What to Watch in October 2024

Your guide to all the best new films and TV shows to get stuck into in October...

FILM

Joker: Folie à Deux (October 4)

Five years on from Todd Phillips’ nihilistic take on Batman’s nemesis, Joaquin Phoenix reprises the role in this hotly-anticipated sequel as The Joker returns to inflict chaos on Gotham city. Where the first film provided the origin story of Arthur Fleck and his journey to assuming his unhinged alter-ego, this latest instalment sees that journey completed as his criminal trial grips the city – as well as introducing his muse, Harley Quinn, played by none other than Lady Gaga.

Zazie Beatz, Leigh Gill and Sharon Washington also return for the sequel, while other new additions to the cast this time around include Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Steve Coogan. Phillips is once again directing the action in this ‘musical psychological thriller’, which arrives in cinemas on October 4.

A Different Man (October 4)

This unsettling black comedy from director Aaron Schimberg stars Sebastian Stan as Edward, a man living with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes extrema facial disfigurement. When Edward’s condition is miraculously cured by a revolutionary new treatment, he is suddenly given a new lease of life. Rather than embracing his new ‘normality’, however, he instead finds himself becoming obsessed with an actor named Oswald - who also has the condition - and who is set to star in a play based on Edward’s life.

Also starring Adam Pearson, Renate Reinsve and Michael Shannon, A Different Man is certainly a surreal experience, but a thoroughly absorbing one nonetheless. If you’re looking for something truly different to watch at the cinema this month, look no further.

Salem’s Lot (October 11)

 Based on the novel of the same name by horror supremo Stephen King, this new adaptation comes courtesy of director Gary Dauberman – no stranger to horror himself as the man behind several films in the Conjuring series. Starring Lewis Pullma, Makenzie Leigh and Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk, this supernatural thriller follows the tale of a writer who returns to his (fictional) hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, in search of inspiration for his new book. His plans soon change, however, when he discovers that the town is being plagued by the presence of a vampire.

Due to arrive in cinemas on October 11, Salem’s Lot is an ideal choice if you’re looking for something spooky to watch through your fingers this Halloween.

Timestalker (October 11)

Alice Lowe is perhaps best known for her appearances in cult comedy Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and in films such as Ben Wheatley’s gripping horror Sightseers, but anyone who has seen her directorial debut Prevenge, about a pregnant woman whose demonic unborn child convinces her to go on a murderous rampage, will know that Lowe is impressively skilled behind the camera too.

Lowe’s latest film, Timestalker, arrives this month and follows the story of a woman who remembers all of her past lives – all of which feature an unsuccessful romance with what appears to be the same man, who appears repeatedly at different points in history. Determined to get to the bottom of this odd mystery, she sets about investigating why she is doomed to fall in love with the same man over and over, and why that love remains unrequited each time. Also starring Nick Frost, Tanya Reynolds, Kate Dickie and Mike Wozniak, Timestalker might be one of the weirdest films to arrive this October, but it’s also one of the most compelling.

 The Room Next Door (October 25)

Winner of the Golden Lion award at Cannes this year, The Room Next Door is the first English-language film from director Pedro Almodóvar and is based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez. The bulk of the film’s narrative focusses on the fractious relationship between Martha (Tilda Swinton), a retired war correspondent, and her daughter Ingrid (Julianne Moore).

Their relationship reaches new heights of fragility when Martha announces her intention to take her own life with a euthanasia pill and requests that Ingrid be at her side when she does. John Tuturro, Alessandro Nivola and Melina Matthews also star in this moving film, which skilfully avoids becoming crushed under the weight of its dour premise with flourishes of sharp humour and camp melodrama.

TV

Sweetpea (Sky / NOW, October 10)

This riotous new ‘coming-of-rage’ thriller, adapted from the novel of the same name by CJ Skuse, stars Ella Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis, a shy type who is sick to the back teeth of not being noticed. From the boss who ignores her potential to the boyfriend who doesn’t want to marry her, her life is full of people who make her feel invisible. And she’s not going to take it anymore.

Over eight murderous episodes, this girl-next-door turns into a ruthless killer, taking revenge on all those who have wronged her. The question is: how long will she be able to keep her dark secret? Also starring Nicôle Lecky, Jon Pointing, Leah Harvey and Jeremy Swift, this vengeance-fuelled, darkly comic series debuts on Sky Atlantic on October 10. You’d be mad to miss it.

Heartstopper - Season 3 (Netflix, October 3)

Back for its third season, Heartstopper returns to Netflix this month to take us all for another spin on the emotional rollercoaster that is Charlie and Nick’s will-they-won’t-they romance. The new season finds Charlie considering his university options and whether to sacrifice his first choice in order to study somewhere less far away – and, crucially, closer to Nick.  

From mental health issues to body dysmorphia, Heartstopper covers a lot of ground and never pulls its punches, but even by the tear-jerking standards set in its first two seasons, this third instalment will have you reaching for the Kleenex even more frequently.

Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Olivia Colman and the rest of the cast all return for the show’s third outing, which is available on Netflix from October 3.

 Rivals (Disney+, October 18)

Jilly Cooper made a name for herself throughout the 1980s as the author of a series of raunchy, bestselling novels - or “bonkbusters”, as Cooper herself likes to call them. Known collectively as The Rutshire Chronicles, named for the fictional English county in which they take place, these saucy tales explore the strange world of the horse-owning, bed-swapping upper classes – one that the author famously described as being characterised by “high fences and low morals.”

Her 1988 novel Rivals, the second book in the series, has now been adapted as an eight-part TV series by Disney+, who are due to premiere the new show on October 18. Featuring an impressive cast that includes David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Rufus Jones, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer, to name a handful, Rivals is directed by Elliot Hegarty – best known as the man behind the Emmy-winning comedy series Ted Lasso. What can we expect from the new show, according to Cooper? “Lots and lots of sex.”

The Devil’s Hour – Season 2 (Prime Video, October 18)

If you haven’t already seen the first season of this taut thriller, which features a superbly chilling performance from Peter Capaldi, then now would be a great time to familiarise yourself, because a second helping is on the way - and looks every bit as gripping.

Capaldi returns to reprise the role of Gideon Shepherd, a convicted criminal with an unusual gift for ‘remembering’ events before they have happened, while Jessica Raine also returns as the insomniac social worker who found herself unwittingly mixed up in a series of murders last time out. This time the pair form an uneasy alliance in order to hunt down a monstrous criminal who has so far eluded the police.

Created by screenwriter Tom Moran and co-produced by Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock), the second season arrive on Prime Video on October 18.

The Diplomat – Season 2 (Netflix, October 31)

Keri Russell returns to star in a second season of Netflix’s political thriller The Diplomat at the end of this month, and while details on the plot to the upcoming second season remain to be revealed, fans will be keen to resolve the cliffhanger that left them dangling at the end of the first run.

For those who need a recap, the previous season ended with a surprising revelation about the people behind the attack on the British aircraft carrier, not to mention the dramatic final moments in which Sir Merrit Grove appears to fall victim to a car bomb. The teaser trailer below gives little away, but you won’t have to wait too long; The Diplomat is back on October 31^st. You’ll be glued to your seats.