Key figures in the contemporary horror boom for having conceived of and co-written A Quiet Place, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods got their first mainstream directing gig with last year’s underrated dinosaur movie 65. Unlike that generally dismissed sci-fi thriller, their latest effort at the helm is getting fantastic buzz: Heretic has Yellowjackets breakout Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East (The Fabelmans) playing Mormon missionaries who try to spread the good word to a man played by Hugh Grant. Evolution of Horror grabbed my attention by summarizing it as a “smart, talky, claustrophobic domestic horror film that relies on dread, suspense, slow burn mysteries, great performances, setups and payoffs, with some gnarly gore and bleak, existential nastiness,” then piqued my curiosity further by comparing it to the great BBC lateral-thinking puzzle mystery show Jonathan Creek. Hugh Grant’s performance is getting much love from Letterboxd , and he had a lively chat with our in-house Grant-head Mia Lee Vicino. Could not be more onboard. Also, we snagged the cast and directors’ Four Faves at its AFI Fest premiere. Now in US and UK theaters, released in most other territories throughout November. 

Acclaimed English writer-director Andrea Arnold, a longtime Letterboxd favorite, delivers her first scripted feature in eight years with Bird, featuring Nykiya Adams as an impoverished twelve year old with an inattentive father (Barry Keoghan) who is drawn to the titular stranger, played by Transit and ages star Franz Rogowski. Cited by Letterboxd socials manager Flynn Slicker as one of the best films from this year’s Cannes, Ellis remarks that “the world felt a little brighter after watching this.” “Andrea Arnold never misses,” asserts Ram, while Rendy was “overwhelmed with how raw, Irish and poignant this all was.” “Has Franz Rogowski ever looked more beautiful?” asks Iana. Our London Editor Ella Kemp interviewed Rogowski following the film’s Cannes premiere for Journal. Now in US, UK and Irish theaters.

French filmmaker Jérémy Clapin, whose 2019 debut feature I Lost My Body enjoys a hefty 3.8 average rating on Letterboxd, presents his follow-up in the form of sci-fi drama Meanwhile on Earth. It concerns what happens when Elsa (Megan Northam) is ed by a “life form” who offers to reunite her with her astronaut brother, who disappeared during a space mission three years earlier. Alex says it “takes the Babel Fish from Hitchhiker’s Guide and mashes it up with Invasion of the Body Snatchers for its own clever sci-fi concept.” “An emotional, unique and inspiring science fiction film… full of heart from beginning to end… amazing animation sequences,” hails TrainJug. “More risky sci-fi like this, please!” requests iral85. Now in select US theaters.

Cinematically speaking, reigning Best Actor Cillian Murphy never strays from his Irish heritage for long. He takes the lead in Small Things Like These, which is also the first project from his newly formed production company, Big Things Films. Adapted from Claire Keegan’s 2021 novel, Murphy stars as a coal merchant in 1980s Ireland confronting the abuses found in Magdalene Laundries, a milieu previously explored to great acclaim in Peter Mullan’s 2002 film The Magdalene Sisters. Murphy is the subject of much of the movie’s praise, with Joe commenting that it’s “wild when you can follow up your Oscar win with maybe your all-time best performance.” “Packs quite the punch,” says Connor, who goes on to describe it as a “challenging, subdued and powerful watch that takes its time with its story and characters but leaves a devastating impact by the end.” Amy reckons it’s a “great companion piece” to Mullan’s film, itting that she “hasn’t felt this much atmospheric claustrophobia and simmering rage as a viewer in a long time.” Now in select US theaters.

Highlighted by Journal’s resident animation guru Kambole Campbell as one of the bright spots at the recent Annecy Festival, the new Japanese movie Ghost Cat Anzu—which premiered at Cannes and was adapted from a manga—uses a combination of rotoscoping (tracing over live footage) and traditional animation to tell the story of a young girl living in a temple who is “looked after” by the titular figure, something of a local layabout. Issy says it “works because it gets that the most endearing part of cats is that they’re kinda d*ckheads.” Darren acknowledges that the film invites comparisons to the work of Hayao Miyazaki, calling it “a delightfully fun anime that asks the essential question, ‘What if Totoro were a deadbeat 37-year-old cat with a penchant for pachinko and fart jokes?’” and goes on to argue that “it’s to the credit of Ghost Cat Anzu that the comparisons don’t completely undermine what is ultimately a lovely, gentle, sweet little coming-of-age story.” Ben chimes in on the comparisons as follows: “Imagine if Studio Ghibli started working on a film, scrapped it halfway through, chucked the plans for it in the bin and then those plans were found by a team of cheeky ne’er-do-wells with wicked senses of humor.” In select US theaters November 15.

In addition to being cited by a Journal contributor (this time Iana Murray) as one of the best of this year’s Cannes—where it was the first Indian movie in competition in 30 years, and was awarded the festival’s Grand Prix—All We Imagine as Light was amongst the crop of new Indian films previewed by Siddhant Adlakha in a Journal feature a couple of months back. “Few directors are as attuned to [modern India’s] political environment as Payal Kapadia,” Adlakha says of the filmmaker behind All We Imagine as Light, which follows two Mumbai nurses (Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha) in what Edil calls “a film that’s softer than light itself” and “an ode to a city that allures people from all states and all languages of the country to its promise of fulfilling their dreams.” “It’s always so gratifying when a movie leaves you feeling renewed, revitalized and longing for simplicity amid the bustle of everyday life,” says Hungkat. Calvin cites the “gorgeously captured frames where natural light and colors create a rich tapestry” before hailing “the vividly realized soundscape of Mumbai, from the city to the sea.” Manoj considers it “one of the most groundbreaking movies in the history of Indian independent cinema.” In select US theaters November 15, Indian theaters November 22 and UK theaters November 29.

It’s mid-November, so you know what that means? Christmas movies! In what feels like the culmination of a genre we may look back upon as “Streaming Boom Excess”—entailing movies typified by the presence of giant stars cashing checks (in this case, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans), a high concept (a kidnapped Santa, played by a jacked J.K. Simmons, needs rescuing) and most importantly, no discernable reason for existing. Ergo: Amazon Prime’s Red One, which is at least getting a theatrical run, something Netflix is increasingly resistant to. TimTamTitus gives voice to all of our thoughts with their review: “Apparently this Netflix movie isn’t a Netflix movie,” while Jack references Evans’ role as a movie star in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for his reaction: “The kind of movie you’d expect Lucas Lee to star in.” CJ is getting into the Christmas spirit, however, saying it “achieves its goal of being a fun Christmas movie that wants to just spread joy.” There are two other Christmas movies currently in US theaters: indie comedy Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point (with Michael Cera and Gregg Turkington) and non-indie comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (with Judy Greer and a bunch of rambunctious kids). So, you have no shortage of festive options. Red One is in US theaters November 15 and currently in theaters in most other territories.