What To Watch And Play This October 2025

October 2025 is shaping up to be a spine-tingling extravaganza for horror aficionados, sci-fi enthusiasts, and gamers alike. With the leaves turning and the nights lengthening, it’s the perfect time to dive into a slate of releases that pay homage to classic terrors while pushing fresh boundaries. From true-crime deep dives to neon-lit cyber thrills and mutant-blasting betas, here’s your curated guide to the month’s highlights, organized by date. We’ve scoured the latest buzz to ensure you’re prepped for the scares—grab your popcorn (or controller) and let’s get into it.

3rd October – Monster The Ed Gein Story

Ryan Murphy’s anthology series returns with a bone-chilling instalment on the infamous Ed Gein, the mid-20th-century killer whose gruesome acts inspired horror staples like Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs. This entry promises to explore the psychological unravelling behind Gein’s macabre obsessions, blending historical drama with Murphy’s flair for the grotesque. Key cast includes Charlie Hall (Bel-Air) as Deputy Worden and Will Brill (The OA) in a supporting role, with the full ensemble unmasked in the official trailer. All episodes drop at once on Netflix—ideal for a marathon start to spooky season, but brace for the unease that lingers.

10th October – Tron Ares

Revving up the grid for a new generation, Tron: Ares catapults the franchise into theatres (filmed for IMAX, no less) with a plot centred on a sophisticated AI program, Ares (Jared Leto), who crosses from the digital realm into our own on a high-stakes quest. Directed by Joachim Rønning, this standalone sequel amps up the light-cycle action and philosophical undertones of the originals. Facing stiff competition from 20 other films that weekend, it’s a must for visual spectacle seekers—tickets are already heating up, so snag yours via Fandango or your local chain.

17th October – Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is set to electrify Netflix on November 7, 2025, following a limited theatrical run starting October 17. Starring Oscar Isaac as the tormented Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the poignant, misunderstood Creature, this gothic reimagining delves into themes of creation, rejection, and humanity with del Toro’s signature blend of visual poetry and emotional depth—think stop-motion artistry echoing Pinocchio but laced with profound horror. As the trailer teases a heart-wrenching tale of a monster seeking connection in a cruel world, it’s poised to be a chilling highlight of the spooky season, reminding us that true monstrosity often lies in the creator’s shadow.

17th October – Arc Raiders Server Test

17th October – Black Phone 2

Scott Derrickson’s chilling sequel The Black Phone 2 rings into theaters on October 17, 2025, expanding the supernatural horror saga with a vengeful twist on the original’s ghostly abductions. Ethan Hawke reprises his iconic role as The Grabber, now haunting from beyond the grave to target a grown-up Finney (Mason Thames, aged up to 17) who’s still scarred from his past ordeal, alongside returning stars Madeleine McGraw as Gwen and Jeremy Davies, plus newcomers Demián Bichir and Miguel Mora. Building on Joe Hill’s source material with Blumhouse’s signature dread, the film—fresh off its Fantastic Fest premiere on September 20—promises retro ’70s vibes, spectral phone calls, and escalating terror that blurs the line between survivor and prey, making it a must-see midnight fright for Halloween haunts.

26th October – It Welcome To Derry

Andy Muschietti’s prequel series It: Welcome to Derry slithers onto HBO and HBO Max on October 26, 2025, unearthing the cursed town’s nightmarish origins in the 1960s through a nine-episode descent into Stephen King’s clown-fueled folklore. Bill Skarsgård reprises his skin-crawling Pennywise, joined by a stellar ensemble including Taylour Paige as the resilient Sally Ragland, Jovan Adepo as the haunted Ben Hanscom precursor, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso, all unraveling Derry’s cycle of ancient evils and floating horrors before the Losers’ Club era. Fresh off a spine-chilling trailer drop that promises balloon-popping dread and small-town secrets, this slow-burn horror-drama—executive produced by the It duo—delivers weekly scares timed for Halloween, blurring the terror of childhood innocence lost in a web of eternal recurrence