Movies Not to Miss: October 2016
Although the fall releases have yet to set in, but summer is no longer the main domain for the action packed blockbusters nowadays, as some studios have wisely chosen to have their offerings of the genres in the less competitive spaces of summer, and slot themselves before the release schedules get all serious with award contenders. This October will see the last superhero movie we have for the year, but there are also plenty of action heroes to look up to, to keep the cinemas warm with their gunfire.
In the meantime, more serious film goers may start making their pilgrimages this October, not really to see what we can look forward for the next award season, but the ones that have already made their festival rounds this year and are now starting to make their way for the masses.
So it's time to get comfortable before the storm and here are the movies to warm you up this October!
Rachel Watson became a divorced alcoholic after she found her husband, Tom, cheating on her with another woman with whom he is now married to. While commuting to work on the train every day, Rachel begins to fantasize about a young married couple and reflects on her failed marriage, but fantasy and reality begins to blur when the woman from said young couple is reported missing and presumed to be dead.
Adapted from the hit thriller novel by Paula Hawkins, moviegoers will have another reason to be afraid of trains again after last month's record shattering "Train to Busan". Rather than seeing zombies break down entries from car to car, we will get to witness the breaking down of Emily Blunt's sanity as Rachel, as she pulls a hard hitting performance in the lead. Although director Tate Taylor is no David Fincher, but we'd like to think this is could be Blunt's ultimate breakthrough to get an Oscar nod, just as "Gone Girl" did for Rosamund Pike.
General Release Date: 6 October
After 13 crew of two Chinese cargo ships were massacred at the Mekong river, the Thai, Laos, Burmese and Chinese governments launch a joint taskforce to take down a drug lord who controls the portion of the river known as the Golden Triangle.
Action is in high demand this October, and it certainly has a few standouts if you are looking for some serious action. Although the completely first-person shoot 'em up "Hardcore Henry" finally makes it to Malaysian cinemas (and hopefully not causing anyone to throw up), we think some would appreciate something less shaky. Based on the real Mekong Massacre that happened in 2011, director Dante Lam reunites with his "Unbeatable" and "To the Fore" star Eddie Peng for a big scaled guns blazing actioner that he hasn't made since 2012's "The Viral Factor". Peng is joined by Chinese stars Zhang Hanyu, who recently came off duty in Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain", and director-actor Feng Xiaogang for some good old hardboiled explosions and gun fights.
General Release Date: 6 October
Waking up in a hospital in Florence, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon has no recollection of what has happened in the past few days, and has become the target of a massive manhunt when he escapes authorities with the help of a doctor, Sienna. Trying to retrace his steps and believing that he has been framed for a crime he didn't commit, Langdon is confronted with the toughest riddle he has ever faced, and failing to solve it could mean the end of the human race.
Action may be the calling card this month, but you also need a sharp wit to save the world sometimes. After giving another strong performance for last month's "Sully", this month Tom Hanks slips back into something with less baggage for the third adaptation of Dan Brown's novels. Directed once again by Ron Howard based off the adapted screenplay by David Koepp from "Angels & Demons", the "Inferno" plot is not to be trifled with, with a cast that also has Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Omar Sy and Irfan Khan, that makes for a good change of pace if you need a different kind of action this month.
General Release Date: 13 October
Christian Wolff is a mathematics savant who works in a small-town accounting firm by day, and moonlights as a forensics accountant for criminal organisations by night. When Wolff takes on a robotics company as a legitimate client, a Treasury agent is dispatched to investigate Wolff while more and more people are getting killed.
Ben Affleck is slowly making a comeback to become the bankable star he once was and since becoming Batfleck, it seems almost all of his past sins have been forgiven. While some may still have things to say if he would ever be as likable as he was earlier in his career, we are about to find out if anyone would still come out to see a Affleck vehicle without the Batsuit as "The Accountant". Directed by Gavin O'Connor after stumbling out from the mess that is "Jane Got a Gun", there is a lot more going for this to be a bulls-eye with Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons in the cast.
General Release Date: 13 October
When Jack Reacher returns to the headquarters of his old military unit, he gets accused for a homicide case that happened 16 years ago. On the run from court martial after breaking out a soldier, Reacher is on the run to clear his name and find out what led his name to be in the case.
If you are not planning to risk your faith in Ben Affleck being a cold calculated killer, then you still can go down the cinema hall to catch "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back". Tom Cruise is back, badder, and with a bigger personality as the novel character by Lee Childs as the hard punching Reacher that doesn't play nice. Cruise will be reuniting with "The Last Samurai" director Edward Zwick, as Reacher goes on a vigilante rampage to save Cobie Smulders and getting hunted by Patrick Heusinger.
General Release Date: 20 October
After losing his career as a renowned neurosurgeon, Doctor Stephen Strange travels to the Himalayas and seeks out the Ancient One where he learns the mystic arts. As he begins to master the powers to travel through time and change reality, a former pupil of the Ancient One and one of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Kaecilius, comes to destroy the world protected by the Ancient One.
2016 has been an odd year for superheroes for both Marvel and DC. While their movies have not happily lived up to expectations, the best superhero movie of the year may not have been found in summer. Starting over with a new origin story to introduce a new character to the Marvel cinematic universe, Benedict Cumberbatch makes his Marvel debut as the Sorcerer Supreme, tutored by a cast of masters with Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo. Mads Mikkelsen finally becomes a villain for Marvel, and Rachel McAdams will be the anchor to Strange's old life and new duties.
General Release Date: 27 October
