We certainly won't judge you if you opt to see Annabelle or any of the classic horror movies screening this October -- it is almost Halloween, after all. However, you should know that there are quite a few great movies coming out this month that don't involve ghoulish dolls or guts exploding out of people -- not that there's anything wrong with that. Music lovers, black comedy fans, and the social media obsessed will certainly have something to see this October, though you seriously can just go watch Halloween at FilmBar. It's not a big deal.
See also: Manhattan Short Film Festival Selections to Screen at Phoenix Art Museum
The One I Love Release Date: October 4
Ugh. Rom-coms are the worst, right? Wrong! When Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss and The League's Mark Duplass are the love interests in the film, you're at least not getting a nicely packaged, banal Kate Hudson movie. The promise of a film that melds surrealism into the world of the couple's counseling definitely seems entertaining. You can check it out at FilmBar during a five-day run beginning Saturday, October 4.
Men Women & Children Release Date: October 17
Aside from having a pretty stellar and highly varied cast (everyone from Adam Sandler to Emma Thompson to Judy Greer), this movie is probably just the kind of movie to get us all really thinking about how social media affects us. Haunting, realistic, and even a little disturbing, director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) explores relationships of both teenagers and adults in the world of texting, sexting, online dating, and missed connections.
20,000 Days on Earth Release Date: October 24
Musician Nick Cave is known for being dark, mysterious, and very artistic. This is perhaps most evidently seen in his new film, screening at FilmBar, where truth and fiction collide. The story follows him on a realistic, but fictitious 24 hour span analyzing his performances and creative process. However, directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard also weave in true documentary aspects within the film -- you know, just to make it really confusing. Joined by fellow musician Warren Ellis (no, not the graphic novelist), Kylie Minogue, and more, the unique peak into Cave's life is as true as you want it to be.
Birdman Release Date: October 24
What happens when action movie superheroes get used up and worn out? Well, writer, producer, and director Alejandro González Iñárritu's film looks at just that. With Michael Keaton (who was Batman for a time) as the lead and a supporting cast of Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Naomi Watts, it's pretty much assured that this black comedy will be a winner. Just don't expect a movie that deals with the fear of aging into irrelevancy and fading away to be your standard funny movie.
Whiplash Release Date: October 24
How far would you go to follow a dream? Would you break up with your significant other? Would you give up pretty much everything else and make your passion your entire life? That's what Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) does in Whiplash as a jazz drummer at a top music school. Watch him push it to the limit, get yelled at a bunch, and lay down some pretty solid beats until you and he can't take it anymore.
