5 Best Movies to See in October

With a spooky holiday at the end of the month, we had to throw in a new slasher flick and a classic horror movie on this list of the best films to see this October. The rest of your movie nights can be spent checking out a space adventure, a Cold War drama and powerful indie flick. See one or see them all, just don't forget the popcorn. 

The Martian 
Opens Friday, October 2
If you, like so many other people, dreamed of being an astronaut when you were a kid, don't pretend for a moment that the thought of being abandoned in space wasn't at least a partial deterrent. Now, you can see what happens when that scenario plays out for Matt Damon, who is left behind on a mission and must rely on his own ingenuity (and the compassion of others) to get home. If this seems a bit reminiscent of last year's Interstellar, you're not alone in that thought, but if enjoyed that one, odds are good you'll love this, too.

The Final Girls
Opens Friday, October 9 at Harkins Shea 14 exclusively
A horror slash comedy (see what we did there?) just in time for the scariest night of the year? Yes, please! When Max (Taissa Farmiga) and her friends reluctantly attend an anniversary screening of Camp Bloodbath, the infamous ‘80s horror film that starred Max’s late mother (Malin Akerman), they are mysteriously sucked into the silver screen. In order to survive, they must team up with the characters in the movie and figure out a way to beat the bad guy and get back to reality. For anyone who thinks regular horror movies are too intense, this might just be the perfect gateway to the genre. 

Bridge of Spies
Opens October 16
For the second month in a row, a tense Cold War drama hits theaters, but instead of Chess, we get an all-out spy thriller with Tom Hanks in the lead role. When an American pilot is detained by the Soviet Union, the man recruited to help broker the deal to get him back feels he is ill-equipped for the job, especially when he realizes his own life may very well be in jeopardy, too. With Steven Spielberg at the helm and Hanks leading the way on screen, it's a match made in cinematic Heaven. 

Room
Opens October 23
There are movies you see that can be forgotten about, and then there are movies that grab you and stick with you. This will be one of the latter. Brie Larson plays a young mom being held captive in a shed, raising the 5-year-old son she and her captor conceived after she was kidnapped at 17. It's an intense subject matter, but the story is handled with such tenderness and love that it's hard not to see the beauty in the details. Young Jacob Tremblay is an absolute scene-stealer and the movie is really his story, which is a lot to hang on the shoulders of a kindergartner, but he certainly proves more than up to the task. 

Halloween 
Screening on October 27 at select Harkins Theaters
This one is pretty much a no-brainer (especially for victims who lose their heads). A few days before everyone's favorite spooky night, see one of the best horror films ever made for a good scare as part of Harkins Tuesday Night Classics. After a young boy kills his sister on Halloween, he's sent to a mental hospital. When he returns 15 years later, well, let's just say Jamie Lee Curtis earned her reputation for scream queen for good reason for this performance.