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The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of October

The fall season begins with an epic sci-fi adventure, an offbeat superhero blockbuster, James Bond's latest outing, and more.

by | October 4, 2021 | Comments

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It’s that time of year when we start to break out our sweaters (or, in some places, merely think about doing so), consume pumpkin-spiced everythings, and fret over potential Halloween costume choices. With the latter in mind, you might expect a horror film to top our list of Most Anticipated Movies in October, but folks like Denis Villeneuve, Tom Hardy, and Daniel Craig had other plans. That’s not to say horror didn’t make it onto our list, but there were clearly other things our fans on social media were excited for. Read on to see the 5 Most Anticipated Movies of October.


1. Dune (2021)

#1 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
In theaters and streaming on HBO Max on October 22

Denis Villeneuve (ArrivalBlade Runner 2049) in the director’s chair, an iconic sci-fi novel as source material, and a cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and more? Sounds like winning combination, and judging from the response on our social media channels and the reviews that have come in so far, it just may be. It’s been reported that Dune, which only covers the first half of the eponymous Frank Herbert novel about the interstellar struggle for control of a desert planet, will only get its planned sequel if it performs well at the box office. The pedigree behind it is impressive, to say the least, so here’s hoping fans will show up to see it and get the second half they deserve.


2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

#2 on Facebook and Instagram, #4 on Twitter
In theaters now

2018’s Venom didn’t impress a whole lot of critics, who largely thought the film was tonally jumbled and a little goofy, but it earned something of a cult following of fans who deemed it a misunderstood gem. Venom: Let There Be Carnage goes whole hog on the weirdness, and more critics edned up appreciative of its winking sense of humor. Let There Be Carnage kicked off the month in spectacular fashion on Friday, October 1, shattering the previous pandemic box office record with a $90 million opening. In other words, it’s likely that anyone who listed the film as one of their most anticipated has already gone out to see it, but with an opening weekend that strong, it’ll stay in theaters for a little while, so you have plenty of time to catch it.


3. No Time to Die (2021)

#2 on Twitter, #3 on Instagram, #4 on Facebook
In theaters on October 8

The same weekend that Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened Stateside, the latest James Bond flick, No Time to Die, opened internationally and hauled in an impressive $119 million of its own. Being that it’s Daniel Craig’s final turn as 007, it’s no surprise that it lands near the top of this month’s list, and when it finally opens in the US on October 8, after countless COVID-related delays, it will likely also dominate the box office here. Reviews have been solid, if not ecstatic, and the film is already Certified Fresh, so it’s probably safe to say Craig’s swan song will satisfy most fans.


4. Halloween Kills (2021)

#3 on Facebook, #5 on Twitter
In theaters on October 15

Finally, we have a couple of horror films rounding out our top five this month. The first is Halloween Kills, the middle chapter of the new sequel trilogy from the unlikely team of director David Gordon Green and co-writer Danny McBride. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in early September to lukewarm reviews, but there’s no denying the enduring mystique around seminal slasher Michael Myers and ultimate final girl Jamie Lee Curtis. The fact that it made it onto this list is evidence enough that audiences are eager to return to Haddonfield, even if some of the tension is dampened by the fact that another movie is still to come.


5. Last Night in Soho (2021)

#3 on Twitter, #5 on Instagram
In theaters on October 29

Sharing the fourth spot on this month’s list is another horror flick that debuted in Venice, albeit a very different sort of chiller. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the DeadBaby Driver) helms this psychological thriller starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Matt Smith about a young woman in London who has visions of another woman in the Swinging Sixties, only to discover something horrifying lurking in the shadows. Critics have called it a stylish thriller that wears its inspirations on its bloody sleeve, but also one that has some trouble keeping up the momentum throughout its runtime. Still, fans of wright, McKenzie, and Taylor-Joy will likely show up for the movie they’ve been waiting to see since last year.


Thumbnail by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures

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