Screen time – October 2023 –

It’s a new month and the spookiest of the year, which means there are plenty of exciting new movies and TV shows to get excited about. With horrors that fit the month’s terrifying theme, Marvel projects and even Oscar hopes, October 2023 has a lot in store for fans. So, now that it has, let’s dive into a new installment of Screen Time to see what the month has brought to film and TV fans.

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

The Exorcist: Believer – Oct. 6

This October doesn’t offer quite the same number of terrifying thrillers as we’ve typically seen in the past, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t disturbing films debuting to scare your socks off. Director David Gordon Green has taken it upon himself to make a true sequel to the iconic 1973 film, The Exorcist, and as you would hope, this film is going to be gruesome, scary and a real contender for most terrifying project this year, let alone October alone.

Loki (Season 2) [Disney+] – Oct. 6

Everyone’s favorite villain turned hero returns to Disney+ this October, as after the events of season 1, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki once again wants to 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, making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.

Totally Killer [Prime Video] – October 6

How do you prevent a prolific serial killer from making a bloody comeback decades after his first kill? Simple. You go back in time and stop him in the first place. This is the story Prime Video’s Totally Killer will aim to offer in October, starring Kiernan Shipka as a young woman who travels back in time to prevent the infamous Sweet Sixteen Killer from ever drawing first blood.

Goosebumps [Disney+] – Oct. 13

Yes, Goosebumps has been adapted into a live-action format several times before, but no, that doesn’t stop Disney. The horror series returns on the most disturbing day of the entire year, Friday the 13th in October, with this series in which a group of five high school students work to stop supernatural forces that have unintentionally freed them from ravaging and destroying the town they call home.

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

It wouldn’t be October if Mike Flanagan didn’t release a new horror project for Netflix. After Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Flanagan plans to debut The Fall of the House of Usher this year. This miniseries is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s work and sees Carla Gugino lead a rather stacked cast, including Mark Hamill and Rahul Kohli.

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

Although Ubisoft seems to have no plans 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 who made Netflix’s Castlevania series a success. Adi Shankar will direct this new animated project that combines several Ubisoft IP and is primarily based on Blood Dragon’s sci-fi setting.

Killers of the Flower Moon – Oct. 20

If there was one film that has had Oscar buzz in October 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 horrific events in which members of the Osage tribe were murdered and, shortly thereafter, a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover. With an immensely long running time, this film will undoubtedly contend for Best Picture in March when the next Academy Awards are hosted.

Five Nights at Freddy’s – Oct. 25

After years of development, Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s movie will finally be released in October. The film comes from director Emma Tammi and sees Josh Hutcherson starring as a security guard tasked with getting through the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant. Anyone who has played or seen the games in action knows that this is not as easy or safe as it seems.

Pain Hustlers [Netflix] – Oct. 27

To close out October, Netflix has another great movie in store for fans. Bringing together Chris Evans and Emily Blunt, Pain Hustlers explores how a struggling mother and a failing pharmacy manager work together to turn a bankrupt pharmacy into the center of a criminal conspiracy.