The Trailer Round-Up: November 2015

This new regular feature showcases the best trailers from the upcoming month, hand-picked by us as the ones to watch out for. Any that you think we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments section below.

Science Fiction / Fantasy

As if you didn’t know already, the conclusion to The Hunger Games series is released this November. Mockingjay – Part 2 is notable not just for it feeling like the potential full-stop for a large swathe of pop culture, but also for it being the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final screen appearance. Release: November 19

Drama / Thriller

Even though the trailer has been cut so that Brooklyn looks like just another weepy romance tale, early reviews have been unanimously in praise. Could this be the best drama of the year (before Carol nudges in later in the month)? Release: November 6

The Lady in The Van is a rather unique true story: national treasure Alan Bennett allows an old lady, Miss Shepard (Maggie Smith) to live in her van in his drive. Except she stays a little longer than expected, and the results – humorous and profound – look plenty. Release: November 13

Michael Fassbender may have stepped in at the last minute to fill Christian Bale’s shoes, but the reports are that the actor could be up for the Oscar. As a biopic about a man whose influence touches almost all of our lives, Danny Boyle’s and Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs sounds like a uniquely structured movie event. Release: November 13

As the first wide-release movie filmed entirely on an iPhone 5, Tangerine breaks new ground on a technological level. But it may also be smashing down doors in other areas, too, as its tale of a transexual sex worker on the hunt for the man who broke her heart looks bound to be exciting, fresh, funny, and entirely individual. Release: November 13

Aside from Steve Jobs, November’s other big drama comes in the form of Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Any release from the most successful director of all time is cause for celebration, and this Tom Hanks-starring Cold War thriller looks like no exception: expect a war movie told primarily in the hushed confines of the courtroom. Release: November 27

Family

Two Pixar films in one year? It sounds almost too good to be true, and we’ll find out once The Good Dinosaur is released whether it’ll match up to Inside Out. A continuation of the return to form that that movie represented shouldn’t be too difficult for the mammoth talent that works at the beloved animation studio – and because this trailer speaks to some deep emotions in all of us, we’re very hopeful for that outcome. Release: November 27

Horror

Firmly rooting itself in the ever-welcome horror-comedy genre is Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. This trailer cuts a bit close to the mark when pandering to its demographic – social media quips, naked female flesh – but a certain quality shines through. Could this be November’s underdog genre hit? Release: November 6

Following up with a more conventional approach to horror is The Hallow. If its plot seems too close to The Wicker Man and other similar horror flicks, then rest assured that this little British indie is already getting some hefty critical acclaim. Release: November 13

Documentary

He Named Me Malala charts the rise of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl who suffered a potentially fatal attack from the Taliban; skip to a few years later, and she’s won the nobel peace prize. What’s interesting about the film’s trailer is that it focuses on Malala’s family life – not just her jaunts at the United Nations. Release: November 6

The trailer for The Fear of 13, hopefully another documentary smash from Dogwoof, is curiously reclusive in showing exactly what the film is exactly about. Still, one thing’s clear: it’s a tale of redemption, and appears to be a powerful one at that. Release: November 13