Sweet November Highlights

Silo Series 2
On AppleTV from 15 November

If you’re familiar with Hugh Howey’s novel, Wool, which this series is based on, you’ll know that at the end of Series 1 we were halfway though the first book. Which means in this series we pick up with Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) outside the futuristic Silo (where all life on Earth is supposedly living) where she finds it’s all been a big con and that there are a number of other Silos. She also meets up with Solo (Steve Zahn) the last survivor of Silo 17. This sci-fi series is seemingly going from strength to strength. 

Blitz
In cinemas 8 November

Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) returns with Blitz, set during World War II. The film follows nine-year-old George, who, after being evacuated from London, defies orders to return home. As bombs fall across the city, his mother, played by Saoirse Ronan, searches desperately for him. With a cast including Paul Weller and Harris Dickinson, McQueen offers a tense, moving portrayal of survival during the Blitz.

Gladiator II
In cinemas 15 November

Ridley Scott returns to the Colosseum for the sequel to his 2000 swords and sandals epic, this time with man-of-the-moment Paul Mescal playing Lucius, the son of Lucilla and Maximus. While the arena’s entertainment has been turned up to eleven – rhinos, sharks, baboons – the rousing blustering speeches fall a little flat with only Denzel Washington’s Macrinus looking like he’s having any sort of fun (albeit dropped in from another a completely different movie). 

Wicked
In cinemas 22 November

After almost 20 years of development, the big screen adaptation of the broadway musical Wicked finally flies onto screens. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Granda as Glinda the Good, the film aims to fill in the blanks of everything that happened before Dorothy Gale dropped into Oz. Helmed by Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu, it’s sure to be filled with songs and spectacle. We’ve only really put this in here because we know you’re going to be bombarded on all sides with stuff about this film. We’re currently drinking the Wicked flavour glittery squash. Yum.

The Day Of The Jackal
On Sky Atlantic from 7 November

You’ll hear a lot of people in whiny voices going ‘It’s not as good as the original film’. Ignore these idiots, if they had watched Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film recently they’ll know that it’s actually pretty creaky with acting more wooden than Gepetto’s workshop. Updated for the modern day Eddie Redmayne plays the eponymous Jackal, an assassin for hire adept at appearing and disappearing like a ghost thanks to a secret cupboard full of nifty disguises. On his trail is a relentless MI6 officer (Lashana Lynch) as they circumvent the globe in an enjoyable game of cat and mouse. Hammer the first five episode box set now!

Cross
On Prime from 14 November

If you’re a fan of the James Patterson novels then this will be the best news you’ve heard all year, as this DC set crime drama follows the author’s famous homicide detective, Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) trying to get inside of the mind of the killers he’s chasing. If you enjoyed the film adaptations of Along Came A Spider and Kiss The Girls then you’ll probably enjoy this. If it’s all a bit “not another detective series” then you probably won’t.