Occupying the slightly edgier end of the currently thriving horror genre, Damien Leone’s Terrifier franchise got a major boost with the breakout success of 2022’s Terrifier 2, ensuring a third entry in the gleefully nasty series. Terrifier 3 sees mute sadist Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) plying his wares at Christmastime—is nothing sacred?!—and continues to focus on Sienna (Lauren LaVera), the protagonist of the second film, with an increased presence for Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi), a survivor of Art’s rampage in the first film. And appearances by cult treasures Clint Howard and Tom Savini! Fans won’t be disappointed according to Sean, who says the film “goes hard from the opening scene and never lets up,” and calls it a “sick twist on a Christmas movie… each kill sequence delivers something new, gnarly and memorable.” Meanwhile, Jacob reassures/cautions that “it’s exactly what you think it is!” and Anthony reckons it’s a “demented sick film that is a beautifully deranged blast from start to finish.” “As an enormous fan of Terrifier 2, it pains me to say that this is aggressively fine,” counters Trace. Now in theaters in the US, the UK and Australia.

Overcoming multiple hurdles in order to arrive in theaters in time for the US election, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice depicts a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) being mentored in the ways of being terrible by infamous New York fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) as the future president attempts to make a name for himself in ’70s/’80s New York. The film’s power comes from its lead performances, according to Claira: “At its absolute best when it’s Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan leaning fully into their respective roles and bouncing off each other at a rate of 1,000.” Patrick reckons it’s “smarter than it looks,” and argues that “it’s not so much about Trump, but more about the society that paved the way for his career.” “Much more interesting as a Devil’s Advocate two-hander than as a Trump origin story,” asserts Katey. “Abbasi [manages] to portray Trump not as a cartoonish villain, but rather as the human being we all like to forget he is,” says Ana. “This isn’t to say that Abbasi gives Trump an out, or that he justifies his particular brand of evil. Instead, what The Apprentice shows is just how easy it is to lose all sense of morality in a country where the only way to climb up the ladder is to step on people’s heads, hands and bodies.” Now in theaters in the US, the UK and Australia.

Seemingly well-timed to benefit from the upswing in enthusiasm for weepy romantic dramas—perhaps attributable to the box-office success of It Ends with Us—We Live In Time follows a couple played by Andrew Garfield (who is reteaming here with John Crowley, the director of his 2007 breakout Boy A) and Florence Pugh over a long period and in a non-linear fashion. “Made me cry in all the right ways,” says Ira. Siobhan got exactly what she wanted: “Water leaking out of my eyes for two hours straight, two of my favorite actors coming for their Oscars, and one of the most memorable birth scenes in recent cinema.” It’s “the perfect date night movie”, according to Wendell, who confirms that “it’s pretty much everything you expect from a romantic melodrama, but it hits every mark”. And yes, that viral carousel horse is actually in the movie. Now in select US theaters, going wide on October 18.

Kiwi producer-director (and Lord of the Rings star Wood back in the New Zealand countryside, and Jasher says that “it plays like a family-friendly adventure movie straight out of the ’70s/’80s.” Nadine calls it “delightful and funny, kind, magical, and oddly relatable,” and Shay promises “Paddington levels of charm!” In select US theaters October 18.

It was very satisfying to see acclaimed indie filmmaker Sean Baker, who we’ll always love for being a Letterboxd early adopter, get his long-deserved flowers at Cannes this year when his latest movie, Anora, took home the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. The film centers around the titular exotic dancer (played by Scream’s Mikey Madison) whose life is turned upside down when she impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Marta says it “doesn’t let you breathe until the credits roll,” and Shookone boils it down to “the Safdies on MDMA × Tarantino without a script, little budget and cojones × a splash of screwball × a dash of slapstick × a spritzer of rom-com.” Sounds alright to me. “To just say that this is the funniest movie of the year would not be enough to represent all that is great about it,” asserts Joe. Or, as Sam says, “Baker does for sex workers what Martin Scorsese did for gangsters.” In select US theaters October 18, rolling out globally at the end of the month.

Celebrated Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin (My Winnipeg) and his repeat collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson follow world leaders getting lost in the woods on their way to an important summit in their new film Rumours, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year. It counts Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander and Charles Dance (playing the US president!) amongst its cast. Reaction has been all over the place, with Bert calling it “a camp and colorful and chaotic mess!” and Cole declaring it to be a “deeply absurd and gut-bustingly funny skewering of neoliberal nonsense.” “It’s a testament to Guy Maddin that even at his most ‘conventional’ and ‘accessible’ (big name actors doing goofy political satire) this is still chock full of incredible and beautiful artificial comic-horror surrealism,” argues Josh. In select US theaters October 18.

Anna Kendrick directs and stars in Woman of the Hour, which portrays a remarkable real-life incident from 1978 in which a serial killer appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game. Kendrick plays the woman he ends up being matched with on the show, and the Pitch Perfect/A Simple Favor star is receiving much praise for her directorial debut, especially for how she captures the experience of women forced to interact with misogynistic men, let alone ones who murder. “Genuinely chilling and so unsettling to watch,” says Ema. Bella’s reaction is representative of many: “Several people I know were at this screening, and none of us could put into words what we experienced. We just wiped our tears, and gave a knowing look.” Will calls it “one [taut], unsettling, and all-too-timely film that will really get under your skin.” On Netflix October 18.