On Screen: November 2020

Catch these flicks to complete 2020's unique entertainment.

By Yong Shu Chiang        7 November 2020

Lin-Manuel Miranda: How Far He’ll Go

Most famous for his musical Hamilton, this multi-talented performer has also written songs for the Disney remake of The Little Mermaid.

To many, he is the visionary talent behind the most lauded musical in recent times, Hamilton. To some, he is one of the songwriters for Moana and responsible for the Oscar-nominated song How Far I’ll Go.

To a new generation of fans, he is the chimney sweep Jack in Mary Poppins Returns and the brave aeronaut Lee Scoresby in the current television adaptation of His Dark Materials.

A remarkable dramatic and comedic actor, singer, lyricist and composer, Miranda started his career on stage, bringing In the Heights, a musical he had started writing while in college, to Broadway in 2008.

Before writing and starring in Hamilton, he had appeared in a series of small roles, including in the medical drama House and the sitcom Modern Family.

More recently, the 40-year-old American with Puerto Rican roots and a father of two has written songs for the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. He can next be seen in the big screen adaptation of In the Heights, slated for June 2021.

His Dark Materials S2

Out: Nov, HBO Go

Stars: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda

The mystery of a substance called Dust and a deadly struggle spanning multiple worlds have reached a pivotal moment by the end of the first season of this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s epic novel trilogy. A young girl caught in the middle of it all, Lyra (Keen) crosses into a new world and meets a boy named Will. The pair then learn that their destinies are intertwined as a war brews, with the fearsome Mrs Coulter (Wilson) in pursuit.


Rebecca

Out: 21 Oct, Netflix

Stars: Armie Hammer, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas

Based on a 1938 novel of the same name, this psychological thriller sees a naive young woman (James) swept off her feet by a handsome widower (Hammer). After a whirlwind romance, she moves into her new husband’s estate where the sinister housekeeper, Mrs Danvers (Scott Thomas), reminds her of her predecessor, Rebecca, and the mysterious circumstances of her
death.


On The Rocks

Out: 23 Oct, Apple TV+

Stars: Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans and Bill Murray

A young mother (Jones) who is approaching middle age worries that her marriage is losing its spark as her husband (Wayans) starts spending more time at work. Her playboy dad (Murray), informed by his own experiences and impulsive nature, suggests that things are not as innocent as they seem. He then cajoles his daughter into joining him on a quest to follow her husband and get to the bottom of things.


Warrior S2

Out: Oct-Nov, HBO Go

Stars: Andrew Koji, Jason Tobin and Olivia Cheng

A crime drama set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century, this show revolves around a martial arts prodigy, Ah Sahm (Koji), who arrives from China to become a power player in the battle for dominance between rival factions. As a hatchet man for the Hong Wei gang, he has secret ambitions to unseat his boss while going against his own sister, the leader of a rival gang.


Over The Moon

Out: To be confirmed, Netflix

Stars: Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo and John Cho

A bright young girl, Fei Fei (Ang), is obsessed with the fable of Chang’e, the Chinese Goddess of the Moon who, as legend has it, is trapped on the moon with her rabbit companion. One day, Fei Fei decides to go on a fantastic journey to prove that the legend is real and save Chang’e, and starts building a rocket ship. What follows is an unexpected adventure of out-of-this-world proportions. Directed by Oscar winning animator Glen Keane.


Wolfwalkers

Out: To be confirmed, Apple TV+

Stars: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker and Sean Bean

This is an enchanting animated adventure set in a time of superstition and magic. A young hunter, Robyn (Kneafsey), meets a girl named Mebh (Whittaker), whom she discovers is from a tribe of magical healers rumoured to have the ability to turn into wolves. When Mebh’s mother goes missing, the new-found friends are forced to take sides in an impending war between humans and wolves.