Screen Time - October 2023

We take a look at the biggest films and TV series set to make their debut in cinemas and on streaming services during the spookiest month of the year.

It's a new month and the spookiest one of the year at that, which means there are plenty of exciting new movies and TV shows to get excited about. With horrors that align with the frightening theme of the month, Marvel projects, and even Oscar hopefuls, October 2023 has a lot in store for fans. So, with this being the case, let's dive into a new episode of Screen Time to see what the month has lined up for film and TV fans.

But before we do get started, a quick reminder: We've based our choices on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check for accurate local listings and dates.

The Exorcist: Believer - October 6

This October isn't quite offering up the same number of frightening thrillers as we have seen become common in the past, but that doesn't mean there aren't some unsettling films debuting to spook your socks off. Director David Gordon Green has taken it upon himself to create a true sequel to the iconic 1973 film, The Exorcist, and as you would hope, this film is shaping up to be horrifying, scary, and a true contender for most terrifying project this year, nevermind just October.

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Loki (Season 2) [Disney+] - October 6

Everyone's favourite villain turned hero is returning to Disney+ in October, as picking up after the events of Season 1, Tom Hiddleston's Loki is looking to once again travel through timelines to work with the TVA to prevent a universe dictated by Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror from taking effect. With Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Sophia Di Martino's beloved Sylvie all returning, this new season will even introduce some new faces, such as Ke Huy Quan, who is making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.

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Totally Killer [Prime Video] - October 6

How do you stop a prolific serial killer from making a bloody return decades after his first murder spree? Simple. You go back and time and stop him in the first place. This is the story that Prime Video's Totally Killer will be looking to offer this October, with Kiernan Shipka starring as a young woman who travels back in time to stop the infamous Sweet Sixteen Killer from ever drawing first blood.

Goosebumps [Disney+] - October 13

Yes, Goosebumps has been adapted multiple times before into a live-action format, but no, that isn't stopping Disney. The horror series is making a return on the most unsettling day of the entire year, Friday the 13th in October, with this series seeing a group of five high schoolers working to stop supernatural forces they unintentionally released from ravaging and devastating the town that they call home.

The Fall of the House of Usher [Netflix] - October 12

It wouldn't be October if Mike Flanagan wasn't releasing a new horror project for Netflix. Following Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club, and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Flanagan is looking to debut The Fall of the House of Usher this year. This mini-series is an adaptation on the works by Edgar Allan Poe and sees Carla Gugino leading a rather stacked cast, including Mark Hamill and Rahul Kohli.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix [Netflix] - October 19

While Ubisoft doesn't seem to have any plans in place to actually expand the video game world of Far Cry 3's Blood Dragon DLC, the French company has teamed up with the talented director that made Netflix's Castlevania series a hit success. Adi Shankar will be heading up this new animated project that combines various Ubisoft IP and is based predominantly on the sci-fi setting of Blood Dragon.

Killers of the Flower Moon - October 20

If there was one film this October that has had Oscar buzz surrounding it ever since its announcement, it would be Martin Scorsese's next project, Killers of the Flower Moon. This film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone explores the horrifying events that saw members of the Osage tribe murdered and soon after a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover being put into effect. With an immensely long run-time, this film will no doubt be fighting for Best Picture come March when the next Academy Awards are hosted.

Five Nights at Freddy's - October 25

After years of development, Blumhouse's Five Nights at Freddy's film is set to finally arrive this October. Coming from director Emma Tammi, the film sees Josh Hutcherson starring as a security guard who is tasked with getting through the nightshift at the Freddy Fazbear's Pizza restaurant. Anyone who has played or seen the games in action will know that this is hardly as easy, or safe, as it may seem.

Pain Hustlers [Netflix] - October 27

Capping off October, Netflix has another major film in store for fans. Bringing together Chris Evans and Emily Blunt, Pain Hustlers looks to explore how a struggling mother and a failing pharmacy manager team up to turn a bankrupt pharmacy into the centerpoint of a criminal conspiracy.