What To Stream In November
Netflix
True Memoirs of an International Assassin – November 11th
Kevin James stars in this original action/comedy from Netflix as Sam Larson, an author whose life is turned upside down when his publisher decides to market his book as nonfiction instead of fiction. Soon the CIA recruits him for a mission believing he’s really the character he wrote about: an assassin named The Ghost. We’ve mostly seen James do comedy, but this places him in an action role. Yeah, we were skeptical too, but the trailer, which features Al Pacino, actually has us interested.
3%, Season 1 - November 25th
3% is about a dystopian future where the world is divided between progress, called The Offshore, and devastation. Living in the Offshore means a life without any problems, but only 3% of the population gets to go after a series of tests. The candidates are willing to do whatever it takes to get a better life. It’s the first original project for the streaming service that was shot in Brazil, so it is in Portuguese with subtitles. It’s not surprising Netflix bought this show, given its willingness to add bold productions to its catalog of originals.
Level Up – November 30th
In Level Up, unemployed 20-something Matthew (Josh Bowman) is thrust into a dangerous conspiracy when three masked men show up to his place and tell him that his girlfriend has been kidnapped. He has to deliver a package and complete a series of tasks on the way or she will be killed.
More To Watch: Roman Empire: Reign of Blood (Netflix original), Burn After Reading, The 100: Season 3, The Crown (Netflix Original)
HBO
The Batman Films – November 1st
HBO is bringing a boatload of Batman films to its network (sorry, none of the Christopher Nolan ones, though): Batman (1989), Batman Forever (1995), Batman & Robin (1997), and Batman Returns (1992). Christian Bale played the tortured Bruce Wayne well, but it’s worth checking out Michael Keaton’s portrayal in Batman and Batman Returns. Val Kilmer and George Clooney took on the role in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, respectively, to mixed reviews, though. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was released earlier this year to high expectations but eventual disappointment, will join them on November 26th.
Minority Report – November 1st
Based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick, whose work always guarantees a bit of a mindfuck, 2002’s Minority Report takes us to 2054 in a future where the cops prevent murders by catching people who are planning to kill before they actually can. John Anderton, the captain of the Precrime police (Tom Cruise), finds himself on the wrong side of a murder prediction when the program says he’ll kill a man in the next 36 hours. He sets out to prove his innocence using its “minority report,” which shows an alternative future.
Insidious: Chapter 3—November 1st
If you’re still in a horro mood post Halloween, Insidious 3 has you covered. The Insidious films injected the horror genre with a much-needed dose of freshness without going for straight-up gore or forcing technology into it. It has managed to tell decent stories by relying on creepy children (of course) and constant unease and tension for the audience. In the third movie, which came out last year and is actually a prequel, a family deals with a malevolent spirit following a death. Don’t let the cliche plot fool you, this one is going to scare the shit out of you.
More To Watch: Hitman, Hitman: Agent 47, AVPR: Alien vs. Predator Requiem
Insidious: Chapter 3—November 1st
The Rocky Films – November 1st
Prime is bringing five Rocky movies to its collection this month. (There’s a sixth, Rocky Balboa, which was released in 2006, but is oddly not part of the November releases.) Watch the rise of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) from an aimless, small-time fighter to boxing celebrity, having to prove himself as the best every step of the way. The first movie was released in 1976 and won three Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. With more than $200 million at the box office, it was the highest grossing film made that year. Enjoy for classic Stallone, hard-hitting boxing action, and ridiculously awesome villains like Mr. T and Dolph Lundgren’s legendary Ivan Drago.
Rounders – November 1st
This 1998 flick stars Matt Damon as Mike McDermott, a law student with a talent at poker, who loses a lot of money to a Russian mobster (John Malkovich) and decides to quit playing for good. When an old friend (Edward Norton) gets out of prison—a friend who took the rap for Mike—and needs to pay off a debt, Mike feels obligated to help him out, which leads him back to gambling with much higher stakes involved. This low-key flick mostly flew under the radar but it’s a can’t miss classic and Malkovich’s performance is legendary.
Creed – November 19th
Speaking of Rocky, director Ryan Coogler rebooted the Rocky series last year with spinoff: Creed, one of the best sports movies we’ve gotten in awhile. In it, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of deceased boxing champion, Apollo Creed, pursues a fighting career with the help of the legend himself, Rocky Balboa (Stallone reprises his role). The film won several awards, including a Golden Globe for Stallone and features an incredible award-worthy performance by Jordan as well.
Hulu
Hoosiers – November 1st
Everyone loves a good sports underdog story and if Hoosiers isn’t already your favorite one, it’s going to be. The 1986 films tells the story of Norman Dale (Gene Hackman), a tough, nontraditional coach, hired at a rural Indiana high school to coach its tiny basketball team. Watch this true tale (it’s based on an actual 1954 Indiana high school team) with your fathers and brothers, it’s a classic man’s movie.
Mad Max - November 1st
Mad Max, the ultimate road rage movie will be on Hulu this month. The 1979 flick is about a dystopian future and stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a cop clashing with a violent motorcycle gang on the highways of Australia. It spawned three sequels, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Mission Impossible – November 1st
In 1996, Tom Cruise began playing Ethan Hunt in the long-running spy movie series, Mission Impossible. In the first one, Hunt is working for the Impossible Missions Force and tries to figure out who the mole is in the organization after his whole team is nearly killed during a mission. The series has been wildly successful and the most recent film was released last year.
More To Watch: Creed, Several James Bond movies, The Manchurian Candidate, Rocky I-V, The Haunting in Connecticut