October 2015: Movies Opening This Month

Happy October! This is going to be a great month for movies, with some scary Halloween stories and some big, awards-worthy dramas, mostly based on true stories, and featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Here’s what’s coming this month:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
The Martian Matt Damon heads an all-star cast (Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña) directed by Ridley Scott and based on the best-selling book about an astronaut abandoned on Mars and how he stays alive while NASA figures out how to get him home.

99 Homes Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, and Laura Dern star in this stark drama set in Florida as the subprime meltdown leads to foreclosures and homelessness.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Steve Jobs Michael Fassbender plays the founder of Apple in this biopic directed by Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”), with a script by “The Social Network’s” Aaron Sorkin.

He Named Me Malala A documentary about the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, still in her teens, who has been a powerful voice for educational opportunities for girls.

Freeheld Julianne Moore and Ellen Page star as the real-life couple who fought for pension benefits for domestic partners, co-starring Michael Shannon and Steve Carell

Labyrinth Of Lies This powerful German film tells the story of the courageous prosecutors in post WWII Germany who insisted that the true story about the Holocaust be investigated so the perpetrators could be found and prosecuted.

Pan Ever wondered where Peter Pan came from? This is his story, from director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride and Prejudice”), starring Garrett Hedlund and Hugh Jackman.

The Walk “Man on Wire” was the Oscar-winning documentary about the Frenchman who strung a wire between the towers of the World Trade Center and walked across it. This version stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and is reported to have the best 3D effects ever.

Big Stone Gap Ashley Judd plays a 40-year-old single woman in a small Virginia coal-mining town who wonders if she will ever find love in this charming romantic comedy co-starring Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jenna Elfman.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

Crimson Peak A young bride arrives at a house filled with secrets in this spooky story from Guillermo del Toro.

Goosebumps R.L. Stine’s spooky stories inspired this movie with Jack Black as the haunted author.

Bridge of Spies Tom Hanks stars in Steven Spielberg’s real-life story of a tense negotiation for the release of an American captured by the Soviets in the midst of the Cold War.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23

Jem and the Holograms The classic Saturday morning cartoon comes to life.

Burnt Bradley Cooper stars as a brilliant chef trying to make a comeback after a meltdown.

Truth Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett play Dan Rather and his producer in this story about putting a false story about the President on the news.

Rock the Kasbah Who better to play a shambling music manager than Bill Murray?

Room Brie Larson’s performance as a woman held captive for years by a sexual predator may be the breakthrough for this talented actor in this film based on the best-selling book.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
Our Brand Is Crisis American campaign consultants go to South America to see if US-style politicking can be transplanted to Bolivia. What can go wrong? Sandra Bullock takes the role originally planned for George Clooney. Oh, and it all really happened. You can check out the documentary before the movie opens.

I Smile Back Sarah Silverman has been getting rave reviews for her performance in a serious role as a woman struggling with mental illness.

Suffragette The story of the women who fought for the right to vote in the UK stars Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep.