What are the biggest movies releasing in November 2023? The Marvels is poised to continue the erratic Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in style, transporting us to a destabilising universe where Carol Danvers’ (Brie Larson) powers get entangled with other intergalactic heroes. It is the shortest film in the franchise — running at 105 minutes — and is slated to hit theatres worldwide on November 10. Chase that down with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which serves as an origin story for Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), the future tyrannical president of Panem, as he navigates responsibilities and young love. It’s out November 17 in cinemas.
Salman Khan leads the charge on the local end with a new addition to YRF’s spy-thriller series, Tiger 3, on a mission to save the country from a mysterious threat who’s keeping tabs on his family. This marks the year’s second theatrical release from the Bollywood star, following Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which was met with disappointment from both fans and critics alike. Khan is also producing a movie dropping this month called Farrey, in which an orphan genius is lured by her wealthy friends at a prestigious school into helping them cheat in exams. Soumendra Padhi — best known for Netflix’s Jamtara — directs the film, which releases November 24.
Other notable releases this month include David Fincher’s highly anticipated return to the crime/ serial killer genre in a twisted odyssey starring Michael Fassbender, who muses about life and philosophy as he begins to crack psychologically. The Killer will be up for streaming November 10 on Netflix. For your convenience, we have curated the biggest November 2023 releases coming to theatres and Netflix, which you can check out below. Also, feel free to browse our Entertainment hub to keep track of any other releases that might interest you.
Lakeerein
When: November 3
Where: Theatres
A year into their marriage, Kavya (Tia Bajpai) visits the local police station to file a report for marital rape against her husband Vivek (Gaurav Chopra), a well-respected college professor. As you’d expect, things don’t go her way, with cops and family members not believing her story, all the while her husband tries to threateningly reason with her and suppress the story. Much like real life, it’s a fate other women in Lakeerein also suffer from, some of whom are way too scared to report such crimes. As such, the film plays out from Kavya’s perspective, who takes matters to the court, representing their struggles as she tries to avoid stupid questions like “If your consent isn’t automatically reserved for your husband, whom are you saving it for?”
Representing her in court is Geeta Biswas (Bidita Bag), a patient lawyer who abides by the rules and believes Kavya’s handling of the situation was a bit reckless. Conversely, Vivek is aided by Dudhari Singh (Ashutosh Rana), who even privately meets her as a form of intimidation, trying to divert Kavya from her goal. Directed by Durgesh Pathak, it is worth mentioning that Lakeerein might be a tough watch for some — not just because of the triggering subject, but because the dialogue is entirely written in pure Hindi language (based on the trailer).
The Killer
When: November 10
Where: Netflix
Mindhunter season 3 is not happening, but it’s always fun seeing David Fincher delve back into the realm of thrillers. His latest tracks an unnamed assassin for hire (Michael Fassbender) holed up at an abandoned Parisian WeWork, with a tactile sniper rifle pointing at his target’s location. Killing someone involves a lot of waiting and observing, as you get accustomed to a boring routine, which in this case is heavily OCD-driven — reducing heart rate to 100BPM before pressing the trigger, listening to The Smiths, or sleeping upright to stay alert. Through it all, we’re treated to a lengthy voiceover about his well-paying profession, politics, and the morality of human beings. That is until he overthinks, and his psyche begins to crack, leading to a fatal miss that catapults him on a globe-trotting quest to clean up the mess.
The Killer establishes that being good at a hitman’s job entails that one must ‘forbid empathy’, albeit it’s something he’s unable to fully exert due to his love life. If the film does follow Alexis Nolent’s acclaimed graphic novel to the full extent, we’ll get to see him making mistakes and questioning his choices at such a later stage in his career — ideals that make us normies feel utterly insignificant in the face of the bigger forces at play. Switching between new IDs, vehicles, and cliché tourist shirts, the Killer makes swift work of the baddies and gradually climbs the hierarchical chain as part of a revenge plot thread which I won’t disclose for spoiler reasons.
Marking screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker’s second credited collaboration with Fincher — first being 1995’s Se7en — the film also stars Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) as his handler, Tilda Swinton (Suspiria) as a rival assassin, and Sophie Charlotte as the Killer’s love interest.
The Marvels
When: November 10
Where: Theatres
Having reclaimed her identity from the ruthless alien race of Kree, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is dealing with being on her own — stuck in the solitary blackness of space, awaiting the routine wholesome phone calls from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Watching over a now-destabilised universe, she is inadvertently pulled into a wormhole, presumably created by a Kree imperialist Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who intends to restore her homeland to former glory. Oddly though, the act somehow entangles Captain Marvel’s powers with those of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and her S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), forcing them to work together to save the universe.
Basically, every time a Marvel uses their powers, they switch places with the other ones no matter where they’re located or if they are in the middle of a fight. Understandably, they must now learn to sync up their abilities to perform the best combos and lay waste to oncoming threats, ping-ponging between planets and getting startled by the Flerken Goose’s tentacles. It appears as though all of these problems are caused by a sacred bangle, like the one Kamala wears, granting Dar-Benn the will to harness magical powers designed to destroy Carol. Nia DaCosta, who previously helmed an episode of Ms. Marvel, serves as the director of The Marvels, charting a new chapter in MCU’s Phase 5.
All Upcoming Marvel Movies and Web Series
Tiger 3
When: November 12
Where: Theatres
Following a cameo in the blockbuster film Pathaan, Salman Khan returns as the infamous RAW agent Avinash ‘Tiger’ Rathore, now being targetted by the Indian government over a major conspiracy. An enigmatic villain from his past, played by Emraan Hashmi (Selfiee), has come for revenge, claiming that Tiger stole his family from him. As such, he plans on doing the same by targeting his wife, the former ISI agent Zoya (Katrina Kaif) and their son, while painting them as enemies of the nation. Forced to pick between his nation and his family, Tiger engages in some Mission: Impossible-esque stealth missions and some gung-ho-style gunfights, hoping to unmask the criminal. Directed by Maneesh Sharma (Fan), Tiger 3 is also expected to feature a cameo of Shah Rukh Khan’s character from Pathaan, essentially forming a bridge.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
When: November 17
Where: Theatres
Long before Coriolanus Snow ever became the ruthless dictator of Panem, he was simply the last hope for his dying lineage, hoping to prove his worth at the 10th annual Hunger Games, which serves as a deathmatch for members of the impoverished districts. As a last-minute change, the students are tasked with mentoring the competitors, which the young Snow (Tom Blyth) sees as a chance of redemption since his namesake was tarnished after the war. Enter Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler), his girl tribute who defiantly sings during the reaping ceremony, instantly charming him as Snow forms ideas in his mind to manipulate her voice to turn the contest’s odds in his favour.
But things get complicated when he develops feelings for Lucy, to the point where he questions the Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) about the goal of the Hunger Games and the horrific mutations stored within her underground laboratory — which includes a giant tank of rainbow-coloured snakes. She believes that the terror of becoming prey easily turns someone into a predator, presenting the contest as a spectacle for amusement for the higher class. Francis Lawrence, who directed the original Jennifer Lawrence-led trilogy, returns to direct this standalone arc, poised to feature an interesting twist to reveal who between Snow and Lucy ultimately ends up being the snake and the songbird.
The ensemble cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also includes Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the game creator Dean Casca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Express) as the first-ever host, and Euphoria-fame Hunter Schafer as Coriolanus’ older cousin Tigris Snow.
Watch the Trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Rachel Zegler in a still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Photo Credit: Lionsgate
Next Goal Wins
When: November 17
Where: Theatres
Another Fassbender entry this month, Next Goal Wins sees him as a Dutch-American football coach Thomas Rongen, who’s faced with the choice of either accepting his firing or undertaking a near-impossible job. The latter entails that he convert the American Samoa national football team into an elite squad — considered one of the weakest teams in the world, after their crushing 31-0 defeat to Australia during the 2001 FIFA World Cup. He must achieve this while grappling with his alcohol addiction and language barrier, in addition to dealing with players who are afraid of going for the ball.
He’s basically got the toughest job on the island, but the countless hours of practice help him cope and form an inseparable bond with the folks. In addition to writing and directing this uplifting sports movie, Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) stars in it as a goofy moustachioed American-Samoan priest, alongside Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Will Arnett (BoJack Horseman), and Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, the first trans woman player to compete in the global tournament.
Napoleon
When: November 24
Where: Theatres
Just like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon will first get a wide theatrical release before eventually heading to Apple TV+. Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott (Alien) paints a deeply personal portrait of the revered titular Frenchman, going all the way from his origins to his self-coronation as the Emperor of France, as he climbed the ladder through ruthless military tactics. All of this is presented through his volatile relationship with his wife Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby), who often claims that Napoleon Bonaparte would be nothing without her involvement. Promising epic war sequences that make use of grand practical effects, director Scott claimed that reconstructing the battlefield made him start to think like Napoleon.
The research also expands to historical paintings from artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, with a scene depicting the Emperor’s Egyptian expedition as he stood before the majestic Sphinx. David Scarpa, who last collaborated with Scott on 2017’s All the Money in the World, has written the script for Napoleon, which also stars Tahar Rahim (Extrapolations) as executive head of the Directory Paul Barras, Ben Miles (Hijack) as Napoleon’s advisor Caulaincourt, and Catherine Walker as the Archduchess of Austria Marie-Antoinette.
Farrey
When: November 24
Where: Theatres
Niyati (Alizeh Agnihotri), an orphan genius living under her warden’s care in Delhi, ends up topping her 10th board exams, consequentially securing schooling at a prestigious academy. When the other rich kids notice her performance, she gets roped into a cheating racket — starting with simple tactics like sneaking chits into the exam room to gradually evolving into something risky. It appears as though she’s making good money by helping out her friends, but in the process, she might end up losing the honest reputation she’d built since her childhood. Soumendra Padhi, best known for the phishing scam Netflix show Jamtara, directs Farrey, enlisting a cast featuring Sahil Mehta (Made in Heaven), Prasanna Bisht, and Zeyn Shaw (Class).
May December
When: November 30
Where: Netflix
Talented TV actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) travels to Georgia to do research about Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), wanting to embody the latter’s personality for an indie film she’s about to star in. A long time ago, the 36-year-old Gracie was involved in a scandalous affair with a seventh-grader, serving prison time and making tabloid headlines for wanting to keep the baby. The unconventional pair now have a family together — one that looks eerily normal to Elizabeth until her relentless and questions start revealing long-hidden secrets and suppressed feelings to the surface, forming cracks in their relationship.
Playing the young husband Joe Yoo is Charles Melton (Riverdale), who’s lived his entire life not feeling like the victim, also begins to see the issue and ponder why the couple never had a proper discussion about their so-called love life. Frequent Moore collaborator Todd Haynes directs May December from a screenplay by debutant Samy Burch, which itself is loosely inspired by the real-life story of the US-based sex offender and teacher Mary Kay Letourneau.
