More and more across the globe, October is associated with Halloween, which means horror and thriller releases tend to take centre stage this time of year. But there’s much more to look forward to this month, with a packed lineup spanning different genres. From local releases to major international titles, there’s plenty arriving across the month, whether you’re looking for something spooky, dramatic, funny, or simply new to watch. Here are some of the releases to have on your radar.
Movies in October
Agbáraǹlá: The Return - October 1
Available: In Theatres
Thirty-five years after the original Agbáraǹlá, the Mount Zion Faith Industries International classic is getting a new life on the big screen with Agbáraǹlá: The Return. The film is a reimagining of the 1991 Christian drama, with Mike Bamiloye (Abejoye, Apoti Eri) returning as Isawuru, the herbalist who holds the village of Muwonleru under his control. The new story follows Olaboye and Olatomi, who leave their comfortable city jobs to take the Gospel to the village, setting up a spiritual battle for the soul of the village. The film is directed by Damilola and Joshua Mike-Bamiloye and produced by Chris Odeh, with a cast that includes Aanu Kolade Abiodun, Remilekun Mosiko, Philip Olubakin and members of the Mike-Bamiloye family.
MKO - October 2
Available: In Theatres
Ose Oyamendan’s MKO is a new documentary about the life and legacy of late Nigerian businessman and politician Moshood “MKO” Abiola. The must-watch film looks at Abiola’s role in the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military government and the events that followed, including his detention and death in 1998. The documentary features interviews and archival material surrounding one of the most significant political figures in modern Nigerian history. It premiered at the National Theatre in Lagos on October 1 before its nationwide cinema release on October 2.
Digger - October 2
Available: In Theatres
Tom Cruise takes on a very different kind of role in Digger, a dark comedy from Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a powerful oil tycoon who finds himself trying to save humanity from the environmental disaster he helped create. The film also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. Iñárritu, best known for films including Birdman and The Revenant, directs from a screenplay written with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman. Digger is a good choice if you’re looking for something darkly funny and thought-provoking.
Verity - October 2
Available: In Theatres
It seems like every month has something for the booktok girls and we’re not complaining. Fans of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling thriller will have had Verity on their radar for a while. The film adaptation stars Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is hired to complete the book series of Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, after an accident leaves the famous author unable to continue writing. Things take a dark turn when Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that reveals secrets about Verity and her family. Josh Hartnett also stars as Jeremy Crawford, with Michael Showalter directing the adaptation. Some of Hoover’s other adaptations haven’t had the best critical reception, but Verity looks very promising, and both fans and sceptics seem optimistic.
The Social Reckoning - October 9
Available: In Theatres
American screenwriter and filmmaker Aaron Sorkin returns to the world of social media with The Social Reckoning, a companion piece to his 2010 film The Social Network. Inspired by true events, the movie follows Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer who becomes a whistleblower after uncovering the company’s closely guarded secrets. Mikey Madison stars as Haugen alongside Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. The film explores the fallout from Haugen’s revelations and the wider impact of social media on society. Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr and Jeremy Strong also star, with Sorkin once again writing and directing.
East West Love - October 9
Available: In Theatres
Kenyan-Nigerian romantic comedy East West Love follows Tito, a Nigerian event planner who travels to Mombasa for a romantic getaway, only to discover that her boyfriend has been unfaithful. Instead of letting his infidelity ruin her trip, she turns the getaway into a girls’ trip with her best friend and unexpectedly meets Juma, a hotel manager who challenges her ideas about love and control. Directed by Tanzanian filmmaker Seko Shamte, the movie stars Sunshine Rosman (To Kill a Monkey, The Creek) as Tito and Brian Abajah (Reckless) as Juma. East West Love opens in Nigeria, Kenya, Canada and the UK on October 9, with releases in Tanzania and Uganda to follow.
Animals - October 9
Available on: Netflix
Ben Affleck stars in and directed and co-wrote Animals, a thriller about a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose carefully constructed life falls apart when his son is kidnapped. Mark Kimball and his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, are forced to scramble for the ransom while dealing with choices and secrets that could change everything. The film also stars Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun and Ray Fisher.
Misty Green - October 9
Available: In Theatres
Written and directed by Chris Rock, this comedy-drama follows the titular character, a once-successful Emmy-winning actress whose career has stalled, played by Rosalind Eleazar. As she attempts to navigate the realities of a fading career and find a way back into the spotlight, Misty is forced to confront the personal struggles and choices that have shaped her life. Chris Rock, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya and Anna Kendrick are also part of the cast.
Whalefall - October 16
Available: In Theatres
After the success of Resident Evil last month, audiences are more than happy to see Austin Abrams on their screen again in yet another horror role. After the death of his father, Jay Gardiner goes diving off the coast of California in search of his remains, only to be swallowed by a massive sperm whale. Trapped inside the whale with only an hour of oxygen left, Jay has to find a way out while confronting the lessons and memories left behind by his father. Alongside Abrams, the cast includes Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd.
You Can See Everything - October 16
Available: In Theatres
When the eerie teaser for You Can See Everything hit the internet last month, it immediately grabbed everyone's attention. The documentary film follows one of Silicon Valley’s most infamous figures, Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, as she prepares to go to prison. What begins as a documentary crew following her final 34 days eventually turns into a much stranger three-year journey. The film comes from directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim and explores the strange relationship between celebrity, crime and the people who are willing to watch it all unfold.
Sense and Sensibility - October 16
Available: In Theatres
True lovers of romance will never get tired of seeing new adaptations of the classics. Though they can be hit or miss, they are always worth conversation. This month, it’s Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, which follows sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they navigate love, family and financial uncertainty after the death of their father forces their family to leave their home. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Elinor while Esmé Creed-Miles plays Marianne, with George MacKay, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane and Fiona Shaw rounding out the cast.
Clayface - October 23
Available: In Theatres
DC is getting into the Halloween spirit with Clayface, a horror thriller centred on one of the more unusual villains from Gotham’s rogues' gallery. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a struggling actor whose attempt to restore his former appearance through an experimental treatment has unexpected consequences, sending him down a destructive path. The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan.
Klara and the Sun - October 23
Available: In Theatres
Anyone looking for a very topical story about AI will surely enjoy this movie. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s bestselling novel, Klara and the Sun follows Klara, an Artificial Friend designed to keep people from feeling lonely. Played by Jenna Ortega, Klara finds a home with Josie, a young girl dealing with illness and a complicated family life. As Klara becomes part of the family, her loyalty and innocent understanding of the world begin to have an unexpected effect on Josie and those around her. Taika Waititi directs the adaptation, which also stars Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne.
Tele x Zikora - October 23
Available: In Theatres
Nigerian romance films always hit a little different, and Tele x Zikora is coming from an even more unique angle as a coming-of-age romantic drama. Set at a fictional university in Lagos, the film follows Tele, a brilliant and tech-savvy student dealing with pressure from his family, and Zikora, a popular campus influencer whose confident public persona hides a more complicated reality. When a campus scandal forces the two very different students to work together, their initial friction gradually develops into something more. Directed by Adenike Adebayo-Esho, the film stars Mike Afolarin (Kasala, Far From Home) and Genoveva Umeh (A Tribe Called Judah, Breath of Life), in the lead roles, alongside Tomi Ojo, Chimezie Imo, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Mercy Aigbe, Daniel Etim Effiong and Layi Wasabi. Tele x Zikora brings a contemporary Gen Z perspective to the Nigerian campus movie and arrives in cinemas nationwide on October 23.
A Land Apart - October 23
Available: In Theatres
Set in an alternate Nigeria where agriculture, rather than oil, is the country’s main source of wealth, A Land Apart follows the illegitimate daughter of Africa’s richest agripreneur after she unexpectedly inherits his empire. She is then faced with the difficult decision of who should receive his life-saving crop formula, placing her in the middle of an international struggle. It’s always fun to see Nigerian filmmakers dipping their toes in niche genres such as alternate-history and sci-fi so this film is sure to appeal to fans of those genres. It is directed by Pever Bem and stars Richard Mofe-Damijo (The Black Book, The Wedding Party), Princess Mufeedah (A Land Apart) and Daniel Etim Effiong (Blood Sisters), alongside a large ensemble cast that includes Sam Dede (Issakaba), Onyeka Onwenu (Lionheart, Half of a Yellow Sun) and Frank Donga (The Wedding Party).
Wicker - October 23
Available: In Theatres
Wicker is a quirky romantic fantasy about an ostracised fisherwoman who, tired of being ridiculed by her small-minded neighbours, decides to commission herself a husband made entirely out of wicker. When the basketmaker creates a husband who turns out to be far more extraordinary than she expected, their unconventional romance sparks jealousy, fascination and chaos throughout the village. Starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki, the film is an unusual take on love, marriage and social expectations.
Phoenix Fury - October 30
Available: In Theatres
After premiering at the Africa International Film Festival in 2024, where it won Best Film and Best Director, Phoenix Fury is finally getting its Nigerian theatrical release this October. Written and directed by Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo, the drama follows two women whose lives are shaped by loss, displacement and the long-lasting consequences of violence. Their stories unfold across Nigeria and Ghana and eventually converge around a shared figure from their past. The film stars Onyinye Odokoro (Baby Farm, Princess on a Hill), Uzoamaka Power (Call of My Life), Ama K. Abebrese (Beasts of No Nation), Tina Mba (Isoken, Okafor’s Law), Richard Mofe-Damijo, Joseph Momodu (Coming to Nigeria, A Fool for Trust) and Ijeoma Grace Agu (Swallow, The Femi-nist). Told across four chapters and several decades, Phoenix Fury explores revenge, grief, identity and the possibility of finding some form of resolution after years of injustice.
TV Shows in October
Kill Jackie - October 2
Available on: Prime Video
Catherine Zeta-Jones returns to television with Kill Jackie, a thriller about a woman whose quiet life is suddenly interrupted when seven elite assassins are hired to kill her. Rather than wait for them to find her, Jackie turns the tables and decides to hunt them down herself. The eight-part series blends action, mystery and revenge, with Zeta-Jones leading a cast that includes Daniel Ings and Sidse Babett Knudsen.
Carrie - October 7
Available on: Prime Video
Stephen King’s bestselling horror story Carrie is getting another screen adaptation, this time as a television series from renowned horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan. The story follows Carrie White, a shy teenager with telekinetic abilities who struggles under the control of her deeply religious and abusive mother, Margaret. Things take a dark turn when a cruel prank is played on Carrie by her schoolmates that causes her to lose what little control she had of her powers. Summer H. Howell takes on the titular role, with Samantha Sloyan playing Margaret White. The cast also includes Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder and several of Flanagan’s longtime collaborators.
Avatar: Seven Havens - October 9
Available on: Paramount+
The Avatar universe is expanding with the highly anticipated sequel, Avatar: Seven Havens, a new animated series set after the events of The Legend of Korra. The story follows Pavi, a young Earthbender who discovers that she is the new Avatar in a world devastated by a mysterious cataclysm. But in this new era, the Avatar is viewed as a threat rather than a saviour, leaving Pavi hunted by both humans and spirits. Pavi must team up with her long-lost twin, Nisha, to uncover the truth about their origins and protect the Seven Havens, the last remaining strongholds of human civilization. The series stars Saheli Khan, Aishu Devan, Akshay Khanna, Major Curda and Sakina Jaffrey.
VisionQuest - October 14
Available on: Disney+
The MCU’s Vision is getting his own series with VisionQuest, which picks up with a rebooted Vision hiding from those who want to weaponise him. While in hiding, Vision turns to the artificial intelligence personas inside his programming, including Ultron, as he tries to understand his identity and purpose. His quiet existence is interrupted when a bounty is placed on his head, forcing him to go on the run with Thomas Shepherd, a mysterious boy who may be connected to Vision in ways he doesn't understand. The series combines superhero, science-fiction and drama elements, and fans are cautiously optimistic that the series will have the same spark that its predecessor, WandaVision, did.
Lupin Part 4 - October 23
Available on: Netflix
Omar Sy returns as everyone’s favourite gentleman thief in Lupin Part 4. Four years after the events of the previous season, Assane Diop is still in prison and has seemingly accepted that his days as Lupin are over. That changes when a mysterious message signed “Lupin” announces a series of simultaneous museum heists. With the evidence pointing towards him, Assane has to escape prison, put the Lupin persona back on and find the person responsible. The new season brings back Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy and Soufiane Guerrab alongside Sy, with all eight episodes arriving on Netflix on October 23.
