Halloween falls on a Friday this year, so the major studios have decided to take a pass on the weekend. There are still plenty of new indie releases to check out, plus the expansion of Bugonia from Focus Features. Additionally, Back to the Future (1985) and Sinners (2025) are both getting re-release screenings.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” – Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: October 24th, October 17th, and October 10th.
Stars: Zoey Deutch, Guillaume Marbeck, Aubry Dullin, Adrien Rouyard
Writer: Holly Gent, Laetitia Masson, Vincent Palmo Jr., Michèle Pétin
Director: Richard Linklater
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: After writing for Cahiers du cinéma, young Godard decides making films is the best film criticism. He gets Beauregard to fund a low-budget feature, creating a treatment with Truffaut about a gangster couple.
What you should know: Premiered at Cannes 2025.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia
Writer: Vijayendra Prasad, S.S. Rajamouli
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Genre: Action, Drama
Plot: A legendary warrior emerges from humble beginnings to challenge powerful forces threatening his homeland, as ancient prophecies and family bonds shape his journey.
What you should know: This is recut from the individual Baahubali films, from 2015 and 2017, into one supercut.
Where to watch: In theaters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Stars: Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grobois, Yumi Fujimori, Cathy Cerda
Writer: Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang, Aude Pyle, Maïlys Vallade
Director: Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang, Maïlys Vallade
Genre: Animation, Family
Plot: Amélie, a Belgian child in Japan, explores life with her companion Nishio-san. Her third birthday becomes a turning point, marking the beginning of life-altering events that shape her understanding of the world.
What you should know: It’s in French and Japanese.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor
Writer: Lori Rosene-Gambino, Jan Komasa
Director: Jan Komasa
Genre: Thriller
Plot: A provocative thriller about a very close-knit family that is torn apart as a new movement “The Change” envelops the country.
What you should know: This is the third collaboration between Dylan O’Brien and Zoey Deutch after The Outfit (2022) and Not Okay (2022).
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Shabana Azeez, Bernie Van Tiel, Aunty Donna, Kween Kong
Writer/Director: Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Plot: A space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens.
What you should know: Won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at Berlinale 2025.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell, Tadhg Murphy
Writer: William Gillies
Director: Babak Anvari
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot: Two parents enter a race against time when they receive a distressing late-night phone call from their daughter after she caused a tragic car accident.
What you should know: Filmed in the Czech Republic and Ireland.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Adonis Tanta, Oana Maria Zaharia, Alexandra Harapu, Alexandru Dabija
Writer/Director: Radu Jude
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Musical
Plot: In modern-day Transylvania, vampire hunts and labor strikes collide with sci-fi twists, romance, and AI-crafted tales, as multiple storylines blend folklore, classic horror, and contemporary elements into a fresh take on Dracula’s legend.
What you should know: Extensive use of AI has made for a polarizing reception for this film.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Alexandra Shipp, Kate Burton
Writer/Director: John-Michael Powell
Genre: Thriller
Plot: Follows Lucas Frost, an honest man brought up in a crime family whose only legacy is violence. As Lucas tries to make a peaceful life of his own with his fiancée, Emma, he is suddenly pulled back into the family business when his cousin, Eli, perpetrates an armed robbery with brutal consequences.
What you should know:
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Joel Fry, Alison Steadman, Rob Brydon
Writer: Guy Bass, Steve Hudson
Director: Steve Hudson
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Horror
Plot: Follows Stitch Head, a small creature awoken by a Mad Professor in a castle to protect the professor’s other creations from the townspeople of Grubbers Nubbin.
What you should know:
Where to watch: In theaters
Director: Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos, Jon Shenk
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Explores the dramatic origin story of the climate crisis and how a political battle in the George H.W. Bush administration changed the course of history.
What you should know: One of the scariest trailers in this Halloween roundup.
Where to watch: Netflix
Expanding
More New Releases
Sinners (Trailer) Re-release
Back to the Future (Trailer) Re-release
K-Pop Demon Hunters (Trailer) Singalong re-release
Safe House (Trailer)
New to Streaming
Hedda (Trailer) on Amazon Prime
Ballad of a Small Player (Trailer) on Netflix
Sorry, Baby (Trailer) on HBO Max
The Woman in the Yard (Trailer) on Amazon Prime
Jurassic World Rebirth (Trailer) on Peacock
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?