With Halloween fast approaching, October 2023 will see the arrival of a couple of horror movies, as well as Martin Scorsese’s latest project and a concert movie from a very popular pop singer. September welcomed some big releases and movies from different franchises, such as the final installment in The Equalizer trilogy, The Nun II, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and Expend4bles. September also kicked off spooky season with movies like A Haunting in Venice and Saw X, and also welcomed Gareth Edwards’ latest project, The Creator.
Given that September saw mostly big theatrical releases, none of them are available to stream yet, but October is also bringing some of 2023’s most anticipated movies, which will be exciting enough to fill in that void. In addition to that, some of October’s movie releases will be available to stream shortly after their theatrical run or will get a simultaneous theatrical and streaming release, guaranteeing that everyone will get a chance to watch them. That said, October will welcome a new Exorcist movie, a Taylor Swift concert movie, a horror movie based on a Twitter thread, Martin Scorsese’s latest project, and a horror movie based on a video game. Here’s every movie coming to theaters in October 2023.
The Exorcist: Believer – October 6
The Exorcist: Believer is the sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise and a direct sequel to William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. The Exorcist: Believer follows Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), a single father whose daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum), start showing signs of demonic possession. This unleashes a chain of horrific events that lead Victor to look for help – and the only person alive who has witnessed anything like what is happening to Angela and Katherine is Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn). The Exorcist: Believer is the first in a new trilogy of Exorcist films, with the sequel, Deceiver, scheduled for an April 2025, release.
The Burial – October 6
The Burial is a legal drama directed by Maggie Betts and based on the 1999 New Yorker article of the same name by Jonathan Harr. Set in 1995, The Burial follows Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx), an unconventional personal injury lawyer with a great track record who helps Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a financially troubled funeral homeowner, sue a large funeral home company over a contractual dispute. Also starring in The Burial are Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Bill Camp, and Pamela Reed. The Burial will have a limited theatrical release on October 6 prior to its streaming release on Prime Video on October 13, 2023.
Foe – October 6
Foe is a sci-fi psychological thriller directed by Garth Davis and based on Iain Reid’s 2018 novel of the same name. Foe centers on Henrietta (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal), a married couple whose lives are turned upside down when a stranger arrives at their farm to tell them Junior will be sent to a large space station, while Henrietta is left in the company of a robot. Foe premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival in September 2023.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – October 13
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is a concert film documenting Taylor Swift’s 2023-2024 Eras Tour. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was directed by Sam Wrench and was filmed in August 2023 at three shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California (with permission from the SAG-AFTRA as it happened amidst the strike). The unconventional release strategy of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour led studios to move some of their October releases, as was the case for The Exorcist: Believer, Dumb Money, Freelance, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Priscilla.
Dear David – October 13
Dear David is a supernatural horror movie directed by John McPhail and based on a Twitter thread of the same name by Adam Ellis. Dear David follows Adam Ellis (Augustus Prew), a former BuzzFeed employee who starts noticing weird things happening around his house. Adam soon discovers that he’s being haunted by the ghost of a young boy possessed by a demonic entity. The Dear David Twitter thread went viral in 2017, with Ellis claiming that it was based on actual events as he was accused of making it up for profit. Dear David was originally set for a 2022 release, but it was pushed back to October 2023.
Killers of the Flower Moon – October 20
Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic Western crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese. Based on the 2017 book of the same name by David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon tells the story of members of the Osage tribe in northeastern Oklahoma who are murdered under mysterious circumstances after oil is found on their land, prompting an FBI investigation. Starring in Killers of the Flower Moon are Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, Robert De Niro as William Hale, Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart, Jesse Plemons as Tom White, Tantoo Cardinal as Lizzie Q, John Lithgow as Prosecutor Leaward, and Brendan Fraser as W.S. Hamilton.
Killers of the Flower Moon changed its plan for a limited theatrical release on October 6 for a global theatrical rollout on October 20, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ at an unspecified date.
Butcher’s Crossing – October 20
Butcher’s Crossing is a Western drama directed by Gabe Polsky and based on the 1960 novel of the same name by John Edward Williams. Butcher’s Crossing is the story of an Ivy League dropout who travels to the Colorado wilderness, where he joins a team of buffalo hunters on a journey that will end up putting his life and mental health at risk. Starring in Butcher’s Crossing are Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Xander Berkeley, Rachel Keller, Jeremy Bobb, and Paul Raci.
Five Nights at Freddy’s – October 27
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a supernatural horror film directed by Emma Tammi and based on the videogame franchise of the same name created by Scott Cawthon. Five Nights at Freddy’s follows Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), a security guard who takes a job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a once-successful but now abandoned family entertainment center. What Mike wasn’t counting on was the animatronic mascots – Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy – coming to life after midnight and killing anyone that is still there. Also starring in Five Nights at Freddy’s are Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Matthew Lillard, and Kat Conner Sterling.
Freelance – October 27
Freelance is an action comedy directed by Pierre Morel. Years after retiring from the Army, former Special Forces operator Mason Pettits (John Cena) takes a job providing security for journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) as she interviews the president of Paldonia, Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba). However, when a military coup breaks out mid-interview, Mason, Claire, and Juan are forced to escape into the jungle together, and it won’t be an easy mission. Also starring in Freelance are Alice Eve, Marton Csokas, and Christian Slater.
