EW Must List: Doctor Strange, The Crown, Charli XCX, more

Doctor Strange

Fans waited over 50 years to see a major Doctor Strange film hit the big screen, and Marvel Studios has delivered in a huge way. Benedict Cumberbatch fronts an all-star ensemble (Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor) as the titular comic book character, a neurosurgeon who, after losing the ability to use his hands following a car accident, is drawn into a world of mystical arts as he attempts to heal both emotionally and physically.

The film — shaping up to be one of fall’s first must-see spectacles — is expected to top the North American box office this weekend, following stellar international totals (it made $87.7 million across its first weekend in foreign territories) and solid reviews from movie critics, including EW’s Chris Nashawaty, who calls Doctor Strange “heady in a way most Marvel movies don’t dare to be,” noting it’s both “eye candy and brain candy” in his B+ review.

Doctor Strange hits theaters nationwide on Nov. 4.

“After the Afterparty” by Charli XCX

She experimented with hardcore electronic sounds produced by Sophie (Madonna, Namie Amuro) on her superb Vroom Vroom EP in February, and now the 24-year-old U.K. native is re-teaming with the Scottish musician (and adding hit-making duo Stargate to the mix) for a fresh, boppable, radio-friendly sound on the lead single from her forthcoming third studio album, due out next May. The “After the Afterparty” chorus, a sugar-sweet, piano-tinged hook, begs to be turned up at your next Friday night gathering, combining XCX’s playful lyrics with her peppy, ;swag-filled vocals and a killer feature from rapper Lil Yachty.

“After the Afterparty” is available now on iTunes and Spotify.

The Crown

Netflix has given us healthy portions of prison inmates gone wild (Orange is the New Black), creature feature action (Stranger Things), and real-life murder mysteries (Making a Murderer, Amanda Knox) over the last year. One thing noticeably absent from their lengthy library of major original titles: Refined, biographical British dramas.

The Crown is here to satiate your desire for all things U.K., serving up the story of the rise of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) across 10 one-hour episodes that comprise the series’ delectable first season. Following the royal from her 1947 wedding to the present day, The Crown offers a satisfying amount of rousing historical drama for the Anglophile in us all.

The Crown premieres Nov. 4 on Netflix.

Timeless

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? Now you can without leaving your couch, as NBC’s thrilling new drama, Timeless, charts the addictive exploits of a history professor (Abigail Spencer), a soldier (Matt Lanter), and a scientist (Malcolm Barrett) as they attempt to foil a time-traveling criminal mastermind (Goran Visjinic) from altering the course of world history. From the Hindenburg disaster to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Timeless‘ central trio covers a lot of ground as they pursue the madman on the show, which was recently ordered as a full season of 16 episodes on its parent network thanks to strong ratings.

Timeless airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Temple of the Dog reunion tour

Comprised of musicians who found success as part of Soundgarden and would go on to rock the world as part of Pearl Jam, the legendary band Temple of the Dog, first formed in the early 90s, has reunited for a can’t-miss tour, which kicks off Friday, Nov. 4 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their sole (eponymous) album’s 1991 release. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden frontman) and four members of Pearl Jam (Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron) are hitting the road for the sold-out traveling show, which visits five cities for eight performances between Nov. 4-21.