After a sluggish frame last weekend, when Halloween fell on a Saturday, the studios are back out to play with new releases that should interest moviegoers. Godzilla is ready to show them all who’s boss with Godzilla Minus Zero, which is already posting solid preview numbers, and The Cat in the Hat hopes to lure families and kids with a new animated take on the popular Dr. Seuss book. In addition, we have a couple of Oscar hopefuls coming into play, while a few films that are still playing in theaters arrive on digital. The television side is a little light, but for those looking for trashy entertainment, Season 2 of All’s Fair has premiered for your viewing pleasure.
What’s Opening In Theaters?
Arriving in theaters with more of a bang than maybe some anticipated is Godzilla Minus Zero, an epic kaiju film written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who is also behind the film’s visual effects. The film serves as a sequel to 2023’s Godzilla Minus One and is the 39th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 34th project produced by Toho. Set in 1949, Godzilla Minus Zero sees postwar Japan struggling to rebuild as it faces a new threat from King Ghidorah, with Godzilla regenerating to face off against the monster. The movie stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Ando, and Miou Tanaka.
We can’t talk about Godzilla Minus Zero without first discussing Godzilla Minus One. While we were cranking out Godzilla films with budgets as high as $200 million, in came Takashi Yamazaki, creating a Godzilla project with a $10 million budget that honestly looked better than the big-budget spectacles about the King of the Monsters that we were making. It was a true visual achievement that turned into a financial and critical darling around the world. The movie grossed $116 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing Japanese film of 2023, and $57.1 million of that came from the States. Critics were also dazzled by the project, with the film currently sitting at 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the cherry on top being winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards. Godzilla Minus Zero arrives with even more hype, already grossing $6 million in previews stateside, which could lead to a weekend of $30 million+ at the box office. In addition, reviews are solid at 90 percent on the aggregator site, and the audience score is already at 96 percent. While a lot of this is goodwill from its predecessor, it’s also an indication of how potent the Godzilla IP continues to be.
Arriving for families and kids is the animated fantasy comedy, The Cat in the Hat, a film loosely based on the 1957 children’s book by Dr. Seuss. Written and directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, The Cat in the Hat is said to introduce you to a version of the character you don’t know that still consists of all the mischief, magic, and mayhem you know and love. The film features the vocal talents of Bill Hader, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, Giancarlo Esposito, and America Ferrera.
This is the second feature-length adaptation of the book after the dreadful 2003 live-action film starring Mike Myers that continues to be nightmare-inducing. The thought here is that this version can’t be any worse than that version of the book, and so far, despite the film not having an official Rotten Tomatoes score as of this writing, that appears to be true, but the reviews are still mixed. The consensus is that this animated version is better than the live-action Myers take, and it’s animated with visual flamboyance, but some say it lacks the mischievous spirit of the source material. Working in its favor is that it’s the only game in town for kids and families until the Disney film Hexed opens on Nov. 25, so The Cat in the Hat will likely be the de facto choice to entertain the kiddos until that movie arrives.
Angel Studios unveils the historical musical drama Drummer Boy this weekend, directed by Ben and Joel David Smallbone and written by Richard L. Ramsey. The film, set during the American Revolutionary War, follows an American soldier who falls in love with an enslaved woman while following his brother after he joins the British Army. The movie stars Joel David Smallbone, Lucas Leach, Ioan Gruffudd, Melora Hardin, Charles Esten, and Iain Glen.
These Angel Studios releases tend to surprise because they tap into their target demo with very little marketing and manage to produce solid box office results. Young Washington, released over the summer, grossed an impressive $47 million on a $20 million budget with minimal promotion and simply by speaking to the audience that stands by their films. Drummer Boy is releasing pretty wide in 2,840 theaters and has already amassed $3 million in pre-sales, a solid result heading into the weekend. No Rotten Tomatoes score as of yet for this one, but the reviews posted so far are more on the rotten side, with some critics saying it’s too earnest for its own good and clunky in certain places, but reviews won’t matter for Drummer Boy. Angel Studios has tapped into their market well, and this release won’t be any different.
Also launching worldwide, and a movie that could make Godzilla flinch on the international side, is the Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Shridhar Raghavan, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is based on the epic poem Ramayana by Valmiki, which follows the life and trials of Prince Rama. The three-hour-and-fifteen-minute epic stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Sunny Deol, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, and Lara Dutta.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is a very pricey endeavor (reportedly close to $420 million in U.S. dollars), making it the most expensive Indian film ever made. Not sure how much of that money they’re hoping to recoup, but Sony’s stake in the film comes down to a few territories overseas and North America, so they’re looking to see how much interest the film will have in the areas they’ve secured the movie in. The film opens in 1,300 theaters, which is the widest North American theatrical release for an Indian movie, so there is a belief that some moviegoers will be interested in this project in the States. In terms of Sony’s output, it’s projected to open to $6 million in the U.S. and another $6 million where they have secured distribution rights overseas. That being said, the projected worldwide opening is between $30-$75 million, so this one appears to be a hard one to track. Reviews are decent at 74 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the audience score is even stronger at 92 percent. It will be one to watch to see if the international footprint will do business of significance locally and if that will lead to more acquisitions of these types of films.
Writer and director Martin McDonagh returns to the big screen with the black comedy spy thriller Wild Horse Nine. Set in 1973, the film follows CIA agents Chris Carlisle (John Malkovich) and Lee Chesterfield (Sam Rockwell) on a trust-testing mission from Santiago to Easter Island. The movie also stars Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Parker Posey, Mariana di Girolama, and Ailin Salas.
Wild Horse Nine premiered in the main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which led to Malkovich winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. This began the actor’s awards season campaign, with some saying he should be seriously considered for Oscar consideration when nominations are handed out. McDonagh is no stranger to awards season, with the writer and director winning the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for Six Shooter in 2004, before earning even more nominations for his films In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin. Wild Horse Nine looks like it could be another awards season play for McDonagh, with the film being certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 94 percent, with many critics pointing out he’s on a winning streak that most directors dream of. Searchlight is opening the film in 1,100 theaters, so it’s not exactly a platform release that most awards hopefuls get, but perhaps the film will expand more if audiences respond to it.
Opening in limited release is A24’s Club Kid, a film that could turn into a true awards season hopeful thanks to a strong reception and extraordinary buzz. Written and directed by Jordan Firstman in his feature directorial debut, Club Kid follows a washed-up underground party promoter whose life takes an unexpected turn when he’s forced to care for a 10-year-old son he was completely unaware of. The film stars Firstman, Reggie Absolom, Cara Delevingne, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Colleen Camp, Vicki Pepperdine, Nigil Whyte, Eldar Isgandarov, Saturn Risin9, Miss Benny, Alaska Riley, and Diego Calva.
Club Kid premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, and it received instant acclaim, with the film earning raves for Firstman as a writer, director, and actor for a movie that is loving, authentic, and non-judgmental in its depiction of its queer characters as well as the bond that grows between Firstman’s Peter and Reggie Absolom’s Arlo. There are major Anora vibes going on here, and all signs point to not counting Club Kid out as a potential major awards player. Awards season loves a success story, and during a year that has seen some indie standouts, this one is emerging as a top-tier indie breakout of the season. The movie is certified fresh at 100 percent with 90 reviews counted so far. Should A24 put some campaign muscle into this one, Club Kid will certainly break out beyond the indie movie crowd.
What To Watch At Home?
Just to show how quick the turnaround is from theatrical to digital release, three of the more well-known home debuts this week are still playing in theaters. Remember the days when you had to wait months to watch one of your theatrical favorites at home? Not in these post-COVID times. It feels like we were just talking about the release of Resident Evil, Primetime, and Sense and Sensibility in theaters, and now they’re all out on digital for your viewing pleasure. In addition to digital releases, Kim Kardashian gets to continue to play a lawyer as she continues to try to tackle the bar in real life with the premiere of the second season of the so-bad-it’s-good All’s Fair.
The biggest digital release is Resident Evil, directed by Zach Cregger from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten. The eighth film in the Resident Evil franchise, and the second reboot, Resident Evil is set parallel to events in the Resident Evil 2 video game, but in modern times. The film follows a medical courier named Bryan, whose night turns from typical to a fight for his life when he encounters a viral outbreak of infected monsters in Raccoon City during a delivery. The movie also stars Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson, and Paul Walter Hauser.
Exceptional hype surrounded Resident Evil ahead of its release, not only because the IP has been popular, but because Cregger, as a director, has built a following that makes him trusted by genre fans. This began with 2022’s Barbarian, a horror film that became a surprise hit with critics (92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences ($40.8 million domestic and $46.2 million worldwide on a $4.5 million budget). This was followed by an even bigger hit in 2025’s Weapons, which eventually earned $270 million worldwide on a $38 million budget and gave Amy Madigan a much-deserved Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Cregger proved that he could tackle a familiar IP and put a winning fresh spin on it by turning it into the best-reviewed (96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) and highest-grossing film of the franchise ($401 million globally on a $75 million budget). Fans may have been nitpicky going in, but the end result was solid, and it made for another win for Cregger that will only gain more of an audience on digital.
Robert Pattinson continued a great year with the release of Primetime in September, and now the film arrives on digital, where it has already surged to the top of the digital charts since its release. Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut and written by Ajon Singh, Primetime is based on the 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die” and centers on the production of To Catch a Predator, a reality television series that ran as a segment on Dateline NBC, with Pattinson leading the film as the series’ host, Chris Hansen. The movie also stars Skyler Gisondo, Merritt Wever, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Primetime premiered in the main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, competing for the Golden Lion and earning strong reviews. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 86 percent alongside a 78 percent audience score. Critics believed it shone a scary light on the sensationalism that comes with producing reality television. In addition, Pattinson earned raves across the board for his performance as Hansen, with many saying he is a lock for a Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Primetime has grossed $57.3 million globally on a $14.5 million budget, and that run should continue now that it’s available at home, probably due not only to Pattinson but also to Oppenheim, who co-directed the buzzed-about documentary You Can See Everything, which is currently killing it at the box office.
Despite having opened less than a month ago, Sense and Sensibility arrives on digital for those looking for a period piece romance. Directed by George Oakley and written by Diane Reid, Sense and Sensibility is based on the 1811 novel of the same name by Jane Austen and follows the Dashwood family as they navigate everything from social expectations to romantic heartbreak while living in Regency-era England. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw.
There have been several major film and television adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, most notably the 1995 film adaptation directed by Ang Lee and starring Emma Thompson alongside Kate Winslet. That take was a box office hit, grossing $135 million worldwide on a $16 million budget, and was a critical darling, earning seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Thompson, who wrote the adaptation and starred in it. Needless to say, the story has been done before, so why should this one be special? Well, according to critics, this take puts more of the attention on the Dashwood sisters and their relationship, which is different from most adaptations of the story, and it’s enough for this version to form an identity of its own. The film is fresh at 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the performances and the sisterly rapport of the female leads, and it pulled in decent money globally at $39 million worldwide on a reported $20 million budget. It’s still playing in some theaters, but this is a film destined to shine at home, so it will likely find more of an audience there.
Hoping to find its true audience at home is the action thriller Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, written and directed by Bassam Tariq. The film follows Latif (Mahershala Ali), a hitman who happens to be devoutly religious, as he finds himself on a journey across Houston to protect his children after his wife dies. The film also stars John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Abubakr Ali, Trammell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Laith Nakli.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and earned solid reviews. The film currently sits at 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 92 percent audience score, and critics are raving about its elegant fight choreography and unique singular vision. Ali did the promotional rounds a fair amount for this film while revealing more about his feelings about the canceled MCU Blade film. Even with some bitterness, it looks like all that training he didn’t get to use in the Marvel Cinematic Universe paid off here. Amazon MGM Studios stumbled a bit with the staggered release for this film (there was a date it was reported to go wider than its limited run and it didn’t so until over a week later) which led to the movie not putting up much of a fight at the box office (it grossed a mere $4 million during its run). That being said, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother has all the signs of a cult film in the making, and that should begin as its digital run takes off.
For those in search of trashy TV that may not be prestige, but it’s certainly entertaining, Season 2 of All’s Fair has arrived, and it continues to be unafraid to wear its trashiness on its sleeve. Created by Ryan Murphy, All’s Fair centers on a group of highly skilled female divorce attorneys who leave a male-dominated law firm to create their own practice. The series stars Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close.
Murphy was wise to surround Kardashian with prime female talent because All’s Fair was going to come under fire simply because of her involvement. The series was widely panned by critics for its first season, registering a six percent on Rotten Tomatoes, as many of them deemed it one of the worst television shows ever made. That all seems a bit harsh, as I’m sure we could drum up worse TV than this, but viewers saw the campy vision that critics missed. All’s Fair ranked No.1 on Hulu’s “Top 15 Today” list after its premiere, and it became Hulu’s most-watched premiere for an original scripted series in three years. It also, for better or worse, was a huge show on social media, likely because viewers were making fun of the camp of it all, but that doesn’t change the fact that the show generated 7 billion social media impressions and 190 million video views for its content after its debut. It’s not Shakespeare, nor is it trying to be. Just enjoy it for what it is and have a bit of fun with it. Shows like this serve a purpose just as much as the good ones. The first three episodes of Season 2 premiered on Nov. 4, and subsequent episodes will drop weekly on Hulu through Dec. 2.
Check back next week when we keep you in the know about What To Watch!
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