Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Will Smith Lead Star-Studded November Streaming Recommendations

by Julian Spivey

Photos: AppleTV+, Netflix and Warner Bros.

The Harder They Fall – Netflix – Wednesday, Nov. 3
I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since I saw the amazing trailer for it months ago. I just hope it’s not one of those movies where the trailer is amazing and the film a disappointment. It’s a Western with a terrific cast including Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Idris Elba, Lakeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo and Zazie Beetz. That’s all I need to know to have my interest piqued. “The Harder They Fall” is directed by Jeymes Samuel and is his first feature film. It looks incredibly stylish and fun. 

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Finch – AppleTV+ - Friday, Nov. 5
Tom Hanks, a dog and a robot in a post-apocalyptic world. I’m in. In “Finch,” directed by Miguel Sapochnik – his second feature film and first in more than a decade – Hanks plays the last man on Earth, an ailing inventor who builds an android to keep him company and the two and the dog (shouldn’t the dog be enough Finch?) journey across country. 

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Passing – Netflix – Wednesday, Nov. 10
Actress Rebecca Hall makes her directorial debut with “Passing,” starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, and based off the 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen. “Passing” refers to light-skinned African-Americans who could pass for white people and gets into the lifestyle and controversy that can be had and felt by members of the African-American community. 

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The Shrink Next Door – AppleTV+ - Friday, Nov. 12
Will Ferrell’s first foray into television since he left “Saturday Night Live” almost two decades ago has me interested from the star. In AppleTV+’s limited series “The Shrink Next Door,” Ferrell plays Marty Markowitz, who’s psychiatrist, played by Paul Rudd, gets a little too invested into his life. The series is based on Joe Nocera’s Wondery podcast of the same name that tells the true story of Issac Herschkopf who abused his doctor-patient relationships to exploit them for personal gain. “The Shrink Next Door” is billed as a dark comedy, something I think Ferrell and Rudd will chew up. 

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Mayor of Kingstown – Paramount+ - Sunday, Nov. 14
November is going to be a huge month for Jeremy Renner. Disney+’s long-awaited “Hawkeye,” which I honestly don’t care about, but will be massive, debuts on Nov. 24. The Renner project I’m looking forward to is “Mayor of Kingston,” which seems to be the first truly major Paramount+ original (hence not originated on another platform like the previous CBS All Access like “The Good Fight” or CBS like “Evil”.) “Mayor of Kingston,” which comes from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, features Renner as Mike McLusky and Emmy-winner Kyle Chandler (one of my TV favorites) as Mitch McLusky, who’s family are thriving off the business of incarceration in Kingstown, Mich. With Renner, Chandler and Oscar-winner Dianne Wiest this is bound to be a must-watch. 

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King Richard – HBO Max – Friday, Nov. 19
“King Richard,” which will debut on HBO Max the same day it premieres in movie theaters, is the story of Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. In the film, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, the titular Richard Williams is played by Will Smith in his first prominent non-action film dramatic role in many years. I’m sure Smith is going to knock this performance out of the park, but I also can’t help but wonder if there’s a movie to be made that focuses more on the Williams sisters than the man who raised or as some would say “made” them.