What to watch:

“Broken Embraces” (Dir. Pedro Almodóvar) –– released Friday, Nov. 20

The films of auteur Pedro Almodóvar are a must for anyone who claims to love cinema. His latest (starring Penelope Cruz) is shot in 1950s American film noir style and centers around a blind writer who experiences events in the present that remind him of ones in the past. It promises cleverly-crafted divergent storylines, metacinema and study of how memory is constructed.

“Mammoth” (Dir. Lukas Moodysson) –– released Friday, Nov. 20

Swedish director Lukas Moodysson, like Almodóvar, is a household name in international cinema. His latest film stars two actors you’ll surely recognize, Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams, who play a successful couple in New York. The story takes us around the globe and deals intimately with issues of globalization.

“The Road” (Dir. John Hillcoat) –– released Wednesday, Nov. 27

At long last, the cinematic adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel will be released. It has an ensemble cast, including Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and Charlize Theron. Though it may not be entirely faithful to the book, it already looks like a frontrunner for next year’s Oscars.

“The Princess and the Frog” (Dir. Ron Clements & John Musker) –– released Wednesday, Nov. 25

The unveiling of the first African-American Disney princess make this film worth watching, regardless of how bad it may turn out to be. Early reviews suggest stereotyping and insensitivity, but Disney still firmly stands behind its product. If it’s anything like those Disney classics it claims to resemble, it may well become a classic itself.

What to skip:

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (Dir. Chris Weitz) –– released Friday, Nov. 20

“The Blind Side” (Dir. John Lee Hancock) –– released Friday, Nov. 20

“Old Dogs” (Dir. Walt Becker) –– released Wednesday, Nov. 25

“Ninja Assassin” (Dir. James McTeigue) released Wednesday, Nov. 25