Next Attraction: Movies, series showing this October 2023

MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATED: October 17, 5:25 p.m.) Christmas might start in September, but the ghoulish scares of Halloween will give Santa Claus, parols and Jose Mari Chan a run for their money this October.

It will be several days before costume parties and trick-or-treat visits hit the streets, so why not pop over to the nearest cinema or pull up on one's couch to see what frightening fresh feature is creeping up behind you.

Here is a list of movies and series premiering this month in local theaters and several streaming platforms.

Cinemas

"The Creator" (Oct. 4)
Directed by Garth Edwards
Starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, Ralph Ineson and Madeleine Yuna Voyles

Synopsis: A widowed soldier discovers the secret weapon of the machines waging war against mankind, a robot in the form of a young child.

"The Exorcist: Believer" (Oct. 4)
Directed by David Gordon Green
Starring Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, and Ellen Burstyn

Synopsis: A direct sequel to 1973's "The Exorcist," which sees the parents of demonically possessed girls desperately seek the help of Burstyn's Chris MacNeil, mother of Regan.

"Monster"
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, S?ya Kurokawa, and Mitsuki Takahata

Synopsis: A mother discovers a teacher is responsible for her son's strange behavior and demands the whole story, the truth yet to fully emerge.

"PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie" (Oct. 11)
Directed by Cal Brunker
Starring Kristen Bell, James Marsden, Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Lil Rey Howery and Alan Kim

Synopsis: A magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City giving PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups.

"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" (Oct. 13)
Directed by Sam Wrench
Starring Taylor Swift

Synopsis: The filmed version of the ongoing "Eras Tour" of three-time Grammy Album of the Year winner Taylor Swift, celebrating the different albums she has released over the years.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" (Oct. 18)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert de Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser

Synopsis: Osage tribe members are murdered under mysterious circumstances in 1920s USA sparking a major investigation.

"Target" (Oct. 18)
Directed by Park Hee-kun
Starring Shin Hae-Sun, Kang Tae-Oh, and Kim Sung-Kyun

Synopsis: A woman reports a second-hand washing machine she bought online as defective, later learning the real identity of the man who sold it to her.

"Fleabag" (Oct. 31)
Directed by Vicky Jones
Starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Synopsis: National Theater Live's taped 2019 staging of the hit one-woman show that inspired the BBC series of the same name also starring Waller-Bridge, 

Netflix

"Keys to the Heart" (Oct. 4)
Directed by Kerwin Go
Starring Zanjoe Marudo, Dolly de Leon, Elijah Canlas and Michelle Dee

Synopsis: The Filipino adaptation of the 2018 Korean movie of the same name about a washed-up boxer Joma who moves in with his long-lost mother and younger autistic brother, an exceptionally good pianist.

"Beckham" (Oct. 4)
Directed by Fisher Stevens
Starring David Beckham

Synopsis: A four-part documentary series about global football star and cultural icon David Beckham.

"Strong Girl Nam-soon" (Oct. 7)
Directed by Kim Jeong-sik and Lee Kyung-sik
Starring Lee Yoo-mi, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Hae-sook, Ong Seong-wu, and Byeon Woo-seok

Synopsis: The spin-off series of "Strong Girl Bong-soon" where Gang Nam-soon, like her sixth cousin, possesses superhuman strength.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" (Oct. 12)
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Starring Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, and Mark Hamill

Synopsis: The head of a corrupt pharmaceutical company faces his questionable past when his children start dying in mysterious and brutal ways, loosely based on the short story of the same name and other works by Edgar Allan Poe.

"Can't Buy Me Love" (Oct. 13)
Directed by Mae Cruz Alviar
Starring Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, Nova Villa, Agot Isidro, Maris Racal, Kaila Estrada, Ruffa Gutierrez, Albie Casiño, Enzo Pineda, Darren Espanto and Rowell Santiago.

Synopisis: An online seller juggling different jobs crosses paths with the rebellious child of a wealthy Chinese family.

"Ballerina" (Oct. 13)
Directed by Lee Chung-hyun
Starring Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hoon and Park Yu-rim

Synopsis: An ex-bodyguard seeks to avenge their friend who died under unjust circumstances.

"Fair Play" (Oct. 13)
Directed by Chloe Domont
Starring Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan and Sebastian de Souza

Synopsis: A recently-engaged young couple’s relationship is tested after one of them gets promoted at a cutthroat hedge fund.

"The Devil On Trial" (Oct. 17)
Directed by Chris Holt
Starring Foster Hamilton, Adam Hunt and Arne Cheyenne Johnson

Synopsis: A documentary covering the first and only time a "demonic possession" was used as a defense in a US murder trial.

"Doona!" (Oct. 20)
Directed by Lee Jeong-hyo
Starring Bae Suzy, Yang Se-jong, Lee Yu-bi, and Park Se-wan

Synopsis: A college student becomes roommates with the titular retired K-pop idol who has left behind her glamorous days.

"Old Dads" (Oct. 20)
Directed by Bill Burr
Starring Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine

Synopsis: Three best friends who have become fathers find themselves out-of-step with the modern world after selling their business.

"Pain Hustlers" (Oct. 27)
Directed by David Yates 
Starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O'Hara, Andy Garcia, Jay Duplass and Brian d'Arcy James

Synopsis: A high school dropout working at a failing pharmaceutical start-up in a strip mall finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.

"Castaway Diva" (Oct. 28)
Directed by Oh Choong-hwan
Starring Park Eun-bin, Chae Jong-hyeop, Kim Hyo-jin, Cha Hak-yeon, and Kim Jo-hoon

Synopsis: A girl with dreams of becoming a diva gets stranded on an uninhabited island due to an unfortunate accident and returns to the world after 15 years.

Prime Video

"In My Mother's Skin" (Oct. 12)
Directed by Kenneth Lim Dagatan
Starring Felicity Kyle Napuli, Beauty Gonzalez, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Angeli Bayani and James Mavie Estrella

Synopsis: A textile merchant mysteriously leaves his sickly wife Ligaya, 14-year-old Tala and young Bayani to barter for his family's freedom from the Japanese during the tail end of World War II. Tala seeks the help of a fairy who gives the young girl a magical insect to cure the dying Ligaya. The result is instant relief, but consequences of misplaced trust ensue, forcing Tala to make a distressing decision. — with updates by Raphael Bello

RELATED: 'A Very Good Girl' premiering in US cinemas in October