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If the films of the 1990s gave us reasons for the end of the world, the films of the 2000s took those reasons to their logical conclusion. We were shown what the end of the world will look like, and shown who’d be there when the dust settled. Last fall it was a father (Viggo Mortenson) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and there most precious resource was a gun. In January, it was Denzel Washington and his most precious resource was a book. That and a Samurai sword.

The days of apocalyptic glimpses are far behind us (remember 1992’s Terminator 2 and its inspired, momentary glances forward?). These days, terminators are fought 20 years from now in the middle of human extermination and heroes like John Connor have to deal with the poor decision-making of their ignorant leaders, yelling cynical, culturally-relevant lines like “If we stay the course, we’re dead! We’re all dead!”

The 1990s’ curious/adventurous predictions of future technology and its ability to destroy the world were replaced with films (at the tail end of the 1990s and throughout the 2000s) so technologically advanced that they mirrored the technology responsible for said imagined disasters. Films like The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Avatar employed computers to develop creatures that, while not quite photo-realistic, appear very much alive. Explosions occur right in front of our eyes, yet exist only inside the mind of a device.

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Dimension Films | USA | 119 min

The Road is a mostly successful adaptation of a truly masterful novel. While some aspects fall flat due to the film being faithful to a fault, it still works as a whole for the most part. Viggo Mortenson’s excellent performance, Hillcoat’s distinct vision for a violent world, and a few moments of pure poetry make this a worthwhile journey.

The Man (Viggo Mortensen) and the Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are caught in a post-apocalyptic world striving for survival. The Man only carries a pistol with a few bullets for defense and avoids contact with others. The world has turned into turmoil with most people looking out for their own gain, most notably the cannibals. They travel by day on the road where they’re heading South. The Man is sick and he knows it. His main goal is to keep his boy alive and get him to a safe place. Along this journey they face psychopaths, a well hearted old man, and a few moments of pure darkness. Read the full story

A set of new posters has leaked for some new award-worthy Weinstein films. A Single Man and Nine posters come from In Contention. The Road from Collider. Check them out below and click for hi-res.

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November is packed to the brim with films to check out in theaters. Fifteen is a record-high for the list. From a Fantastic adventure to a cracked-out Cage to a bleak Road, there is something for everyone. Check out the list below.

See:

15. 2012 (Emmerich, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The two hour and thirty-eight minute runtime may be a bit excessive, but Roland Emmerich’s latest destruction vehicle is about as ultimate as it gets, begging to be seen in a theater.

14. The Young Victoria (Vallee, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria’s rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Early festival reviews regard Blunt’s performance as one of the best of her career. If period romances are your thing, this isn’t one to miss.

13. Pirate Radio (Curtis, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: A 1960’s comedy about an illegal radio station run by a band of rogue DJs on a ship in the middle of Britain’s North Sea. By defying the tastes and laws of the ruling government, the disc jockeys hooked their listeners on pop music and its attendant ideas of love and free will.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: A light, enjoyable ride with an entertaining cast and a fantastic soundtrack. It isn’t quite as memorable as Love Actually, Richard Curtis’ previous project, but Pirate Radio (previously known as The Boat That Rocked) has enough crowd-pleasing moments to be worthy of a watch.

12. Red Cliff (Woo, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Set during the end of China’s Han Dynasty, two rivaling warlords make a pact to turn their respective armies against a power hungry general bent on taking over their kingdoms.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The US release of John Woo’s epic is getting trimmed down from 280 minutes to 148 (changes here). Both cuts have received positive reviews and are a supposed “return to form” for the director.

11. The Box (Kelly, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: A young couple is gifted with a mysterious box that promises them a handsome windfall with deadly consequences.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Donnie Darko and Southland Tales director Richard Kelly is headed mainstream with this ’70’s sci-fi/thriller throwback. Reviews have been mixed, but after his previous work this is bound to be at least interesting.

10. The Princess and the Frog (Clements + Musker, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: A fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Disney returns to 2D from the people that brought us Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Treasure Planet. The film isn’t getting a wide release until early December, but those in NY and LA should check this out as soon as possible.

9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Herzog, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Terence McDonagh (Cage) is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: I had the pleasure of seeing Herzog’s wild ride at the Toronto International Film Festival. Cage delivers a wildly eccentric performance, only heightened by the extravagant amount of drugs pumping through his system throughout the entire film.

8. Ninja Assassin (McTeigue, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: Raizo (Rain) is a rogue ninja who comes to the aid of Mika Coretti (Harris), a Berlin-based Interpol agent who has linked the shadowy Ozunu Clan, a secret society of assassins who trained Raizo, to a series of murders. Most dangerous to them both is Takeshi (Yune), Raizo’s former ally and the assassin leading the charge of Ozunu killers to Berlin.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: From James McTeigue, the man behind V For Vendetta, comes all that style with little substance. Early reports and the trailer suggest you are getting exactly what the title promises.

7. The Messenger (Moverman, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: A soldier (Foster) struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer (Morton).

Trailer

Why You Should See It: From the co-writer of I’m Not There, comes another Iraq war story. This one looks more in the quality of The Hurt Locker, with award worthy performances from Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.

6. Broken Embraces (Almodovar, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Blind screenwriter Harry Caine (Homar) reveals the secrets of his past to a young associate, from his former life as a filmmaker working under his given name, to the accident which claimed his sight and led to a break-up with Lena (Cruz), a now-famous actress who lives in a gilded cage with her wealthy older partner.

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Why You Should See It: This isn’t as off kilter or extraordinary as Almodovar’s other works, but with visuals as stunning as the performances this is an engaging drama a step above the rest.

5. A Christmas Carol (Zemeckis, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: An animated retelling of the Charles Dickens novel about Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey), a Victorian-era miser who is taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The new Zemeckis motion-capture project still looks a bit creepy, but it fits perfectly with a story like this. This should also prove to be a worthy prep before Avatar revolutionizes the 3D field next month.

4. The Men Who Stare at Goats (Heslov, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: In Iraq, reporter Bob Wilton (McGregor) meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), whose seemingly wild claim – that he’s a member of the U.S. Army’s First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions – causes Wilton to join Cassady’s hunt for the battalion’s founder, whose gone missing.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: From the team behind Good Night, and Good Luck comes a twisted, silly political satire. The change of pace from the serious war films will be welcomed by many.

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Anderson, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family. Based on the book by Roald Dahl.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Wes Anderson’s first take on animation has been met with peculiar allegations, but his style looks like it hasn’t changed and all the stuff white people love is still intact. Searchlight is marketing it as a family film so I wonder if its success will be similar to Where The Wild Things Are. Both films don’t seem like sweeping crowd-pleasers, but his fans are sure to find solace in this new project.

2. Precious: Based On The Novel Push by Sapphire (Daniels, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen (Sidibe) who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

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Why You Should See It: The first film to grab the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival AND the Toronto International Film Festival. Backed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, there is quite a large amount of Oscar buzz, specifically related to Mo’Nique’ s remarkable performance.

1. The Road (Hillcoat, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: In release turmoil for awhile, we are finally getting John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I saw this at TIFF and it is bleak: uncomfortably, depressingly bleak. If one can handle it, they are bound to discover one of the best films of the year. All the performances are top-notch and the production design is something to behold.

Check out the next page to see what to avoid this month.