Reel deal: October Movie Openings

THE ACCOUNTANT
Calculate your choices.

Crime | Drama
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons
In theaters: October 14

A certified genius with severe social issues poses as a mild-mannered CPA but secretly handles the finances for some of the most sinister criminals on the planet.

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
When you talk to the other side, you never know who will be listening.

Horror | Thriller
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Henry Thomas, Annalise Basso
In theaters: October 21

The daughter of a fortune-telling con artist becomes creepy after using a rigged Ouija board to usher evil spirits into the family’s home.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Drama | Biography
Director: Nate Parker
Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union
In theaters: October 7

Based on events that occurred in Virginia before the Civil War, an enslaved preacher fed up with the atrocious treatment of his people leads a violent rebellion with the hope of winning his freedom.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE
Rules aren’t for everyone.

Comedy
Director: Steve Carr
Starring: Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle
In theaters: October 7

After butting heads with his overbearing principal, the creative new kid in class embarks on a quest to break every one of the school’s rules.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
What you see can hurt you.

Mystery | Thriller
Director: Tate Taylor
Starring: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux
In theaters: October 7

A delusional divorcee witnesses a shocking event while on a train. After waking up covered in bruises, with no memory of the previous night’s events, she becomes the suspect of a criminal investigation.

THE GREASY STRANGLER

Thriller | Horror | Comedy
Director: Jim Hosking
Starring: Michael St. Michaels, Elizabeth De Razzo, Sky Elobar
In theaters: October 7

In what’s bound to be the most bizarre and disturbing film of 2016, a father and son compete for the affection of the same woman, while a lard-lathered serial killer leaves a trail of viscous victims across Los Angeles.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
Every couple needs a little action.

Action | Comedy
Director: Greg Mottola
Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher
In theaters: October 21

A complacent couple overly curious about their attractive new neighbors wind up risking their lives after discovering there’s more to these supposed suburbanites than meets the eye.

DESIERTO

Drama | Thriller
Director: Jonás Cuarón
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diego Cataño
In theaters: October 14

A band of Mexicans attempting to sneak into the U.S. run afoul of a gun-toting racist determined to dole out his own brand of justice while hunting unarmed illegal immigrants.

KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW?

Comedy | Documentary
Directors: Leslie Small, Tim Story
Starring: Kevin Hart, Dennis Keiffer, Halle Berry
In theaters: October 14

In this stand-up special that includes a few scripted scenes, the only comedian to have earned more money than Jerry Seinfeld performs before 53,000 people at Philadelphia’s football stadium.

BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN
Witch, please.

Comedy | Horror
Director: Tyler Perry
Starring: Tyler Perry, Bella Thorne, Cassi Davis
In theaters: October 21

Just in case the world needed another Madea movie, this Halloween-themed sequel pits the famously mad black woman - and Tyler Perry’s myriad other personas - against an army of evil creatures.

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK
Never give in. Never give up. Never go back.

Mystery | Crime
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh
In theaters: October 21

In this action-packed sequel to the 2012 hit, a lethal investigator and his onetime employer work together to get to the bottom of a pernicious government plot.

INFERNO
Every clue will take him deeper.

Mystery | Thriller
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Irrfan Khan
In theaters: October 28

In this follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, an acclaimed academic awakes in Italy with amnesia and joins forces with a local doctor to unravel his memory loss and prevent a global catastrophe.