Don’t Miss Indies: What to Watch in November
Awards season is upon us. Come November, film lovers can expect star-studded casts, emotionally-riveting storylines, and directors at the peak of their craft. These are the movies you wait all year for.
This month’s Don’t-Miss Indies list has something for everyone… new films from veteran auteurs Lynne Ramsay, Richard Linklater, and Chloé Zhao, promising up-and-comers Clint Bentley and John-Michael Powell, and international films from two multi-talented women directors. We’re highlghting intergenerational familial stories that promise hope as well as revenge, a UFO documentary that might just convince the most skeptical among us, and biopics (aka Best Performance territory) galore.
Read on for more info about these Don’t-Miss Indies – and let’s just say that the ties to our Film Independent Presents screening series are strong.
DIE, MY LOVE
When You Can Watch: November 7
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, LaKeith Stanfield
Why We’re Excited: If the discordant, colorful, and absolutely manic trailer doesn’t draw you in, the cast of Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence and indie king-of-all-things-strange-and-wonderful Robert Pattinson should. What’s most exciting about Die, My Love, however, might just be its director, the indelible Lynne Ramsay. The Scottish auteur has never had a cinematic misstep, between the hauntingly unforgettable We Need To Talk About Kevin and the darkly hypnotic You Were Never Really Here, starring a ‘totally terrifying’ Joaquin Phoenix. Between the cast, filmmaker, and distributor (Mubi, of last year’s The Substance), Die, My Love looks to be a stylish yet unflinching look at a woman in the throes of madness that could land Lawrence her next nomination.
RENTAL FAMILY
When You Can Watch: November 21
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: HIKARI
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, Akira Emoto
Why We’re Excited: Rumored to be a crowd-pleaser and awards contender for Searchlight, this dramedy stars Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser (The Whale) as an American actor who lands a gig at a Japanese agency playing stand-in roles for strangers. The concept comes from Japanese rental family services, which hire actors to play a client’s absent family member. As Frasier’s character forms unexpected bonds with his clientele, however, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. Rental Family is directed by HIKARI, a Film Independent Screenwriting Lab Fellow who also directed episodes of the exceptional mini series Beef for Netflix. Rental Family promises a heartfelt look at the meaning of family and the complex roles we play within them.
CHRISTY
When You Can Watch: November 7
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: David Michôd
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever
Why We’re Excited: When actors undergo a dramatic transformation for a role, they’re often rewarded for it. Just ask Oscar-winners Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Charlize Theron. Christy has long been a passion project for Sydney Sweeney, who transformed herself physically to play real-life boxer Christy Martin. This biographical sports drama is directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), and co-stars Ben Foster as Christy’s manager and husband. Christy Martin was the most famous woman boxer of the 1990s, achieving unprecedented professional highs and surviving harrowing personal lows. She’s an intriguing subject no matter who plays her, but Sweeney’s performance is already garnering awards buzz. Additionally, the film’s casting director, Kate Sprance, is a Film Independent member, as are producers Justin Lothrop, Brent Stiefel, and Amanda Lenker Doyle.
TRAIN DREAMS
When You Can Watch: November 7, November 21
Where You Can Watch: Select Theaters (Nov 7), Netflix (Nov 21)
Director: Clint Bentley
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, Will Patton
Why We’re Excited: Train Dreams gained momentum on the festival circuit after having its world premiere at Sundance, where it earned rave reviews. Variety even called it a ‘Best Picture Sleeper’. Based on the novella by Denis Johnson, this meditative exploration of man in nature is directed by Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the redemptive Sing Sing. Focused on a railroad worker in early 20th Century America, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, who finds unexpected beauty and meaning despite the rapidly changing country around him. Although Train Dreams is a period piece, it’s hard not to draw parallels between turn-of-the-century industrialization and our current technological advancements. Watching a character maintain their humanity in spite of it just might be the antidote we need. Greg Kwedar, a writer/executive producer on the project, is a Film Independent member, as is Parker Laramie, the editor/co-producer.
LEFT-HANDED GIRL
When You Can Watch: November 14, November 28
Where You Can Watch: Select Theaters (Nov 14), Netflix (Nov 28)
Director: Tsou Shih-Ching
Cast: Janel Tsai, Nina Ye, Brando Huang, Akio Chen
Why We’re Excited: Co-written, edited, and executive produced by last year’s Oscar-winning director and Film Independent member Sean Baker, Left-Handed Girl is helmed by Tsou Shih-Ching. Baker and Shih-Ching are frequent collaborators; she produced his films Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket. Left-Handed Girl is her solo directorial effort, a familial drama set at a night market in Taipei. It follows a single mother and her two daughters as they open a small restaurant in the heart of the Taiwanese capital. Shih-Ching fought for funding for many years before shooting the film on an iPhone, showcasing her indie-filmmaking prowess. Selected by Taiwan as their Best International Feature for the 2026 Academy Awards, this slice-of-life drama has a lot going for it.
HAMNET
When You Can Watch: November 27 (limited), December 12 (wide)
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson
Why We’re Excited: Before she won the Oscar for Best Director, Chloé Zhao was a Film Independent Artist Development Fellow. Her debut feature, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, was nominated for Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Hamnet is her much-anticipated return to independent film after Nomadland won her the Oscar. It stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal and is based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell. The story is a fictionalized account of William Shakespeare’s creation of Hamlet after his son Hamnet’s untimely death from bubonic plague. While many know Hamlet as a revenge play, it is also about grief. Early reviews call it ‘devastating’ and ‘emotionally shattering’, so get your tissues ready.
BLUE MOON
When You Can Watch: October 24
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott
Why We’re Excited: Longtime auteur Richard Linklater has been busy. This year, in addition to Blue Moon, he’s debuting Nouvelle Vague, about the making of the French classic Breathless. Blue Moon is about Broadway songwriter Lorenz Hart, played by longtime collaborator Ethan Hawke. Hart was one half of the Broadway musical duo Rodgers and Hart, a partnership that lasted more than twenty years before Rodgers left to work exclusively with Oscar Hammerstein. The film picks up post-breakup, with Hawke’s Hart drinking away his sorrows at Sardi’s in NYC the same night Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! premieres, forcing him to watch his former partner’s greatest success from the sidelines. It promises to be a talky showcase for the multi-talented Hawke, with the added bonuses of Andrew Scott as his former partner Rodgers and Margaret Qualley as a much younger love interest.
THE AGE OF DISCLOSURE
When You Can Watch: November 21
Where You Can Watch: Select theaters and Amazon Prime
Director: Dan Farah
Why We’re Excited: For the conspiracy theorist in all of us, The Age of Disclosure is the UFO documentary everyone’s talking about. Whether you like it or not, aliens have been a growing topic of conversation, fueled by whistleblowers and Congressional hearings regarding UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena). Age of Disclosure focuses on the conspiracy theory that the government has concealed information about extraterrestrial intelligence for decades. Its title and message advocate for declassification and disclosure. It features the former director of the UAP task force, Jay Stratton, and is narrated by former U.S. Department of Defense official Lue Elizondo. Whether you believe the truth is out there or not, these participants only add to the documentary’s credibility. Critics are calling it ‘really, really convincing’… so much so, it might just make a believer out of you yet.
ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU
When You Can Watch: November 28 (Los Angeles)
Where You Can Watch: Select theaters
Director: Cherien Dabis
Cast: Cherien Dabis, Adam Bakri, Saleh Bari, Maria Zreik
Why We’re Excited: A multigenerational drama produced by Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, All That’s Left Of You is Jordan’s selection for best international feature at the Oscars. The film ‘powerfully captures the true story of Palestine that has never been told before in a way that is both artistic and authentic’, says Bardem. All That’s Left Of You spans nearly 75 years in the lives of one Palestinian family, as they grapple with loss and displacement. Cherien Dabis, the Palestinian-American director and a Film Independent member, debuted her first film Amreeka at Sundance, and has directed several episodes of television, including an Emmy-nominated episode of Only Murders In The Building. All That’s Left Of You is a moving portrait of family and intergenerational trauma, reminding us just how much the past informs the present. Geralyn White Dreyfous, executive producer, is also a Film Independent member.
VIOLENT ENDS
When You Can Watch: October 31
Where You Can Watch: Select theaters
Director: John-Michael Powell
Cast: Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Alexandra Shipp
Why We’re Excited: With its title referencing Romeo and Juliet, Violent Ends is the second film on this list inspired by Shakespeare. A southern revenge thriller about star-crossed lovers set in the Ozarks, it stars Billy Magnussen and features Alexandra Shipp as his romantic interest. Billy’s character is trying to escape his crime family’s legacy, only to get pulled back in, with tragic results. While Magnussen is always excellent, reviews are calling this performance the best of his career, and director John-Michael Powell is getting favorable comparisons to early Scorsese and Tarantino. A tense, emotional thrill ride, the film questions the ties that bind— especially those forged in blood.
KEY
Film Independent Fellow or Member
Film Independent Presents Screening, Q&A
Microbudget
Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color
Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee
Female Filmmaker
LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
First-time Filmmaker
LA Film Festival Winner or Nominee
For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms, and to foster a culture of inclusion. We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision. To support our mission with a donation, click here.
Keep up with Film Independent…