It’s Halloween weekend, and with the Season of the Witch falling on a Saturday, major studios opted not to open any new wide releases because they knew business would take a major hit, as moviegoers would most likely be trick-or-treating or dancing to “Thriller” at a party.
That means if there is any theatrical business, it will most likely go to holdovers like Clayface or You Can See Everything, but should you want to dive a little deeper into what’s opening this weekend, there are smaller releases that might be of interest to you if you’ve already checked out those choices. For home viewing, some digital releases could thrill you (Verity is already headed home), while Dexter returns just in time to close out spooky season.
What’s Opening In Theaters?
Horror and Christmas joins forces in the action comedy horror film, Christmas at the Kringles, directed by Kevin Lewis and written by Zack Imbrogno. In the film, the Severson family moves to a suburban neighborhood where their neighbors, the Kringles, not only celebrate Christmas year-round, but also have a sinister plan to hynoptize and indoctrinate people to their way of thinking. The film stars Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Rob Riggle, Thomas Lennon, Arden Myrin, Donald Faison, Beverly D’Angelo, and David Wain.
Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the U.S, distribution rights to Christmas at the Kringles and then world premiered the film at the 26th Screamfest Horror Film Festival in mid-October. Now, was this a good pickup? Christmas and horror have been a winning combination in the past with films like Black Christmas, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and Better Watch Out, but if reviews are to be believed, Christmas at the Kringles arrives with a lump of coal in its stocking.
The movie currently sits at zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics saying it’s visually obnoxious, uninventive, and that it fails at being funny or horrific enough to appease fans of either genre. Could it become a horror cult favorite down the line? Maybe so, but for now, it looks like this one might be one to miss. Surprisingly, Briarcliff is opening the film in 1,825 theaters, so while it’s not a major wide release, it should be easy to fine if you’re willing to give this one a chance.
Horror fans get another offering with Breeder, written and directed by Alex Goyette. In the film, an eccentric poodle breeder lures a broke college student to her remote ranch with the promise of research funding, but he soon discovers there is a catch to this promise and something far more terrifying is in store. The movie stars Dot-Marie Jones, Daniel Doheny, Maddie Phillips, and Tanaya Beatty.
Breeder premiered at the Tribeca Festival back in June, with Independent Film Company and Shudder acquiring the distribution rights. The big difference between this film and Christmas at the Kringles is that Breeder has excellent reviews so far, with the horror flick registering a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics are saying it’s a very strong debut for Goyette and that it’s a strong showcase for Dot-Marie Jones with escalating tension that hits the mark. Breeder is opening in a limited amount of theaters (777), but should you find it, the film seems like it’s the proper Halloween treat if you want to take a break from your horror movie marathon at home.
Liam Neeson arrives this weekend with what feels like his mandatory action film, as The Mongoose hopes to fulfill your action thriller needs. Directed by Mark Vanselow and written by Thompson Evans, The Mongoose follows a war hero accused of a crime he didn’t commit. As he has nothing left to lose, he leads law enforcement on a televised cross-country car chase, with the help of his former Special Forces Army battalion, as the public cheers on his endeavor. The film also stars Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames, and Michael Chiklis.
While this premise sounds fun and it does have a game supporting cast, judging from the reviews this appears to be another action flick that Neeson has been cranking out since he scored a major hit with Taken back in 2008. These movies no doubt pay him well, and who are we to deny Neeson a great paycheck movie, but this is an actor who was once in projects that had more prestige value. Hopefully one day he goes back to that, but now we get a film that’s currently rotten on Rotten Tomatoes at 25 percent, with critics calling it absurd, and not even so bad that it’s good. Couldn’t locate the exact number of theaters The Mongoose is opening in, but should you find it, proceed with caution or simply know what you’re getting into.
For adults who have seen the documentary You Can See Everything more than once, Everest: The Other Side might be of interest, and it comes with some solid reviews to enter the weekend. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the documentary follows Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they fall in love and find that what they also share is a dream of climbing and skiing down the North Face of Mount Everest.
Everest: The Other Side had its world premiere at the 83rd Venice Film Festival back in September and came out of the event with stellar reviews, currently sitting at an 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics warn that viewers with a fear of heights or vertigo may find the documentary hard to watch, but its recording of a deeply personal story does resonate, and it coincides well with the pair at its center’s love story and their desire to do what seems like the impossible. Everest: The Other Side is getting a limited run in 515 theaters from National Geographic Documentary Films, but seems worthy of seeking out if the subject matter is of interest to you.
Also opening in limited release is the war film The Mosquito Bowl, directed by Peter Berg and from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark L. Smith. Based on the 2022 Buzz Bissinger book The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II, the film centers on four top American football players who enlist in the United States Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As they prepare for the Battle of Okinawa, they play a football game, the Mosquito Bowl, that becomes famous in its own right. The movie stars Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Roy Nicholson, and Tom Francis.
The trailer for The Mosquito Bowl was eye-catching because, based on the preview alone, it looked like director Peter Berg captured some of the best war scenes put to film. Everything about the film seemed so promising until the reviews began to trickle in. The film currently sits at 36 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics lauding the war sequences but saying the movie lacks humanity and that it presents a more Hollywood version of war rather than something more visceral and real. There are also claims that the movie goes a bit too far, showcasing the brutalities of war. Despite reviews, this one feels like a film you should judge for yourself because your perception of it may differ from critics who have reviewed it so far. It’s getting a limited run this weekend before hitting Netflix on Nov. 25, where it’s likely to perform very well upon its debut.
What To Watch At Home
Should you want a break from your horror movie marathon and you’ve already binged Crystal Lake and Carrie, there are some offerings for home viewing that might be of interest. Verity hits digital after a pretty successful box office run, even though it was released just four weeks ago, while television brings a return of your favorite problematic serial killer and a Matthew Perry documentary that tugs at the heartstrings.
Hititng digital is Verity, a psychological erotic thriller directed by Michael Showalter and written by Nick Antosca. Based on the Colleen Hoover bestselling novel of the same name, Verity follows Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a writer in desperate need of work who is contacted by Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett), the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). A mysterious accident has made Verity unable to finish her popular book series, and Jeremy has tasked Lowen with finishing it. However, while working on the project, Lowen discovers a mysterious manuscript that raises questions about Verity’s psychological well-being, with the answers possibly being found in her publications.
Let’s get this out of the way now: The reviews for Verity are dismal at 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are calling it ridiculous, absurd, trashy, and other adjectives that one would think could turn off audiences, but this film was essentially critic-proof to its core because it has grossed $72.5 million domestically and $163.4 million globally on a $40 million budget. Campy and trashy? Bring it on; at least it sounds like a fun time at the movies and looks like it will continue to be a fun, trashy ride for viewers at home. It should be noted that the adaptations of Hoover’s novels have all been successful to varying degrees at the box office. It Ends with Us pulled in $351 million worldwide on a $25 million budget despite all of that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni mess.
Regretting You soon followed and legged it out to $90.5 million globally on a $25 million budget. Then, earlier this year, Reminders of Him was a modest hit with $89 million earned worldwide, also on a $25 million budget. The studios keep her movies cheap, and the return on investment is high because Hoover’s fanbase shows up for them. Don’t be surprised if Verity finds even more success now that it’s out on digital.
Also arriving on digital after a pretty disastroub box office run is The Dog Stars, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Peter Heller. Written by Mark L. Smith, The Dog Stars takes place after a devastating flu pandemic has nearly eradicated humanity. Primarily focusing on a former civilian pilot named High (Jacob Elordi) and a former Marine named Bangley (Josh Brolin), the pair has to confront outside threats and hope for a better life outside of the one they’re currently living in. The film also stars Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong.
The release date for The Dog Stars suggested that 20th Century Studios/Disney merely dumped the film and hoped for the best, and that looks like that was the case. The Dog Stars came and went when it was released in late August, grossing a mere $39 million globally against a reported production budget of $70-110 million. Let this not be a stain against Elordi, who still has what it takes to be a major movie star, or even Scott, who sometimes misses but whose wins make up for that. This one didn’t quite work, as critics also turned their noses up at it (41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), but maybe home is where it finds an audience.
Hitting digital and hopefully finding the audience it deserves is the animated fantasy film Forgotten Island. Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, Forgotten Island comes from DreamWorks Animation, and it is set in the 1990s in the Philippines, where it follows Jo and Raissa (voiced by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano), two best friends who accidentally get trapped in the mystical world of Nakali. The friends will have to rely on each other to escape the world, which gradually feeds on the memories of those who are trapped there, before they forget each other. The film also features vocal performances by Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, and Lea Salonga.
Marketing felt muted for a film that earned raves from critics, with a 95 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics called it enthralling, energetic, and a visual triumph, so it’s a little strange that it arrived last month without the fanfare expected of a film that’s received such a reception. The budget is low at $80 million, but the movie underperformed at the box office with a global take of $70.5 million. Everything about Forgotten Island feels like it deserved better, and here’s to hoping it will make up some ground now that it’s on digital and finds an audience that will embrace it.
Dexter: Resurrection returns for a second season as the crime drama and sequel series dives deeper into the world of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall). Developed by Clyde Phillips, Dexter: Resurrection serves as a sequel series to Dexter and Dexter: New Blood, with the first season taking place ten weeks after the events of Dexter: New Blood and finds the titular character discovering his past catching up to him faster than anticipated. In Season 2, Dexter finds himself torn between two killers, with one being well-known while the other is emerging as a new source of fear for New York. The series also stars Uma Thurman, Jack Alcott, David Zayas, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa, Emilia Suarez, James Remar, and Peter Dinklage.
The return of Dexter has been successful since the launch of Dexter: New Blood. Perhaps because it made up for how dreadful the original show ended (ask hardcore fans, and they pretty much all agree it nearly ruined a great show). Season 1 of Dexter: Resurrection was well-received for its first season, registering a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming Showtime’s most-streamed premiere with 3.1 million global cross-platform viewers within its first three days of release. Season 2 comes down to 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes so far, but the consensus so far is that the series has found a sense of dark fun that had been missing, and it proves to be a winning ingredient for Season 2 despite some shortcomings. Episode one of Season 2 premiered on Oct. 30 on Paramount+ with Showtime, with episodes dropping weekly through January 1, 2027.
A series also gaining some interest and buzz is the crime drama Nocturne, created by Rowan Joffé and developed by John Hlavin, who also serves as showrunner. Nocturne is based on the novel The Sandman by husband-and-wife team Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and follows a former homicide detective who relocates to a Pennsylvania town that comes under attack by an imprisoned serial killer. The series stars Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, Chrissy Metz, Gary Carr, Rory Culkin, Poorna Jagannathan, Bill Camp, and Stephen Graham.
Nocturne boasts a great cast, an interesting premise, and it looks like it delivers based on reviews. The series currently registers an 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it a slow burn that so far delivers with compelling performances from its leads. The TV spots have been running quite a bit ahead of its release, and it definitely looks like a show that could become one to binge. The first two episodes premiered on Apple TV on Oct. 30, with each new episode dropping weekly through Nov. 27.
Lastly, fans of Friends and Matthew Perry will want to grab the tissues and check out the docuseries The One About Matthew Perry, a three-episode project directed by Mary Robertson that looks back at the life and tragic death of the acclaimed Friends star. The docuseries is built around interviews that include Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, and other friends and colleagues that track his career from early television roles through his Friends fame and the addictions he couldn’t quite beat.
I personally watched the docuseries the day it premiered on Netflix, and coming from someone who wasn’t even a Friends fan but still respected Perry’s wicked comedic talent, The One About Matthew Perry is a gripping watch. It celebrates his life and his triumphs but ultimately doesn’t shy away from the demons he faced until his tragic death three years ago at the age of 54. It’s a must-watch not only for his fans, but for people who may be grappling with addiction or for those who know someone dealing with it. The project was spearheaded by his sister, so there is nothing salacious about the project. It’s made with a lot of love for Perry, and even though there is a layer of sadness to it, the docuseries showcases how he’ll continue to live on through his fans, friends, and ultimately his family, who will keep his legacy alive. The One About Matthew Perry is now streaming on Netflix.
Check back next week when we keep you in the know about What To Watch!
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