By Shayna Maci Warner and Tatiana McInnis
November is a varied, exciting month for women-forward filmmaking, sprinkled with dystopian thrillers, glimpses into grief and trauma-fueled paranoia, and even space travel. Gripping and timely documentaries provide balance for the forthcoming warm and light-hearted features that will usher in the holiday season, while much-anticipated queer representation appears in both fluffier and dramatic fare.
The month kicks off with thriller vibes in “Kindred” (November 6), as a woman grieves her recently deceased boyfriend, and finds herself cooped up with his family, whose intentions she begins to doubt. “Proxima” (November 6) centers an intense mother-daughter bond as a pioneering female astronaut grapples with the many miles between herself and her child. The highly anticipated queer period romance “Ammonite” (November 13), with Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan as a lovestruck fossil hunter and her apprentice, marks the middle of a month of strong narrative features.
On the non-fiction side, this month’s documentaries run the gamut, offering looks into environmental justice activism, trans health care, and malicious uses of technology. “I Am Greta” (November 13) offers an intimate look at climate activist Greta Thunberg’s rise to prominence and her groundbreaking impact on youth organizing for our future. Tania Cypriano’s “Born to Be” (November 18) similarly offers societal insights, focusing on the policy shifts in New York health care coverage that allow many transgender patients to pursue gender confirmation procedures. Shalini Kantayya’s documentary, “Coded Bias” (November 11), focuses on MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini’s investigation of mass disseminations of racial bias in facial recognition technology.
The month’s outright scares and sobering dives into real-world issues are rounded out with some heartwarming holiday features, including “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (November 22), in which a female Scrooge-esque protagonist learns to be more generous, caring, and compassionate. Clea Duvall’s second feature, “Happiest Season” (November 25), sees Kristen Stewart’s Abby dealing with the usual anxieties of a holiday with the in-laws, compounded by the fact that her girlfriend (Mackenzie Davis) hasn’t come out to her family yet.
Here are the women-centric, women-directed, and women-written films debuting this November. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
November 1
“Greatland” – Written and Directed by Dana Ziyasheva (Available on Amazon VOD)
Set in an imaginary country dubbed the birthplace of love and endless source of fun, “Greatland” tells the tale of Ulysses (Arman Darbo), a rebellious non-binary teen on a mission to save his childhood sweetheart as an absurd election and a deadly virus wreak chaos and violence.
November 3
“Represent” (Documentary) – Directed by Hillary Bachelder (Available on VOD)
“Represent”
“Represent” follows three women in the American Midwest confronting entrenched political systems in their campaigns for elected office and fighting to reshape local politics on their own terms. Myya Jones, a Black 22-year-old Michigan State graduate and native of Detroit runs for mayor of Detroit and then, following her defeat, mounts another campaign to become state representative. Bryn Bird, a white woman and Democrat in the rural Ohio community of Granville, sets her sights on the upcoming township trustee election and comes up against her town’s conservative “old boys network.” Julie Cho, a Korean immigrant and conservative Republican, runs for state representative in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, and faces long odds against a popular Democratic incumbent.
“Darkness in Tenement 45” – Written and Directed by Nicole Groton (Available on VOD)
After the threat of a biological attack during the Cold War leaves the residents of a NYC tenement building trapped inside, a troubled teenager must fight against the self-appointed leader in order to save the tenants.
November 6
“Proxima” – Directed by Alice Winocour; Written by Alice Winocour and Jean-Stéphane Bron (Available on VOD)
“Proxima”
Sarah (Eva Green) is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne. She is the only woman in the arduous program. She lives alone with Stella (Zélie Boulant), her seven-year-old daughter. Sarah feels guilty that she cannot spend more time with her child. Her love is overpowering, and unsettling. When Sarah is chosen to be part of the crew of a year-long space mission called “Proxima,” it creates chaos in the mother-daughter relationship.
“Kindred” (In Theaters and Available on VOD)
When her boyfriend Ben (Edward Holcroft) suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte (Tamara Lawrance) collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother, Margaret (Fiona Shaw), and his controlling stepbrother, Thomas (Jack Lowden). They are determined to care for her, at least until the baby arrives. Grief stricken and increasingly haunted by visions possibly brought on by the pregnancy, Charlotte accepts their help. But as the days go by she begins to doubt their intentions and her suspicions grow. Are they drugging her and keeping her captive, with the aim of taking her unborn baby? As her visions intensify and the haze of lies grows, Charlotte decides that her only option is to break free from this family once and for all — but at what cost?
November 9
“A Place Among the Dead” – Directed by Juliet Landau; Written by Juliet Landau and Deverill Weekes (Available on VOD)
In this revealing and terrifying meld of fact, fiction, and the fantastical, actress and filmmaker Jules (Juliet Landau), driven by the demons of her past, embarks on a journey at the potential cost of everything she knows and loves.
November 10
“Animals” – Directed by Sophie Hyde; Written by Emma Jane Unsworth (Available on VOD)
“Animals”: Sundance Institute/Tamara Hardman
Laura and Tyler are two girls who like to party — drink, drugs, and general debauchery infuse their days while their careers and lives remain on hold. As they drift into their 30s, reality begins to bite, but Laura and Tyler will not be tamed so easily. When aspiring writer Laura (Holliday Grainger) meets the devilishly handsome musician Jim (Fra Fee), sparks fly. As their relationship intensifies, Laura’s friendship with Tyler (Alia Shawkat) comes under pressure; Tyler wants to keep the party going, living a life without limitation as Laura begins to settle into her relationship with Jim. But nothing is ever that simple, and Laura begins to struggle with a more strait-laced approach to life. As the fabric of the friendship between Laura and Tyler begins to fray, the bond between these two siren soulmates starts to implode.
“Honey Bee” – Directed by Rama Rau; Written by Bonnie Fairweather and Kathleen Hepburn (Available on VOD)
“Honey Bee”
“Honey Bee” is an unpredictable tale of survival that follows the journey of quick-witted Natalie “Honey Bee” Sorensen (Julia Sarah Stone), an underage truck stop sex worker ensnared by her ruthless Romeo-pimp boyfriend, Ryan (Steven Love). Unwittingly, she is taken into foster care with her new family, headed by Louise (Martha Plimpton) and Christian (Peter Outerbridge), in a remote rural area where she discovers there might be more to life than the hand she’s been dealt.
“Where She Lies” (Documentary) – Written by Suz Curtis (Available on VOD)
“Where She Lies” tells the heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting true story of an assaulted teen, Peggy Phillips, who gives birth out of wedlock in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1962. Upon giving birth, Peggy receives conflicting narratives about her infant’s fate, with one doctor claiming that her baby had passed, and another claiming it was thriving. Three decades later, Peggy’s mother reveals on her deathbed that Peggy’s baby is still alive. After a series of new attempts to uncover the truth, including exhuming her infant’s alleged grave, Peggy reaches an impasse when she runs out of money. Almost two decades later, a documentarian helps Peggy uncover the truth about what happened.
“Lie Exposed” (Available on VOD)
When recovering alcoholic Melanie (Leslie Hope) learns devastating news, she leaves her husband in Toronto and heads to Los Angeles for a bender. In LA, she meets a mysterious tintype photographer and agrees to pose for him at his downtown studio.
November 11
“Coded Bias” (Documentary) – Directed by Shalini Kantayya (Available via Virtual Cinemas)
“Coded Bias”
“Coded Bias” reveals the groundbreaking research of MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini, proving that facial recognition algorithms have the power to disseminate racial bias at scale. In June 2020, IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft said they would pause the sale of facial recognition to police. In a pivotal moment for racial equality, and a decisive moment for how Big Tech will yield power, “Coded Bias” is a trailblazing film for public understanding and engagement with the algorithms that impact us all.
“What We Wanted” – Directed by Ulrike Kofler; Written by Ulrike Kofler, Sandra Bohle, and Marie Kreutzer (Available on Netflix)
A couple facing fertility issues finds their marriage tested on a vacation to a Sardinian resort — and the family next door only adds to the tension.
“My Summer as a Goth” – Directed by Tara Johnson-Medinger; Written by Tara Johnson-Medinger and Brandon Lee Roberts (Available on VOD)
After the sudden death of her father, 16-year-old Joey Javitts (Natalie Shershow) is sent to stay with her eccentric grandparents while her author mother promotes her latest novel. Joey promptly falls for the beguiling Goth boy next door, Victor (Jack Levis), and is transformed by him and his merry band of misfits in black.
November 13
“Ammonite” (In Theaters)
“Ammonite”: See-Saw Films
In 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea (Saoirse Ronan) develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
“I Am Greta” (Documentary) (Available on Hulu)
The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, the film follows Greta — a shy student with Asperger’s — in her rise to prominence, and her galvanizing global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her astonishing wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City.
“Come Away” – Directed by Brenda Chapman; Written by Marissa Kate Goodhill (In Theaters and Available on VOD)
“Come Away”: Sundance Institute
When their eldest brother dies, Peter and Alice (Jordan A. Nash and Keira Chansa) seek to save their parents from despair until they are forced to choose between home and imagination, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.
“Dirty God” – Directed by Sacha Polak; Written by Sacha Polak and Susanne Farrell (Available via Virtual Cinemas)
“Dirty God”
In “Dirty God,” a young mother from London (Vicky Knight) must pick up the pieces in the aftermath of an acid attack that leaves her with disastrous scarring. Living in a looks-obsessed world, and without that as her currency, Jane must move on with her new life, personal difficulties, and the unfortunate occurrences of everyday humiliation.
“Wolfwalkers” (In Theaters)
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey), journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
“The Giant” (Available on VOD)
Charlotte’s (Odessa Young) life is changed forever when the teenager’s small Georgia town is shaken by the beginning of a series of murders on the same night that her missing boyfriend coincidentally reappears. As an unknown killer on the loose preys on young women over the course of a summer, Charlotte has to navigate this new danger while also struggling to recover from the trauma of her mother’s recent suicide.
“Chick Fight” (In Theaters and Available on VOD)
When Anna Wyncomb (Malin Akerman) is introduced to an underground, all-female fight club in order to turn the mess of her life around, she discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine.
November 16
“One Little Finger” (Available on VOD)
Raina (Tamela D’Amico), an American neurologist, uproots her life to research music therapy in India, and finds herself teaching children and adults with disabilities. By bringing them together through music and inspiring them to challenge themselves through their abilities, their lives are transformed.
November 17
“1 Night in San Diego” – Written and Directed by Penelope Lawson (Available on VOD)
“1 Night in San Diego”
Jenna Ushkowitz and Laura Ashley Samuels star as BFFs Hannah and Brooklyn in this raunchy comedy. Hannah, a former reality TV starlet, and Brooklyn, her conscious cuddling best friend, hit the road to San Diego to reconnect with an old high school crush, Christian (Mark Lawson). When he turns out to be super lame, the pair take back the night and go ham in San Diego. Hannah gets recognized in the club by two fans, Kelsey and Delia (Alexandra Daddario and Kelsey Douglas), and the quad hits the town. Things don’t go as planned for Hannah and Brooklyn and their trip turns into a night of chaos, debauchery, and ultimately tests the deepest bonds of their friendship.
“The Goddess of Fortune” – Written by Silvia Ranfagni, Ferzan Ozpetek, and Gianni Romoli (Available on VOD)
Arturo (Stefano Accorsi) and Alessandro (Edoardo Leo) have been a couple for over 15 years. Even though their passion and love have formed a close and important affection, their relationship has been in crisis for a long time. The sudden arrival of two children, left in their care for a few days by Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca) Alessandro’s best friend, could provide an unexpected turn to their tired routine.
“The New Mutants” (Available on VOD)
In “The New Mutants,” five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves. The “X-Men” spinoff introduces Danielle (Blue Hunt), a young woman who wakes up from a tragedy to be told that she survived it because she’s “a very uncommon girl.” And she’s not alone — not anymore. Danielle is just one of the young mutants being held for psychiatric monitoring at an isolated hospital.
November 18
“Born to Be” (Documentary) – Directed by Tania Cypriano (In Theaters and Available via Virtual Cinemas)
“Born to Be”
Soon after New York State passed a 2015 law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services, director Tania Cypriano and producer Michelle Hayashi began bringing their cameras behind the scenes at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning. Lending equal narrative weight to the experiences of the center’s groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and those of his diverse group of patients, “Born to Be” perfectly balances compassionate personal storytelling and fly-on-the-wall vérité.
November 20
“Run” (Available on Hulu)
“Run”
They say you can never escape a mother’s love, but for Chloe, that’s not a comfort — it’s a threat. There’s something unnatural, even sinister about the relationship between her (Kiera Allen) and her mom, Diane (Sarah Paulson). Diane has raised her daughter in total isolation, controlling every move she’s made since birth, and there are secrets that Chloe’s only beginning to grasp.
“Markie in Milwaukee” (Documentary) (Available via Virtual Cinemas)
Fundamentalist Baptist minister Mark Wenzel decides at age 46 to come out as a transgender woman named Markie. It’s a decision that ends her 20-year marriage and estranges her three children. It also sees her dismissed from her beloved church and exiled to the margins of her community. Markie works to build a new life, finding a job as TSA security agent and saving her paychecks for sexual reassignment surgery. But over the course of the following decade, she begins to question her path. She misses the births of her grandchildren and re-evaluates her faith. She also struggles to present herself as feminine at a height of seven feet tall. On the even of her surgery, Markie must decide whether to abandon her female identity and return to life as Mark.
“Hearts and Bones” – Written by Beatrix Christian and Ben Lawrence (Available on VOD)
A war photographer (Hugo Weaving) has just returned home to prepare for his latest exhibition when a South Sudanese refugee (Andrew Luri) appears at his door with a request — that he not exhibit any photographs of the massacre of his village, taken 15 years earlier.
November 22
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” – Directed by Debbie Allen; Written by Maria S. Schlatter (Available on Netflix)
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square”
A rich and nasty woman, Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski), returns to her small hometown after her father’s death to evict everyone and sell the land to a mall developer — right before Christmas. However, after listening to stories of the local townsfolk, reconnecting with an old love, and accepting the guidance of an actual angel, Regina starts to have a change of heart. This is the story about family, love, and how a small town’s Christmas spirit can warm even the coldest of hearts.
November 24
“Mags & Julie Go on a Road Trip” – Written and Directed by Ryann Liebl (Available on VOD)
Two best friends (Ryann Liebl and Elisabeth Donaldson) go on a road trip and get more than they bargained for — “Mags & Julie Go on a Road Trip” is a comedy about friendship, life, and finding your way.
“Hillbilly Elegy” – Written by Vanessa Taylor (Available on Netflix)
J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.
November 25
“Happiest Season” – Directed by Clea DuVall; Written by Clea DuVall and Mary Holland (Available on Hulu)
“Happiest Season”
Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner — until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay — is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. “Happiest Season” is a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.
November 27
“Princess of the Row” (In Select Theaters and Available on VOD)
Bouncing around the foster care system, Alicia Willis (Tayler Buck), a creative 12-year-old girl, ditches school to visit her military veteran father Sergeant Beaumont “Bo” Willis (Edi Gathegi). After a battle-induced brain injury during his service in Iraq, Bo is now homeless and living in Los Angeles’ skid row while suffering from severe PTSD. When Alicia discovers that her next foster parent (Martin Sheen) is 10 hours away, she sets out on a mission to save her family. With Social Services in hot pursuit, she will stop at nothing to find a better life with the only family she knows: her dad.
