On Nov. 22, one of hip-hop’s most beloved icons, Kendrick Lamar, released his sixth studio album “GNX” by surprise. Although there were no singles or promotions for this release, there was certainly no lack of anticipation after his feud with Canadian rapper and music superstar Drake. This beef was one of the ugliest and most vicious rap beefs, with scathing accusations made on both sides. The battle between the two hip-hop moguls was capped off with Lamar’s hit single “Not Like Us” — which does not appear on this new release — debuted at  #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning over 900 million streams over just a few months.

“Gladiator II” is the highly-anticipated, 20-years-in-the-making sequel to 2000’s “Gladiator.” Ridley Scott brings the heat with bigger battles, rabid CGI animals and the flawless casting of Denzel Washington as the film’s lead antagonist. While earlier scripts had Russell Crowe’s Maximus fighting through the underworld to reclaim his life, this sequel includes only a few flashback clips of the original protagonist. Maximus’ bold presence is instead filled by Lucius (Paul Mescal), Lucilla’s (Connie Nielsen) son from the first film. Unlike Maximus, general of the vast Roman army and an established leader from the get-go, Lucius commands his village’s small artillery that tries to fend off the Roman ships.

The newest addition to Michael Schur’s legacy of sitcoms arrived on Netflix Nov. 21. “A Man on the Inside” stars Ted Danson as Charles, a retired professor and recent widower, who accepts an offer from a private investigation firm to work undercover in a retirement home. The first season follows Charles as he figures out how to be a 70-year-old spy and step out of his lonely shell, finding companionship alongside the other residents at the home. 

One of the most awaited films of the year made its debut in theaters Nov. 22, with fans restlessly preparing to see the green-pink duo in “Wicked.” Ironically and a little tediously, the movie opens with a voiceover where Glinda addresses the Munchkins, and the audience, to address any rumors and speculations and “tell [them] the whole story.” It’s hard to measure the movie’s success and mass appeal without accounting for the existing fanbase.

As foreshadowed by its title, “Shawn” — released Nov. 15 — allows listeners to get close and personal with the Canadian singer-songwriter as he shares the battles he’s been fighting since the release of “Wonder” in 2020. After canceling his 2022 world tour to take care of his mental health and going through a somewhat public breakup with Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes shares part of his journey in this album full of rootsy folk-rock lullabies. 

"Emilia Perez" is a bombastic musical set in Mexico that has just landed on Netflix. A darling of critics and industry awards — the leads jointly won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival — the film juggles multiple plotlines during its short two-hour runtime: murder, infidelity and gender transitioning, all set against the brutal backdrop of Mexico’s unending drug war. 

“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.

Tyler, the Creator dropped his most personal album to date Oct. 28. “CHROMAKOPIA” explores themes about Tyler’s struggles with love, sexuality and the idea of fatherhood. To get a full week of Billboard chart tracking, artists typically release new music on Fridays at midnight, but Tyler chose to release his album on a Monday at 6 a.m. instead. He said he wanted his fans to be able to listen to the album with their full attention. He also made the creative decision to hide his features upon release, so they do not distract fans from listening to the full album.

“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.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Agatha All Along” skillfully balances both blockbuster and comic expectations, featuring jaw-dropping character reveals, seamless execution of nonlinear storytelling...