With last week’s autumnal equinox officially ending summer, studios large and small are now ready to focus all of their attention on their prospective awards bait. These movies are generally longer, more serious, and oftentimes, depressing.
However not every one is a downer. The majority of the titles below contain mirth, adventure, inspiration, romance. One is a profile of one of America’s greatest gifts to intellectual humor: Norm MacDonald.
As always, all opening dates are subject to change without notice.
Oct. 2
‘Digger’
Tom Cruise is in full Oscar-seeking mode in this dark comedy from four-time Academy Award-winning director Alejandro Inarritu. Cruise plays the title character, an oil magnate who sets out to preemptively repair his public image before something he’s responsible for goes sideways. (Warner Bros.)
‘Verity’
Appearing in her fifth (!) 2026 movie, Anne Hathaway plays the title character, the successful author of what some would refer to as trashy novels. When stricken by an unforeseen illness, Verity attempts to finish her latest project with the assistance of a ghostwriter played by Dakota Johnson. (Amazon/MGM)
Oct. 9
‘The Social Reckoning’
While “Social Network” director David Fincher isn’t returning, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is and he’s also directing. Replacing Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is Jeremy Strong, currently the industry’s go-to bad guy.
In her first major role since she won the Oscar for “Anora,” Mikey Madison plays Frances Haugen, the Facebook employee who blew the whistle on the social media’s manipulation of algorithms. (Columbia)
‘Animals’
Shades of “Ransom” abound in this political thriller co-written, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck. In the movie, Affleck plays Mark Kimball, a candidate running for mayor of Los Angeles. Near the end of the campaign, his child is kidnapped. He and his wife (Kerry Washington) must make some tough moral and ethical choices in order to get him back. (Netflix)
Oct. 14
‘Love of Your Life’
Margaret Qualley, currently the highest-in-demand industry actress, plays a woman with a trio of male suitors she falls for but ultimately pushes away. The trailer and online chatter offer little more than that vague description, but I’ve loved Qualley in everything she’s done. There’s a chance not everyone feels the same. (Amazon Prime)
Oct. 16
‘Tenzing’
“Tenzing” is the debut live-action feature from Australian documentarian Jennifer Peedom. It tells the story of the landmark climb of Mt. Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston). Led by Col. John Hunt (Willem Dafoe), the climb was navigated by sherpa Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok). (Apple)
‘Norm: The Tale of Norm MacDonald’
Forever appreciated and more than envied by most of his contemporaries, late comedian Norm MacDonald has only recently been embraced by the public at large. He was an iconoclast thinker in a sea of people pretending to be so. If the documentary is a half as good as the trailer, this will be a certain must-see. (Netflix)
‘You Can See Everything’
This could be a big winner or a complete bust. This documentary follows Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the health technology company Theranos. Eventually convicted of fraud, she is now serving time in a federal prison. The big twist? The movie takes place after her conviction but before she heads for the slammer. (A24)
‘Sense and Sensibility’
At first blush, this ninth and most recent screen adaptation of the classic 1811 Jane Austen novel is like every other garden-variety 1990s British period piece. The four female leads are played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, and Stacy Martin. (Focus)
‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York City’
This art house crime thriller is already gaining considerable awards season buzz; it’s the second directorial effort from frequent Rian Johnson acting collaborator Noah Segan. John Turturro is the lead, an old school title character who pilfers something from a high-ranking mobster. (Sony Classics)
Oct. 30
‘The Mosquito Bowl’
Based on the book of the same name by Buzz Bissinger, this fact-based drama covers one of the more obscure and uplifting World War II stories. Directed by Peter Berg, it discusses the background of the Mosquito Bowl. This football game included Marines as players during an exhibition match conducted in Guadalcanal in December 1944. (Netflix)
What to Look Forward to
The early buzz from festivals is mixed, but watching Tom Cruise step far out of his usual comfort zone is intriguing. The highly-anticipated, long in the making follow-up to “The Social Network” will finally call out the major social media companies for purposefully making their products addictive, particularly to minors.
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