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WITH THE DARKER autumn nights drawing in, you’re no doubt on the look out for a good new series or film to get stuck into.
But what are the best ones to keep an eye out for?
We’ve taken a look at what’s coming up over October and November, to help give you a hand.
It’s going to be a jam-packed few months.
In cinemas now
You might know Harris Dickinson as an actor who’s starred in Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl, but did you know he’s directed several short films too?
Urchin marks his feature debut, and is the story of a young man who gets out of prison and tries to turn his life around. But it’s not easy escaping the issues from his past.
In cinemas 10 October
Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) plays the real-life John Davidson, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome as a teenager, at a time when the condition was barely understood.
The film follows him throughout his life as he deals with stigma and tries to be himself in a world that doesn’t understand him. A really moving but also humorous film about learning to love yourself.
In cinemas 10 October
This Irish documentary, directed by artist Myrid Carten, is an uncompromising and emotional watch. It tells the story of Carten’s relationship with her mother Nuala, who has addiction issues.
A beautifully shot, tender and vulnerable piece of filmmaking, this will resonate with anyone who has experienced familial issues.
In cinemas 10 October
The ‘Ares’ in this latest entry to the Tron universe is a “biblically strong” super-soldier played by Jared Leto, who’s been engineered in an America of the near-future. I mean, what could go wrong? According to the trailer, many, many things. Also stars the great Greta Lee, with a soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails.
In cinemas 24 October
In this 1970s-set caper from Kelly Reichardt, Josh O’Connor plays a father who gets mixed up in an art heist scheme. By day he’s a schlubby suburban dad, by night he’s mixed up in some serious robberies. A lovely cast stars in this too – like Alana Haim and Hope Davis, for starters.
In cinemas 24 October
Jeremy Allen White stars as the great Bruce Springsteen in a feature centred on the conception of his 1982 album Nebraska. It’s based on the 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes, and among the supporting cast are Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffmann, Marc Maron and David Krumholtz.
In cinemas 31 October
Is Yorgos Lanthimos the hardest-working man in film? He’s back with yet another film, which stars regular collaborators Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. This time around, Stone plays a hotshot business woman and Plemons is the conspiracy theorist who kidnaps her.
This is a remake of a 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet! with a gender-swapped lead and an American focus. Expect the usual beguiling and compelling Lanthimos weirdness played out by super talented actors.
On Netflix now
Cillian Murphy is on amazing form here as a head teacher in a school for troubled boys who himself is living on the edge. Directed by Tim Mielants, who Murphy also worked with on Small Things Like These, this is an energetic – to the point of frenetic at times – and claustrophic exploration of the pressures on Murphy’s character, the Steve of the title.
At times extremely moving, incredibly tense and also sad, it’s punctuated with moments of levity thanks to the energetic inhabitants of the residential school.
Netflix, 10 October
Looking for a tense 90-minute thriller? Keira Knightley stars as Laura ‘Lo’ Blackwood, a journalist who takes a trip on a luxury yacht and soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery. Based on the book of the same name by Ruth Ware, this is a wild ride that strays a fair bit from the book but keeps at its core the idea of a woman whose claims aren’t believed by anyone around her.
Cinemas 10 October, Netflix 24 October
This latest from director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Zero Dark Thirty) looks like it harks back to the days of a good old-fashioned 1990s thriller. It’s centred on what happens when a single, unattributed missile is directed right at the United States. Colour us excited for this nail-biter. It stars Idris Elba as the US President, Rebecca Ferguson as an intelligence analyst, and Tracy Letts as military chief Gen Anthony Brady.
Netflix, 29 October
This looks like a treat – director Edward Berger (who won an Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front, though he beat An Cailín Ciúin to do so) is at the helm here, with our own Colin Farrell starring as the wonderfully named ‘Lord Doyle’. Doyle is hiding out in Macau, spending his remaining money gambling and trying to stay out of the way of a private investigator played by Tilda Swinton.
Prime, 29 October
Nia DiCosta (Candyman) writes and directs this retelling of the Henrik Ibsen play Hedda Gabler, but from Hedda’s perspective. Hedda is played by Tessa Thompson, and the setting isn’t late-19th century Norway but 1950s London. At the centre, however, is the story of a woman trapped in a life she doesn’t want.
Netflix, 21 November
Based on the Denis Johnson novella, this film is about the life of an American logger and railroad worker during the early part of the 20th century. It stars Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, with Kerry Condon and William H Macy. Expect stunning scenery and some deep-thinking characters here.
Abbott Elementary – Season 5
Disney+, now
If you haven’t watched Abbott Elementary before, this delightful comedy is always an absolute treat. Each episode is under 30 minutes, so there’s plenty of time for you to catch up with life at this Philadelphia elementary school before moving on to the second half of season five, which has just dropped.
Disney+, 14 October
This Irish-set dark comedy is about an obituary writer who realises she can give herself a hand with her work… by becoming a serial killer. Unusual, sure, but it results in lots of fun for us viewers. As the series returns, Elvira Clancy (played by Siobhán Cullen) finds herself the suspect in a murder that she didn’t actually commit. This season also stars a new character, played by Mairead Tyers (currently on The Walsh Sisters on RTÉ One).
Netflix, 16 October
Is life ever easy for Kate and Hal, the stars of The Diplomat? The answer, as always, is a resounding no. This picks up where Season 2 left off, with the death of President Rayburn (Michael McKean) – who was on the phone to Kate’s (Keri Russell) husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) at the time. So what’s going on, and what does the President’s death mean for the couple? We’ll soon find out.
Netflix, 23 October
The first season of Nobody Wants This was hugely popular – people really fell for the story of an agnostic sex podcaster (played by Kristen Bell) who falls in love with a rabbi (played by Adam Brody). Now they’re back for a second season, in which they realise that meshing their very different lives together is not going to be an easy ride.
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