Welcome to See/Hear, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise. Every month, we round up the biggest upcoming movie, TV and album releases, ask some cool people to tell us what they’ve been into lately, make you a playlist we guarantee you’ll have on heavy rotation and recommend a classic (or unduly overlooked) piece of pop culture that we think is worth revisiting.
MOVIES
Here
in theaters Nov. 1
It’s a Forrest Gump reunion of sorts: Robert Zemeckis teams up with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in this decades-spanning tale of a single spot of land and all of its inhabitants over the years. It features some pretty impressive de-aging technology as well. Who ever thought we’d see Tom Hanks playing a young newlywed in the year 2024?
Juror #2
in theaters Nov. 1
Clint Eastwood’s late period work has been a little too “get off of my lawn” for many people’s tastes, but this one from the 94-year-old director actually looks promising. Nicholas Hoult plays a juror serving in a murder trial who eventually realizes he may have accidentally killed the victim himself by hitting her with his car. Will he do the right thing and turn himself in, or will he let an innocent man take the fall for him?
A Real Pain
in theaters Nov. 1
Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars in this dark comedy about two cousins who tour Poland to get in touch with their roots and honor their recently deceased grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor. It’s Kieran Culkin’s first big post-Succession role, and it should be interesting to see what he does outside of the world of Roman Roy.
Heretic
in theaters Nov. 8
Hugh Grant plays against type in this incredibly creepy-looking horror film. The normally charming leading man stars as the diabolical Mr. Reed, who traps two Mormon missionaries who knocked on his door inside his house and engages them in a sinister game of cat and mouse.
Bird
in theaters Nov. 8
Barry Keoghan was reportedly so excited to be a part of Bird that he agreed to be in the coming-of-age drama from Academy Award winner Andrea Arnold before even reading the script. It’s a risk that appears to have paid off for him, as his performance is already earning rave reviews.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point
in theaters Nov. 8
So many of the best Christmas movies are, on paper at least, relatively devoid of plot. What more do you need besides a somewhat-dysfunctional family thrown together to celebrate the holidays while navigating their own quirks and the chaos of the season? This one features Michael Cera, Francesca Scorsese (Martin Scorsese’s daughter and proprietor of an extremely popular TikTok account) and Sawyer Spielberg (son of Steven Spielberg).
Small Things Like These
in theaters Nov. 8
Hot off his Best Actor win for Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy plays Bill Furlong, an Irish coal merchant in 1985 who uncovers corruption and secrets at a local convent. Emily Watson also stars.
Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley
on Netflix Nov. 13
Elvis’s ’68 comeback special was a pivotal point in his career, and now it’s the subject of a new star-studded documentary that features insight from Priscilla Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Baz Luhrmann, Conan O’Brien and Billy Corgan, as well as rare behind-the-scenes footage of the King himself.
Emilia Perez
on Netflix Nov. 13
This French musical crime comedy, which stars Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, earned a joint Best Actress award for its female cast at Cannes back in May. It tells the story of a trans cartel leader who hires a lawyer to help her fake her death so she can live authentically as her true self.
Red One
in theaters Nov. 15
Does this action comedy in which The Rock and Chris Evans team up to rescue Santa Claus (JK Simmons) after the jolly old elf is kidnapped look kind of stupid? Sure, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a Christmas comedy take a big swing like this. Whether it winds up on the naughty list or the nice list remains to be seen.
Day of the Fight
in theaters Nov. 15
A black-and-white drama about a boxer isn’t exactly original (Raging Bull would like a word), but this one is already generating awards buzz for Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael Pitt who plays a down-on-his-luck fighter looking for redemption as he gears up for his first match since being released from prison.
Gladiator II
in theaters Nov. 22
It’s a sequel 24 years in the making: Ridley Scott returns with Gladiator II, and he’s bringing a stacked cast with him. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington will all step into the arena this time around, and Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles from the original Gladiator. The film centers around Lucius Verus (played by Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by a Roman army led by Marcus Acacius (Pascal). And this could be the start of a franchise: Scott is reportedly “toying with the idea” for Gladiator III.
Blitz
on Apple TV+ Nov. 22
Director Steve McQueen is back with his first feature since 2018’s Widows. Blitz features Saoirse Ronan as a London mother in WWII who sends her son (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan) away to safety, only to have to scramble to track him down again after he runs away during the Blitz.
Wicked
in theaters Nov. 22
The theater nerds in your life have been clamoring for this Broadway adaptation for decades now, and they finally have it — or at least the first half of it. Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande stars as Galinda in this first installment of Wicked, which has been broken up into two separate films. (Part Two is slated for a November 2025 release.)
Queer
in theaters Nov. 27
Based on the William S. Burroughs novella of the same name, Queer follows an American expat (Daniel Craig) in 1940s Mexico City who becomes infatuated with a younger man (Drew Starkey). Director Luca Guadagnino (of Call Me By Your Name and Challangers fame) helms this one.
TV/STREAMING
Yellowstone season 5, part 2
Nov. 10, Paramount
It’s been almost two years since the first half of Yellowstone‘s fifth season aired, and after some behind-the-scenes drama and a highly publicized exit, Kevin Costner will not be returning to the popular series. How will it cope without him? We’ll have to tune in to find out.
St. Denis Medical
Nov. 12, NBC
It’s been a while since NBC has had a hit workplace comedy, but St. Denis Medical seems promising. The series features Allison Tolman, Wendy McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier as staffers at an underfunded and understaffed Oregon hospital.
The Day of the Jackal
Nov. 14, Peacock
Peacock turns the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal into a TV series, reimagining it in a contemporary setting. Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch star in the British assassin drama.
Say Nothing
Nov. 14, Hulu
Set in Belfast during the Troubles, this limited series about the IRA is based on the book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe.
Dune: Prophecy
Nov. 17, Max
If you’re not sick of Dune yet, you’re in luck: HBO’s new sci-fi series is a prequel set 10,000 years before the events of Dune. It features Emily Watson and Olivia Williams as sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen.
Landman
Nov. 17, Paramount+
Based on the popular Boomtown podcast, which chronicled the 21st century Texas oil boom, Landman boasts a pretty stacked cast. Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris, a crisis executive at an oil company, and Jon Hamm plays one of the billionaire executives so often tied up in the industry. Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Andy Garcia and Michael Peña also star. Paramount+ seems confident that they’ve got a hit drama on their hands with this one: it hasn’t even premiered yet, but the show has already been renewed for a second season, which is slated to start shooting in early 2025.
Leonardo da Vinci
Nov. 18, PBS
Legendary documentarian Ken Burns is back with another thoroughly researched project. This time, he’s turning his attention to Leonardo da Vinci for a two-part film that will air on PBS on Nov. 18 and 19.
Interior Chinatown
Nov. 19, Hulu
Based on the Charles Yu novel of the same name, this forthcoming Hulu series centers around a struggling actor stuck on a police procedural who suddenly finds himself in the middle of an actual investigation after he witnesses a crime. Jimmy O. Yang stars, and Taika Waititi serves as executive producer.
Our Oceans
Nov. 20, Netflix
Barack Obama can now add “nature documentary narrator” to his resume. Our Oceans is a stunning, Planet Earth-esque exploration of all the wildlife and gorgeous views that exist underwater, and the former president serves as our guide along the way.
A Man on the Inside
Nov. 21, Netflix
Fans of The Good Place, rejoice: Ted Danson is reunited with Michael Schur for this new Netflix comedy in which the Cheers star plays a widower who attempts to cope with the grief over his wife’s death by becoming an amateur private investigator and going undercover in a retirement home. Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) also star.
Beatles ’64
Nov. 29, Disney+
It’s been three years since Peter Jackson’s massive docuseries The Beatles: Get Back debuted on Disney+, and now the streamer has another Fab Four-related doc to show off. Beatles ’64 also has a famous director attached to it (Martin Scorsese, who produced the film), and it reportedly will feature never-before-seen footage as well as new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
The Agency
Nov. 29, Paramount+ with Showtime
We love a good spy thriller, and this one features an impressive cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere and Hugh Bonneville. George Clooney also serves as a producer on the series.
MUSIC
The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
Nov. 1
It’s been 16 long years since Robert Smith and company released a new album, but our favorite goths are finally back with Songs of a Lost World. The record’s being called their best since Disintegration — high praise indeed — and should they wind up touring behind it, we know we can count on Smith to keep ticket prices fair.
Mount Eerie, Night Palace
Nov. 1
To say it hasn’t always been easy for Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum is an understatment. During the course of the past eight years or so, he’s had to deal with death and divorce, but it feels like it has all led him to Night Palace. As he writes, “Eventually the flailing of my turbulent life calmed some. Love, birth, death, loss, love, salvation, rejection, annihilation, and finally I landed somewhere solid. A new island with all new people, just me and the kid, building from zero on ground that felt right. She started at the Montessori school, I began working toward getting our house built. We made a few friends. Every day I doused the smoldering coals of my last few years and made room for the simple fresh air of the present. I went on endless lost forest walks while she was at school. Mumbling in the woods, I indulged the simply autobiographical. I spooled out a long song about my own belly button, not sure what it was for (Microphones in 2020). In the clearing smoke of my life, I took stock.”
St. Vincent, Todos Nacen Gritando
Nov. 15
A Spanish-language album is perhaps the last thing we’d expect from St. Vincent, and yet that’s exactly what we’re getting with Todos Nacen Gritando, which takes her acclaimed album All Born Screaming and translates it into Spanish. As Annie Clark explains in a press release, “The origins of Todos Nacen Gritando can be traced back to some of the most memorable shows I’ve ever played, in Mexico, South America and recently Primavera Barcelona in 2023. Though separated by time and geography, and across a diverse range of settings and venues, these crowds were united in their passion — singing every word to every song in perfect English. It was truly inspiring. Eventually, I asked myself: If they can sing along in a second or third language, why can’t I meet them halfway? So I enlisted my best friend and occasional collaborator Alan Del Rio Ortiz to work on translating these lyrics, tweaking here and there for melodic reasons, making every effort to stay true to the song at hand without sacrificing accuracy.”
Michael Kiwanuka, Small Changes
Nov. 15
British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka returns with his follow-up to 2019’s Kiwanuka. Small Changes also features contributions from producers Danger Mouse and Inflo, bassist Pino Palladino, Jimmy Jam and more.
Jon Batiste, Beethoven Blues
Nov. 15
Jon Batiste is back to remind us of his deeply impressive instrumental chops with Beethoven Blues, a pure piano record that features reimaginings of classic Beethoven works (“Symphony No. 5 Stomp” and “Moonlight Sonata Blues”), as well as some original compositions inspired by his early days spent competing in local piano competitions in New Orleans.
Father John Misty, Mahashmashana
Nov. 22
2022’s Chloë And The Next 20th Century was a pretty strong sonic departure for Father John Misty, full of strings and horns and nods to Old Hollywood. It was a great record, but it was challenging for fans who had become a little too attached to the FJM persona and shtick — both of which were scaled back significantly. Based on what we’ve heard so far of his sixth LP, Mahashmashana, it finds him back in his wheelhouse. “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose” feels like a sequel of sorts to 2015’s “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment.” If Pure Comedy-era Father John Misty is more your speed, you’ll dig the seven-minute epic “Screamland,” which features Low’s Alan Sparhawk on guitar. “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” sees him firing on all cylinders and dropping a few self-referential jabs like “Go and serve your client notice/That of all young gods I have known/Yours is easily the least famous/To turn down the cover of The Rolling Stone,” and “She Cleans Up” feels like it could fit right in on 2012’s Fear Fun.
Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More
Nov. 22
Kim Deal’s debut solo album has been a long time coming. It includes songs that the Pixies and Breeders legend wrote as early as 2011, and as you might expect, it includes an impressive roster of guests and collaborators, including her current and former Breeders bandmates (Mando Lopez, Kelley Deal, Jim Macpherson, Britt Walford), Teenage Fanclub’s Raymond McGinley, Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs, Savages’ Fay Milton and Ayse Hassan, and the late, great Steve Albini, who recorded some of the album in November 2022.
U2, How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb
Nov. 29
This month marks the 20th anniversary of U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and to celebrate, the band is releasing what they’re describing as a “shadow album” of previously unreleased songs from the sessions for that record. “For this anniversary edition, I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot,” The Edge says in a press release. “We chose 10 that really spoke to us. Although at the time we left these songs to one side, with the benefit of hindsight we recognize that our initial instincts about them being contenders for the album were right, we were onto something.”
YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST
Nov. 22 will always be remembered as the day JFK was assassinated, but it also marks a significantly less morbid anniversary: the day the Beatles released the White Album. The double album sees the Fab Four bouncing from genre to genre across its 30 tracks, so naturally it has inspired a wide array of covers by artists of all stripes over the years. So to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most influential and well-known albums of all time, we’ve put together a lengthy playlist of our favorite cover versions of White Album songs. It’s got a little bit of everything, from Billy Joel and Peter Frampton to Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Breeders and, yes, Beyoncé. Whether you’re craving a jazz interpretation of “Back in the U.S.S.R.” or a twangy take on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” we’ve got you covered.
ARTIST RECOMMENDATIONS
Each month, we catch up with a few musicians, actors, comedians or otherwise cool people whose opinions we respect to hear about a piece of pop culture they’re particularly excited about. This month, it’s Ana Perrote of Hinds, Kate Nash, White Denim frontman James Petralli and Tess Parks.
Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna
“I’m currently finishing her autobiography right now, and I couldn’t have loved reading it more while being on tour. I’ve been sinking in her stories about playing in the same venues we have been playing night after night. Her whole life is so inspiring and has given me strength for the tough days I’ve had on the road. She has always been so unapologetic while also showing her vulnerability. This resonates with me and the kind of job we have. Being a girl in a band, doing things differently and not being studio musicians that have been playing instruments since they can walk can be tough. A lot of people hate it and don’t get it, but we change things. At least 25 girls on this tour have come after shows to tell us they started playing music ’cause of us. I’ll quote a genius part of her book that sums up the big impact of representation; this is from when she saw The Go-Gos at age 14: ‘Charlotte Caffey played lead guitar like it was a totally normal thing for a girl to do, which made it a totally normal thing for a girl to do.’”
Joh Chase, Solo
“Discovering this album is like discovering a secret you immediately know should not be a secret but actually a well-known fact in an encyclopedia book with a statue dedicated to it and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for people to attend so they can express their joy and gratitude. Joh Chase is the type of songwriter you would call one of the greatest. When the first track on the album ‘Gone’ starts, you feel like you’ve already heard it before. It’s familiar and comforting to hear again, if not somewhat distressing to learn their ‘dog is nowhere.’ (I checked, and it’s a shared custody situation, not a lost dog situation.) Joh is, simply put, a star. Their voice is powerful, tender and carries with it the weight of the ocean. When it wants to fuck you up, it will. When it wants to take you on a gentle drive, you’re riding shotgun. Their lyrics are smart, delicate, reminiscent and classic-feeling. Joh will punch down into your throat, grab your heart and take it with them throughout the record without you being able to stop or wanting them to. I am labelmates with Joh, and the pitch that hooked me into this album was ‘Sheryl Crow but make it queer.’ Welcome to your new favorite record.”
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir by Sly Stone
“This weekend I took a deep dive into Sly Stone’s memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Since my early teens, Sly’s musical voice has in large part shaped my own. The energy and perspective in his music remains gospel to me, and it is such a pleasure to hear from the man himself. His writing style is also unsurprisingly immensely appealing to me as well. I am absolutely loving this book!”
Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given
“I just finished reading my friend Florence Given’s new book Women Living Deliciously. It is the most girl power book ever. She encourages us all to relish in the tiniest joys in life and gives us reminders like when people are haters it is like a public exhibition of how they feel about themselves and that it’s really hard to be mad at people once you learn not to take anything personally. I wish I had read these books when I was a teenager. Her first book Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is also a must!”
WORTH REVISITING
Veep, “Election Night” (2015)
Streaming on Max, Hulu and Prime Video
Whether it’s a testament to the show’s spot-on satire or an illustration of just how ridiculous the past decade or so of American politics has been, there have been many instances of Veep predicting the future. The most obvious example, of course, comes in the show’s third season — which aired way back in 2012 — when Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the nation’s first female vice-president, finds out she’s about to become leader of the free world after the president decides to step down to tend to his wife’s failing mental health. It’s not exactly the same thing as Kamala Harris finding herself at the top of ticket after Joe Biden was convinced to drop out of the race this summer, but the similarities were strong enough to cause a 350% spike in Veep viewership in the days after Biden’s announcement in July.
But like her real-life counterpart, Selina still had an election to win. After finishing out the remainder of her predecessor’s term, she found herself in a hotly contested race against her rival Bill O’Brien (Brad Leland) in Veep‘s fourth season — one that comes to a head in its finale, “Election Night,” with an unprecedented Electoral College tie. Given that Harris and Trump are virtually deadlocked in the polls just days before the election (not to mention the recent failed bid to change the way Nebraska allots its electoral votes and potentially cause a tie), now is a good time to revisit this Emmy-winning episode and brush up on what might unfold in a few days. (Although it’s worth noting most experts believe a tie is highly unlikely.)
Veep very wisely never disclosed which party its main character belonged to, opting instead to poke fun at the absurdity of our nation’s politics as a whole, and “Election Night” is a perfect example. After all, what’s more absurd than an archaic system that allows for a tie (as one of Selina’s aides asks, “Why make the amount of electoral votes an even number?”) and a scenario in which a candidate could potentially lose the presidency to their own running mate? “Election Night” sets up an entire season’s worth of plot, in which Tom James (Hugh Laurie) secretly lobbies members of the House to abstain from their tie-breaking vote so that neither candidate gets the required 26 votes and he’s able to become president through a loophole. But even as a standalone episode, it’s extremely funny. The slapstick humor of Mike McClintock (Matt Walsh) dropping an armful of vending machine sodas and sprinting down a hallway to tell Selina not to concede is complemented by an impressive amount of the rapid-fire one-liners the show made its calling card. Regardless of where your political allegiances lie, you’re going to find yourself stressing over every potential election outcome this week — so you might as well laugh while you’re doing it.
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