By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
With box office numbers below where they were last year, there are likely no hidden blockbusters among the October releases. But smile wide without a trace of venom for there will surely be entertaining movies to pick from, especially if you have nothing to do on a Saturday night. As to be expected, the horror genre will be well represented this month, but there may also be some early Oscar contenders among the releases, no joke.
October 4th
First up is a sequel that needs little introduction, it’s everyone’s favorite bipolar clown. “Joker: Folie a Deux” is the follow up to the Oscar winning 2019 film. Joaquin Phoenix reprises the titular role for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor, and Lady Gaga joins the cast as the notorious Harley Quinn. While everything seems to be shaping up for another successful run, early responses from the Venice Film Festival that it premiered at have been mixed so this may not be the sequel everyone is waiting for, best to wait for more information.
“White Bird” is based on the bestselling work of R.J. Palacio, whose novel inspired the film adaptation of 2017’s “Wonder.” This expands on the characters first introduced in that story and is sure to be another heart wrenching film directed by Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland”). With the great Helen Mirren in the cast, this might be the sleeper pick of the week.
October 11th
On this date in 1975, a sketch comedy unlike any other was born and history was made. “Saturday Night” tells the true story of the 90 minutes leading up to its very first broadcast. With a highly talented cast and 4-time Oscar nominee Jason Reitman directing, this film is sure to be a winner.
If you’re looking for a more family friendly film this month, “Piece by Piece” may be your only option. Crafted through the lens of LEGO animation, this is the biographical tale of Pharell Williams featuring the vocal talents of Pharell, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake and many others. This could be an interesting and fun watch, or it could be a bad ego trip, best to wait for reviews before committing.
October 18th
A little-known independent film distributed by NEON has a limited release on this day. “Anora” debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, winning the prestigious Palme d’Or award. “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” are all previous winners of this award to be distributed by NEON, all of which are highly decorated films. This modern day “Pretty Woman” type of story may not have a recognizable cast, but it may be the best film of the month if not a Best Picture candidate for the year. Be sure to check your local theaters to see if/when they’ll be showing it.
“We Live in Time” is another dramatic romance that will be released this day and has a bit more star power. Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, this features the Oscar nominated actors, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. Now, it remains to be seen whether Pugh can establish any kind of chemistry in this type of role after the debacle that was “Don’t Worry Darling.” However, based on the trailer and with John Crowley directing, this should be a riveting tearjerker.
What happens when there is unexpected success for a horror film? It gets a sequel of course. “Smile 2” is the sequel to that surprisingly good 2022 film and is once again written and directed by Parker Finn. So, continuity shouldn’t be an issue but recapturing the magic of the original without becoming stale is a difficult objective for any horror sequel. With the main character being a global pop music star this time, the stage is set for a major franchise to be born. Hopefully, this will be the adrenaline pumping horror flick to capture the spirit of Halloween.
October 25th
Closing out the month is another monstrous sequel, this time from the comics. “Venom: The Last Dance” is the third film of this series and is hopefully far superior to 2021’s disappointing sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” The good news is that a new director is helming this project, but the bad news is that it is Kelly Marcel’s first time ever directing anything. So, don’t expect too much from this one, except maybe for more brain eating and a solid performance from Tom Hardy.
Perhaps the more interesting and better option this week is “Conclave,” a thriller surrounding the ancient Catholic custom of selecting a new pope. Doesn’t sound too exciting, but there’s much more to this story that is based on Robert Harris’ novel. Starring two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes and directed by Edward Berger, who was just nominated last year for co-writing the screenplay of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” this film has considerable potential.
