6 New Movies You Can Finally Rent This Month
Some of the biggest films of the fall box office are already available at home on premium video on demand. An unexpectedly fun horror sequel in Black Phone 2 and an especially weird Dwayne Johnson role in The Smashing Machine are already out this November. And today? The most acclaimed movie of the year, One Battle After Another, hits digital platforms. There’s something for everyone this month — maybe even two somethings.
November 4
Black Phone 2
Scott Derrickson, 114 minutes
2021’s The Black Phone was such a success that a sequel seemed inevitable, but co-writer C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson had a bit of a problem in the fact that the villainous “Grabber” died at the end of the first flick. So how do they get Ethan Hawke back in this equally successful movie? They basically craft an homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street, turning Grabber into a Freddy Krueger–esque villain who can violate the dreams of Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and Finney Blake (Mason Thames). Filled with a kind of twisted dream logic that we don’t get in mainstream horror blockbusters much anymore, this is an effective sequel. And, given it made four times its budget and counting, don’t be surprised if this new dream warrior returns for a third call.
The Smashing Machine
Benny Safdie, 123 minutes
Dwayne Johnson gives a performance like he never has before in this unusual sports biopic about the life of MMA legend Mark Kerr. Closely based on John Hyams’s documentary of the same name, Benny Safdie’s film avoids the tropes of the sports biopic to tell a story of a man who still hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves for developing a sport that’s now beloved around the world. Johnson is effective, playing Kerr as a soft-spoken, tortured soul whose co-dependent relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt), only fueled his demons. It’s an imperfect film, but it’s the kind of thing that could find a fan base at home. See it before a friend recommends it to you.
November 7
Good Fortune
Aziz Ansari, 97 minutes
There’s increasing proof that people just don’t see comedies in theaters, choosing to watch them at home instead. Along with some bad trailers, that might explain the flop of this sweet, funny flick about a guardian angel (a perfect Keanu Reeves) who ends up losing his wings after a rich man (Seth Rogen) ends up body-swapping with his former assistant (Aziz Ansari). Ansari, Rogen, Keke Palmer, and especially Reeves are charming in this riff on It’s a Wonderful Life that may not be your favorite comedy of the year, but it deserves a better fate. Resurrect it.
November 11
Roofman
Derek Cianfrance, 126 minutes
Are we ever going to make Channing Tatum a star? It feels like everyone likes him more than not, but he struggles to headline a film. Take this October dramedy that was generally well-liked but under-performed at the box office. Loosely based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, Tatum plays a guy who took up residence in a toy store after escaping from prison. A solid ensemble cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, and Peter Dinklage should draw more people on PVOD than it did in theaters. Channing deserves it.
November 14
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson, 162 minutes
The most critically acclaimed film of the year and a likely Oscar winner in a few months will be available exclusively on PVOD through 2025. If you want to revisit the saga of Perfidia Beverly Hills, Bob Ferguson, Colonel Lockjaw, Sergio St. Carlos, and the other unforgettable characters in PTA’s masterpiece, you’ll have to do so on PVOD. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a perfect ensemble in a story of revolution, allyship, and parenting that’s unlike any other. You need to see this movie to talk about the films of 2025. You don’t have to love it. But it’s essential to the story of cinema this year.
November 25
Regretting You
Josh Boone, 116 minutes
If you’re old enough to remember when Nicholas Sparks movies became a subgenre after the success of The Notebook, that’s happening again with a writer named Colleen Hoover, who wrote the source for last year’s hit It Ends With Us. This year’s Hoover Hit is even more surprising as Regretting You used the utter bombing of Tron: Ares to spend two weeks at number one, leading to $70 million and counting for a movie that almost no one had heard of before Labor Day. A story of unrequited love and unfaithful partners, this one stars Allison Williams, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, and Dave Franco. Prepare yourselves for the Hooversaince.