“Red One,” released Nov. 15, is Hollywood’s marketing dream. Two of the biggest stars, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, travel around the world with name-brand toys like Hot Wheels. Their mission is to save Santa, who is codenamed RED ONE, and played by another one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, J.K. Simmons. Callum Drift (Johnson) is a member of the North Pole’s Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification team and Santa’s right-hand man. Callum teams up with heartthrob Jack O’Malley (Evans), a deadbeat dad trickster who happens to be a master thief and hacker. 

“Heretic” was released by A24 on Nov. 8, marking directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ latest terrifying contribution to the horror scene following “A Quiet Place” and other lesser-known horror films. The film stars Hugh Grant as the endlessly captivating yet bone chilling Mr. Reed, Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes, and Chloe East as Sister Paxton. From start to finish, “Heretic” proves itself a gem amidst the slew of horror movies already released this year. While this year has heralded some truly great horror films, this film takes it a step further through its unique blend of horror, intrigue and questions it poses to the audience. “Heretic” takes place in one house and follows three characters, yet it never gets old. Whether through its extremely clever use of tension or the genuinely thought-provoking questions Mr. Reed forces you to ponder, “Heretic” remains a captivating film through and through.

“Anora” is part comedy, part drama and all heart. The runtime of nearly two-and-a-half hours flies by thanks to writer-director Sean Baker’s emotionally riveting and hilarious narrative. It follows Anora (Mikey Madison), a young Brooklyn sex worker of Russian descent whose Cinderella fairytale might actually be a nightmare. At work, Anora — who goes by Ani — is self-assured, leading men to the ATM to withdraw cash, or slowly inching closer to them the longer they talk. Vanya (Mark Eidelstein) is no Prince Charming. He’s the 21-year-old son of a Russian oligarch who shows up at a strip club looking for a lap dance, preferably from someone who speaks Russian.

“Here” was released by SONY Pictures on Nov. 1 to resounding indifference. This film marks the return of Robert Zemeckis, director of “Forrest Gump” and “Back to the Future.” It also serves as the long-awaited on-screen reunion of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. “Here” had all the makings to be great, yet fails in all the places that count. The film’s concept is simple. The camera never moves. This concept, while interesting, proved difficult in execution for a feature-length film. Despite this, the film has its merits and utilizes its premise to the fullest –– albeit quite dragged out –– potential.

“Venom: The Last Dance” was released Thursday, Oct. 24 by Sony Pictures. Serving as director Kelly Marcel’s final installment in the Venom franchise, “The Last Dance” was tasked with saying goodbye to audiences’ favorite symbiotic alien duo crisply and satisfyingly, while still keeping the pure ridiculousness the franchise is known for at its core. In this department, “Venom: The Last Dance” succeeds. While this movie does not particularly innovate or change the game, Tom Hardy delivers a fun final performance as both reporter Eddie Brock and Venom, an evil alien turned Eddie’s soulmate.

“We Live In Time,” starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, uses nonlinear storytelling to portray the beautifully gut-wrenching relationship between Tobias Durand (Garfield) and Almut Brühl (Pugh) over the course of a decade. This deeply moving romance follows the lives of the couple as their relationship forms and is challenged by managing the concept of time and how fast it passes. 

“Smile 2” starts with a bang and never pumps the brakes. Fans of “Smile” (2022) will be delighted, as this sequel is an upgrade in every way. The horror is more horrible and the scares are scarier. The main character is a scandal-plagued pop star, desperate for a comeback following a car accident and the public meltdown that tanked her career. In every way, her story is bigger than the previous main character, Rose, who was a psychiatric hospital therapist.

The new animated Lego movie, "Piece by Piece," is a documentary produced by Pharrell Williams and follows his rise to fame. Parents beware: despite the kid-friendly animation and musical elements, the documentary structure might be unexciting for younger audiences. “Piece by Piece” is an animated highlight reel of Williams’ rise to industry prowess, using his greatest hits as the soundtrack. He goes from being a middle school band kid to starring in and producing numerous hit singles, but the Lego documentary glosses over Williams' triumphs and tribulations with surface-level detail. 

It was 10 p.m. Oct. 11, 1975.. 90 minutes left until the pilot episode of “Saturday Night Live” airs. Director Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” released in theaters Oct. 11, 2024, dives into the never-before-told origin story of a show built to fail, yet destined to succeed. The film follows an ensemble of over 30 characters, which is an extensive range of people to cover in 109 minutes considering there are 10 minutes of credits and a bit of the live show. Yet it’s hard to imagine a movie about Saturday Night Live being made differently.

If “Joker: Folie à Deux” could be described in one word, there is only one that comes to mind: confused. Between the excruciatingly slow pace of the plot that doesn’t seem to progress outside of the characters, the bizarre writing choices all over the script and the tonally compromised musical numbers that do more narrative harm than good, every element of this movie goes against itself. 

“It’s What’s Inside” is the story of a reunion gone horribly wrong. On the eve of a wedding, friends gather at a family estate to celebrate and reconnect before the big day. Things are going great until the arrival of an eighth friend and his strange suitcase ruins their plans with a brutal game akin to “Mafia.” Despite many similarities to 2022’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” the film makes its own mark with sci-fi gimmicks and trickery.

Netflix’s new documentary, “Will & Harper,” highlights the strength of two life-long friends — Harper Steele and Will Ferrel — who take to the road so Steele can re-experience the country as her true self after coming out as a transgender woman two years ago. This documentary tells Steele’s story beautifully, and doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. The trip won’t be easily forgettable for the duo or for viewers.