October 2021: 4 New Movies Streaming This Month You Won’t Want to Miss
With the month of October comes another slew of new releases that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. And for those experiencing analysis paralysis when it comes to the overwhelming amount of content available across a plethora of streaming services, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for four of our top picks from the new releases, along with the performances to watch in each movie.
Muppets Haunted Mansion
We’re kicking off this list with one that the whole family can enjoy because the month that houses Halloween does not tend to favor kid-friendly releases. The upcoming Disney+ original is one that adults can truly enjoy if they’re fans of the Muppet canon, the titular theme park ride, or movies that have incredibly stacked casts. The amount of name actors you’ll find in Muppets Haunted Mansion is truly impressive. Keep an eye/ear out for A-listers like Will Arnett, Danny Trejo, Chrissy Metz, Taraji P. Henson, Yvette Nicole Brown, Darren Criss, Sasheer Zamata, John Stamos, Craig Robinson, and the late Ed Asner. You can catch all those performances and more when the Disney+ special releases on the streamer come October 8, ahead of Justin Simien’s upcoming live-action film that’s also based on the theme park attraction.
Angeliena
Those looking for a break from the spookiness of the Halloween season can enjoy this feel-good dramedy from South African filmmaker Uga Carlini. The film’s official synopsis from Mad Distribution tells us that Angeliena is set in its auteur’s home country and centers on a local hospital’s beloved parking attendant, who “dares to put her lifelong dream of traveling the world into motion when she is diagnosed with a fatal disease.” Euodia Samson stars in the title role, and the trailer alone will have you rooting for Angeliena. For all the other late bloomers out there, this one’s for you, and the heartwarming tale led by Samson can be viewed on October 8 upon its Netflix release.
Dune
Sci-fi fans have likely been tracking Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel for a while now, and their wait for its arrival will soon be over. The galactic epic centers on Paul (Timothée Chalamet), the royal heir to House Atreides, who is haunted by visions of a mysterious woman (Zendaya) and must go to the most dangerous planet in the universe in order to “realize his true destiny.” Besides taking in the performances of Chalamet and Zendaya, keep an eye out for Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson, who play Paul’s parents Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica Atreides. Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa play other members of their house, respectively Warmaster Gurney Halleck and Swordmaster Duncan Idaho. You can catch Stellan Skarsgård and Dave Bautista portraying members of the evil House Harkonnen, and Javier Bardem can be seen as Stilgar, a fellow Fremen citizen alongside Zendaya’s Chani. Game of Thrones fans may also find Dune to be right up their alley when the film releases in theaters and on HBO Max come October 22.
Army of Thieves
Following the success of Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead — released on Netflix earlier this year — comes a prequel film based in the same universe. But Matthias Schweighöfer replaces Snyder in the director’s chair for Army of Thieves while reprising his role of Ludwig Dieter in front of the camera. The safecracking character is at the center of the prequel film, as he’s recruited by a mysterious woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) to assist her crew in an ambitious heist that takes them across Europe. Guz Khan, Ruby O. Fee, Jonathan Cohen, and Stuart Martin also star in the comedic thriller that Netflix will release on October 29.
From a special installment in the Muppets canon to the latest from Zack Snyder, the month of October brings with it a wide variety of new titles coming to home audiences. And whether it be a feel-good dramedy or a sci-fi epic, our top picks offer movies that fall outside the horror genre and yet still share a common theme: they all contain must-see performances.
