The latest DC movie, Black Adam shakes things up by adding another super-powerful being into a world that needs more help with with order and chaos than anything else. Expected Black Adam on HBO Max by now? Well, our best guess is that it’s coming in mid-December, no later than the 19th. The other two big VOD releases of the week are critically-praised The Woman King and the hilarious class-warfare film Triangle of Sadness. In a month where billionaires are losing a lot of money, the latter truly feels befitting. Elsewhere, Netflix and HBO Max are leaning into the festive fun with the feel-good The Noel Diary and Holiday Harmony. Wondering why Disney’s holiday special isn’t on here? Our The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special review explains that it’s under an hour — so it doesn’t really qualify as a “movie” just a longer-than-usual TV episode. Want something more dramatic and real? Netflix’s Ghislaine Maxwell documentary looks to shed light on how she aided Jeffrey Epstein, and features interviews with survivors of their sex trafficking. Need more? Be sure to check out our list of the new movies and shows to watch from the weekend. And you can fill your calendar with the new movies and shows to watch in November 2022 across all of the top streamers.
Black Adam
Black Adam, star Dwayne Johnson’s passion project for years, gives the DC Universe of movies and shows a big new antihero to fight with the rest of them. And he doesn’t come alone, either. Black Adam also introduces a lot of other comic book heroes to the big screen, such as Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), though, isn’t Black Adam at first. The film is a massive origin story that shows him as Teth-Adam, who was imprisoned back in 2600 BC. Now, freed, this muscular brute has a few tasks: learn about comedic timing, save the people of the Middle Eastern city of Kahndaq and help the kid and his mother who are tied to his escape. I’ve heard a lot of different takes on the film, so I’ll admit that my less-than-impressed view isn’t shared by all. If you lower your expectations, you’ll probably find Black Adam enjoyable. I just thought there was too much happening for it all to feel like anything truly mattered. A huge building block for DC movies going forward, you’ll want to stay for the Black Adam post-credits scene that had my theater applauding.
Triangle of Sadness
These days, you hear a lot of people saying “eat the rich.” To that, I will add, “well, not these ones … they probably don’t taste that good anymore.” The winner of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or award, Triangle of Sadness is all about the mess that the mega-rich can cause on board a luxury yacht. While we board the yacht with a pair of models who are in an emotionally manipulative relationship, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean Kriek) soon meet a whole ship full of even-richer folks, none of whom get along. Then, chaos ensues as the ship hits troubled waters. The ship’s captain (Woody Harrelson) seems as childish and inept as anyone, and it’s up to the hard-working crew members to try and get out of there alive. Hilarious, and in love with gross-out humor that might remind you of a certain Family Guy bit, Triangle of Sadness is a strong farce.
The Woman King
The Woman King, which surprisingly ruled at the box office, is finally coming home. The film, which is inspired by true events, focuses on the Agojie tribe — the most powerful army entirely made of women in the history of the world. Viola Davis stars as General Nanisca, a fictional character who led the women, and got rave reviews for her performance. Also earning their flowers are Thuso Mbedu, who plays a warrior named Nawi, and John Boyega, who plays King Ghezo, who doesn’t always agree with Nanisca. Alas, not all think The Woman King is worth seeing, as arguments for a boycott surfaced online, due to a lack of addressing the Dahomey Kingdom’s involvement in slavery. Stars Viola Davis and Julius Tennon (who are also married and producing partners) responded by telling Variety (opens in new tab) that this film isn’t meant to be the whole history of the tribe.
Good Night Oppy (Prime Video)
The closest thing we have to Wall•E in this lifetime (at least we hope humanity won’t be stuck in that vision of the future), Good Night Oppy is a documentary showing us the beauty of an adorable robot in outer space. And it might be the perfect movie for the whole family on Thanksgiving. Opportunity, a Mars Exploration Rover that earned the nickname Oppy, not only looks a little like Pixar’s interplanetary robot, but it went on its own adventures too. You’ll watch Oppy ‘stare’ down dust storms, and learn how it routinely broke expectations of what exactly it could survive. Narrated by Angela Bassett. Watch on Prime Video (opens in new tab) starting tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 23)
Holiday Harmony (HBO Max)
Gail (Annelise Cepero) is hitting the road to pursue her ambitions as a singer/songwriter. Her goal, to play the iHeartRadio Christmas Eve special (which feels like the biggest product placement of the month), is even within her reach. At least it was, until an alpaca gets in her way. In the most holiday special moment we can remember (at least since Lindsay Lohan’s Falling for Christmas last week), Gail finds herself stuck in a small town where her aspirations seem a little too big-time for Jeremy (Jeremy Sumpter), who’s helping her fix her car. He also helps her get out of town, setting her up to teach school kids who need help learning how to play music. Watch on HBO Max (opens in new tab) starting Thursday (Nov. 24)
The Noel Diary (Netflix)
Want more holiday charm this season? Well, Netflix’s tale about successful writer Jacob Turner (Justin Hartley) starts with a bit of sadness, as he returns home after his mother’s passing, only to meet Rachel (Barrett Doss), who is also trying to learn about her own mother. The two go on a road trip to learn more about their pasts, while Rachel prods at Jacob’s peculiar — he is quite the hunk — bachelorhood. Eventually, they learn more and more about their family histories, and begin to bond over them. Watch on Netflix (opens in new tab) starting Thursday (Nov. 24)
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich (Netflix)
You may know of Jeffrey Epstein, who plead guilty and was convicted in 2008 for charges related to child prostitution. As you may also know, Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking minors — which he was accused of doing with a number of ultra-famous celebrities — before dying in his jail cell, in an act that examiners ruled to be a suicide. But how much do you know about his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell? Netflix’s latest big true crime doc looks to pull back the curtain on Ms. Maxwell, interviewing some of their victims and following her criminal trial that went from 2020 to 2021. Watch it on Netflix (opens in new tab) starting Friday (Nov. 25) Next: We’ve got the 5 best streaming Black Friday deals with HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus discounts, and all the WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022 live stream details too.
