Weird how a thing that takes place on the very last day of a month can come to define the entire month, but here we are. October is comprised of 31 magical days in which your chances of hearing the word “spooktacular” increases by about a thousandfold.
This candy-clotted swath of autumn is nothing to be afraid of, however, since it provides not just an excuse to watch classic horror movies but also an entire crop of entertainment options worth screaming about. Fall TV season is in full swing, bringing highly anticipated new shows like HBO’s Watchmen and Paul Rudd’s Black Mirror-ish Living With Yourself on Netflix. There are new albums from folks like Danny Brown and Big Thief, and don’t even get me started on this month’s movies. Read on for Fast Company‘s ghoulish guide to the most promising movies, shows, albums, and other fun stuff coming your way this October. (Actual ghoulishness may vary.)
MOVIES
- Gemini Man, October 4
- Joker, October 4
- Lucy in the Sky, October 4
- Cuck, October 4
- The Current War, October 4
- Dolemite Is My Name, October 4
- Low Tide, October 4
- Pain and Glory, October 4
- Semper Fi, October 4
- Metallica & San Francisco Symphony S&M2, October 9
- The Addams Family, October 11
- Are You Afraid of the Dark?, October 11
- Jexi, October 11
- The Dead Center, October 11
- Fantastic Fungi, October 11
- Mary, October 11
- Mister America, October 11
- Parasite, October 11
- Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, October 15
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, October 18
- Zombieland: Double Tap, October 18
- Greener Grass, October 18
- Jojo Rabbit, October 18
- The Lighthouse, October 18
- Miss Virginia, October 18
- Bad Trip, October 25
- Black and Blue, October 25
- Frankie, October 25
- The Kill Team, October 25
MOVIES TO WATCH AT HOME
- Nikki Glaser: Bangin’, October 1 on Netflix
- Living Undocumented, October 2 on Netflix
- In the Tall Grass, October 4 on Netflix
- Rotten, October 4 on Netflix
- Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh, October 5 on HBO
- Deon Cole: Cole Hearted, October 8 on Netflix
- El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, October 11 on Netflix
- Fractured, October 11 on Netflix
- Little Monsters, October 11 on Hulu
- The King, October 11 on Netflix
- Ghosts of Sugar Land, October 16 on Netflix
- Eli, October 18 on Netflix
- The Laundromat, October 18 on Netflix
- Tell Me Who I Am, October 18 on Netflix
- Wounds, October 18 on Hulu
- Jenny Slate: Stage Fright, October 22 on Netflix
- Arsenio Hall: Smart & Classy, October 29 on Netflix
MUSIC
- Alexa Rose – Medicine For Living, October 4
- Angel Olsen – All Mirrors, October 4
- Boris – LφVE & EVφL, October 4
- Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿, October 4
- DIIV – Deceiver, October 4
- Mika – My Name Is Michael Holbrook, October 4
- Wilco – Ode To Joy, October 4
- 808 State – Transmission Suite, October 11
- Babymetal – Metal Galaxy, October 11
- Big Thief – Two Hands, October 11
- Blood Orange – Fields, October 11
- Devon Welsh – True Love, October 11
- Elbow – Giants Of All Sizes, October 11
- Kim Gordon – No Home Record, October 11
- Lacuna Coil – Black Anima, October 11
- Lightning Bolt – Sonic Citadel, October 11
- Lindstrøm – On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever, October 11
- Mark Kozelek with Petra Haden – Joey Always Smiled, October 11
- Battles – Juice B Crypts, October 18
- Clipping – There Existed An Addiction To Blood, October 18
- Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2, October 18
- Jim James – The Order Of Nature, October 18
- Mark Lanegan Band – Somebody’s Knocking, October 18
- Rob Halford – Celestial, October 18
- Third Eye Blind – Screamer, October 18
- White Reaper – You Deserve Love, October 18
- Grace Potter – Daylight, October 18
- Longwave – If We Ever Live Forever, October 18
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Colorado, October 18
- Sunn O))) – Pyroclasts, October 18
- The Muffs – No Holiday, October 18
- Mikal Cronin – Seeker, October 25
- Norma Jean – All Hail, October 25
- Swans – Leaving Meaning, October 25
- Underworld – Drift Songs, October 25
TV
- Chopped: Sweets Showdown, October 1 on Food Network
- Almost Family, October 2 on Fox
- Big Mouth, October 4 on Netflix
- In The Tall Grass, October 4 on Netflix
- Into the Dark: Uncanny Annie, October 4 on Hulu
- Peaky Blinders, October 4 on Netflix
- Raising Dion, October 4 on Netflix
- WWE SmackDown, October 4 on Fox
- Back to Life, October 6 on Showtime
- Batwoman, October 6 on CW
- Mr. Robot, October 6 on USA
- The Walking Dead, October 6 on AMC
- Primal, October 7 on Adult Swim
- Nancy Drew, October 9 on CW
- Rhythm + Flow, October 9 on Netflix
- Haunted, October 11 on Netflix
- The College Admissions Scandal, October 12 on Lifetime
- Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America, October 13 on AMC
- Why We Hate, October 13 on Discovery
- Letterkenny, October 14 on Hulu
- The Purge, October 15 on USA
- Treadstone, October 15 on USA
- Limetown, October 16 on Facebook Watch
- Baby, October 18 on Netflix
- Living With Yourself, October 18 on Netflix
- Looking for Alaska, October 18 on Hulu
- Modern Love, October 18 on Prime Video
- Watchmen, October 20 on HBO
- Catherine the Great, October 21 on HBO
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, October 23 on Netflix
- Castle Rock, October 23 on Hulu
- The Cry, October 23 on Sundance
- Daybreak, October 24 on Netflix
- BoJack Horseman, October 25 on Netflix
- Brotherhood, October 25 on Netflix
- The Kominsky Method, October 25 on Netflix
- Mrs. Fletcher, October 27 on HBO
- Silicon Valley, October 27 on HBO
- Baroness von Sketch Show, October 30 on IFC
BOOKS
- Highway 61 by Jessica Lange, October 1
- Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth by Rachel Maddow, October 1
- ‘Til Wrong Feels Right: Lyrics and More by Iggy Pop, October 1
- The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson, October 3
- Grand Union, by Zadie Smith, October 3
- Conversations on Conflict Photography by Lauren Walsh, October 3
- Midlife by Elinor Carucci, October 8
- Beyrouth | Beirut by Fadia Ahmad, October 14
- Agent Running in the Field by John le Carre, October 15
- Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow, October 15
- First Fifty by Lee Friedlander, October 15
- Me by Elton John, October 15
- Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout, October 15
- Documentary Photography Reconsidered: History, Theory and Practice by Michelle Bogre, October 17
- Lost and Found by Bruce Gilden, October 22
- God Save the Queens by Kathy Iandoli, October 22
- Paolo Pellegrin by Paolo Pellegrin, October 22
- Find Me by André Aciman, October 29
- The Beautiful Ones by Prince, October 29
- Sequence as a Dialogue by Katja Stuke and Oliver Sieber, October 31
[Photo Illustration: Samir Abady; Goliath: Greg Lewis/Amazon Prime Video; Maleficent: Mistress of Evil: courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures; Zombieland: Double Tap: Jessica Miglio/Sony Pictures; The Addams Family: courtesy of MGM; Parasite: courtesy of NEON CJ Entertainment; Joker: Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Entertainment; Dolemite Is My Name: François Duhamel/Netflix; Lucy in the Sky: Hilary B. Gayle/Fox Searchlight; The Lighthouse: Eric Chakeen/A24; The Laundromat: Claudette Barius/Netflix; Jojo Rabbit: Kimberley French/Fox Searchlight; Watchmen: Mark Hill/HBO]