Brandy Norwood once said, “That must be a full moon, felt like one of those nights.” Then October 2020 responded, “Oh bih, you mean TWO full moons.” Girl. The month is already full of chaos and covfefe, so here’s some trailers to tickle your fancy! Before I start, make sure you check out the Sincerely, Camille trailer, which we got an exclusive look at.
OK, let’s get it...
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (Netflix; Release Date: Oct. 15, 2020)
First Impressions: Tamara Smart leads this cast as Kelly Ferguson, who reluctantly babysits this kid on Halloween but things get wacky when she’s enlisted in a secret society of babysitters who protect kids with special powers from monsters. Wow, these babysitters better increase their rates. Hopefully, we won’t be telling mom the babysitter’s dead. The series also stars Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson as one of the society’s babysitters (Berna Vincent) and Indya Moore is playing one of the monsters (Peggy Drood)!
A World of Calm (HBO Max; Now Streaming)
First Impressions: Featuring the voices of Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, Zoë Kravitz and more, A World of Calm is exactly what we need right now—an escape into a world where we can just breathe and be. This virtual TV experience is piggybacking off of the success of Sleep Stories on the Calm app, which is basically the grownup version of bedtime stories. I’ll definitely be checking this out when I need those mellow vibes.
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 (Amazon Prime Video; Now Streaming)
First Impressions: Now, I must start this off by saying that The Root’s Corey Townsend is on his Ps and Qs and wrote a review/recap already, but if you aren’t part of the Navy and didn’t immediately jump on this one, I got you on the sneak peek. Not because you need an additional reason to watch—no one is ever undecided about Rihanna (except when it comes to guessing when her album is finally coming out). When Rihanna happens, we say yes...emphatically.
Bad President (Video On Demand; Release Date: Oct. 12, 2020)
First Impressions: This satirical comedy with the timely and relevant name stars Eddie Griffin as the Devil who is in search of someone who has very, very dark energy. One of his minions suggests MAGA No-Masked Donald Trump without hesitation because...duh. Thus, this is the story of how the Devil helped Trump become president of this shithole country. Chaos! Plus, Stormy Daniels will portray herself.
The Craft: Legacy (On Demand; Oct. 28, 2020)
First Impressions: The “light as a feather, stiff as a board” energy is back with The Craft: Legacy, Blumhouse’s continuation of the 1996 film, The Craft. Lovie Simone is taking the torch from Rachel True with the Black witch representation. This trailer is also a continuation of the slowed-down version of a popular song trend—this time, it’s a spooky rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
Chronicle of a Serial Killer (On Demand; Release Date: Oct. 5, 2020)
First Impressions: Let’s lead with the only part that matters—this film stars Earl “DMX” Simmons. WHAT?! Yes. *dog growl* This trailer was like sitting on the edge of my seat trying to unveil a mystery because I kept watching frames and frames of white folks while thinking, “WHERE IS DMX?!” and then he appeared at the 2-minute mark delivering his lines all, “girl, I guess.” LOL. This is exactly what I came for.
His House (Netflix; Release Date: Oct. 30, 2020)
First Impressions: Directed by Remi Weekes, His House stars Sopé Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku (!!!) and Matt Smith. The film follows a young refugee couple from South Sudan who move into a house in a small English town, and that house cannot be trusted because it’s super-duper haunted. This looks creepy as fuck and I want to watch it with my live-commentary-enthusiast friends.
Social Distance (Netflix; Release Date: Oct. 15, 2020)
First Impressions: Yes that’s right, we have yet another project on the topic of social distancing. Netflix was able to score the most obvious and most Googleable title—Social Distance. Like most of the lockdown content, this anthology series boasts an ensemble cast. It stars Danielle Brooks, Asante Blackk, Mike Colter, Lovie Simone and more. Oh, and shout-out to the excellent views of the crib—the beautiful Chicago.
Los Hermanos / The Brothers (Globedocs Film Festival, Oct. 4, 2020, and Mill Valley Film Festival, Oct. 10, 2020)
First Impressions: Ilmar and Aldo López-Gavilán are virtuoso Afro-Cuban musicians, but first, they are brothers. They’ve had parallel lives but due to life circumstances (Ilmar was sent to the U.S.S.R. as a teen to learn violin while Aldo remained in their birthplace of Cuba and was taught by the country’s leading pianists), they were separated by many many miles. Thus, they’ve never gotten to do what they always wanted—to perform live together. Yeah, this is going to bring the waterworks.
Benedict Men (Quibi; Now Streaming)
First Impressions: Executive produced by Steph Curry, Benedict Men chronicles the life of the students at all-boys school St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J. Specifically, the film follows the school’s nationally ranked basketball team as they strive to uphold the institution’s motto, “Whatever hurts my brother, hurts me.” Teamwork making the dream work!
Michael Jordan To The Max (IMAX; Release Date: Oct. 9, 2020)
First Impressions: Digitally remastered for IMAX, this film is celebrating 20 years since its debut and this rerelease is a perfect choice for folks still salivating for more MJ after The Last Dance. Similarly, this doc, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, follows MJ’s grand finale NBA championship. Do I have interest in seeing MJ take flight on a 70+ foot screen? Yes, I do. Will the lockdown make me hesitate to actually do it? Yes, it will.
No Ordinary Love (Drive-In Theatres in Select Cities; Release Dates: Oct. 24 and 25, 2020; Additional Screenings Expected in 2021)
First Impressions: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month so this film is extra relevant. Writer-Director Chyna Robinson presents No Ordinary Love (which of course, makes me think of Sade) a romantic thriller with the primary intention of continuing to spread awareness.
Belly of the Beast (Theaters and Virtual Cinemas; Release Date: Oct. 16, 2020)
First Impressions: We covered this film as part of the Human Rights Film Festival earlier this summer and now the doc, which chronicles the reproductive and human rights violations occurring at Central California Women’s Facility. From horrors such as sexual assault to illegal sterilization, those who are most impacted are women of color. Mary J. Blige lends her voice to the new trailer with the original song, “See What You’ve Done.”
Roald Dahl’s The Witches (HBO Max; Release Date: Oct. 22, 2020)
First Impressions: Remember that group of friends I referenced earlier who loved to engage in live commentary with me? Well, we actually recently revisited the 1990 film The Witches and enjoyed the most hilariously confusing night. Why was that film ever shown to kids?! Anyway, this new joint stars Jahzir Bruno (with adult narration by Chris Rock) and Octavia Spencer (who plays the little boy’s grandma). Also, it looks like this will be a group effort from an ensemble of filmmakers including Kenya Barris, who co-wrote the screenplay. From the trailer, it’s looking to be just as ridiculous as its predecessor. I can’t wait to watch with the same group of friends.
Spell (Digital; Release Date: Oct. 30, 2020)
First Impressions: As I clicked the link to this trailer, I immediately spied Omari Hardwick in the thumbnail—then I pressed play and was all, “...WHATTHEFUCKWASTHAT?!” And there’s Loretta Devine! Ah, it seems like she placed a “spell” (get it?! get it??!!) on a voodoo doll because Hardwick’s character didn’t respect his elders or something (this is a guess). This is a nigga Misery! Shenanigans ensue!
Òlòturé (Netflix; Now Streaming)
First Impressions: In this Nollywood film, (which was just released globally) Sharon Ooja portrays the titular character, a journalist who goes undercover to expose the world of human trafficking. This looks to be a powerful and raw look into sex workers from the lens of a determined Black female lead. Òlòturé is directed by Kenneth Gyang and co-written by Yinka Ogun and Craig Freimond.
Annnnnnd that’s all for this week! Catch you next Friday!
Correction: 10/6/2020, 9:03 a.m. ET: An earlier version of this story stated that the release date of The Craft: Legacy was Oct. 31. However, the correct release date is Oct. 28. The correct release date is now reflected above.