Movies

Netflix has expanded its October 2026 catalogue with a selection of new films and documentary productions, reflecting the streaming industry’s continued emphasis on different genres and audience interests. Among the month’s principal releases is Animals, a thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck, which arrived on the platform on October 9. The film also features Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson. Its release forms part of a broader autumn schedule that combines original films, returning television series and documentary projects focused on subjects from popular culture and entertainment history.

Animals follows Mark, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate played by Affleck, and his wife Abigail, portrayed by Washington. Their lives are disrupted when they learn that their son has been kidnapped, forcing them to respond to demands that threaten both their family and Mark’s public career. The story combines elements of a crime thriller with questions involving personal responsibility and the consequences of difficult decisions. Affleck also participated in writing the screenplay. Although the narrative includes a political character, the production is presented as a fictional suspense story rather than a report about real political events.

The October schedule also includes several documentary projects examining figures who influenced television, film and comedy. Who Is Martin Mull?, released on October 7, explores the career of the actor, comedian, musician and visual artist. The documentary was directed by Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley and examines Mull’s work across different creative disciplines. Another October release, Lorne, focuses on Lorne Michaels, the Canadian-born television producer associated with the creation and long-running success of Saturday Night Live. Together, these projects demonstrate the continuing role of documentary filmmaking in preserving and interpreting entertainment history.

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Nina Roza, a film written and directed by Quebec filmmaker Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, has been selected to represent Canada in the competition for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. Telefilm Canada announced the decision on August 25, 2026, following a review by a pan-Canadian committee of filmmakers and industry professionals. The film was chosen from 17 submissions and will enter the Academy’s selection process ahead of the ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027. The selection represents Canada’s official submission, not an Academy Award nomination.

The film follows Mihail, a man who returns to Bulgaria three decades after leaving the country. His journey begins when a video of an eight-year-old artist attracts the attention of an art collector, who sends Mihail to evaluate the child’s work. The assignment brings him back into contact with memories and personal circumstances he had left behind. The story explores migration, artistic identity and the relationship between an individual’s present life and the place from which they came. The cast includes Galin Stoev, Sofia Stanina, Ekaterina Stanina, Michelle Tzontchev, Christian Bégin and Chiara Caselli.

Nina Roza has already received recognition on the international festival circuit. It premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, where Dulude-De Celles received the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. The film also received an Audience Award at the Sofia International Film Festival and appeared at events in Istanbul, Jeonju and Shanghai. Its North American premiere took place at Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma on April 22, 2026, followed by a theatrical release in Quebec on April 24. These appearances have provided opportunities for the production to reach audiences beyond its original creative and geographic context.

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Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley has completed principal photography on The Bell Jar, a new screen adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s influential novel. Focus Features announced the production milestone on September 15, 2026, confirming that the project had finished filming. Polley both directed the film and adapted the screenplay, returning to feature filmmaking after receiving the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking. The upcoming production brings together a well-known literary work, an internationally recognized director and a cast that includes performers from different areas of the entertainment industry.

Singer and songwriter Billie Eilish leads the cast, alongside Carey Mulligan, Danielle Deadwyler, Lili Taylor, Ella Beatty, Maggie Kuntz, Connor Storrie and Canadian actor Dylan Hawco. Eilish’s participation has attracted attention because of her established musical career and the significance of taking on a leading film role. However, the involvement of a prominent musician does not by itself indicate how an adaptation will be received. Acting, directing, editing and the interpretation of the original material will all contribute to the completed production.

First published in 1963, The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood, a young woman confronting questions about identity, social expectations and her mental health. The novel has remained an important work of twentieth-century literature, with its treatment of psychological distress and personal autonomy continuing to prompt discussion among readers and scholars. Adapting the book for a contemporary audience requires decisions about narrative perspective, period setting and the representation of Esther’s experiences. A screen adaptation also involves translating internal narration into dialogue, performance and visual storytelling.

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The National Film Board of Canada has announced that 16 new productions and co-productions have received approval over the past year, expanding its collection of projects currently in development and production. The announcement, published on September 2, 2026, includes feature-length documentaries, shorter nonfiction works, animated films and digital storytelling projects. The selected productions explore different aspects of life in Canada, reflecting the organization’s continued involvement in supporting filmmakers working across a variety of subjects and artistic approaches.

Among the projects identified by the NFB is The Crossing, a feature-length documentary directed by Aisling Chin-Yee and developed as a co-production. The wider selection includes projects created by filmmakers with different professional backgrounds, providing opportunities for varied approaches to storytelling. Documentaries may examine personal experiences, historical developments or contemporary social questions, while animation allows filmmakers to communicate ideas through visual forms that are not limited to conventional live-action production. The range of formats demonstrates the continuing diversity of Canadian screen production.

The National Film Board was established in 1939 and has developed a significant body of documentary, animated and experimental work over subsequent decades. Its activities include production, distribution, preservation and educational access to films. Unlike a conventional commercial studio, the organization operates as a federal cultural institution with a public mandate. That distinction influences the kinds of projects it supports, including works that may have cultural or educational value without necessarily being designed for large theatrical audiences.

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A new survival thriller is preparing to arrive in cinemas on October 16, 2026, bringing an unconventional underwater story to the autumn movie calendar. Whalefall, distributed by 20th Century Studios, follows a young man who finds himself trapped inside a sperm whale while searching for the remains of his deceased father. The film is directed by Brian Duffield and adapted from the novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus. Combining a confined survival scenario with a family drama, the production presents a story in which physical danger and unresolved personal experiences are closely connected.

Austin Abrams stars as Jay Gardiner, a young diver who travels into the waters off California’s central coast in search of his father’s remains. During the dive, he is swallowed by a whale and faces the prospect of running out of oxygen. The story establishes a limited amount of time for the character to find a way out, placing much of the dramatic tension within an exceptionally restricted environment. Josh Brolin portrays Jay’s father, while the supporting cast includes Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd.

The screenplay was written by Duffield and Kraus, allowing the original author to participate directly in adapting the material for cinema. Translating a novel built around an unusual survival situation creates several storytelling challenges. A film must communicate the character’s surroundings, physical limitations and emotional responses through images and sound, while maintaining a coherent sense of space. The production’s central premise also requires audiences to distinguish between the fictional scenario and ordinary biological reality. Its unusual setting is part of the story’s dramatic construction rather than a scientific depiction of a typical encounter between a human and a whale.

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