October Picks: Editors' Picks
See which movies and TV shows our editorial team is excited about this month.
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- CreatorLisa JoyJonathan NolanStarsEvan Rachel WoodJeffrey WrightEd HarrisAt the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.Inspired by the 1973 film, HBO's "Westworld" (created and written by Jonathan Nolan) looks to flip the focus of the original by focusing on the fates and experiences of the robots who inhabit a world where humans are promised "no judgments, no questions" and "complete discretion." This is a theme that has been explored deftly and thoughtfully on-screen in Ex Machina, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, "Humans," and many others, and I can't wait to see what "Westworld" brings to the table. — Vanessa
Premieres Sunday, Oct. 2, on HBO - CreatorLiz FriedlanderLiz FriedmanStarsHayley AtwellEddie CahillShawn AshmoreA brilliant attorney and former First Daughter is blackmailed to heading a unit that investigates cases of wrongful conviction."Law & Order" meets "Making a Murderer" in this new ABC legal drama. If you liked either of these shows, you are sure to like this new series about a young attorney who heads up NYC's new Conviction Integrity Unit. The newly formed unit investigates cases where people may have been wrongly convicted — a topic that is certainly timely. I suspect there will be some "ripped from the headlines" episodes in this first season. — Shara
Premieres Monday, Oct. 3, on ABC - CreatorGreg BerlantiGeoff JohnsAndrew KreisbergStarsGrant GustinCandice PattonDanielle PanabakerAfter being struck by lightning, Barry Allen wakes up from his coma to discover he's been given the power of super speed, becoming the Flash, and fighting crime in Central City.Barry Allen is finally getting everything he always wanted, or is he? One of my favorite things about "The Flash" is seeing the alt-versions of the characters, from the Earth Two versions of the Flash gang, to the subtle shifts that happen when Barry tweaks the timeline. But this season we get to see what happens when Barry completely ignores all of the "You really shouldn't be changing history" warnings and reboots his life and the lives of everyone around him. This won't end badly, will it? #flashpoint — Vanessa
Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 4, on the CW - DirectorTate TaylorStarsEmily BluntHaley BennettRebecca FergusonA divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.I have honestly been counting down the days until The Girl on the Train hits theaters. The story revolves around Rachel, played by Emily Blunt, as she becomes involved in a missing persons investigation. If the film is anything like the novel, you won't blink for 112 minutes. Seriously! — Akimi
In U.S. theaters starting Friday, Oct. 7 - CreatorIssa RaeLarry WilmoreStarsIssa RaeYvonne OrjiJay EllisFollows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.HBO just might have another hit on its hands! Issa Rae ("Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl" web series) and Larry Wilmore ("The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore") co-created the network's newest comedy series, "Insecure." The show looks hilarious, thoughtful, sexy, and super-relatable — and its star is definitely as girl crush-worthy as they come.
Rae sums up the show perfectly on her Twitter account: "I wanted to center a show around, like, weak black women and the uncertainty they feel on that journey to get to greatness. It's like the prequel to #BlackGirlMagic." — Chako
"Insecure" premieres Sunday, Oct. 9, on HBO and HBO NOW - CreatorSharon HorganStarsSarah Jessica ParkerThomas Haden ChurchMolly ShannonA couple goes through a long, drawn-out divorce.I'm a huge "Sex and the City" fan. So, I'm thrilled that Sarah Jessica Parker is returning to HBO in another relationship-oriented comedy. As the title suggests, "Divorce" is about a couple going through a prolonged divorce. The trailer includes plenty of The War of the Roses-style nastiness, but there are also moments that suggest ending their marriage may save their relationship. The series is created by Sharon Horgan, who also co-created the hilarious romantic comedy "Catastrophe." I'm hoping that it will have as much to say about breaking up as "Sex and the City" did about falling in love. — Sara
Premieres Sunday, Oct. 9, on HBO - DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsBen AffleckAnna KendrickJ.K. SimmonsAs a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.One thing to love about The Accountant's promotional campaign: You still can't tell exactly how everything is going to unfurl in what looks to be Ben Affleck's best role of the year (no disrespect to his two appearances as Batman). It's also a rebound opportunity for director Gavin O'Connor, who most recently took on the troubled Jane Got a Gun. — Arno
In U.S. theaters starting Friday, Oct. 14 - DirectorKenny OrtegaStarsIvy LevanVictoria JusticeStaz NairA straitlaced, square couple, seeking shelter from a storm, find themselves in the castle of a transgender alien mad scientist intent on creating a buff bodybuilder.Given all the reboots and live musicals on network TV these days, it should come as no surprise that the powers that be at FOX decided to dish up another serving of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' especially just in time for Halloween. Interestingly enough, a remake had been in the plans at the network since the early 2000s. Diehards of the original should take heart: Director Kenny Ortega has promised to remain faithful to the text and the score, and Tim Curry has joined the cast, though not as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The enticingly engimatic talent portraying the lead character this time around? None other than Laverne Cox, who will have no problem filling some mighty considerable (high-heeled) shoes. — Bret
Premieres Thursday, Oct. 20, on FOX - DirectorMike FlanaganStarsElizabeth ReaserLulu WilsonAnnalise BassoIn 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business by inviting an evil presence into their home, not realizing how dangerous it is.This movie looks like it is going to give me nightmares. I have very vivid and specific memories about playing a Ouija board with my friends during a sleepover and being so scared that my mom had to come get me. It was frightening and embarrassing all at the same time. I would look at my ability to sit through this movie without calling my mom as a solid victory in my adult life. — Lance
In U.S. theaters starting Friday, Oct. 21 - DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.Years ago I fished Medicine for Melancholy out of a pile of indie movie screeners and was pulled into an alternate take on life in San Francisco from writer/director Barry Jenkins. Eight years later, Jenkins has returned with Moonlight, a character piece that has received raves for its nuanced take on the subject of gay masculinity. — Arno
In U.S. theaters starting Friday, Oct. 21 - CreatorCharlie BrookerStarsWunmi MosakuMonica DolanDaniel LapaineFeaturing stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.It has been more than three years since the last series of "Black Mirror," Charlie Brooker’s incredibly original, thought-provoking, and dark look at where technology could take us. So my anticipation is through the roof when you look at the pedigree of talent involved with its six new episodes from directors Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), Joe Wright (Hanna) and James Watkins (The Woman In Black) to actors including Bryce Dallas Howard, "House of Cards" star Michael Kelly, and Kelly Macdonald from "Boardwalk Empire." — Mike
Premieres Friday, Oct. 21, on Netflix - CreatorFrank DarabontStarsAndrew LincolnNorman ReedusMelissa McBrideSheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.You can count me as one of the overly anxious fans who's spent the last few months trying to determine who Negan's victim might be. When the Comic-Con trailer for "The Walking Dead" was released, I got so worked up my coworker said, "Pull it together!" I watched the Season 6 marathon searching for clues despite the fact that showrunner Scott M. Gimple said the show hadn't determined who would be killed at that time (and for the record, I don't believe him). No matter who meets their fate, I'm looking forward to this season, which I hope will take the show to a new level. #IfDarylDiesWeRiot! — Michelle
Premieres Sunday, Oct. 23, on AMC - DirectorScott DerricksonStarsBenedict CumberbatchChiwetel EjioforRachel McAdamsWhile on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.While my U.S. colleagues won’t get to see Marvel’s dimension-bending superhero movie until Nov. 4, here in the U.K. (and across much of Europe) we’ll get to see Benedict Cumberbatch take his first steps as the Sorcerer Supreme from Oct. 25. It is said to be Marvel’s first psychedelic movie, and if that’s anything like the taste we were given near the end of Ant-Man (when Scott Lang went subatomic), it promises to be quite the trip. — Mike
In U.K. theaters beginning Tuesday, Oct. 25 - CreatorDana CalvoStarsGenevieve AngelsonAnna CampErin DarkeA look at the personal and professional lives of employees at an American news magazine in the late 1960s.As a recovering journalist who minored in history, this show really piques my interest. In my opinion, historical figures are too often talked about in a vacuum. In fact, history is a trail blazed by real people with real lives. This show seeks to tell the tale of pioneering women who have inspired generations of female journalists who came after them. Can't wait to see it. Truth be told, I’m into this one for the ‘60s fashion as much as I am for the fierce female characters. — Lance
Premieres Friday, Oct. 28, on Amazon Video - DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksFelicity JonesIrrfan KhanWhen Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks and they race across Europe together against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.Everyone has a guilty pleasure, and one of mine, I admit, is a good old Dan Brown/Robert Langdon caper, where past and present intermingle to provide entertainingly plausible conspiracy theories for what lurks just beneath the day-to-day. Tom Hanks returns as Harvard symbologist Langdon, in this latest edition joined by Felicity Jones, as the pair traverse Italy in an attempt to stop a madman's plot to unleash a devastating virus upon the globe. With Ron Howard at the helm, Florence in the background, and a little Dante to boot, I'm expecting a fast-paced, visually stunning escape. — Bret
In U.S. theaters starting Friday, Oct. 28 - CreatorHenry BromellBlake MastersStarsDavid AjalaLizzie BrocheréWill Yun LeeAn intersection between reality and unconscious thought, follow three strangers who slowly realize that they are dreaming parts of a bigger, more sinister tragedy.The elevator pitch for this series is Inception meets "Lost." Three strangers are haunted by their dreams, which, over the course of the pilot episode, are revealed to be connected. The structurally complex script kept me questioning which scenes were real and which were fantasy. The performances were excellent, with David Ajala a standout as the suave Burton. The first episode poses a lot of questions. I'm going to keep watching because I want to know the answers. — Sara
Premieres Thursday, Oct. 13, on USA. The pilot is streaming now on USA's website.