11 Must-See Movies of November

Image courtesy of Focus Features

Loving (November 4th)

Synopsis: The true story of Mildred and Richard Loving (Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton), an interracial couple in 1958 sentenced to prison for getting married.

2016 couldn’t have been a more contentious year in terms of how we look at race in America. And I’m talking about race from a political standpoint. The cinematic landscape of 2016 focused on race quite a bit, from the backlash against white male viewpoints in Free State of Jones and The Legend of Tarzan to Nate Parker’s divisive The Birth of a Nation. (Though it’s doubtful Loving will do much to break the #OscarsSoWhite barrier.)

A story focused on the recent past is Jeff Nichols’ Loving. Nichols is one the best independent directors currently working. His current trio of titles (Take Shelter, Mud and Midnight Special) received heavy audience and critical acclaim. His first foray into a nonfiction film will test his range as a director, but with a hot-button topic at the center and a cast that includes the superlative Edgerton and Negga – who busted out this year as one of Hollywood’s “it” girls – this could take Nichols into the Best Director race. Currently holding a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, Loving is receiving generally positive reviews, with critics praising Negga and Edgerton’s performances.

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