Yahoo Finance What to watch this Halloween weekend: Netflix's 'Army of Thieves,' 'Last Night in Soho,' 'Antlers'
It's Halloween weekend, which means in addition to getting dressed up, you have to watch a horror movie. (It's pretty much the law.)
This weekend offers some good options in terms of chillers. "The Queen's Gambit" star Anya Taylor-Joy goes back in time for Edgar Wright's new psychological thriller. Keri Russell faces a primal beast in a horror film produced by monster king Guillermo del Toro. Kate Siegel ("Midnight Mass") has the worst hypnotherapist ever in a creepy mind-bender. And Zack Snyder's zombie movie "Army of the Dead" gets a heist-filled action-comedy prequel with a little undead flavor here and there.
Here's a guide to new movies that'll satisfy every cinematic taste:
Best horror movies: 10 thrilling, chilling films to watch for Halloween 2021
If you're all about the Swinging Sixties: 'Last Night in Soho'
Wright takes a detour from his usual fare with this tale of a young fashion student (Thomasin McKenzie) overwhelmed by her new London locale. At night, she dreams of the stylish era of the ’60s in the city and specifically a burgeoning lounge singer (Anya Taylor-Joy) trying to make it in a misogynistic world, though past horrors soon begin to invade present-day reality. While the first half is an eye-popping, neon-drenched, amazingly well-crafted affair, and late English actress Diana Rigg gets one last standout role, the movie begins to lose steam as it starts to mete out its bigger reveals.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you love freaky creature features: 'Antlers'
Directed by Scott Cooper ("Black Mass"), the supernatural drama stars Russell as a middle school teacher in a working-class Oregon town concerned about a quiet and withdrawn student (Jeremy T. Thomas) who creates terrifying drawings. The worry turns to terror, though, when the creature he's keeping locked up in his house gets loose. Plenty eerie, the film also deftly explores child abuse and trauma, plus offers an awesome and chilling design for a primal beast entrenched in indigenous mythology.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you could use a good cry: 'A Mouthful of Air'
Fresh off an Oscar nomination for "Mank," Amanda Seyfried plays successful children's author Julia, who writes about unlocking one's fears but is also a new mom suffering from anxiety and depression. After a suicide attempt, her husband (Finn Wittrock), doctor (Paul Giamatti) and others help to get Julia back on track, until her struggles return dealing with a childhood trauma and another pregnancy. The emotional drama isn't an easy watch, although occasional animated glimpses at Julia's beloved book protagonist give it a needed sense of hope.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you live for heist flicks: 'Army of Thieves'
Matthias Schweighöfer reprises his role as ace safecracker Dieter (and also directs this crime comedy) set six years before "Army of the Dead." A German bank teller, Dieter has some uncanny skills when it comes to popping impossible locks, and he's recruited by a mysterious pickpocket (Nathalie Emmanuel) to join a team planning to crack three infamous safes across Europe. It's mostly a goofy and fun adventure, thanks to Schweighöfer's heroic awkwardness, but its 127-minute running time and frequent references to America's zombie apocalypse keep it from being a snappy action film.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you're already wary of therapists: 'Hypnotic'
In the Lifetime-y thriller, Siegel stars as a woman named Jenn needing to get her groove back professionally and personally, and she's introduced to a charming and famous hypnotherapist (Jason O'Mara). The sessions seem to work at first until Jenn begins to experience blackouts and bad news in general, and she soon reaches out to a detective (Dulé Hill) to look into the not-so-good doctor. Siegel, so good in "Midnight Mass" and other spooky Netflix fare, is at least committed even if the overall narrative leans cheesy and predictable.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you're a Sung Kang super-fan: 'Snakehead'
Kang, a "Fast and Furious" stalwart, plays a hot-tempered human trafficker in this effective thriller. Sister Tse (Shuya Chang) agrees to be smuggled from Taiwan to New York City for a hefty price to find the daughter she lost years ago and subsequently works for a Chinatown crime family run by a no-nonsense matriarch (Jade Wu) to pay off her $57,000 debt. The quietly ambitious and determined Tse rises through the ranks and ultimately has to choose between reuniting with her now-teenage child or embracing her new ruthless side.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play
If you need a Halloween film for after the kids go to bed: 'The Spine of Night'
Those who grew up on 1981's cult film "Heavy Metal" and more adult-oriented animation will appreciate this horror fantasy that's big on gore, skull-crushing violence and sorcery despite some plot shakiness. (Though one comes to this more for carnage than narrative sense.) Lucy Lawless, back in her "Xena" element, voices a warrior woman who seeks out a magical flower that's brought war and hardship to her land, with the impressive cast also including Patton Oswalt as a deranged ruler and Richard E. Grant as a grizzled old magical guardian.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Army of Thieves,' 'Antlers': New movies streaming, in theaters
