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 we think is worth revisiting.
MOVIES
Die, My Love
in theaters Nov. 7
Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson are both earning Oscar buzz for their performances in this thriller about a woman whose postpartum depression leads to a full-fledged psychotic episode after she and her husband move from New York City to his small hometown in Montana. Lynne Ramsey directs, and Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek and LaKeith Stanfield also star.
Nuremberg
in theaters Nov. 7
Based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, Nuremberg follows psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) as he’s tasked with determining whether Hitler’s right-hand man Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is mentally fit to stand trial for his heinous crimes. The stacked cast also includes John Slattery, Richard E. Grant, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall and Colin Hanks.
Christy
in theaters Nov. 7 (limited release)
Will this biopic about boxer Christy Martin, which follows her rise to fame as well as her abusive husband/coach’s attempt to murder her, finally convince people that Sydney Sweeney is a serious actress? That remains to be seen, but you can read what Katy O’Brian, who plays Martin’s rival Lisa Holewyne, had to say about it here.
Train Dreams
in theaters Nov. 7 (limited release), on Netflix Nov. 21
Based on the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams follows logger Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) as he and his crew work to build a railroad. Of course, it’s about a lot more than that — love, family, our relationship to nature — but you’ll have to tune in to find out. Felicity Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon also star.
Being Eddie
Nov. 12, Netflix
Netflix’s new Eddie Murphy documentary features the legendary comedian looking back at his life and career in his own words, as well as interviews with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson and Arsenio Hall. And, based on the trailer, it contains the revelation that Murphy’s favorite current TV show is…MTV’s Ridiculousness? Sure, why not?
The Carpenter’s Son
in theaters Nov. 14
Look, I’ll see any over-the-top horror movie starring Nicolas Cage — no one chews scenery more magnificently. But a horror movie about Joseph (Cage), Mary (FKA twigs) and their teenage son Jesus (Noah Jupe) — or “Teenjus,” if you will — being tempted by a mysterious demon girl (Isla Johnston)? Sign me up.
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
in theaters Nov. 14
The Now You See Me series is officially a trilogy. Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman all return, while they’re joined by newcomers Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Rosamund Pike and Ariana Greenblatt.
The Running Man
in theaters Nov. 14
Based on the 1982 Stephen King novel, The Running Man is a dystopian thriller about a deadly game show sort of similar to Squid Game in which contestants, known as Runners, have to survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. Each day brings a greater cash reward, and the whole thing is broadcast for fans who get off on watching desperate people get killed. One such desperate person is Ben Richards (Glen Powell), who signs up for the game in order to win money to help his sick daughter and winds up being incredibly good at it. Josh Brolin, Coleman Domingo, Lee Pace and Michael Cera also star.
Jay Kelly
in theaters Nov. 14 (limited release), on Netflix Dec. 5
Playing an aging, charismatic Hollywood movie star isn’t exactly a stretch for George Clooney. But sometimes the best choices are the most obvious ones, and the parallels between Clooney’s real life and career and that of his character, the titular Jay Kelly, make this Noah Baumbach movie all the more compelling. Written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, Jay Kelly earned buzz at the Venice Film Festival this summer, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. Adam Sandler plays Ron, Jay’s longtime manager, while Laura Dern plays Liz, his publicist. Billy Crudup is Timothy, an old acting-school buddy of his who missed his big break, and Riley Keough plays Jay’s daughter. Jim Broadbent, Isla Fisher, Patrick Wilson and Greta Gerwig also star.
Rental Family
in theaters Nov. 21
This dramedy has a pretty interesting premise: Brendan Fraser plays a struggling actor living in Tokyo who begins working for a “rental family” service — in which paid actors stand in for friends, family members or other loved ones at various events — and makes some genuine connections with his clients along the way.
Wicked: For Good
in theaters Nov. 21
The second installment of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation covers Act 2 of the play, where Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is now known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda (Ariana Grande) is Glinda the Good. Let’s all hold space for another eventful press tour.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
in theaters Nov. 26 (limited release), on Netflix Dec. 12
Daniel Craig dusts off his Southern accent and returns for a third installment of the Knives Out series. This time around, Detective Benoit Blanc must investigate a charismatic priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), and his congregation after a mysterious death. Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Thomas Hayden Church and Jeffrey Wright round out the star-studded cast.
Hamnet
in theaters Nov. 27 (limited release) and Dec. 12 (wide)
Academy Award-winning writer/director Chloé Zhao’s latest follows a grief-stricken William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes as they must cope with the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Paul Mescal is earning a lot of early acclaim for his performance as The Bard in this one; get those tissues ready.
TV/STREAMING
I Love LA
Nov. 2, HBO Max
Could this be Gen Z’s answer to Girls? Rachel Sennott stars in this comedy series as Maia, an aspiring talent agent in Los Angeles. Her friend group includes Tallulah (Odessa A’zion), an influencer; Charlie (Jordan Firstman), a celebrity stylist; Alani (True Whitaker), a nepo baby; and Dylan (Josh Hutcherson), her boyfriend. They all sound insufferable in the best possible way.
All’s Fair
Nov. 4, Hulu
Ryan Murphy’s latest pulpy drama is centers around an all-female law firm, and it features Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Kim Kardashian (perhaps channeling a bit of her father for this one?), Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash and Teyana Taylor.
Death by Lightning
Nov. 6
We’ve seen countless TV shows or movies about Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, but there’s another presidential assassination that’s been overlooked by pop culture — until now, that is. Death by Lightning chronicles the presidency of James A. Garfield (Michael Shannon), his shooting by Charles J. Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyan) and his death two and a half months later. Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham round out this stacked cast.
All Her Fault
Nov. 7, Peacock
Based on the novel by the same name, this mystery series features Succession‘s Sarah Snook as Marissa Irvine, a woman who shows up to pick her son up from a play date, only to find that he’s nowhere to be found. Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning, Michael Peña, Jay Ellis and Abby Elliott also star.
Pluribus
Nov. 7, Apple TV
This highly anticipated new series from Vince Gilligan — creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul — sees the showrunner reuniting with Rhea Seehorn. This time around, Seehorn is Carol Sturka, a romance author who appears to be the only person on earth who’s immune to a mysterious virus that, per the show’s logline, “transforms the world’s population into content and optimistic citizens.”
Palm Royale Season 2
Nov. 12, Apple TV
Kristin Wiig is back for another go-around as aspiring Palm Beach socialite Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons in this Apple TV series that also features Allison Janney, Carol Burnett, Leslie Bibb, Josh Lucas and Ricky Martin.
Landman Season 2
Nov. 16, Paramount+
Sam Elliott joins the cast of this Billy Bob Thornton oil drama in its second season, easing the loss of Jon Hamm, who played Monty Miller in Season 1. They’ll also be joined by Demi Moore, Ali Larter and Andy Garcia — the latter of whom got bumped up from a guest star to a series regular ahead of Season 2.
A Man on the Inside Season 2
Nov. 20, Netflix
This second batch of episodes sees Charles (Ted Danson) taking on a new case, this time at a college whose president (Max Greenfield) is being blackmailed. The big draw here, however, will be Danson’s chemistry with his real-life wife Mary Steenburgen, who will join the cast as music teacher Mona, a new love interest for our widower protagonist.
Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1
Nov. 26, Netflix
It’s been over three years since a new season of Stranger Things last hit Netflix. Are we finally going to see the Hawkins kids (who are now all full-blown adults, by the way) defeat Vecna and save Eleven from the military? Well, not yet, exactly. Volume 1 — which consists of Season 5’s first four episodes — drops on Nov. 26, but fans will have to wait until Christmas for Volume 2 (the following three episodes), and then the series finale will finally be released on New Year’s Eve. If it seems kind of crazy to stretch eight episodes out across several months, that’s because it is. But at least we’re that much closer to finding out what the hell is going on in the Upside Down. Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Cara Buono and Jamie Campbell Bower all return to the last installment of the Duffer Brothers series, and this time around, they’ll be joined by Linda Hamilton.
MUSIC
Mavis Staples, Sad and Beautiful World
Nov. 7
Given the current state of the world, there’s arguably never been a better time for a little jolt of optimism courtesy of legendary singer Mavis Staples. Sad and Beautiful World features original material as well as covers of some classics, and it features contributions from Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, Justin Vernon and more.
Steve Gunn, Daylight Daylight
Nov. 7
Steve Gunn just released a new album, Music for Writers, back in August, but he’s already back with a follow-up a few months later. For Daylight Daylight, Gunn recorded solo demos and sent them to longtime collaborator James Elkington, giving him free rein to do whatever he wanted with the arrangements. It features violinist and violist Macie Stewart, cellist Ben Whiteley, upright bassist Nick Macri and woodwind player Hunter Diamond.
The Mountain Goats, Through This Fire From Across Peter Balkan
Nov. 7
It sounds hyperbolic, but Through This Fire From Across Peter Balkan is arguably the biggest swing of The Mountain Goats’ long career. It’s a concept album, one that came to frontman John Darnielle in a dream. He describes it in the album’s press materials thusly: “There were 16 men on a fishing boat, but only three survived the storm, and one of those went missing, and is presumed dead. That leaves me and Peter Balkan, whose health is failing as his apocalyptic visions dissipate in the spray at the shore.” It also features contributions from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who provides backing vocals on lead single “Armies of the Lord,” as well as The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson and harpist Mikaela Davis.
Whitney, Dandelions
Nov. 7
Whitney’s self-produced fourth LP was inspired by not one, but two breakups, and the result is some of the Chicago duo’s best work to date. Of single “Damage,” Julien Ehrlich says, “We were searching for the sentiment of ‘Damage’ for a while. In hindsight, I think we were trying to avoid writing a breakup song, and in the process ignoring what the song was calling for. I remember once we finally got the first chorus ironed out we were able to see that it was ok to write another song about heartbreak as long as we completed it in a way that felt unique and undeniably ‘Whitney.’”
Blondshell, Another Picture
Nov. 14
As you might’ve guessed from the title, Another Picture is a companion album to this year’s If You Asked for a Picture. It features a new song, “Berlin TV Tower,” as well as other artists — including Conor Oberst, Samia and Gigi Perez —covering tracks from If You Asked for a Picture. “Every single artist on the project is someone whose music I’m genuinely a massive fan of so I feel so excited and grateful,” Blondshell’s Sabrina Teitelbaum said in a statement. “I have loved Gigi’s music for years so it’s so special to get to do ‘Arms’ with her. John Glacier had one of my favorite records of the year, same with Folk Bitch Trio, Samia, and Conor’s record last year with Bright Eyes. I’m blown away by their interpretations of these songs.”
AVTT/PTTN, AVTT/PTTN
Nov. 14
File this one under “collaborations no one could have predicted”: Scott and Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers have teamed up with Mike Patton for a new project called, fittingly, AVTT/PTTN. “Mike’s part of our DNA, like the fabric of our youth,” Scott Avett explained in a press statement. “Literally, we studied him. He’s a dear friend now, but when we were younger, I was imitating him.” For his part, Patton says, “My peculiar challenge in this was to become a long distant cousin. A brother that was orphaned. Maybe they kept him in the chicken coop or some shit. They brought him out years and years later.”
YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, and the ’80s classic is returning to theaters this weekend to celebrate the occasion. That means that somehow it’s been four full decades since Marty McFly skateboarded to school to “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & The News. As Marty himself would say, “This is heavy.”
But “The Power of Love” obviously isn’t the only song written specifically for a movie that left a lasting impression, of course. Some, like Top Gun‘s “Take My Breath Away” or “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” in Dirty Dancing soundtrack iconic scenes, while others (Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You”) became far more memorable than the movies they were commissioned for. Some (“9 to 5,” “Ghostbusters,” “Shaft”) are true theme songs, letting us know from the get-go what we’re getting ourselves into. So to celebrate 40 years of Back to the Future, we’ve rounded up 30 of our favorite songs that were written for movies in the playlist below. We’re not including songs from musicals or scores here, to be clear — just one-off contributions that all elevated the films they were crafted for.
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 Dan Deacon.
Jeremy Hyman, Low Air
“Jeremy Hyman is one of my favorite musicians, and has been for the last 20 years. It blows my mind that this is his first solo record. His incredible sensibilities and timing allow him a unique approach to navigating choices, which can be heard throughout this amazing assemblage of new electronic works. It’s a really beautiful autumn listen and something I couldn’t recommend enough.”
WORTH REVISITING
The Last Waltz (1978)
Streaming for free on Tubi, YouTube and PlutoTV, and available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV
There are plenty of movies where the holiday is more prominent — Planes, Trains and Automobiles or Hannah and Her Sisters, maybe — but in my family, it’s not Thanksgiving until we’ve watched Van Morrison (back before he was a problematic anti-vaxxer), clad in a bedazzled cranberry-colored suit, karate-kicking his way off the stage after absolutely bringing the house down with “Caravan” in The Last Waltz. The Martin Scorsese film chronicling The Band’s star-studded farewell concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom has become a classic Thanksgiving movie due to the fact that it was recorded on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 — Rick Danko wishes the crowd a happy Thanksgiving as the Band returns to the stage for their encore — but even when you remove Turkey Day from the equation, it stands as one of the best music documentaries of all time.
What makes The Last Waltz stand out from most other concert films are all the little moments Scorsese’s cameras were able to capture, each one I’ve declared to be my favorite part of the movie at one point or another: The way Mavis Staples smiles and whispers “Beautiful” after the last note of “The Weight” rings out. Dr. John extending “thankfulness to The Band and all the fellas” before launching into “Such a Night.” Robbie Robertson finishing Eric Clapton’s guitar solo without missing a beat when his guitar strap breaks. Robertson and Levon Helm exchanging pointed glances with Bob Dylan as they wordlessly get on the same page about how to transition from “Forever Young” to “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down.” Neil Young’s infamous coke booger.
All the Band history and recollections are great, of course, but ultimately, The Last Waltz is a testament to the power of live music, a reminder that there’s nothing better than watching a group of really talented artists really locked in and playing with a kind of effortlessness that only comes from years of touring and performing together. And if that’s not something to be thankful for, what is?
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