Best films released in the UK this month: October 2026

We're getting into the time of year when awards hopefuls tend to start arriving in cinemas – and the first few days of October have already seen the release of a film once tipped as a potential Oscars contender.

Digger – which sees Tom Cruise team up with two-time Oscar winning director Alejandro G Iñárritu – had been positioned as the film that might land its star a golden statuette, although initial reviews could already have put an end to those hopes.

Still, Digger is one of many films that are worth seeking out this month, with other highlights including Fatherland, the latest drama from acclaimed Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, and the Robert Pattinson-starring Primetime, which digs into notorious US reality show To Catch a Predator.

Of course, given it's Halloween month, there are also a few options ideal for spooky season. Those range from horror flicks like Other Mommy to more cosy offerings like TV spin-off Ghosts: The Possession of Button House.

Elsewhere, there's a sequel of sorts to the 2010 masterpiece The Social Network, the directorial debut from Ashley Walters, the latest film in the DC Universe and new films starring Lesley Manville, Léa Seydoux and Olivia Colman – so plenty to get stuck into.

To help you pick out the highlights, we've put together a selection of some of the best films to watch this month – check out the video above or read on for our choices.

Digger

Release date: Friday 2 October in cinemas

Tom Cruise is unrecognisable in this adventurous, much-anticipated satire from Alejandro G Iñárritu – which has received a somewhat mixed critical response upon its release.

Cruise takes on the role of Digger Rockwell, a wealthy industrialist who sets off an ecological disaster after digging for oil, although the film takes a couple of outlandish twists from there on which are best left unspoiled.

Verity

Release date: Friday 2 October in cinemas

Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson lead the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation – a dark, twisty thriller about a writer named Lowen (Johnson) who takes on an unusual assignment when she is invited to become a ghostwriter for renowned author Verity Crawford (Hathaway).

Verity has been left in a near comatose state after an accident, but when Lowen discovers chilling autobiographical notes that the novelist had written, she begins to question everything.

Other Mommy

Release date: Friday 9 October in cinemas

This supernatural horror flick from Host director Rob Savage is led by Jessica Chastain – who plays a sinister entity that haunts 8-year-old girl Bela by taking on the appearance of her mum.

Newcomer Arabella Olivia Clark takes on the role of Bela while the supporting cast also includes Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, and Karen Allen.

Release date: Friday 9 October in cinemas

Aaron Sorkin writes and directs this follow up to The Social Network – this time focusing on "The Facebook Files" – with Jeremy Strong replacing Jesse Eisenberg in the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison respectively star as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz and whistleblower Francis Haugen who worked together to bring secrets at the social media giant to light.

The Uprising

Release date: Friday 9 October in cinemas

Andrew Garfield has the lead role in this historical action film about the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381 – which also has a link to Robin Hood.

The official synopsis reads: "as King Richard II and the oligarchs impose a brutal tax on the poorest members of society, a farmer's simmering discontent erupts into full-blown anger. Within days, he leads a ferocious rebellion as thousands of commoners march on London in the name of justice and freedom."

Whalefall

Release date: Friday 16 October in cinemas

Austin Abrams plays a scuba diver who gets trapped in the belly of a sperm whale while searching for the remains of his father in this survival thriller from director Brian Duffield.

Adapted from an acclaimed novel by Daniel Kraus, the cast also includes a key role for Josh Brolin – who previously starred alongside Abrams on last year's Weapons.

Winter of the Crow

Release date: Friday 16 October in cinemas

Lesley Manville leads this cold war thriller, playing an academic who gets caught up in political unrest when she travels to Warsaw in 1981 and witnesses a brutal murder by the secret police

The synopsis teases: "Now trapped behind the Iron Curtain, Joan is thrust into a deadly game of espionage involving student rebels and government operatives, where no one can be trusted and the consequences could spiral into World War III."

Clayface

Release date: Friday 23 October in cinemas

The latest film in James Gunn's DC Universe is the first movie adaptation for the comic book villain – with Tom Rhys Harries in the central role as Matt Hagen and supporting turns from Naomi Ackie and Eddie Marsan among others.

It follows a rising movie star whose body is transformed into living clay after he undergoes an experimental procedure to restore his original face when he is brutally disfigured by an incident involving a local crime boss.

Fatherland

Release date: Friday 23 October in cinemas

The new film from acclaimed Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski is a typically accomplished work about German writer Thomas Mann in the aftermath of WWII.

It follows him as he returns to his homeland for the first time in 16 years to collect a prize, whereupon he embarks on a road trip with his daughter Erika (played by Sandra Hüller) that takes him to both the East and West of the now divided nation.

Klara and the Sun

Release date: Friday 23 October in cinemas

Taika Waititi has adapted Kazuo Ishiguro's excellent 2021 dystopian sci-fi novel into a film starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams – alongside a key role for young British star Mia Tharia.

The synopsis reads: In a dystopian future where technological advances in genetic engineering have divided humans into strict, isolated social classes, an obsolete companion android named Klara tries to bond with Josie, a sick girl for whom she was purchased."

Ghosts: The Possession of Button House

Release date: Friday 23 October in cinemas

Three years after the hit BBC sitcom wrapped up, the gang are all back for this big screen spin-off – which follows a teenager who ends up being possessed by one of the Button House gang.

Young I Swear star Scott Ellis Watson plays the teenager – named Jack Marsh – while Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lolly Adefope, Mathew Baynton and Simon Farnaby are among the many familiar faces reprising their roles from the show.

Animol

Release date: Friday 30 October in cinemas

Ashley Walters makes his directorial debut with this hard-hitting drama set within the walls of a juvenile detention centre – with Tut Nyuot in the lead role and a key supporting turn for Stephen Graham.

According to the official synopsis, it explores how young inmates "navigate friendship, identity, and personal growth while confronting harsh realities and their own paths to redemption."

Wicker

Release date: Friday 30 October in cinemas

Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård team up for this fantasy romance about a fisherwoman who asks a basket maker to craft her a husband made of wicker.

Written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, the starry supporting cast includes roles for Elizabeth Debicki, Peter Dinklage and Richard E Grant among others.

I Love Boosters

Release date: Friday 30 October in cinemas

This absurdist satire from Sorry to Bother You filmmaker Boots Riley follows a group of professional shoplifters who target a cutthroat fashion mogul – which sets them off on a wild adventure.

The ensemble cast includes Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore.

Primetime

Release date: Friday 30 October in cinemas

Robert Pattinson takes on the role of famous US television host Chris Hansen in this chilling exploration of the widely popular 2000s reality show To Catch A Predator.

Written and directed by Lance Oppenheim – who is best known for his work in documentaries – the cast also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and musician Phoebe Bridgers in her acting debut.

Gentle Monster

Release date: Friday 30 October in cinemas (Netflix from 18 November)

Léa Seydoux has been widely acclaimed for her role in this drama about a musician whose life is upended when her husband is arrested for a serious offence relating to possessing indecent images of children.

Written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer, it originally debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and will screen at the London Film Festival just ahead of its UK release.

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