With a new month comes new movies, and since Halloween is just around the corner, some spooky films are in store for moviegoers this October. However, you might be unaware of some upcoming releases given that Hollywood studio executives are still refusing to pay members of SAG-AFTRA fair wages, resulting in several films not receiving the typical amount of promotion from their actors. So whether you are looking for a good scare or simply want a reason to go to the theater, below are some movies releasing in October, along with older films that are making their way back to the big screen.
New Releases
- “The Exorcist: Believer”: This film, a sequel made 50 years after the iconic horror film “The Exorcist,” released in theaters on Oct. 6. The film follows Victor Fielding, played by Academy Award winner Leslie Odom Jr., as his daughter Angela and her friend Katherine return from a mysterious disappearance with no recollection of what happened to them while they were gone. The girls’ return unleashes a chain of events that forces Victor to confront an unthinkable evil and desperately seek out the help of none other than Chris MacNeil.
- “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”: After wrapping up the first leg of her tour, pop icon Taylor Swift announced she will be sharing the cultural phenomenon in movie theaters nationwide. Fans who missed out on seeing the Eras Tour live, or who simply want to relive the experience, can see the film in theaters starting Oct. 13.
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”: Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by David Grann, this film is set in 1920s Oklahoma and follows the serial murders of members of the Osage Nation, who reside on oil-rich land. Also detailing the investigation of these murders and what is considered to be the birth of the F.B.I., Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” releases in theaters on Oct. 20.
- “Five Nights at Freddy’s”: Fans have anticipated this film for years, and the live-action version of the horror video-game phenomenon finally releases in theaters on Oct. 27. The film follows troubled security guard Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson, as he starts his new job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. However, in order to remain employed, he has to make it through the night alive — a task that the company’s seemingly friendly animatronics make frighteningly difficult.
Returning to screens
- “Coraline”: In a new town with no friends and peculiar neighbors, Coraline Jones is bored. That is until she finds an alternate, fantastical reality that appears to be everything she has dreamed of. However, she soon realizes that everything is not what it seems. Follow Coraline as she battles sinister forces in order to save her family and get back home. This spooky classic returns to theaters only on Oct. 13.
- “The Hunger Games”: Over a decade after its initial release, the first film in this celebrated franchise returns to theaters for two days only on Oct. 15 and 18. Whether you were there in 2012, or this is your first time seeing it on the big screen, make your way to a movie theater to once again witness how Katniss Everdeen became the girl on fire.
- “The Nightmare Before Christmas”: Tim Burton’s iconic film returns to theaters on Oct. 20 to celebrate its 30th anniversary, just in time for Halloween. Grab a friend and go watch as the Pumpkin King succeeds in spreading Christmas fear, rather than cheer.
- “Back to the Future”: To celebrate Back to the Future Day, this film will return to theaters for one night only on Oct. 21, the same day Marty McFly travels 30 years in the future to 2015. Join Marty, Doc and the DeLorean on their time-traveling adventure where they meddle with the past, and in doing so, try not to screw up the future.
- “Beetlejuice”: Another one of Tim Burton’s classic Halloween films returns to theaters from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1. After dying in a car crash, a ghostly couple seeks to frighten an insufferable family — save for a curious daughter — out of their former house that they now haunt. To do this, the couple enlists the help of a tricky, rambunctious spirit named Beetlejuice.
- “Spirited Away”: Studio Ghibli fans can look forward to seeing this film in select theaters beginning Oct. 28. Both the English subtitled and dubbed versions will be screened, so devoted fans and newcomers to the world of Studio Ghibli can enjoy the film in the original Japanese or in English.
To find theater locations and showtimes for these films, check out Fandango, or the website of a specific theater. If any of the movies above interest you then I hope to see you at the cinema.
