October’s releases snap into a taut, atmospheric blend of genres: psychological thrillers that burrow under the skin, romance that warms the chill in the air, Met Opera and NT Live bringing grand performance to the big screen, South African drama injecting local grit and emotional voltage, survival stories stripped to the bone, period pieces steeped in texture, and bloody horror delivering the month’s most unapologetic bite.
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2 October
Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller Verity follows renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) and Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity.
After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession. Read more.
Digger is a satirical psychological drama in which Tom Cruise delivers one of his strangest and most self‑aware performances as Digger Rockwell, a man hailed as ‘the most powerful human alive’ who becomes convinced he must save humanity from a catastrophic disaster of his own making.
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the film follows Digger’s spiralling quest for redemption as he drags an eclectic ensemble of characters into his delusional crusade. The film blends dark comedy, existential dread and political absurdity, creating a portrait of a man whose attempt to prove his greatness becomes the very engine of destruction he fears. Read more.
The romance drama Charlie Harper follows two young adults who meet, leave their old lives behind, and attempt to build a future together in a new city.
As Harper (Emilia Jones) works to establish herself as a chef and Charlie (Nick Robinson) struggles to find direction, their relationship is tested by ambition, insecurity, and the pressures of early adulthood. The film offers a grounded, intimate portrait of love, growth, and the difficulty of becoming who you hope to be. Read more.
Eli Roth’s slasher film Ice Cream Man unfolds in the suburban town of Bayleen Bay, where a mysterious ice‑cream vendor’s sweet treats turn local children into homicidal maniacs, plunging the community into chaos. As the possessed children begin murdering adults and force‑feeding the tainted treats to others, a small group of unaffected kids fights to survive and uncover the truth behind the Ice Cream Man. Read more.
9 October
Before the best-selling books, the hit TV shows, and the voice that defined a generation—before Anthony Bourdain became Anthony Bourdain—there was the summer of 1975. In the picturesque beachside enclave of Provincetown, on Massachusetts’ idyllic Cape Cod, a lanky teenager from New Jersey discovers the first taste of the man he would become…
From director Matt Johnson comes the raucous and electric origin story of one of the most beloved icons of the modern era. Restless, reckless, overconfident, and hungry for something he couldn’t yet name, Tony offers an unexpected glimpse at the culinary legend before the world knew his name—and before Bourdain discovered the passion, purpose, and mentorship that would shape the rest of his life. Read more.
The thriller Just Play Dead follows wealthy criminal mastermind Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson), who plans to fake his own death to escape federal charges and collect a massive insurance payout, while framing his wife Nora’s surfer lover, Chad. But Nora (Eva Green), suffocated by Jack’s control, has her own plan: kill Jack for real and keep everything for herself. What follows is a darkly comedic, twist‑heavy battle of wits as each tries to outmanoeuvre the other, culminating in an explosive showdown where only one scheme can succeed.
11 and 13 October
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2026 season launches with Mozart’s satirical comedy Così fan tutte. Phelim McDermott’s Coney Island-inspired staging relocates Mozart’s tale of romantic fidelity to a 1950s amusement park filled with sideshows, neon lights, circus performers, and playful visual excess, giving the opera a cheeky, tongue‑in‑cheek tone that highlights the absurdity of Don Alfonso’s cruel “school for lovers.”
Conducted by Nimrod David Pfeffer, the revival features Federica Lombardi (Fiordiligi), Samantha Hankey (Dorabella), Ana María Martínez (Despina), Duke Kim (Ferrando), Andrey Zhilikhovsky (Guglielmo), and Gerald Finley (Don Alfonso), with the lovers navigating a world that mirrors the emotional rollercoaster of their misguided fidelity test. Read more.
16 October
The survival thriller Whalefall is based on Daniel Kraus’s novel. Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Sense and Sensibility is a period romantic drama adapted from Jane Austen’s 1811 novel. The film stars Daisy Edgar‑Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed‑Miles as Marianne Dashwood as they leave their Sussex estate for a modest home, navigating love, heartbreak, financial challenges, and societal expectations in Regency England.
The film offers charm, wit, and emotional resonance, making it a promising watch for period drama fans. Read more.
Street Fighter is an action‑comedy adaptation of Capcom’s iconic video‑game franchise. Set in 1993, the film follows estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are recruited by Chun‑Li (Callina Liang) to enter the World Warrior Tournament, a brutal, globe‑spanning competition hiding a deeper conspiracy that forces the two men to confront both each other and the demons of their past.
The supernatural psychological horror Other Mommy follows Bela, an eight‑year‑old girl who becomes terrorised by a sinister paranormal entity that emerges from her closet, a creature she calls “Other Mommy”, because it eerily resembles her real mother. As the entity grows more threatening, Bela’s parents (Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass) struggle to understand the danger haunting their home. Read more.
23 October
Clayface is a body‑horror thriller in the new DC Universe, and stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor whose face is brutally disfigured by a crime boss. Desperate to restore his appearance, Hagen turns to Dr. Caitlin Corr (Naomi Ackie), a fringe scientist whose experimental treatment unexpectedly transforms his entire body into living clay, triggering a terrifying loss of identity and a descent into revenge.
Wildwood is a tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and secrets, and of the magic you can find on your doorstep, if you’re willing to look for it. This handcrafted epic fantasy transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world.
A girl's desperate quest to save her baby brother unfolds into a spectacular, high-stakes adventure through a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries--where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance. In an era of automation. A bold fusion of human-crafted artistry and cinematic storytelling from the makers of Coraline.
A Talent for a Murder is a thriller directed by Anton Corbijn, adapted by Joanna Murray‑Smith from her play Switzerland. The film stars Helen Mirren as Patricia Highsmith, Alden Ehrenreich as Edward Ridgeway, and Olivia Cooke as Clementine Balfour. The plot follows a young man who travels from New York to Switzerland to convince the reclusive Highsmith to write one final Ripley novel — a persuasion that gradually turns sinister.
30 October
In the South African film Al Wat Ek Weet, a car accident claims his mother's life, and his father withdraws from life in a clinic. Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Lombard is uprooted from his green, leafy suburb on Table Mountain when he is sent to live with his aunt Lotta and grandmother Lenie in a cramped house in Woodstock. Determined not to collapse like his father, he buries his grief behind a cool facade, wild lies and an overactive imagination. Read more.
31 October
The NT Live staging of Frankenstein remains significant because it redefined what theatrical adaptation can look like on screen. Danny Boyle’s production fused muscular physicality with stark, industrial design to create a world that felt both mythic and brutally contemporary.
Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful Creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. Read more: https://writingstudio.co.za/live-theatre-on-the-big-screen/
Read more about the latest and upcoming films.
