A Look at the 8 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘Red One,’ ‘Ghost Cat Anzu,’ and More!

Are you curious about the new movies coming out this week? From a hilarious holiday heist to a heartwarming animated tale, there’s something for every film fan this week!

First up, the action-packed comedy Red One puts a fresh spin on the classic Christmas story. When Santa himself (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped, it’s up to the North Pole’s top security officer (Dwayne Johnson) and the world’s greatest bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to save the day. Prepare for laughs, thrills, and a whole lot of holiday cheer!

Next is the whimsical animated feature Ghost Cat Anzu, in which a teenage girl finds an unexpected guardian in a giant supernatural feline while staying with her grandfather at a temple.

We’ve got all that and more, including an intimate indie drama and a revealing documentary on the legendary Humphrey Bogart. Below is the complete list of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and streaming!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: November 11 – 17, 2024

Red One   (2024)

Rating:  PG-13

Release Date:  In theaters nationwide on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: In Red One, after Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons), aka Red One, is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) teams up with the world’s greatest bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to find Saint Nick and save Christmas.

What to Watch For:  This is the third film that Jake Kasdan has directed Dwayne Johnson in a movie. The first two were Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).

Word on the Street: The cast includes Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Kristofer Hivju.

My Take: I fell in love with Bonnie Hunt when she was in the 1994 film Only You, starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr.

Ghost Cat Anzu  (2024)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: Ghost Cat Anzu is about Karin, a teenager whose father has left her in the care of her grandfather, who lives in a temple. Anzu, a giant ghost cat, has been tasked with looking after Karin. Karin and Anzu are about to find out making a deal with the devil is a terrible idea.

What to Watch For:  The film won Best Animated Feature at the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival.

Word on the Street: The film is based on a manga of the same name by Takashi Imashiro.

My Take: The movie used the rotoscope technique to animate the film, which involves animators drawing over live-action footage. 

The World According to Allee Willis  (2024) 

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: The World According to Allee Willis is a documentary film about award-winning songwriter and artist Allee Willis. You might not know her, but you know her work. Best known for writing the ‘Friends’ theme song, the Earth Wind & Fire hit ‘September,’ and the musical ‘The Color Purple,’ Allee has a talent for writing, but it took a long time to be herself in public and private.

What to Watch For:  The film won the Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival.

Word on the Street: The documentary is from Alexis Spraic, known for her films Built to Fail (2017) and Power (2016).

My Take: The film uses recordings and home movies that Allee Willis has made since childhood.

All We Imagine as Light  (2024)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In select theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024. 

Summary: All We Imagine as Light is about Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), nurses who work at the same Mumbai hospital and are roommates. Prabha and her husband, who is currently away in Germany, have not seen each other in a year, and the phone calls have stopped coming. Anu is younger and in a relationship with a Muslim boyfriend, which is challenging because of their conflicting religious beliefs. Prabha and Anu take a trip to a coastal town to get away, and there, they learn about life and love.

What to Watch For:  The movie is the first Indian film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival in thirty years, where it received the prestigious Grand Prix award.

Word on the Street: This is the second feature film from filmmaker Payal Kapadia. Her first was the award-winning 2021 documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing.

My Take: I am shocked that India didn’t submit this film for its Oscar submission.

Breakup Season  (2024)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In select theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: In Breakup Season, a young man (Chandler Riggs) brings his girlfriend (Samantha Isler) to meet his family in a small rural Oregon town. Things are not going to go well.

What to Watch For:  The film has done incredibly well on the film festival circuit, including winning Best Film at the 2024 Cobb International Film Festival.

Word on the Street: This is the first feature film of H. Nelson Tracey, known for his award-winning short films, Conspiracy Party and Picture Jasper.

My Take: We, of course, know Chandler Riggs from his breakout role as Carl Grimes on the TV series The Walking Dead.

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley  (2024)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date: Premiering on Netflix on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

Summary: Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley is a documentary that looks at the ‘Elvis Presley Comeback Special’ he made in the summer of 1968 that resurrected his career. The film presents us with an insider’s view of one of the greatest concert specials through in-depth interviews and access to Elvis and the Colonel’s personal files.

What to Watch For: The film features interviews with Priscilla Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Baz Luhrmann, and Billy Corgan.

Word on the Street: The film is directed by Jason Hehir, who won a Primetime Emmy for the Documentary Series The Last Dance. 

My Take: I love the fact that the special was supposed to be a Christmas special but turned into the legendary concert TV show when Elvis was convinced to do something different. 

Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes  (2024)

Rating: N/A

Release Date:  In select theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes is a documentary that looks at the life and career of Humphrey Bogart, centering around his relationships with the five women of his life: his four wives and his mother. 

What to Watch For: The film had access to rare footage from the Bogart estate. 

Word on the Street: The movie was done with the cooperation of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart’s son, Stephen Humphrey Bogart.

My Take: Bogart’s own words from archival footage and interviews are used to let him narrate the film.

Albany Road  (2024)

Rating:  PG-13

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, November 15, 2024.

Summary: In Albany Road, Celeste (Renée Elise Goldsberry) is a New York executive on her way to the most important meeting of her career. Unfortunately, Celeste has to share a rental car with her ex-fiancé’s mother, Paula (Lynn Whitfield). It’s a trip the two will never forget because Paula is hiding a major secret, and to Celeste’s dismay, she’s the only one who knows. 

What to Watch For: The film won the Best Feature Film Award at the 2024 BronzeLens Film Festival.

Word on the Street: Filmmaker Christine Swanson is known for her work on the TV series All American and All American: Homecoming.

My Take: Lynn Whitfield was brilliant playing Josephine Baker in her Primetime Emmy Award role in the 1991 miniseries The Josephine Baker Story.

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Below, let us know what new movies you plan to see this week.