Now entering the last quarter of the year, 2019 has already seen some of its biggest releases, but thankfully, there are still many more to come, and October has a bunch of exciting movies to check out. Although this month is usually reserved for horror movies, this year it’s packed with films for all tastes, from comic book villains, to animated adaptations, to some highly anticipated “reboots” and the continuation of a very successful TV series.

One of the biggest horror movies of the year was released last month (IT: Chapter Two), but that doesn’t mean the spookiest month of all was left without its dose of horror – it just changed the tone a little bit. October is bringing horror in the shape of comedy-horror with two zombie movies that aim more to make the audience laugh than to make them jump from their seats. There’s also kid-friendly horror with the 3D computer-animated version of a beloved TV series that follows a not-so-normal family.

Whether you want to check out the latest cinematic version of a Batman villain, a zombie comedy, or want to know what Jesse Pinkman has been up to since Breaking Bad, this month’s releases have you covered. Here are the biggest movies coming out in October.

Joker - October 4

Todd Phillips’ psychological thriller Joker finally arrives this month. This movie is not part of the DCEU but it’s intended to launch DC Black, a series of DC standalone movies. Although Joker acts as an origin story to the famous Batman villain, and it took inspiration from Alan Moore’s graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, the movie is mostly an original story, bringing a different perspective to the Clown Prince of Crime.

Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who turns to a life of crime in Gotham City after being constantly rejected by society. Also starring are Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin, a talk show host who is key in Arthur’s downfall; Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Arthur’s love interest; and Brett Cullen and Dante Pereira-Olson as Thomas and Bruce Wayne, respectively. Weeks before its release, Joker was in the middle of controversy due to its levels of violence, prompting some theaters to take special measures to ensure the safety of all attendees, while others didn’t show any concern at all. In the end, viewers will decide if it deserved all the controversy or not.

Lucy in the Sky - October 4

September had Ad Astra – October has Lucy in the Sky. Directed and co-written by Noah Hawley (creator of the TV series Fargo and Legion), Lucy in the Sky stars Natalie Portman as Lucy Cola, an astronaut who comes back to Earth after a lengthy space mission. During her time in space, she begins an affair with fellow astronaut Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm), but due to her experience out there, once she gets back she “heads into a downward spiral as she loses connection to her family” and Goodwin begins another affair with a trainee.

Also starring are Zazie Beetz, Dan Stevens, Ellen Burstyn, and Nick Offerman. Lucy in the Sky is loosely based on astronaut Lisa Nowak’s relationship with another astronaut and the criminal activities that followed, which raised questions about NASA’s selections for their missions. The story brings another look at how these long space travels can affect those involved in much deeper ways than it seems.

Gemini Man - October 11

When Ang Lee and Will Smith collide, the result is an action thriller with two Will Smiths. Based on a concept by Darren Lemke, Gemini Man escaped development hell after being trapped there for almost 20 years and with several directors attached to the project, including Tony Scott and Curtis Hanson. Same happened with its lead actor, with Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all considered for it, but in the end, Gemini Man found its way out thanks to director Ang Lee and with Will Smith as the lead character.

Gemini Man follows Henry Brogan (Smith), an aging hitman who is targeted by a younger clone of himself, named Junior. Henry must uncover the truth behind Junior’s creation and save him from having the same fate as he. Smith is joined by Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Danny Zakarweski, a hitwoman and ally of Henry; Clive Owen as Clayton Varris, director of the GEMINI program; and Benedict Wong as Baron, a colleague of Henry and Danny.

The Addams Family - October 11

The Addams Family, one of the most unique families in pop culture history is now coming to the big screen in computer-animated format. Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, The Addams Family follows Gomez, Morticia, and the rest of the family as they move to New Jersey and are forced to adapt to the 21st century, all while dealing with arrogant TV host Margaux Needler and preparing for the arrival of their extended family for a big celebration.

The Addams Family has an interesting voice cast that could have easily portrayed the characters in a new live-action version – but an animated movie is all there is for now. The cast includes Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Bette Midler as Grandmama, Allison Janney as Margaux Needler, and Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt. Yes, that Snoop Dogg.

Little Monsters - October 11

Little Monsters is a zombie comedy movie directed by Abe Forsythe and starring Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Gad, Alexander England, and Kat Stewart. The story follows Dave (England), who after a rough breakup and with no direction in his life decides to chaperone a kindergarten excursion alongside Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o), who he tries to impress. However, Dave will come across with two big obstacles: Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad), an obnoxious children’s TV personality, and a zombie invasion. Not exactly your typical excursion, but lucky for them, kindergartners are quite resourceful.

Little Monsters will have a limited release in the U.S. on October 8 and will be available for streaming on Hulu on October 11.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie - October 11

Six years have passed since Breaking Bad came to an end, and rumors about a movie have been floating around ever since. Fans of the series were relieved when the movie was officially announced in February 2019 and the first El Camino teaser trailer was released by Netflix in August. El Camino reunites Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and Aaron Paul to follow up the story of Paul’s character, Jesse Pinkman.

El Camino is set after the series’ finale, “Felina”, in which Jesse Pinkman escaped from his captors and pursued freedom while being hunted by law enforcement officers. Starring alongside Aaron Paul are Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Jonathan Banks, and Larry Hankin. El Camino will be released on Netflix, get a limited theatrical release, and will be broadcasted on AMC at a later date, so there’s no way Breaking Bad fans can miss it.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot - October 15

It’s been a while since Jay and Silent Bob were last seen together on the big screen – 18 years, to be precise, and it’s about time they go on another adventure. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot has Kevin Smith back as director and writer, and follows the titular characters (played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) as they travel across the country to prevent the movie reboot of Bluntman and Chronic.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot also has Harley Quinn Smith as Millennium “Milly” Faulken, Jay’s estranged daughter and member of a girl gang; Aparna Brielle as Jihad, another member of the girl gang; Justin Long as Jay and Silent Bob’s lawyer; Shannon Elizabeth as Justice, Joe Manganiello as Bailiff, and many, many more actors.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - October 18

Disney’s live-action trend continues with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Directed by Joachim Rønning, this movie brings back Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, the (dark) powerful fairy from the Moors. Set five years after the first movie, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil catches up with Maleficent, who had been living a peaceful life as the protector of the Moors until Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) got engaged. Little do they know, Phillip’s mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) is planning on using the wedding to divide humans and fairies forever.

Also starring are Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall, Sam Riley as Diaval, Ed Skrein as Borra, Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass, Juno Temple as Thistlewit, Lesley Manville as Flittle, and Robert Lindsay as King John.

Jojo Rabbit - October 18

Taika Waititi is bringing black comedy set during World War II with Jojo Rabbit. Based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, the story follows a lonely German boy named Jojo “Rabbit” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), who attends a Hitler Youth Camp and finds out his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. After such a discovery, Jojo must confront his ideology, and the only help he has is that of his imaginary friend: an idiotic version of Adolf Hitler (Waititi).

Unsurprisingly, Jojo Rabbit has already drawn a lot of attention and a dose of criticism, although the performances of Waititi, Davis, McKenzie, and Johansson have been praised. It might not be for everyone, but it will surely be worth watching, as it promises a lot of humor and emotion.

Zombieland: Double Tap - October 18

Ten years after Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland taught viewers some basic rules of survival for the apocalypse (and the importance of Twinkies), a sequel is finally arriving this month. Titled Zombieland: Double Tap, the movie is once again directed by Fleischer and reunites Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. A lot has changed in 10 years, and believe it or not, zombies have evolved, making it harder to kill them – and Little Rock ran away. Just to add more trouble to the mix.

Zombieland: Double Tap promises the same type of humor that made the first movie a hit, as well as more action (again, those zombies are hard to kill) and more survivors that might not be that useful to the gang. Also part of the cast are Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, Avan Jogia, and Bill Murray (because he somehow survived) and Dan Aykroyd as fictionalized versions of themselves.

Next: 2019 Fall Movie Preview: The 25 Films to See

  • Joker Release Date: 2019-10-04 Lucy in the Sky Release Date: 2019-10-04 Gemini Man Release Date: 2019-10-11 Addams Family Release Date: 2019-10-11 The Addams Family Release Date: 2019-10-11 Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Release Date: 2019-10-15 Maleficent 2 Release Date: 2019-10-18 Jojo Rabbit Release Date: 2019-10-18 Zombieland 2 Release Date: 2019-10-18