It’s time for us to get into the month of October and see what’s out there for us at the multiplex and at home on streaming with new movie options.
As we did last month, we’ve broken down what movies are coming out this month that catch our attention. Promising options range from a brand-new film by auteur Martin Scorsese to a spooky video game adaptation.
Also, there’s a new concert film by an up-and-coming pop artist named Taylor Swift. Have you heard of her?
Let’s break down which movies this month you should keep an eye on, and when you’ll be able to catch them at the movies and/or on your couch.
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
A new Martin Scorsese movie is always cause for celebration, and his latest earned rave reviews out of the Cannes Film Festival and figures to be a major player in the Oscars race.
It’s also playing on IMAX screens for its Oct. 20 release, which makes this even more of a moment than it already is. Scorsese is one of our true masters of the artform, and anytime he has a new film coming out, it’s a must-watch.
Release Date: Oct. 20
2. The Killer
Filmmaker David Fincher is back for the first time since 2020’s superb Mank, and he’s teaming up with Michael Fassbender for an adaptation of Alexis Nolent’s book The Killer.
This film looks like it’s returning Fincher to his Seven-esque roots of shadowy figures operating in a seedy underworld, combined with the slick production value he found on films like Zodiac, The Social Network and Gone Girl. We can’t wait to see what he’s got cooking here.
Release Date: Oct. 27 (theaters), Nov. 10 (Netflix)
3. The Holdovers
Alexander Payne has reunited with Paul Giamatti for the first time since Sideways for this throwback dramedy about a three people whose lives intermingle during a boarding school’s holdover holiday session.
The film figures to be a big crowd-pleaser and a legitimate Oscar contender, and we just cannot wait to see whatever Giamatti is up to in this one. That’s an Oscar-worthy mustache that the actor is sporting in this movie.
Release Date: Oct. 27 (limited), Nov. 10 (wide)
4. The Royal Hotel
Filmmaker Kitty Green reunited with actress Julia Garner for this Australian-set thriller that also features Jessica Henwick and Hugh Weaving.
Early word promises that this one will be a tense experience into a foreboding Outback mining town, and we expect Green to build on her promise here that she established in 2020’s Harvey Weinstein-inspired drama The Assistant.
Release Date: Oct. 6
5. Five Nights at Freddy's
The popular horror video game Five Night at Freddy’s comes to the big screen and Peacock simultaneously just in time for Halloween.
Scary animatronics in an abandoned pizza parlor sounds right up spooky season’s alley, and we’re very curious if this is the rare video game adaptation that breaks through the quality barrier and gives audiences a frightfully good time.
If you watch it at home, you might consider not eating pizza for dinner (and keeping the lights on).
Release Date: Oct. 27 (theaters and Peacock)
6. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
If you’re not aware, Taylor Swift is about to take over the October box office with a concert film featuring footage from her colossal Eras Tour.
It’s already starting to break pre-sale October box office records, and we expect this to be one of the true cinematic events of the fall.
Just go ahead and get your tickets; the Swifties will be out in full force for this one.
Release Date: Oct. 13
7. Fingernails
Fingernails is a new sci-fi romance from Apple that describes its premise as “a woman begins working at an institute that works to determine if the romance in a given couple is genuine.”
It sounds like a fascinating concept, and it’s supported by a cast that features Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson and Schitt’s Creek‘s Annie Murphy.
Release Date: Oct. 27
8. Nyad
The upcoming biopic about swimmer Diana Nyad has already earned Oscar buzz for Annette Bening, who is long overdue an Academy Award win.
It’s very possible that this could be her moment, and that rising tides could also lift Jodie Foster into the race for Best Supporting Actor for her role as Nyad’s swimming coach Bonnie Stoll.
Documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue) make their live-action debut here.
Release Date: Oct. 20 (theaters), Nov. 3 (Netflix)
9. The Persian Vision
One film that we did get a chance to see at the Sundance Film Festival is The Persian Vision, which is an engaging family dramedy about an Iranian-American filmmaker whose family bond is tested when her father undergoes a heart transplant.
It’s a really interesting story of a mother and daughter, and how that daughter begins to understand her mother better as she unearths more about her past.
It’s very much worth your time, as everyone will be able to relate with various aspects of how this family functions and is there for each other when they need it the most.
Release Date: Oct. 20
10. Pain Hustlers
Reviews for Pain Hustlers have not been kind out of the fall festival circuit, but we’re still interested to see how this crime drama set in the world of shady pharmaceuticals unfolds.
Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara and Andy Garcia all star in the latest film from longtime Harry Potter actor David Yates.
Release Date: Oct. 20 (theaters), Oct. 27 (Netflix).
