STACK #252 October 2025

MOVIES & TV PREVIEWS

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WHAT’S OUT THIS MONTH? October brings the spooky season, with plenty of horror treats just in time for Halloween, but there’s also plenty for those who prefer their thrills mild. Alongside the big releases featured elsewhere in this issue of STACK , here’s a taste of what’s coming. Words Glenn Cochrane

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON AID RELEASE DATE: Oct 1 GENRE: Adventure FORMAT: 4K, BD, DVD

THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY - SEASON 2 Madman RELEASE DATE: Oct 15 GENRE: TV Horror FORMAT: BD, DVD The dead are walking once more, as The Walking Dead: Dead City shuffles into its second season and drags the franchise into even darker, bloodier ground. Following the fallout of Season 1, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey

EDITOR’S PICK F1 Roadshow RELEASE DATE: Oct 8 GENRE: Action FORMATS: DVD, BD, 4K, JB Exclusive Steelbook If high-octane action gets your heart racing, F1 is the ultimate thrill ride. Brad Pitt teams up with director Joseph Kosinski ( Top Gun: Maverick ) to deliver a pulse-pounding look inside the fiercely competitive world of Formula 1 racing. Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a former '90s racing superstar drawn back into the sport for one last shot at glory. But the track has changed and he’s up against a new generation of young, ruthless drivers who will stop at nothing to reach the top. Fans of Days of Thunder and Gran Turismo will be on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Fans of the beloved animated hit How to Train Your Dragon can now experience the magic in a whole new way, with an epic live-action adaptation from the film’s original director. Bringing the characters

to life on screen are Mason Thames ( The Black Phone ), Nico Parker ( Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy ), Nick Frost ( Hot Fuzz ), and Gerard Butler, returning as Stoick the Vast. Praised by critics for its sweeping spectacle and heartfelt storytelling, this family friendly adventure delivers both wonder and nostalgia. Even better, it sets the stage for the recently confirmed sequel, which will adapt the animated follow-up into live action.

Dean Morgan) press on with their uneasy truce, forced to survive among the ruins of Manhattan - a city crawling with walkers and ruled by merciless predators. Trust is scarce, vengeance is everywhere, and survival is a gamble that costs dearly. Brutal, relentless, and packed with nail-biting twists, Dead City returns with more chaos, more carnage, and more reasons to keep watching.

PRISONER OF WAR Eagle RELEASE DATE: Oct 1 GENRE: War FORMAT: DVD

GET AWAY AID RELEASE DATE: Oct 15 GENRE: Horror FORMAT: DVD

Inspired by real World War II events, Prisoner of War tells the gripping story of British RAF Wing Commander James Wright (Scott Adkins), who is shot down during the Battle of Bataan and taken captive by Japanese forces. Imprisoned in a brutal POW camp, Wright is forced into savage

In the spirit of Speak No Evil and Eden Lake, Get Away is a traumatic and often amusing, chiller that sees a family holiday turned into a living Hell. Richard (Nick Frost), Susan (Aisling Bea), and their two teenage children set off on what’s meant to be the ultimate family

hand-to-hand combat for the guards’ entertainment, facing off against skilled and merciless opponents. What they don’t expect is that Wright’s years of martial arts training in Hong Kong have prepared him to be a deadly adversary. Directed by Australian filmmaker Louis Mandylor, this intense war drama blends historical grit with explosive action.

bonding trip – a getaway to a remote Swedish island. At first, it promises breathtaking scenery and simple fun, but paradise quickly unravels when news spreads that a dangerous fugitive is on the loose. Even more unsettling are the island’s strange and hostile locals, whose behaviour suggests not everything is as it seems.

THE SHROUDS AID RELEASE DATE: Oct 8 GENRE: Horror FORMAT: DVD

Y2K AID RELEASE DATE: Oct 15 GENRE: Horror FORMAT: DVD

Horror fans, take note – Canadian maestro David Cronenberg returns to his grotesque body horror roots with The Shrouds , a chilling exploration of grief, death, and obsession. Vincent Cassel stars as a wealthy widower who develops a disturbing postmortem technology that allows the bereaved

Here’s a throwback that lands differently depending on your generation. Gen X viewers will nod along to the Y2K paranoia of the late ’90s, while younger audiences might wonder what all the fuss was about. Either way, it’s a wild ride. Two high school nobodies set out to crash the final

to witness the slow decay of their loved ones after burial. Would you expect anything less grotesque from the 82-year-old visionary behind The Fly and Scanners ? Also featuring Guy Pearce and Diane Kruger in dual roles, The Shrouds is essential viewing for Cronenberg devotees and admirers of provocative, twisted horror. A perfect nightmare for Halloween season. Coming in NOVEMBER

big party of the millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. But when midnight strikes, the feared Y2K bug comes alive, triggering a tech uprising that threatens their families, their town, and the entire world. Chaos, laughs, and nostalgia collide in this outrageous adventure starring Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, and Aussie rapper The Kid Laroi.

MATERIALISTS AID RELEASE DATE: Oct 22 GENRE: Comedy FORMAT: BD, DVD

November is set to be another huge month of big tentpole releases, with recent cinema hits The Naked Gun , Weapons , and The Life of Chuck leading a fellowship of must-see titles such as M3GAN 2.0, Smurfs, and 1923: Season 2 .

Materialists is a rom-com built around an unusual love triangle. While the ending may feel predictable, it’s the journey that matters here – and it’s a unique one. Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and

Pedro Pascal star in this story of a professional matchmaker with a deeply superficial, materialistic worldview. Though not wealthy herself, she idolises money and status, so when a charming multimillionaire (Pascal) sweeps into her life, she’s instantly captivated. But when her flawed – and broke – ex (Evans) resurfaces, old feelings and inner conflict come rushing back. Surprisingly layered and often hilarious, Materialists is a must for suckers for good rom-coms.

XX OCTOBER 2025

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