November Movies That Can't Be Missed

by Helen Earnshaw | 1 November 2015

It is hard to believe that November is here and there are a whole host of terrific movies on the horizon over the coming weeks.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

November will finally see some of the films that I have been looking forward to for some time hit the big screen... and there really is something for everyone.

We take a look at the movies that are going to be unmissable this November and some that we are looking forward to the most.

- Brooklyn - released 6th November

Ever since Brooklyn screened at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of the year, just about everyone has been raving about it. The movie is already being tipped as a potential Oscar contender.

Brooklyn is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Colm Toibin and sees John Crowley back in the director's chair, while Nick Hornby has penned the screenplay. Crowley has brought us movies such as Boy A and Is Anybody There? during his career and this is his first feature since Closed Circuit back in 2013.

Saoirse Ronan is one of the most exciting young actresses around and she is set to take on the central role of Eilis Lacey in the film. We haven't seen too much of the actress on the big screen this and it is great to see her back in a role that is getting a lot of attention.

A terrific cast has been assembled as Ronan is joined by Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent and is set to be one of the best dramas this November.

Brooklyn is the story of Eilis, a young woman who moves from small-town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where she strives to forge a new life for herself, finding work and first love in the process. When a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, she finds herself confronting a terrible dilemma - a heart-breaking choice between two men and two countries.

We are going to have to wait to see if Brooklyn is in the Oscar race, but don't be surprised to see Ronan in the running for the Best Actress gong.

- The Lady in the Van - released 13th November

We are HUGE fans of Dame Maggie Smith here at FemaleFirst and she is back on the big screen this November in new British film The Lady in the Van.

Lady in the Van tells the true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who 'temporarily' parked her van in Bennett's London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. - Bennett himself has penned the film's screenplay.

Smith will take on the role of Miss Shepherd (the lady in the van), while Alex Jennings is set to take on the role of Alan Bennett. The Lady in the Van boasts one of the best ensemble casts of the autumn as Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Frances de la Tour, Jim Broadbent, Russell Tovey, Roger Allam, and Stephen Campbell Moore are also on board.

The movie marks the return of Nicholas Hytner to the director's chair for his first feature film since the release of The History Boys (also written by Bennett) back in 2006. The History Boys was a terrific comedy and it is great to see Hytner back.

The Lady in the Van was one of the movies not to miss at the recent BFI London Film Festival and it is set to be the comedy/drama to see this November. Smith has always been a great comedic actress and I cannot wait to see her back in action as her performance has already won over the critics.

- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 - released 20th November

There is only one blockbuster set to be released this November and it is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, the final film in the popular franchise... it really is set to be an epic climax to what has been a terrific film series.

The Hunger Games movies have been a very faithful adaptation of the books by Suzanne Collins and it will be interesting if they will stick to the book as they bring the story to a close.

It was the role of Katniss Everdeen that turned Jennifer Lawrence into a global superstar and she is one of the best big screen heroines of all time. Lawrence is joined on the cast list by Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Stanley Tucci.

There is only one big new addition in Mockingjay - Part 2 as Gwendoline Christie is set to introduced as Commander Lyme for the first time.

With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow (Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends - including Gale (Hemsworth), Finnick (Claflin), and Peeta (Hutcherson) - Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her.

The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games has been one of the most successful film franchises in recent years and has already grossed in excess of $2.3 billion at the global box office. So far, no film in the series has grossed over $1 billion - could Mockingjay - Part 2 be the first?

- Black Mass - released 27th November

It is fair to say that Johnny Depp has not had the best run of luck when it has come to movie roles and box office success of late... all that looks set to change with the release of gangster film Black Mass.

Critics are saying that Depp is back on top form with Black Mass as he takes on the real-life role of Whitey Bulger, one of America's most infamous criminals.

The movie will be the third feature film for Scott Cooper and follow on from Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace in recent years - it will mark the first time that Cooper has worked with Depp.

The director has assembled another good cast list as Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Pater Sarsgaard, Jesse Plemons, and Corey Stoll all-star alongside Depp.

In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger (Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob.

Black Mass tells the true story of this unholy alliance, which spiralled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history

Black Mass is a movie that has been playing on the festival circuit over the last couple of months and has been winning over critics and audiences along the way. This is another movie that is expected to be in the Oscar race and Depp is tipped for another Best Actor nomination.

- Bridge of Spies - released 27th November

Tom Hanks and Steve Spielberg have teamed up to deliver some terrific movies over the years and now the actor and director are back with Cold War drama Bridge of Spies.

Bridge of Spies is set to be the fourth collaboration between the pair - we have already seen Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, and The Terminal - but this is the first time that they have tackled the Cold War.

Sadly, there has been a real lack of Hanks on the big screen this year and this is his first film since Saving Mr. Banks back in 2013 - it is great to see him back. The Oscar winning actor is set to take on the real-life role of lawyer James B. Donovan, who is recruited by the CIA.

Hanks will lead a great cast, which includes Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Austin Stowell, and Jesse Plemons.

Bridge Of Spies is a dramatic thriller which tells the story of James Donovan (Hanks), a Brooklyn insurance claims lawyer who finds himself thrust into the centre of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near-impossible task to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot.

We have already seen Hanks triumph at the Oscars, winning Best Actor for his work in Philadelphia and Forest Gump, but he has not been in the mix since Cast Away back in 2001. He could well find himself in the race once again.

- The Good Dinosaur - released 27th November

We have never had two Pixar movies hit the big screen in one year but all that is about to change. Pixar have already enjoyed huge success in 2015 with Inside Out, and now The Good Dinosaur is on the horizon.

The Good Dinosaur is the family friendly film that is not to be missed this November and is set to be another animation gem from this movie studio - I really cannot wait to see what they deliver this time around.

The Good Dinosaur will mark the feature film directorial debut for Peter Sohn. He is no stranger to the world of Pixar; having directed short film Partly Cloudy and worked as an animator on the likes of Ratatouille and The Incredibles.

Raymond Ochoa will bring can the central character of Arlo to life and he is joined the voice cast list by Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliot, Alan Tudyk, and Frances McDormand.

The Good Dinosaur is a fun-filled journey of two unlikely heroes is one of ultimate friendship, as a dinosaur named Arlo and a feral boy named Spot learn the power of confronting their fears and, together, discover who they are truly meant to be.

2015 has been another great and very successful year for the animation genre and The Good Dinosaur really is promising to be another huge hit.