The Definitive October Movie Rankings: What to Watch in Theaters and on Streaming

October is loaded. Between theaters and the big streamers, it feels like a new movie drops every time you glance away from your phone. I pulled together the major releases of the month and ranked them by Rotten Tomatoes score, with the need-to-know details and a few quick notes so you can decide what to catch first.

October releases, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes (high to low)

1. Blue Moon — 91%
   Ethan Hawke plays lyricist Lorenz Hart in his final year, facing alcoholism, depression, and a Broadway scene that has moved on without him. The story zeroes in on one pivotal night: the opening of Oklahoma!. It is Hawke’s ninth team-up with Richard Linklater, which is noteworthy all by itself. Where to watch: In theaters October 17, 2025.

2. Bugonia — 90%
   Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone, who literally shaves her head for this one, and brings back Jesse Plemons. This is a remake of the South Korean thriller Save the Green Planet!, reimagined as an absurdist black comedy about two conspiracy guys who kidnap a mega-corp CEO because they’re convinced she’s an alien bent on destroying Earth. Ari Aster is producing, which tells you the flavor of weird to expect. Where to watch: In theaters October 24, 2025.

3. Good Boy — 89% (Certified Fresh)
   Yes, the Halloween release you did not know you needed is a supernatural horror movie told from the POV of a dog. First-time director Ben Leonberg centers the story on a very good pup who squares up against something nasty to protect his oblivious human. In a year already stacked with horror like Weapons and Sinners, it’s a clever swing. Where to watch: In theaters October 3, 2025.

4. The Lost Bus — 87%
   Matthew McConaughey quietly ended a six-year self-imposed retirement for this one. Based on true events, it follows a school bus driver, a teacher, and a busload of terrified kids trying to escape an LA wildfire in real time. America Ferrera makes a strong showing opposite McConaughey. Where to watch: Apple TV+.

5. Frankenstein — 86%
   Guillermo del Toro’s passion project finally landed: Jacob Elordi is the Creature, Oscar Isaac is Victor Frankenstein, with Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz supporting. This isn’t a scare-fest as much as a bruising family drama about fathers and sons and the pain we pass down. Where to watch: In theaters October 17, 2025; streaming on Netflix November 7.

6. Roofman — 85%
   The wild true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a.k.a. the world’s most polite robber, gets the Derek Cianfrance treatment. Channing Tatum plays Manchester with a mix of charm and dread, while Kirsten Dunst is Leigh Wainscott, the love interest who ultimately turns him in. The stranger-than-fiction beats? Those are the true ones. Where to watch: In theaters October 10, 2025.

7. A House of Dynamite — 81%
   Kathryn Bigelow goes nuclear, literally. This is a grip-the-armrest political thriller with an apocalypse on the table, starring Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke. It’s not subtle and it’s not trying to be. Where to watch: In theaters October 10, 2025; on Netflix October 24, 2025.

8. Steve — 78%
   Cillian Murphy’s first gig since Oppenheimer is a bruiser: he plays the head of a last-chance reform school fighting to keep the doors open, protect the kids, and keep himself together. In parallel, we follow Shy, a teen battling between self-destruction and a shot at change. It’s lean, tense, and built for Murphy’s precision. Where to watch: Netflix.

9. Good Fortune — 77%
   Aziz Ansari’s feature directorial debut is a high-concept comedy with Keanu Reeves as a guardian angel named Gabriel who prevents choking and texting-while-driving mishaps. He attempts a teachable moment by body-swapping a down-on-his-luck guy, Arj, with his insanely rich boss, Jeff (Seth Rogen). Things go sideways, Arj hijacks Jeff’s life, and Gabriel gets grounded without his powers. Sandra Oh co-stars. Where to watch: In theaters October 17, 2025.

10. Black Phone 2 — 74%
    Ethan Hawke is back as The Grabber, with Mason Thames, Miguel Mora, and Madeleine McGraw also returning. Scott Derrickson directs again, with Joe Hill back on the writing side, which should keep things tonally locked to the original. Hill has big franchise ambitions and even explained the sequel’s slasher-icon potential:

    I saw the mask with its swappable mouths: Sometimes the devil face is grinning, sometimes it’s frowning, and sometimes he has no mouth at all. I saw that mask and thought, 'Oh, I think there’s gonna be a whole bunch of these movies.' It struck me as instantly iconic in the way Freddy Krueger’s glove is iconic, in the way Michael Myers’ mask is iconic. I thought, 'This is nightmare fuel, and people are going to want a lot of it.'

    He also says they found a believable way to bring The Grabber back after that frozen-lake ending. Where to watch: In theaters October 17, 2025.

11. The Smashing Machine — 70%
    Dwayne Johnson disappears into real-life MMA legend Mark Kerr, with Benny Safdie directing and an unrecognizable Emily Blunt co-starring. It’s the kind of performance people point to when they say, Yes, he acts. Where to watch: In theaters October 3, 2025.

12. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere — 68%
    Jeremy Allen White plays Bruce Springsteen at the moment before supernova fame, focused on the Nebraska era. It’s restrained, haunted, and he sings the tracks himself. Where to watch: In theaters October 24, 2025.

13. Anemone — 54%
    Daniel Day-Lewis returns after eight years in a bleak, moody spiral about family trauma, directed by first-timer Roman Day-Lewis. The atmosphere is hypnotic; the movie doesn’t quite push as far as it could. For indie die-hards and Day-Lewis completists. Where to watch: In theaters October 10, 2025.

14. Tron: Ares — 52%
    The third Tron, led by Jared Leto, might be the franchise’s swan song. If you do go, spring for ScreenX 3D to get the most out of its digital dazzle. The story works against the whole digital-world premise, but Nine Inch Nails on the soundtrack goes a long way. Where to watch: In theaters October 10, 2025.

15. Play Dirty — 44%
    A Shane Black heist thriller with Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nat Wolff, and Tony Shalhoub. The cast is stacked and the action pops, even if the plot springs leaks. Call it Saturday-night, one-and-done entertainment. Where to watch: Prime Video.

16. After the Hunt — 38%
    Luca Guadagnino swings and misses with a campus-set psychological thriller starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Chloe Sevigny, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Roberts plays a professor forced into a professional and personal crisis when a star student accuses a colleague, and a secret from her past threatens to resurface. Where to watch: In theaters October 17, 2025.

What are you watching first, and which theatrical release are you saving a seat for? Drop your picks below.