October is bringing a strange mix to cinemas in the best possible way.
Tom Cruise is playing a man trying to save the world from a disaster he may have caused, Rajinikanth is back in Jailer 2, and Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson are heading into seriously dark territory with Verity.
On the Bollywood side, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan are getting caught up in a spy comedy, Rajkummar Rao has more than one release on the calendar, and Drishyam is heading towards another chapter.
Here are some of the movies scheduled for release in October 2026.
Digger – Tom Cruise Tries to Save the World
Tom Cruise is stepping away from Ethan Hunt territory for something much stranger.
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger follows an enormously powerful man who sets off on a frantic mission to convince the world that he can save humanity — after helping create the disaster threatening it in the first place.
With Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller and Jesse Plemons also in the cast, this looks less like a traditional Tom Cruise action movie and more like a dark, chaotic satire.
Basically: Tom Cruise saving the world again, just under very different circumstances.
Verity – Anne Hathaway Has Something to Hide
If psychological thrillers are your thing, Verity could make October considerably more uncomfortable.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2018 novel of the same name, the film stars, Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete a successful book series after its author, Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, becomes unable to continue writing.
But while staying at the Crawford home, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that starts revealing secrets she probably wishes she had never read.
Add Josh Hartnett into that situation and suddenly a writing job sounds considerably less appealing.
Udta Teer – A Spy Mission Goes Very Wrong
Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan are pairing up for something a little more chaotic this month.
Udta Teer is built around a spy mission, mistaken identities and plenty of things going wrong, with Ayushmann reportedly playing a Pakistani spy caught up in the confusion.
It is positioned as an action-comedy rather than a straight espionage thriller, so expect the danger to come with plenty of jokes along the way.
For anyone wanting something lighter between October’s thrillers and horror releases, this could be the pick.
Jailer 2 – Rajinikanth Is Back
Rajinikanth clearly wasn’t finished with Jailer.
After the success of the 2023 film, Rajinikanth returns for Jailer 2, once again teaming up with director Nelson Dilipkumar and composer Anirudh Ravichander. The sequel is officially scheduled for 15 October 2026.
The full story is still being kept relatively quiet, but the sequel brings back the character at the centre of the first film while expanding its action-heavy world.
Sometimes you don’t need a complicated sales pitch.
Rajinikanth. Jailer 2. Big screen.
Prem Keetanu – College, Love and a Lot of Problems
Not every October release needs to involve murder, monsters or global destruction.
Prem Keetanu goes in the opposite direction, following a group of college friends dealing with studies, relationships and their plans for the future. The comedy stars Veer Pahariya and Aparshakti Khurana alongside Aafiya Sayed, Rakesh Bedi and Nikhil Vijay.
This looks like one of the month’s lighter Bollywood options, something for audiences who would rather watch friendship drama than another person running away from something trying to kill them.
Clayface – DC Is Going Full Horror
This is definitely not the usual superhero movie.
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor whose career collapses after he is horribly disfigured. A cutting-edge treatment appears to restore his appearance, but the procedure comes with disturbing consequences that gradually send him towards revenge.
Directed by James Watkins, Clayface leans heavily into psychological and body horror while bringing one of Batman’s strangest villains into the new DC Universe.
Probably not the film to choose if transformations involving human flesh aren’t your thing.
Klara and the Sun – Jenna Ortega Becomes an Artificial Friend
October isn’t only about explosions and horror.
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Klara and the Sun stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, an Artificial Friend designed to provide companionship.
She is chosen by Josie, a young girl dealing with a complicated family life, and gradually becomes deeply involved in the relationship between Josie and her mother, played by Amy Adams.
Directed by Taika Waititi, the story uses artificial intelligence to explore something much more human: loneliness, family and what it actually means to care about someone.
Wildwood – LAIKA Heads Into Another Strange World
If Coraline taught us anything, it is that LAIKA knows how to make animation beautiful and slightly unsettling at the same time.
Wildwood follows a young girl who enters a mysterious forest filled with magical creatures, hidden dangers and secrets.
Directed by Travis Knight and adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel, the film uses LAIKA’s signature stop-motion animation to build an entirely new fantasy world.
If you are mainly going for the visuals, this could easily be one of October’s most interesting cinema experiences.
Drishyam: The Conclusion – Vijay Salgaonkar’s Story Continues
The Drishyam story has never exactly made life easy for Vijay Salgaonkar.
Ajay Devgn returns for another chapter of the thriller franchise, with Prakash Raj also listed among the cast.
After two films built around Vijay protecting his family while investigators slowly close in, the title The Conclusion certainly suggests that the story may finally be heading towards its end.
And with Drishyam, that probably means another two hours of wondering who knows what and who is lying about it.
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen Returns to Cinemas
More than 200 years after it was published, Jane Austen’s story is getting another big-screen adaptation.
The film follows sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, whose lives change dramatically after their father’s death leaves the family facing financial difficulties.
With Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles leading the cast, the story once again mixes romance, family expectations and the complicated realities of love and social class.
So yes, October even has something for people who would rather deal with 19th-century heartbreak than body horror.
So, Which One Is Getting Your Cinema Ticket?
October already comes with the perfect excuse for darker cinema nights thanks to Halloween, and this year’s releases fit the mood surprisingly well.
Between Clayface, Verity and other thrillers arriving throughout the month, there is plenty for anyone looking for something creepy, tense or slightly disturbing before October 31.
And if horror is not your thing, there is still Rajinikanth, Tom Cruise, Bollywood comedy, romance and animation to balance things out.
So, what is your October cinema pick: Halloween scares or something a little lighter?
