Remember Dune? Now there’s a movie.
You’ve got Timothée Chalamet dreaming of Zendaya (who amongst us); naked Oscar Isaac slumped over in a chair; throat singing; Stellan Skarsgård caked in black goo; Rebecca Ferguson being the best; heroic Jason Momoa; Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, which is fun to say out loud; and sandworms. Dune is not lacking in sandworms, but sadly, this month is lacking in Dune.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two was originally scheduled to come out on October 20, 2023, before it was pushed back to November 17, then moved forward to November 3rd. Now, due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, the Dune sequel will be released on March 15, 2024. Don’t blame the actors and actresses on the picket lines; blame the executives. It’s because of their greed that we won’t return to Arrakis until next year. Thankfully, there’s a lot of other good movies coming out this month to ease the pain.
Strange Way of Life (October 6)
The best thing about Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, besides the fact that it’s a queer Western starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal directed by Pedro Almodóvar? It’s a short film with a run time of only 30 minutes.
The Royal Hotel (October 6)
Kitty Green’s follow-up to the brilliant The Assistant finds Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick stuck in the Outback surrounded by something even worse than the deadly snakes Australia is known for: misogynistic men.
Dicks: The Musical (October 6)
A24’s first movie-musical stars Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp as “f*cking identical twins,” which is also the name of the off-Broadway show the film is based on. Dicks: The Musical also stars Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, Megan Thee Stallion, and Tom Kenny, and is directed by Larry Charles, the comedy legend who wrote many of your favorite episodes of Seinfeld.
Totally Killer (October 6)
This is one of only two streaming movies on the list, but I’ll make an exception for a Happy Death Day-like horror-comedy with Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, and Randall Park.
Fair Play (October 6)
This is the other, although the excellently trashy erotic thriller, starring Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich, is playing in select theaters now.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (October 13)
Didn’t get tickets to see the Eras Tour in person? Now you can sing along in a crowded room with your fellow Swifties to “All Too Well.” Ten-minute version, obviously.
Anatomy of a Fall (October 13)
Anatomy of a Fall took home the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Previous winners include Pulp Fiction, Parasite, and The Tree of Life.
Killers of the Flower Moon (October 20)
It will break Marty’s heart if you don’t see his new masterpiece.
Butcher’s Crossing (October 20)
It’s hard to believe it took this long for Nicolas Cage to play a bald buffalo hunter who slowly goes mad.
The Holdovers (October 27)
The Holdovers is Paul Giamatti’s first time working with director Alexander Payne since a little movie called Sideways.
Five Nights at Freddy’s (October 27)
October is surprisingly light on horror movies. The most high-profile releases are the demonic The Exorcist: Believer (October 6th) and the creepy animatronics in Five Nights at Freddy’s, which is finally coming out after a hellish development cycle.
