A swag of Aussies shows up in this month’s screen offerings, from multi-decade veterans Rose Byrne and Joel Edgerton to relative newcomers Jacob Elordi and Liv Hewson. With the final calendar pages of 2025 approaching, attention is reliably turning to the Oscars and other coveted gongs. But there’s also a healthy contingent of lighter, funnier fare too, plus a heady new outing from the creator of a prestige-TV classic.

Here are eight new things to watch this month, whether you stay home or venture out.

For a smart (and smart-arse) procedural: High Potential

High Potential lets Kaitlin Olson brandish the dry wit and rat-a-tat banter she perfected on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in a starkly different context. Olsen plays Morgan Gillory, a single mother who gets promoted from cleaner to consultant at the LAPD, thanks to her 160 IQ. With a foil and potential love interest in detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Morgan casually disregards police procedure while also looking into the disappearance of her first husband. Now in its second season, the crime drama has a distinctive comedic edge, and Olson continues to shine as a super-smart (and smart-arse) agent of chaos. On Disney+ now.

For Rachet Sennott having her Girls moment: I Love LA

Lots of recent shows have vied for the generational status once enjoyed by Girls, but I Love LA might have the best shot at achieving it. First, it’s got a bitterly charismatic creator-star in Rachel Sennott, who’s been bubbling towards wider stardom since her consecutive hits with Shiva Baby, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Bottoms. It also bottles the endless battle to gain a foothold in the titular city: Sennott plays Maia, a low-level employee at a talent management firm who’s ambushed by her chaotic college pal (Odessa A’zion). As Maia sees potential in her friend’s social media stardom, the ripple effects disturb her placid status quo with her boyfriend (Josh Hutcherson). Expect this one to crackle with cringey comic energy. On HBO Max now.

For Jennifer Lawrence sinking her teeth (and nails) in: Die My Love

Jennifer Lawrence is lining up proper Oscar hype for her turn as a housewife and new mother who begins a dramatic emotional breakdown while living in rural isolation. She’s got a stunning supporting cast to play against: Robert Pattinson is also earning raves as her husband, alongside smaller roles from LaKeith Stainfield, Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte. Die My Love looks to be a characteristically small but devastating film from cult Scottish director Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin). Catch it in cinemas before it heads to Mubi around the end of the year, especially if you want to soak up the two lead performances on the big screen. In cinemas November 6.

For Vince Gilligan’s return to Albuquerque: Pluribus

Yes, the acclaimed creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is circling back to the fertile south-western American setting of New Mexico for his new show, a high-concept sci-fi series that promises a puzzle-box mystery with a satirical edge. Vince Gilligan’s repeat collaborator Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol, an author who remains unaffected when a virus reduces all other humans to a state of dull, constant happiness. There’s an eerie hive-mind effect as everyone around her (and eventually the President) tries to get her onboard, but to no avail. As Seehorn leans into Carol’s grumpiness, picture Groundhog Day colliding with Lost. The nine-episode season will start with the first two instalments, then drop once a week from there. On Apple TV from November 7.

For an epic new take on the monster: Frankenstein

One of Netflix’s top Oscar contenders this year, Frankenstein is a visceral reimagining of the Gothic fable from writer-director Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water). The movie stars the suitably tall Australian actor Jacob Elordi as the misbegotten creation, and Oscar Isaac as the scientist responsible for it. Horror staple Mia Goth also plays a key part in the story, which is more ambitious and expansive than most adaptations, clocking in at 2.5 hours. Arriving between Poor Things and next year’s The Bride!, Frankenstein only reinforces our current appetite for monstrous themes paired with timely undercurrents. But considering that del Toro loves melodrama as much as he does special effects, this is worth a watch for its sheer spectacle alone. On Netflix November 7.

For a deeply uncomfortable look at motherhood: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Australia’s own Rose Byrne will give Jennifer Lawrence serious competition in the Best Actress race at the Oscars. She already picked up the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for her darkly committed lead turn in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, writer-director Mary Bronstein’s semi-autobiographical account of a mother unravelling while playing overburdened caregiver to her unwell child. A knowing dissection of maternal responsibility, the movie sees Byrne’s character flailing between an absent husband (Christian Slater), an unsympathetic therapist (Conan O’Brien) and an enticing stranger (A$AP Rocky) as she cracks under the collective pressure. It’s a psychological dramedy that has only built buzz since debuting at Sundance and playing at MIFF this year. In cinemas November 13.

For a campus-set dark comedy about feminism: He Had it Coming

Feminism is the hot potato being lobbed around in He Had It Coming, an original Stan series set at a fictional Australian uni. Natasha Liu Bordizzo plays a mouthy fashion influencer who becomes entwined with Lydia West’s dry English exchange student after they find their drunken display of antipatriarchal vandalism of a campus statue now has a corpse added to it. As police – led by Yellowjackets’ Liv Hewson – look into the murder, the pair clumsily cover their steps and the men on campus worry about the sudden threat of killer feminists. The trailer brings to mind everything from Heathers (cue the whining males) to the underseen Kiwi comedy Creamerie, and singer-turned-swimmer Cody Simpson appears as one of the aggrieved men trying to smoke out the culprit. On Stan November 20.

For a life spent amongst tall trees: Train Dreams

Joel Edgerton heads up this bucolic adaptation of a powerful novella by the late Denis Johnson. Directed by Clint Bentley, who co-wrote Sing Sing, the film follows the entire life of Edgerton’s Robert Grainier, a logger and father in heavily forested Washington state, as the early days of the 20th century usher in stark technological transformation. The lush natural setting and dreamy dialogue have earned comparisons to the cinema of Terrence Malick, while a bearded William H Macy shows up as a philosophical coworker. Train Dreams has been accumulating rave reviews, with special attention paid to Edgerton’s performance. In a month crowded with Australian stars, his work here shouldn’t be neglected – whether you see it in the cinema or at home. In cinemas November 6 and on Netflix November 22.