A new month means a new dose of movies landing on Paramount+ and there are plenty of good options to pick from for your October binge.
Topping the list for spooky season is “Doctor Sleep,” a sequel to “The Shining” from Stephen King adaptation maestro Mike Flanagan. The film is criminally underviewed and stands among the best of the author’s adaptations. If horror isn’t your bag, you can also scratch your “Odyssey” itch or grab one of the great non-superhero comic book adaptations.
Here are the three new movies to Paramount+ to check out this week.
Doctor Sleep
“Doctor Sleep” and the balancing act that Mike Flanagan achieved deserved more love than it got. “The Shining” is one of Stephen King’s most iconic novels, and the Stanley Kubrick adaptation is equally revered — by all but King himself. So when the time came to adapt the horror writer’s “Shining” sequel, Flanagan found a way to tell the story of a grown Danny Torrance that felt like a continuation of both the book and the elements Kubrick changed for his adaptation.
The film is long, but moves at such a brisk pace that it is rarely felt. And for the ever-growing number of fans of Rebecca Ferguson, revel in how she plays the villainous Rose the Hat with sick glee here.
Troy
2026 has been all about “The Odyssey” but if you’re wanting the story but wish it was hyper-focused on just the Battle of Troy than there’s a Brad Pitt gem waiting for you.
“Troy” is a full-on action movie. If you want to check out a sword and sandals movie with a heavy emphasis on the “sword” part of the equation, then “Troy” is the movie for you. And if the Trojan Horse scene from “The Odyssey” was the only part of the film that worked for you, then buddy do we have the film for you. But despite the action, Pitt is great as Achilles and Brian Cox is characteristically a scene-stealer as Agamemnon.
V For Vendetta
The 2005 film, based on iconic graphic novel writer Alan Moore’s “V for Vendetta,” takes place in London, which has become a police state following a world war. One man, donning a Guy Fawkes mask, wages his own battles against the secret police using terrorism and knives. One night, he saves a woman from the police and, in doing so, finds a willing ally to help take down the powers that be, who are commanding the city with an oppressive fist.
