The Film Fix: Previews, Reviews of What’s Streaming in October
Pictured above: The Witcher, Season 4, premieres on Netflix October 30.
By JONATHAN W. HICKMAN, Special to The Paper
Below are reviews and capsules of various movies or series streaming this month.
Review rating … A “Fix” is recommended with a rating between 6 and 10. A “No Fix” is not recommended with a rating between 1 to 5.
Streaming Selects
NETFLIX
The Witcher (season 4, October 30) – Season 4 is the first without Henry Cavill inthe lead role of Geralt of Rivia. Stepping in for Cavill is Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth, who played Gale in “The Hunger Games.” This installment, along with season 5, will reportedly adapt from Polish writer Andrej Sapkowski’s best-
sellers “Baptism of Fire,” “The Tower and the Swallow,” and “Lady of the Lake.” We will see if “The Witcher” continues to excite fans after Cavill’s exit. Given the success of the latest entry in the “Witcher” video game franchise, having sold north of 60 million copies, it’s likely that this series will still have life beyond its previous beefy headliner.
APPLE TV+
The Lost Bus (Now Streaming) – After a limited theatrical run, the Matthew McConaughey survival drama makes its streaming premiere on Apple’s platform. The film is based on actual events and adapted from Lizzie Johnson’s non-fiction book “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.” Most viewers will remember the deadly Northern California fire that completely destroyed a small town. The movie focuses on the heroic efforts of bus driver Kevin McKay (McConaughey) and teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), who brave the flames to evacuate 22 children.
HBO MAX
It: Welcome to Derry (Series Premiere on October 26) – This show is a prequel to Stephen King’s “It.” The tale traces the origins of the horrible clown villain Pennywise in the town of Derry, Maine. Actor Bill Skarsgård returns to the role he embodied in the 2017 and 2019 films. This expansion of King’s frightening novel pulls from his other works, with “The Shining” character Dick Hallorann appearing in the story. The series is planned for three seasons, with season one set in 1962, season two in 1935, and the third in 1908. Episodes will release weekly.
PEACOCK
Honey Don’t (Now Streaming) – 7/10 Fix Rating – After experiencing last year’s “Drive-Away Dolls,” I thought I wanted nothing to do with director Ethan Coen and co- writer Tricia Cooke’s next leg of their reported “lesbian trilogy.” Their idea was to make a series of B-movies that prominently featured lesbian protagonists. What sounded like an intriguing concept felt utterly flat with the first effort. Thankfully, the uneven whimsy that hampered “Dolls” has been primarily abandoned with “Honey Don’t!,” a charming detective picture with a hero played by A-lister Margaret Qualley that most viewers will want to get behind.
SNL (Now Streaming) – With many cast changes and some new additions, “Saturday Night Live” will try to navigate the fraught political landscape as the show attempts to satirize the events of the day. The first episode will be hosted by Bad Bunny with Doja Cat as the musical guest.
HULU
Barbarian (Now Streaming) – If you liked this year’s horror sensation “Weapons,” you should check out director Zach Cregger’s 2022 entry “Barbarian.” This ambitious horror entry is a nasty collection of scares that might make you check your red flags when you book that random weekend getaway. One extended flashback sequence in Cregger’s film is particularly artful. And by reaching into America’s past, Cregger gives us a satisfying, if also over-the-top ridiculous, backstory explaining the tragedy unfolding in the present day. And the bright, saturated colors of the flashback make a great contrast with the more current storyline. The juxtaposition helps boost Cregger’s entire production in an unexpected way.
The Complete Saw Franchise (Now Streaming) – Just in time for Halloween, all the films in the series, starting with the 2004 original forward, will be available for a Jigsaw marathon.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (October 22) – This is a 2025 remake of the 1992 hit film that was directed by the late great Curtis Hanson (see “8 Mile”), who left the cinema world way too early. Mary Elizabeth Winstead steps into the role played previously by Annabella Sciorra, and “Longlegs” star Maika Monroe is the disturbed nanny previously inhabited by Rebecca De Mornay. The plot is simple, but beyond the thriller hook, this one’s success will depend on the performances and the pacing to be as effective as the surprising original.
DISNEY+
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Now Streaming) – This 1983 Disney cult classic finally drops on the platform. The screenplay is adapted from the best-selling novel by Ray Bradbury. The story concerns the arrival in a small, innocent town of a fiendish circus led by the mysterious Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce). The cast is terrific with Pam Grier, Diane Ladd, and Jason Robards. This one might not scare viewers like modern horror films, but it is sufficiently creepy and an edgy entry at the time for the otherwise family-friendly Disney.
Jonathan W. Hickman is an entertainment attorney, filmmaker, college professor, and novelist. More about Jonathan can be found by visiting: filmproductionlaw.com.
