What We’re Watching in October
It’s October, and that means every studio is dropping their best, scariest, goriest films and shows—not the Awards-seeking productions, but the ones that are made for the viewer. That said, there’s a lot to choose from. Here’s what I’m watching this October.
Rabbit Trap
Maybe it’s because October is Halloween season in my life, and because Halloween comes from the Pagan celebration Samhain, but regardless of the why, I love Folk Horror. If you love a thriller movie with its roots in folk horror, especially in fairy belief, you definitely need to get on this trip. The premise is that couple Darcy (Dev Patel) and Daphne Davenport (Rosy McEwen) move out to a cottage in rural Wales to create their music. They use recordings of the natural world to create their mix, but when they happen upon a frequency that’s wildly unfamiliar, yet compelling, they have to revisit it. They find what local superstition calls a “fairy circle,” and then, a child (Jade Croot) shows up. When they thought they had no neighbors for miles. It’s not only gorgeous because of its scenery and set design, but nature is rendered so wild and powerful that you’ll be sure to sit on the edge of your seat!
Slow Horses–Season 5
If you haven’t yet gotten into Slow Horses, here’s my hard sell: Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) leads Slough House, the division of MI5, to which all the screw-ups—in various forms—get relegated. This season pops off with a shooting in an open plaza, which seems like an isolated incident until it’s linked to a far-right domestic terrorist group… but is that link as strong as all the evidence supports?
The first two episodes released on Apple TV+ on September 24, and subsequent episodes drop weekly until the season finale on October 22, 2025
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former revolutionary who has lived for sixteen years in paranoia with the daughter (Chase Infiniti) he had with rebel group leader, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). Perfidia is the one who orchestrated the attacks on both the officials manning immigration detention centers and the bank robberies to fund those missions. Since Perfidia’s disappearance after her arrest, Bob has been raising his strong-willed daughter almost off the grid in a state of stoned paranoia. When the revolutionaries’ past—and nemesis— comes back to haunt the Fergusons, Bob scrambles to keep his daughter safe.
The Morning Show–Season 4
All right, in the past, maybe I could understand an argument in which this show is more “drama” than “political thriller,” but this season… I have to disagree. I never realized how much the news media—even this seemingly innocuous morning TV special—is wrapped up in politics. Now, in addition to the titular Morning Show, hosted formerly by Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), Celine Dumont (Marion Cotillard) is calling the shots, and she’s making big power moves. The moves are about how to cover really important topics like the 2024 Olympics, defectors from Iran, self-preserving AI, a huge cover-up involving radioactive waste (maybe) and even more importantly, whether they should cover these topics accurately, or in a way that benefits the network. It is seriously giving me chills—OMG, especially because someone hacked into the security system in the cold open and deep-faked security footage of Alex committing crimes against the state!
The first two episodes released on Apple TV+ on September 17, and subsequent episodes drop weekly until the season finale on November 19, 2024.
Anemone
In this psychological thriller co-written by Ronan and Daniel Day-Lewis, a middle-aged man (Sean Bean) leaves his suburban home for the woods of Northern England to find his off-grid brother (Daniel Day-Lewis). The mystery of their past once cleaved them apart, and here it brings them back together… for redemption or demise, it’s hard to say.
In theaters now.
Roofman
This thriller is, unbelievably, based on the true story of spree-robber and Army veteran Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum). While struggling as a father, he starts to rob McDonald’s restaurants through holes he drills through their roofs—all the while making sure the employees he traps in the walk-in freezers put their coats on, calling 911 for people he’s injured, and being a generally courteous criminal. When he inevitably gets caught, he’s sentenced to decades in prison… until he successfully escapes prison. Rather than run immediately away and risk getting recaptured, he camps out in a Toys “R” Us for months. He uses his Army skills to dismantle the security system so he can steal necessities like toddler mattresses and peanut M&Ms, and he set up his own surveillance through stolen baby monitors. When he falls for Toys “R” Us employee, divorced mom, Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), his scheme starts to unravel.
In theaters on October 10.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family
This dramatic miniseries chronicles the very recent and infamous Murdaugh murders and financial scandal. Maggie (Patricia Arquette) and Alex (Jason Clarke) are a super-privileged family in South Carolina and part of an enormous legal dynasty… even after their son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) is involved in a deadly boat crash. With the investigation of the crash, connections to other crimes come to light and start to threaten their fine balance.
The first three episodes release on October 15, and subsequent episodes drop weekly until the season finale on November 19.
