A fresh wave of entertainment arrives on screens this week, headlined by a toy-based action adventure and a boldly unconventional comedy. Here are seven films worth your time across streaming platforms and traditional television.
Pick of the week
Matchbox the Movie
Following the commercial success of Barbie, Mattel is expanding its slate of film adaptations. Before audiences encounter Polly Pocket on screen, the beloved line of miniature toy vehicles receives a high-octane treatment in director Sam Hargrave's energetic action-comedy. The film stars John Cena as Sean, a CIA operative who travels back to his hometown for a funeral and reunites with four childhood companions collectively known as the Matchbox Gang. Among them is Aimee, a paramedic portrayed by Jessica Biel who was Sean's youthful romantic interest. When Sean becomes implicated in the theft of a nuclear warhead, his old friends are drawn into his dangerous existence of espionage, hand-to-hand combat and, inevitably, high-performance vehicles.
The film premiered globally on Apple TV on 9 October 2026. It runs 2 hours 6 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating for action violence and language. The Apple Original Film is a collaboration between Skydance Media and Mattel Studios, with a screenplay by David Coggeshall.
Animals
Ben Affleck's intricate kidnapping thriller experienced a delayed release in 2024 after scheduling conflicts with Spike Lee's similarly themed Highest 2 Lowest, itself a reimagining of a Kurosawa film. The project has now arrived, with Affleck taking the lead role—a position originally intended for Matt Damon. Affleck portrays an attorney pursuing the office of Los Angeles mayor, while Kerry Washington plays his spouse. Their son's abduction for ransom sets in motion a narrative where ethical and political considerations become increasingly murky. Gillian Anderson delivers a memorable supporting turn as a composed English operative enlisted to assist in the crisis.
The film arrived on Netflix on 9 October 2026 and received a simultaneous theatrical release in select cinemas. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Adriana Paz.
Poor Things
Emma Stone delivers a fearless, transformative performance in this audaciously unconventional film from director Yorgos Lanthimos. Stone portrays Bella, a woman brought back to life with the brain of her unborn child implanted by the scientist Godwin, a character reminiscent of Frankenstein's creator, played by Willem Dafoe. As Bella gradually acquires the ability to walk and communicate, she becomes driven by curiosity about the world around her. Mark Ruffalo appears as Duncan Wedderburn, a charming seducer who fantasises about moulding Bella to his desires—yet Bella proves to possess her own agency and determination. This peculiar, darkly humorous film, adapted from Alasdair Gray's novel, unfolds in a meticulously crafted Victorian-inspired world that feels both familiar and fantastical.
Saturday 10 October, 10pm,
Red Rooms
In Montreal, Canada, a trial commences for a man accused of murdering three teenage girls—crimes he documented and distributed to paying rs on the dark web. Director Pascal Plante's increasingly unsettling psychological examination tracks the legal proceedings and the accompanying media spectacle through the perspective of Kelly-Anne, a model portrayed by Juliette Gariépy, who attends court sessions regularly. The film poses an unsettling question: what draws her to these proceedings? Is she a devotee of the clearly culpable defendant? A consumer of true-crime narratives? Or is her motivation something far more sinister? Gariépy's enigmatic portrayal sustains the mystery throughout nearly the entire runtime.
Saturday 10 October, 11.20pm, Film4
Killing Anna
Sam Benstead's extraordinary documentary centres on Annsar Shahhoud, a researcher specialising in genocide studies at the University of Amsterdam who was born in Syria. After receiving video documentation of massacres perpetrated by the Assad regime, Shahhoud established a deceptive online presence under the alias Anna Sh. Through this false identity, she cultivated relationships with Syrian government officials and armed group members, ultimately securing their confessions regarding their participation in the systematic murder of civilians in Damascus. The emotional weight of this work is evident, yet so too is Shahhoud's determination to expose the truth.
I weaponise myself, my trauma.
Monday 12 October, 11.05pm,
Masterplan
Stanley Tucci brings his considerable charisma to the role of Roger Cavendish, a gentleman criminal who orchestrates an elaborate scheme in Thomas Vincent's heist comedy. Cavendish recruits his estranged offspring—Chiara, a computer specialist portrayed by Simona Tabasco from The White Lotus, and Jay, an explosives technician played by Victor Belmondo—into an audacious plot to pilfer the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. The tentative reconciliation between the separated family members serves primarily as context for the film's true focus: elaborate gadgetry, creative disguises and shifting allegiances. While the narrative borrows liberally from the Mission: Impossible franchise's playbook, Tucci's presence elevates much of the material with genuine wit and charm.
Friday 16 October, Prime Video
Moss & Freud
Derek Jacobi, who previously delivered an acclaimed portrayal of post-war British art titan Francis Bacon in 1998's Love Is the Devil, now tackles the late-career incarnation of painter Lucian Freud in James Lucas's intriguing period piece. The narrative draws from the true story of supermodel Kate Moss, convincingly portrayed by Ellie Bamber, sitting for a portrait by the renowned artist. The film explores both the similarities and contrasts between its two subjects: Moss embodies the hedonistic spirit of contemporary British fashion, while Freud represents the disciplined approach of an elder master craftsman. Yet beneath the surface, Freud harbours his own capacity for excess, while Moss discovers a grounding influence through their recurring artistic sessions.
Friday 16 October, HBO Max
