What to Watch in October

We are rapidly approaching October, which can only mean one thing…spooky season is here. As well as catching up on any of the great September horror releases that you may have missed, such as, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, “Speak No Evil”, “The Substance” or “Never Let Go”, be sure to support your local cinema as well as the Halloween season by checking out a number of new horrors set for release this October.

There are variety of horrors to enjoy this coming month, both in cinemas and on streaming, with Netflix and Shudder, understandably, releases some original horrors. From the pioneers of horror streaming themselves, Shudder will be releasing “V/H/S: Beyond” on the 4th October, the latest entry in the long running anthology series of short films. Also releasing on Shudder next month is “Daddy’s Head” and “Azrael”, the latter starring Samara Weaving. Other horrors coming to streaming include “Don’t Move” and the acclaimed Sundance chiller “It’s What’s Inside”, which are both streaming on Netflix in October.

Not to be upstaged by the small screen, there are plenty of new horror titles coming to the big screen in October, including “Smile 2”, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2022 hit horror flick. There is also the third instalment in Damien Leone‘s ultra violent slasher series “Terrifier” with David Howard Thornton once again returning to reprise his role as the now iconic Art the Clown.

If horror is not your thing, then there are a couple more family friendly releases in October, including “Transformers One”, the latest animated adaptation of the classics 80’s toy franchise. There is also the critically acclaimed “The Wild Robot”, which is currently predicted to take home the animated feature Oscar at next year’s ceremony. Other Academy hopefuls scheduled for October releases include Joaquin Phoenix‘s Joker sequel, “Joker: Folie a Deux”, and Pedro Almodóvar’s English language debut, “The Room Next Door”. Another notable release is the the third, and hopefully final, instalment in Sony’s “Venom” series starring Tom Hardy.

Which October release are you most excited for?

Joker: Folie a Deux (15)

Dir: Todd Phillips

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz

Synopsis: Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital.

A Different Man (15)

Dir: Aaron Schimberg

Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson

Synopsis: An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. However, his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.

It’s What’s Inside (TBC)

Dir: Greg Jardin

Cast: Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, David W. Thompson, Madison Davenport

Synopsis: A pre-wedding reunion descends into a psychological nightmare for a group of college friends when a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious suitcase that starts to tear the group apart.

V/H/S: Beyond (18)

Dir: Jordan Downey, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, Jay Cheel

Cast: Dane Di Liegro, Alanah Pearce

Synopsis: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.

Transformers One (PG)

Dir: Josh Cooley

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm

Synopsis: Brothers-in-arms Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) become sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Salem’s Lot (15)

Dir: Gary Dauberman

Cast: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbaek, Alfre Woodard, William Sadler

Synopsis: When author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) comes back to his childhood home in search for some inspiration for his next book, he discovers that people in his home town are mysteriously turning into blood-sucking vampires.

Terrifier 3 (18)

Dir: Damien Leone

Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, Chris Jericho, Tom Savini, Jason Patric

Synopsis: After surviving Art the Clown’s (David Howard Thornton) Halloween massacre, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her brother struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. However, just when they think they’re safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.

Lonely Planet (TBC)

Dir: Susannah Grant

Cast: Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers, Younes Boucif, Adriano Giannini, Rachida Brakni

Synopsis: At an idyllic writers retreat in Morocco, a newly single novelist finds an unexpected connection with a younger man who’s re-evaluating his life choices.

Daddy’s Head (TBC)

Dir: Benjamin Barfoot

Cast: Julia Brown, Mary Woodvine, Kaisa Hammarlund, Charles Aitken, Nathaniel Martello-White, Rupert Turnbull

Synopsis: A boy and his widowed stepmother find themselves in fear for their lives after they are visited by an unexplainable creature which appears to mimic the boy’s recently deceased father.

Brothers (TBC)

Dir: Max Barbakow

Cast: Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Brendan Fraser

Synopsis: A reformed criminal’s attempt at going straight is derailed when he reunites with his sanity-testing twin brother on a road trip for the score of a lifetime. Dodging bullets, the law, and an overbearing mother along the way, they must heal their severed family bond before they end up killing each other.

The Wild Robot (U)

Dir: Chris Sanders

Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames

Synopsis: Shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling.

Smile 2 (TBC)

Dir: Parker Finn

Cast: Naomie Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raul Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson

Synopsis: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomie Scott) begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

Woman of the Hour (15)

Dir: Anna Kendrick

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale

Synopsis: In 1978, serial killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) appeared on “The Dating Game” and won a date with bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick). At the time, Alcala had murdered five women, and his strange façade during the episode later nicknamed him “The Dating Game Killer”.

The Room Next Door (15)

Dir: Pedro Almodóvar

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola

Synopsis: The plot deals with the rift between Martha (Tilda Swinton), a very imperfect mother and war correspondent, and her resentful daughter, as well as with the former’s relationship with author Ingrid (Julianne Moore).

Venom: The Last Dance (15)

Dir: Kelly Marcel

Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham

Synopsis: Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom must make a devastating decision as they’re pursued by a mysterious military man.

The Front Room (15)

Dir: Max Eggers, Sam Eggers

Cast: Brandy, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff, Kathryn Hunter

Synopsis: Everything goes to hell for newly pregnant Belinda (Brandy) after her mother-in-law moves in. As the diabolical guest tries to get her claws on the child, Belinda must draw the line somewhere.

Don’t Move (TBC)

Dir: Adam Schindler, Brian Netto

Cast: Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Daniel Francis

Synopsis: When a killer injects her with a paralytic agent, a woman must run, fight and hide before her body completely shuts down.

Azrael (TBC)

Dir: E. L. Katz

Cast: Samara Weaving, Vic Carmen Stone, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

Synopsis: Years after the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunts down Azrael (Samara Weaving), a young woman who escaped her own imprisonment.

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