Following a relatively quiet month in terms of new releases in cinemas and on streaming platforms, October is looking likely to be the busiest month of the year when it comes to prestigious titles and major releases. The autumn schedule always tends to be stacked with horror movies looking to cash in on Halloween fever, awards contenders starting to come to the big screen, and those pushed back from the summer to prevent box office clashes with the summer blockbusters.
Starting with the horror films coming this October, we have sequels to two long running franchises over on genre-streaming platform Shudder, with the releases of the latest entries in the “V/H/S” and “Hell House LLC” series of films. There is another major horror sequel coming to cinemas with Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke returning for the sequel of the 2021 sleeper hit “The Black Phone”. New horror titles coming to cinemas in October include American Football based chiller “Him”, produced by Jordan Peele, and “Good Boy” a haunted house film told from the perspective of a dog.
As for award contenders releasing in October, there are a plethora of options to choose from in cinemas and on streaming. Films starting with limited theatrical releases before coming to homes later in the month include Kathryn Bigelow‘s nuclear war thriller “A House of Dynamite”, Nia DaCosta‘s period drama “Hedda”, and Edward Berger’s psychological thriller “Ballad of a Small Player” starring Colin Farrell.
Other award players that are playing wide in cinemas are Benny Safdie‘s UFC drama “The Smashing Machine”, which is looking to land Dwayne Johnson his first ever Academy Award nomination, Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me from Nowhere”, Harris Dickinson‘s directorial debut “Urchin”, and “I Swear”, the inspirational true story of Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson.
Other notable releases include “Roofman”, “Tron: Ares”, “Good Fortune” and Netflix’s adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s “The Twits”.
Which October release are you most excited for?
Him (18)
Dir: Justin Tipping
Cast: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker
Synopsis: Cameron Cade is a rising quarterback who suffers a potentially career-ending injury after being attacked by an unhinged fan. Just when all seems lost, Cam receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White, offers to train him at an isolated compound. However, as the training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma turns into something darker, sending Cam down a disorienting rabbit hole that may cost him more than he ever bargained for.
The Smashing Machine (15)
Dir: Benny Safdie
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk
Synopsis: MMA fighter Mark Kerr reaches the peak of his career but faces personal hardships along the way.
Roofman (15)
Dir: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stansfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, Peter Dinklage
Synopsis: After escaping from prison, former soldier and professional thief Jeffrey Manchester finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us, surviving undetected for months while planning his next move. However, when Jeffrey falls for a divorced mom, his double life starts to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
Urchin (15)
Dir: Harris Dickinson
Cast: Frank Dillane, Megan Northam, Karyna Khymchuk, Shonagh Marie, Amr Waked
Synopsis: Sleeping rough on the streets of London, Mike seems unable to escape the chaos of his impulsivity and substance abuse. He’s intelligent and charismatic, but when his addiction results in an act of unprovoked violence, he’s quickly arrested.
A House of Dynamite (15)
Dir: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke
Synopsis: At the White House U.S. government officials scramble to deal with an incoming nuclear missile launched by a foreign power at the city of Chicago.
Steve (TBC)
Dir: Tim Mielants
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Tracy Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Simbi Ajikawo, Emily Watson
Synopsis: A headteacher at a reform school struggles to keep his students in line while dealing with his mental health.
V/H/S/Halloween (18)
Dir: Various
Synopsis: A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.
Tron: Ares (12A)
Dir: Joachim Ronning
Cast: Jared Leto, Greta lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges
Synopsis: Mankind encounters AI beings for the first time when a highly sophisticated programme, Ares, leaves the digital world for a dangerous mission in the real world.
Good Boy (TBC)
Dir: Ben Leonberg
Cast: Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Indy
Synopsis: A man moves into a new home that has supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities start to threaten him, his brave dog comes to the rescue.
I Swear (15)
Dir: Kirk Jones
Cast: Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan
Synopsis: The inspirational true story of Scottish campaigner John Davidson: diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at a young age which alienated him from his peers, he struggled with a condition few people had witnessed.
The Woman in Cabin 10 (TBC)
Dir: Simon Stone
Cast: Keira Knightly, Guy Pearce, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Hannah Waddingham
Synopsis: A journalist covering the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise ship is convinced she has witnessed a passenger be thrown overboard, despite all guests and crew being accounted for.
Good Fortune (15)
Dir: Aziz Ansari
Cast: Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, Keanu Reeves
Synopsis: A well-meaning but inept angel named Gabriel meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist.
The Black Phone 2 (15)
Dir: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, Demian Bichir, Miguel Mora, Jeremy Davies, Arianna Rivas
Synopsis: Bad dreams haunt 15-year-old Gwen as she receives calls from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, Finn, they head to the camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber — a killer who’s grown even more powerful in death.
Ballad of a Small Player (15)
Dir: Edward Berger
Cast: Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, Tilda Swinton
Synopsis: Lord Doyle is laying low in Macau – spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily and gambling what little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming, a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe – a private investigator ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in.
The Twits (TBC)
Dir: Phil Johnston
Cast: Margo Martindale, Johnny Vegas, Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Ryan Lopez, Jason Mantzoukas, Timothy Simons, Alan Tudyk, Nicole Byer
Synopsis: Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world, own and operate the most disgusting, dangerous, and idiotic amusement park in the world: Twitlandia. When the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave children – Beesha and Bubsy – and a family of magical Muggle-Wumps, are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (TBC)
Dir: Scott Cooper
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young
Synopsis: On the cusp of global superstardom, New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past as he records the album “Nebraska” in the early 1980s.
Regretting You (12A)
Dir: Josh Boone
Cast: Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Mason Thames, Dave Franco, Willa Fitzgerald, Scott Eastwood, Clancy Brown
Synopsis: When a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal, Morgan Grant and her daughter, Clara, explore what’s left behind as they confront family secrets, redefine love, and rediscover each other.
Hedda (TBC)
Dir: Nia DaCosta
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Boots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, Nina Hoss
Synopsis: Hedda Gabler finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.
Hell House LLC: Lineage (TBC)
Dir: Stephen Cognetti
Cast: Elizabeth Vermilyea, Searra Sawka, Mike Sutton, Joe Bandelli
Synopsis: Haunted by visions and recurring nightmares years after a near-death experience, Vanessa Shepherd finds herself living in the town of Abaddon, unable to break free from its unexplainable hold on her. When people around her suddenly and inexplicably begin to die, she soon uncovers her terrifying connection to the Abaddon Hotel, the Carmichael Manor, and the mysterious murders that have been occurring for decades.
Dan Loves Film 
Great month of cinema. I saw “Smashing Machine” and both Johnson and Emily Blunt will be Oscar nominated…a really interesting story very well directed….also saw “Roofman” and it’s really good and Channing and Kirstin Dunst are both terrific as well…what a crazy true story! Great list as always
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