Oscar Isaac in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
Credit: Netflix
November is here, and with it a whole new slate of movies landing on Netflix this month. Some of these are classics that have been on Netflix (or other streamers) before, while others are brand-new Netflix Originals from acclaimed directors like Guillermo del Toro and Richard Linklater.
The following list has comedies, kids movies, serial killer mysteries, time travel stories, historical dramas and even a celebrity documentary. There’s something for everyone, in other words, and for every mood. We’ll start with the Netflix Originals and then go over all the rest. Let’s dive right in.
See the Top 10 Netflix movies from October right here.
The Best New Netflix Originals In November
Frankenstein (November 7)
Frankenstein
Credit: Netflix
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is already playing in theaters, but it comes to Netflix next week. The film has an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, though audiences are even more upbeat with a 95% “Popcornmeter” score. The film stars Oscar Isaac as Dr. Frankenstein and is a retelling of the classic gothic horror novel from Mary Shelley. This is definitely the movie I’m most excited about this month, as I basically love anything del Toro puts out.
Being Eddie (November 12)
Being Eddie
Credit: Netflix
Celebrity documentaries are all the rage these days. Being Eddie features a laundry list of celebrity interviews about comedian Eddie Murphy, including interviews with Murphy himself. If you’re a fan, this should have lots of fun details about his life and career.
Nouvelle Vague (November 14)
Nouvelle Vague
Credit: Netflix
“Nouvelle Vague” describes the French New Wave film movement of the late 1950s and 60s. Richard Linklater’s new movie is about the making of the classic French film Breathless from director Jean-Luc Godard. The film stars Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo. I’m a big fan of many of Linklater’s films, but I was really disappointed by his Netflix Original Hit Man, starring Glen Powell. I’m still baffled by its 95% RT score. It wasn’t funny, clever or exciting. Hopefully Nouvelle Vague is a return to form. Just be warned: It’s mostly in French. This one has an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment. You can watch it in theaters before its Netflix debut.
Train Dreams (November 21)
Train Dreams
Credit: Netflix
Train Dreams is based on the novella by Denis Johnson and was a big success at its Sundance Film Festival premiere earlier this year. The movie stars Joel Edgerton as logger, Robert Grainier, as he spends months at a time away from his family while working to build the railroad across the American west. Felicity Jones also stars. I think it looks quite good, though I suppose it will be more of a meditative picture. The cinematography and natural lighting look quite stunning and early reviews rave about Edgerton’s performance.
Not a ton of new big Netflix Original Movies out in November, but never fear. There are lots of older (and some newish) movies landing on the streaming service this month as well.
The Best Classic And New Movies Coming To Netflix In November
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (November 1)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Credit: Warner Bros
The 1994 comedy that put Jim Carrey on the map, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (and its sequel) return to Netflix this month. Sure, some of the jokes are a little dated, but Carrey’s ridiculous, over-the-top humor is magnetic. Of course, not everyone was onboard (it has 48% on Rotten Tomatoes) but I was a young teenager when this came out and I loved it to pieces.
Back to the Future (November 1)
Back To The Future
Credit: Universal
There is no doubt in my mind that Back to the Future is the greatest time-travel movie ever made (12 Monkeys is a close second) and all three of the films starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd just landed on Netflix – 40 years after the first one hit theaters. Marty traveled back to 1955 in the first movie, which is not as far into the past as this movie is to us now. In the second movie, he travels to the future – but that future is 2015, which makes it the past for us. Biff’s character in that film was modeled after none other than Donald J. Trump. It’s almost prophetic. The original has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Elvis (November 1)
Austin Butler proved his star talent in his title role here, though Elvis didn’t receive universal acclaim, with a decent 77% Rotten Tomatoes score. Fans liked it more, giving it a 94% score. If you’re an Elvis fan, definitely give it a watch. Check out True Romance (from Tony Scott with a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino) for my favorite portrayal of Elvis – played off-screen by Val Kilmer.
Judas and the Black Messiah (November 1)
Judas and the Black Messiah
Credit: Warner Bros
This historical biopic stars Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. LaKeith Stanfield plays a petty criminal who turns informant for the FBI, working for FBI handler, Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons). It’s a tragic, heartbreaking, genuinely depressing film that I can’t recommend highly enough. Not an easy watch, but an important one. 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Just Mercy (November 1)
Just Mercy
Credit: Warner Bros
Based on a true story, Just Mercy follows Harvard law graduate, Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his mission to represent people in the South who cannot afford to represent themselves. He meets Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian (Jamie Foxx) a man convicted of the 1986 murder of Ronda Morrison, an 18-year-0ld white girl. McMillian maintains his innocence, and Stevenson decides to appeal the conviction after learning that it was based mostly on the testimony of a convicted felon. Definitely an inspiring true story. 85% on RT, though audiences give it a near-perfect 99%.
Tenet (November 1)
One of Christopher Nolan’s most divisive films, I thought Tenet was riveting. I suppose it was especially memorable, since it was one of the few films I saw in theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, the time-travel stuff is confusing. Nolan’s sound-editing is frustrating, making dialogue hard to decipher at times. But I still found the entire concept so unique and compelling and even though it’s not his best, it’s a Nolan film you should probably watch twice. I wrote a whole thing about how the time traveling in the movie works kind of like the game Backgammon. 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.
King Richard (November 1)
King Richard
Credit: Warner Bros
Will Smith’s sports film is not about an actual King Richard. This is not about the crusades or Robin Hood. It’s about Richard Williams (Smith) and his plan to forge his daughters Venus and Serena into tennis legends. Smith won the Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance (and then kind of squandered the goodwill that earned him when he slapped Chris Rock on-stage in front of the audience and the entire world for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith). This one has a 90% on RT.
The Patriot (November 1)
The Patriot
Credit: Columbia
One of my favorite movies of all-time is Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. I have seen it so many times (three times in theaters) since it released in 1995 when I was only 14-years-old. The violent, tragic, romantic historical epic is historically inaccurate but a genuinely wonderful film. Gibson never quite pulled it off again (though I also loved Apocalypto) but The Patriot (from director Roland Emmerich) is still a good watch, especially if you’re into the history of the Revolutionary War and big Revolutionary War battles. Jason Isaacs really proved his villain chops in this one, and Heath Ledger puts in a solid performance. Critics weren’t enamored with the film (61% on RT) but fans give it an 81% score.
Paddington 2 (November 1)
Paddington 2
Credit: StudioCanal
I dedicated an entire post to this movie releasing on Netflix. It’s just that good. Paddington 2 will change your life. It’s that good. It has a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score, but for awhile it was the most-reviewed film with 100% on the site. If you need a feel-good movie or something to watch with your family, this is the one.
Wonka (November 1)
A prequel to the Willy Wonka we know and love, this Timothee Chalamet film is actually from the same writer/director duo that made Paddington 2. I believe this is the first time the movie has come to Netflix also, so it’s very likely new to many people. Netflix recently acquired the rights to all of Roald Dahl’s works, and recently released The Twits as an animated original. Wonka has an 82% RT score, and 90% audience score.
(I wrote a piece about the censorship of Roald Dahl’s children’s books over on my Substack if you care to read about that controversy).
Election (November 4)
Election
Credit: Paramount
Election is genuinely one of the best movies about politics ever made. Reese Witherspoon plays ambitious (and ethically dubious) high school student, Tracy Flick. Matthew Broderick plays popular high school government teacher, Jim McAllister – who can’t stand Tracy and worries about her becoming class president. What follows is a feud for the ages. This has a 92% on RT though audiences are a little less enthusiastic, with a 79% score.
Labyrinth (November 7)
Labyrinth
Credit: Lucasfilm
Along with The Dark Crystal (which has an amazing prequel series on Netflix), Labyrinth is one of Jim Henson’s darker films. Yes, there are muppets involved, but the movie – while often hilarious – is more of a dark fable than anything. I haven’t seen this one in many, many years but there’s never really a bad time to watch David Bowie as the Goblin King. The musical was a collaboration between the Henson Company and Lucasfilm, with a screenplay by Monty Python’s Terry Jones. Jennifer Connelly also stars. The cult classic only has 77% on RT, but audiences give it a better 86% score.
Moulin Rouge! (November 13)
Moulin Rouge!
Credit: 20th Century Fox
I know some people really disliked this when it came out, but I was totally blown away. I think this was the first movie I ever watched on a laptop (which I borrowed from my roommate’s girlfriend at the time, specifically to watch this movie). Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are both wonderful here, as star-crossed lovers in early 20th-century Paris, though Jim Broadbent as the eccentric Harold Zidler steals the show. I love all the modern songs they use for the musical numbers. I still get chills when Christian (McGregor) belts out the opening to “Your Song” by Elton John. 75% RT score from critics; 89% from audiences. Moulin Rouge! is the second film on this list from director Baz Luhrmann along with Elvis.
The Sandlot (November 13)
The Sandlot
Credit: 20th Century Fox
The cult classic 90s coming-of-age story didn’t land with critics but it’s just one of those great movies that never gets old. It’s Americana at its best, a movie about being a kid and getting into some trouble and hanging out with friends and play baseball. I actually liked it more when I saw it as an adult than I did when I saw it as a kid when it released in 1993. I need to watch it again. This got a barely-fresh 66% on RT but audiences give it an 89%, which feels more accurate to me. This sits alongside other classic movies about kids like The Goonies and Stand By Me.
Blue Beetle (November 17)
Blue Beetle
Credit: Warner Bros
I actually haven’t watched Blue Beetle yet, but that’s also why I’m including it here. I’ve had it on my to-watch list forever and missed it when it came to theaters in 2023, mostly because I really like Xolo Maridueña in Cobra Kai. The superhero film has a 78% RT score and a surprisingly high 90% audience score. Blue Beetle has never been a superhero I’ve been particularly interested in, but this still looks fun.
Zodiac (November 17)
Having just watched the excellent HBO series, Task, I’m curious to go back and watch Zodiac again since both star Mark Ruffalo. Zodiac also stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. (all three would go on to play Marvel characters). This is certainly not my favorite David Fincher film (that goes to Se7en with Fight Club a close second) but it’s still a very compelling mystery about the Zodiac killer. The story follows investigators and reporters trying to solve one of the most impossible mysteries in modern America. Critics liked this one better (90%) than audiences (77%) but it’s definitely worth a watch, even if it doesn’t blow you away like some of Fincher’s other films.
That’s all folks! What movies are you looking forward to in the near future?
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