These October releases are here to haunt your screen (in the best way)

It’s officially spooky season, and this month’s line-up is straight out of a fever dream—vampires, witches, haunted love stories, and just the right dose of chaos. If your idea of a good time involves a little terror, a lot of drama, and some supernatural mischief, October’s releases won’t disappoint. From vengeful spirits and cursed romances to interdimensional showdowns, October and November are brewing up a cinematic cauldron of creepy, captivating, and can’t-miss stories.

Take a look! 

Thamma
October 21, In theatres

From the Streeverse, at this point a sprawling Maddock supernatural-horror franchise, comes another horror-comedy. Rashmika Mandanna, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui get together to brace the entry of vampires into the universe (which already has ghosts, werewolves, vengeful spirits and the likes).

Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1
November 26, Netflix

The final season of Netflix’s blockbuster series will unfold in three parts. The initial premise promises to pick up a year after the events of season four, when the rift opens. The group of friends decide to find Vecna and kill him before the situation escalates.Things get complicated, though, when the American military enters Hawkins to find Eleven—who is the key to everyone’s survival.

Nobody Wants This Season 2
October 23, Netflix

An agnostic sex podcaster and a Rabbi falling in love might seem like a punchline, but what it is is an endearing premise of one of the most romantic shows that has come out in recent years. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody headline this series, which will pick up after the two decide to persevere through their religious differences and family incompatibility.

Frankenstein
November 7, Netflix

Guillermo Del Toro’s highly anticipated adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic work will have Oscar Isaac play Viktor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi the sentient creation by the scientist who ultimately wreaks havoc once his creator turns on him. There is a special interest in seeing how Del Toro will approach the original material, given how vastly successful past ventures like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water were, and portrayed otherworldly creatures in distinctive and disarming ways.

Wicked: For Good
November 21, In theatres

The sequel to the Cynthia Erivo and Ariane Grande starrer will find the two characters in a pickle as they wonder how to get back at the fascist Wizard, just as the world has deemed Elphaba (Erivo) as the “Wicked Witch of the West”. Though Glinda (Grande) and Elphaba find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict at the end of the first part, the two might need to reunite sooner than they think.

Kantara: Chapter 1
October 2, In theatres

Rishab Shetty’s Kantara had a glorious run at the box office, and made everyone sit up and take notice about the potential of folding regional Indian folklore into mainstream storytelling. The subsequent story, a prequel to the first part, is set in pre-colonial Karnataka, during the Kadamba dynasty era, and delves into how the ritual of Bhuta Kola takes root in the culture.

After the Hunt
October 10, In theatres

Luca Guadagnino’s latest is a messy MeToo drama featuring Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts as professors, and Ayo Edebiri as a student who accuses Garfield’s character of sexual misconduct. The drama will get into the seedier aspects of professor-student dynamics in academia. (Also, a big departure for Garfield whose previous characters have had major golden retriever energy).

Bugonia
October 31, In theatres

After what has been a dream run with Oscar-winning The Favourite and Poor Things—Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone collaborate for the fifth time. Also starring Jesse Plemons and Alicia Silverstone, the story is about two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a Time Magazine-cover-story-featured CEO (played by Stone) because they believe she is an alien who wants to destroy the earth.

All images: IMDb

This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan India's September-October 2025 print edition.

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