With spooky season in the rear-view and the festive period not quite underway, it can be tricky to choose the perfect viewing for this time of year, but after a month of the scary stuff, I always like to escape into some sci-fi before the holiday classics dominate the TV, and HBO Max’s November offering makes it one of the best streaming services for doing exactly that.
Spanning nearly a century of cinema, some of the best HBO Max movies arriving this month include the my favorite installment in a decades-long franchise, a vintage sequel and an early effort from a legendary director.
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Official Final Trailer [HD] | PLANET OF THE APES – YouTube
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Runtime: 130 minutes
Main cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Director: Matt Reeves
RT Score: 91%
The second installment in the rebooted Apes franchise, Dawn built on Rise’s respectable origin effort by delivering the true dystopian drama fans had been craving.
While Rise explained how the apes gained their heightened intelligence and hinted at the deadly pandemic that decimated the human population, Dawn picks up 10 years later, with the remaining humans now struggling for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Meanwhile, the apes have established their own colony in the forests of San Francisco, displaying the early signs of becoming the dominant society on Earth. But when the two tribes must interact for the first time in a decade in order for the humans to repair a dam in ape territory, the uneasy alliance is threatened by purists on both sides.
The Apes franchise has always been steeped in allegory, and Dawn deftly discusses themes of racial divides and human need that today seem more relevant than ever. It’s also a technical marvel, with the apes stunningly lifelike, largely thanks to outstanding mo-cap performances from the likes of Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell. And when the tensions finally come to a head, director Matt Reeves delivers a mud n’ blood soaked action climax that puts most other blockbusters to shame.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Official Trailer #1 – Boris Karloff Movie – YouTube
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Runtime: 75 minutes
Main cast: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, E. E. Clive, Oliver Peters Heggie
Director: James Whale
RT Score: 98%
I know I promised we were leaving horror behind, but this Universal Monsters classic skews much more into the realms of sci-fi than its predecessor as the ethically challenged scientists of the original film endeavor to create a mate for their original monster.
Picking up right where the 1931 original left off, Bride of Frankenstein reveals that neither of the supposed deaths that concluded the previous film stuck, with both Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and the Monster (Boris Karloff) revealed to have survived the iconic burning windmill. Despite renouncing his creation, Henry is lured back in by Doctor Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who forces him to assist in his attempts to create a ‘bride’ for the Monster by kidnapping his wife Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson).
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While the OG Frankenstein is undoubtedly a classic, Bride has to be very high on the list of sequels that surpass the original, with some hailing it Whale’s masterpiece. In recent years, the film has been cited for its queer subtext and camp sensibility, and there’s no denying the movie’s gothic elegance went on to inspire the likes of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But even taken at face value, Bride of Frankenstein is an awful lot of fun and a film that’s perfect for those still looking for some slightly spooky vibes.
Hellboy (2004)
Hellboy (2004) Official Trailer 1 – Ron Perlman Movie – YouTube
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Runtime: 122 minutes
Main cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt
Director: Guillermo del Toro
RT Score: 81%
While there have since been numerous attempts to revive the demon-loving franchise, none have come close to Guillermo del Toro’s iconic pair of films.
Based on the comic by Mike Mignola, Hellboy stars a perfectly cast Ron Perlman as the titular demon-turned-investigator. Working for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy is tasked with battling all manner of paranormal threats, but when a resurrected Rasputin reveals his plan to have Hellboy inadvertently trigger the apocalypse, the former-demon faces a struggle between identity and destiny.
More of a straight down the line blockbuster than much of del Toro’s other work, Hellboy still delivers all the hallmarks one might expect from the Oscar-winning filmmaker. Unlike so many other comic book adaptations of its era, the film is as concerned with its characters and their relationships as it is with the spectacular set pieces, not that they aren’t as visually impressive as you’d expect from del Toro. Perlman balances the characters sardonic wit and vulnerability in a way none of the subsequent actors have quite managed, especially impressive considering the layers of make-up under which he’s performing. With del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation tantalizingly close, now’s the perfect time to revisit his first tale of a misunderstood monster.
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