters (Limited)
The world seems to be coming to an end, teeming with the vestiges of a human presence. Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world.
With an interesting art style, an intriguing story premise, and a cool Latvian director, I need little other information to be interested in this movie. But then I learned there’s no dialogue and only animal noises! Even more intriguing. And THEN I learned they used real animals to get all the recordings for the animals in the movie and I can’t see this movie fast enough. It’s the official submission of Latvia for the Academy Awards this season and that speaks a lot to me as well.
Television
Arcane, Season 2 | 11/9 | Netflix
Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions.
The first season of Arcane was one of the best pieces of media I watched the year it was released - 2021. I was completely blown away by the stunning and unique animation. It’s a very specific look and style that just absolutely works for this world. I was also really taken aback by how strong and complex the story and performances were. It completely caught me off guard and I’ve been waiting all these years for this second season.
Dune: Prophecy | 11/17 | Max
Ten thousand years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen sisters establish the fabled sect and female order that would become known as the Bene Gesserit to control the future of humankind.
The Dune movies rule and the Bene Gesserit are one of the more interesting aspects of that world so of course I have to watch this! Throw in a dash of Mark Strong and Emily Watson for good measure and I’m even more there!
The Creep Tapes | 11/15 | Shudder
A secluded serial killer lures videographers into his world with the promise of a paid job documenting his life. Unfortunately, as the tape rolls, the killer's questionable intentions surface with his increasingly odd behavior and the victims will learn they may have made a deadly mistake.
Back in July, I raved about Creep and Creep 2, so how could I not be excited about this miniseries from the same creators? It will be six episodes exploring some of Mark Duplass’s titular creep’s tapes. There’s a lot of room here to be creative and explore this character. I’m stoked and will be keeping SHudder just to watch this.
Leonardo da Vinci | 11/18 | PBS
This two-part, four-hour documentary delves into the world of a 15th-century art titan and unravels their journey while shedding light on their lasting impact on future generations.
Keith David is narrating a new Ken Burns documentary on Leonardo da Vinci.
If you need any more than that I don’t know how to help you. This is peak TV to me.
Chef’s Table, Season 7 | 11/27 | Netflix
Volume 7 of Chef’s Table continues the series’ tradition of featuring culinary masters across the globe who are redefining today’s food landscape. This season’s lineup features a diverse group of chefs, each bringing their unique perspective and creativity to the table.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched a Chef’s Table season, but I really want to get back into it! I love food shows and this is one of the best, so I’ll be trying to get back on this ride.
Video Games
The Rise of the Golden Idol | 11/12 | PC (Switch, PS4/5, XO/S/X, iOS, Android)
The Idol rises... 300 years later. Three centuries following the unspeakable fate of the Cloudsleys, the legend of the Golden Idol has all but faded. Now it is carried only in small whispers, uttered as an obscene myth. Some are determined for this to change.
The Case of the Golden Isle is an absolutely incredible point-and-click puzzle game, one that my fiancee and I played through together and had a blast doing so. The sequel announcement was such a surprise for us and I’ve been anxiously waiting for its release. It’s right around the corner and we both can’t wait.
That’s the big stuff for me this month! There are still a lot of other big things this month that I didn’t cover though (looking at you specifically Moana 2)! What are you looking forward to? Let me know below!f
Thanks for reading.
Til next time!
-Colton