October means it’s crunch time at the movies. While awards season ramps up, with the first big wave of potential Oscar contenders getting released during this month, it’s also a big month for genre films. However, instead of big-budget blockbusters taking the spotlight, horror is at the epicenter of this month, with plenty of notable films from the genre seeing release that should satisfy even the most casual of horror buffs.
Here are the films to look forward to this month.
Honorable Mentions:
Fractured (10/11), Gemini Man (10/11), In the Tall Grass (10/4), The Kill Team (10/25), Low Tide (10/4)
1) Joker (Oct. 4)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
Joker has been the talk of the town for quite some time, with a lot of the hype surrounding Joaquin Phoenix being cast as the title character. And it looks like those who were doubting the film had their worries put to rest when it won the top prize at Venice Film Festival earlier this year. Joker has been praised as being more than a comic book movie, but rather a deeply layered character study about the effects of society on an unstable individual. A lot of the film rests on Phoenix’s shoulders, who’s already being noted as deserving an Oscar nomination for the role. It’s unknown if his portrayal will ever outdo Heath Ledger’s iconic performance in The Dark Knight, but even if it doesn’t, I’m sure it’ll come close.
2) Pain and Glory (Oct. 4)
Directed by: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, Penelope Cruz
Pedro Almodovar is one of the masters of Spanish cinema and now he’s back in top form. Relationships have been at the forefront of many of the director’s dramas and this is no different, focusing on a film director, played by Banderas, reflecting on the life choices he’s made. Like many of film’s greats who have been around for quite some time already, this appears to be a more mature take on the director’s familiar style, having evolved from the harsher dramas he’s made early on in his career. Receiving its own share of critical acclaim and submitted as Spain’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, you’ll be sure to hear about this one as awards season ramps up.
3) Little Monsters (Oct. 8)
Directed by: Abe Forsythe
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England, Kat Stewart, Diesel La Torraca, Josh Gad
Us star Lupita Nyong’o is back in the horror genre one more time this year, though this time for a much more comedic take on the genre. Whereas in Us she gave a much more vulnerable performance, Little Monsters sees her as caring, yet totally commanding and badass as she has to keep a group of school children calm while taking on the zombie apocalypse. And from the looks of the trailer, it seems she has a lot of fun with the role, allowing her to flex her comedic muscles with great ease. Having received its own share of critical acclaim, this one is going straight to Hulu early in the month, so there’s no excuses for missing out on this.
4) The Addams Family (Oct. 11)
Directed by: Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Allison Janney
A revival one of the most iconic horror families from the guys who brought us Sausage Party? Count me interested. The trailer has some elements that feel subversive while others a bit familiar, but either way, it’s sure to be at least somewhat fun. It’s difficult to imagine that with such a stacked, talented voice cast behind it, there won’t be at least some charm to the film. It looks like there will be some solid laughs, with the premise of the titular family moving to New Jersey being a funny concept in and of itself. The film is also written by Pamela Pettler, who has written some of Tim Burton’s mid-2000’s entries, so there’s sure to be some nice similarities there for diehard fans of Burton. Though even if the film feels somewhat familiar at times, I’m sure there are more tricks up its sleeve than the trailers let on.
5) El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Oct. 11)
Directed by: Vince Gilligan
Starring: Aaron Paul
Alright, I really shouldn’t include this movie, as it requires having watched an entire television series before it (hence the reason I didn’t include Downton Abbey in last month’s list, despite the critical acclaim surrounding it ahead of time). But Breaking Bad had such a wild popularity that there that it’s hard to really call this a niche film. Picking up where the series left off, the film follows Aaron Paul’s iconic Jesse Pinkman and… that’s about all we know. The trailers only reveal so much, though it’s known that several Breaking Bad supporting characters will return in major supporting parts here, with Vince Gilligan saying there will be more than ten characters making some sort of appearance. Will Bryan Cranston return as Walter White though? That remains to be seen. While this is obviously specifically for fans of the show, given how Breaking Bad has gone on to be considered one of the greatest TV series of all-time, you better believe this is high on the “most anticipated” list.
6) Parasite (Oct. 11)
Directed by: Bong Joon-ho
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam
Director Bong Joon-ho is known more for his genre work, having released the monster movie The Host, the oddball sci-fi drama Okja, and the dystopian Snowpiercer, among others. This finds him doing something a bit different, instead going more towards character drama. But it seems this change in pace was completely in his favor. While Joker has been constantly talked about, but with some of the talk being negative, all of the chatter surrounding Parasite has been near-unanimously positive. This film already has a slew of awards under its belt, with many praising the film for its timely social themes and pitch-black humor. Many critics are hailing it as the single best film of 2019, and given the director’s track record prior to this, they may be onto something with that.
7) Jojo Rabbit (Oct. 18)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson
By far the most controversial movie on this list, Taika Waititi’s World War II comedy seems to be this generation’s Life is Beautiful. On one hand, there are those that praise it for its message and satire, while on the other, it’s received its fair share of criticism for using its subject matter for comedic purpose. After a shaky initial reception, it has bounced back considerably and the positive reviews have ultimately outweighed the negatives. Though obviously that won’t be telling of what audience’s opinions will be once the film does see release. The trailers do seem like very funny, with Waititi’s portrayal of an idiotic, imaginary Hitler gaining some of the biggest laughs, and it does seem well-intentioned. It’s only a matter of time before we see how this will ultimately sit with us.
8) The Lighthouse (Oct. 18)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson
Robert Eggers arrived on the scene in 2015 with The Witch, a supernatural horror movie revolving around a mysterious evil in the woods, and received critical acclaim. And now he’s back for his second feature, which shifts gears to more psychological territory and a more experimental nature. Focusing on themes of loneliness, isolation, and dealing with one’s own worst fears, The Lighthouse’s horror stems more from the deteriorating mental state of the two main characters and the manifestations that arise as a result. The film seems a bit more avant-garde than The Witch, but nonetheless has received its own share of acclaim, with the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson gaining particular attention. With a fair amount of hype behind it, especially by horror buffs, there’s a chance this could be one of the dark horses when it comes time for awards season.
9) Zombieland: Double Tap (Oct. 18)
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigal Breslin, Emma Stone
Truth be told, I’m not overly excited for this one. Comedy sequels that are about ten or more years after the original never come close to recreating the original’s magic. And honestly, director Ruben Fleischer’s output since the original cult classic hasn’t been stellar, with the closest being last year’s Venom, which did well at the box office but wasn’t a hit with critics. However, the gang from the first film is all back and they seem like they’re having some fun revising their old roles. And the film does include some welcome new faces, including Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, and Luke Wilson, all of whom seem to be having a good time as well. The audience’s love for the first film has caused a big enough hype for this sequel that can’t be ignored, though honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes either way.
10) Dolemite is My Name (Oct. 25)
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Titus Burgess, Da’Vie Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes
Eddie Murphy is back! Doubt you thought you’d hear those words, right? The once fiery-hot comedian slowly sunk out of the spotlight by the mid-2000’s, despite an Oscar-nominated turn in Dreamgirls in 2006. And while he did receive some positive reviews for his performance in Tower Heist in 2011, he never truly bounced back after that. However, he’s ready for a comeback, and Dolemite is My Name seems like the perfect starring vehicle for him, especially given the similarities between Murphy and the film’s subject, Rudy Ray Moore, in regards to the fact they were once young stars who received career resurgences in their 50’s. The film looks stylish and extremely funny, with an excellent supporting cast surrounding Murphy. The film will have an awards-qualifying limited theatrical release before seeing a wide release on Netflix later in the month, serving as the perfect way to cap off one of the best months for film this year.
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