Movies in October: The best films coming to UK cinemas, Netflix and more

Film finally feels like it is finding its feet again in 2020.

Tenet has been helping the world fall in love with the cinema all over again, and the box office takings are positive news for the industry. More people are getting out to enjoy movies in socially distanced screenings, and there are plenty more films to check out this month.

There are still exciting new films to catch online over the coming weeks – make sure to check out our guides to the 50 best films on Netflix and our selection of the top films on Amazon Prime Video.

Below are our picks of the best films arriving in cinemas and online in October.

Eternal Beauty

This moving new project from director Craig Roberts takes a look at paranoid schizophrenia and its effect on romantic life. Sally Hawkins giving a powerful performance at a woman with mental health issues. David Thewlis, Alice Lowe, Billie Piper and Penelope Wilton make up the supporting cast. Read the Standards new interview with Roberts here.

In cinemas from October 2

On the Rocks

Bill Murray and Rashida Jones star as a father and daughter in this new comedy drama from Sophie Coppola, which sees them tail the husband of Jones’s character following suspicious activity. Murray looks on twinkly-eyed form, and On the Rocks looks like another charming effort from Sophie Coppola in the vein of Lost in Translation.

In cinemas from October 2 and Apple TV+ from October 23

Saint Maud

The debut from Britain’s Rose Glass follows a hospice nurse who converts to Catholicism and comes to believe she is possessed after developing a strange infatuation. The horror is being hailed as one of the best British debuts in decades after a strong reception on the festival circuit.

In cinemas from October 9

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Master of political drama Aaron Sorkin brings us into the courtroom of the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged with conspiracy following protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. With the US election just a few weeks away, this could be one of the most timely and culturally relevant films of the year.

On Netflix from October 16

The Secret Garden

The classic children’s story is being adapted for the screen once again this month. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the heartwarming tale of a young girl discovering a magical, hidden garden has remained a favourite for more than 100 years and this looks set to be no different.

In cinemas from October 23

Shirley

One of the most influential horror writers of all time gets a new biographical drama from Madeline's Madeline filmmaker Josephine Decker. Elisabeth Moss stars as the The Haunting of Hill House author Shirley Jackson in this inventive and horror-inflected look at the events in her life that influenced her greatest works.

In cinemas from October 30