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Mountain Run with a Hammer, Snowman and Birthday Cake?
Blade Runner 2049 (by Warner Bros. Pictures)
There are films for all ages and tastes premiering in Australian theatres this month. From thrillers and horror to sci-fi, superhero and survival adventures, start with these top 5 movies in October.
Blade Runner 2049 – October 5
Rated MA15 for strong violence
3 decades after the premiere of Blade Runner, the cult sci-fi film based on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, this sequel returns to the dark world of blade runners as they hunt rogue androids.
These replicants, exposed with an interrogation to measure empathy, left us wondering if Deckard (Harrison Ford), the blade runner chasing Roy Batty, the leader of a violent crew of replicants, may also be a replicant.
In Blade Runner 2049, a new blade runner (Ryan Gosling) continues the hunt, teaming with Deckard to attempt to answer the question we've debated since the original film.
The special effects to portray the dystopian future were spectacular in 1982 and the sequel, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), is equally stunning, continuing a stellar track record of intriguing stories and immersive films.
Blade Runner 2049 also stars Robin Wright (House of Cards) and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club).
The Mountain Between Us (by 20th Century Fox)
The Mountain Between Us – October 12
Classification Pending
After hitting an iceberg in Titanic, Kate Winslet's disastrous search for love continues as she's stranded with a stranger (Idris Elba - Luther, The Dark Tower) at the peak of snow-capped mountain. Suffering injuries and struggling to find a path to safety, they find love but will they live long enough to enjoy it?
Set in the remote wilderness of the Uintas Mountains in Utah, The Mountain Between Us adds a romantic dynamic to the genre of survival films, including 127 Hours, Everest and Touching the Void, driven by the chemistry of Kate and Idris's portrayal.
Directed by two-time Academy Award nominee, Hany Abu-Assad, The Mountain Between Us also stars, albeit briefly, Beau Bridges and Dermot Mulroney.
After 16 films based on the comic book characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superheroes, including Iron Man, Black Widow and Captain America, are now featuring in mash-up films, including the highest-grossing film of 2016, Captain America: Civil War.
The adventure continues with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), trapped on a strange world and without his mythical hammer, challenged to a duel with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to rescue his homeworld of Asgard.
The potential for an epic battle to match the excitement of the airport sequence as Captain America fought Iron Man in 2016, grows with the scheming of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and a supporting cast delivering lyrical dialogue. This latest chapter aims to satisfy comic book fans as they prepare for Avengers: Infinity War in 2019.
Directed by Taika Waititi (Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Thor: Ragnarok also stars Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, and Anthony Hopkins.
The Snowman – October 19
Classification Pending
Nordic noir has become a global hit with crime fiction fans since the release of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, and Jo Nesbø is one of the genre's most successful authors.
The Snowman, based on her novel and filmed in Norway, follows Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs), a local detective eager to apply his FBI training to a series of gruesome murders.
After finding 2 women murdered beside bloodied snowmen, Harry confronts a dark period of Norway's past, finding similarities with the crimes of the country's first serial killer. As he follows the clues with a new recruit, they form an emotional bond which complicates the chase.
Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg (Melancholia), Val Kilmer (The Doors) and J. K. Simmons (Whiplash).
Rated M for horror themes, violence, sexual references and coarse language
The time loop, a plot device forcing the protagonist to relive a crucial moment, has featured in dozens of films, from The Terminator and Live. Die. Repeat.:Edge of Tomorrow, to Groundhog Day and Primer.
Happy Death Day takes a terrifying twist on the genre, after the curiously named Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe - La La Land) is killed on her birthday.
She awakens to relive her birthday, and death, over and over again. Although the joy of repeated receiving presents and birthday cake sounds great, the day is spoiled by off-key renditions of Happy Birthday...and her murder.
Eventually, the novelty wears off and she searches for clues to unmask her killer's identity. While Bill Murray found romance in Groundhog Day, can Tree stay alive at the end of her special day?
Directed by Christopher Landon (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones), Happy Death Day also stars Israel Broussard (The Bling Ring) and Ruby Modine (Shameless).
Which movie tops your list for October? Please let us know with a comment.
