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Esquire published its weekend viewing guide for Oct. 23, 2026, covering new theatrical releases and streaming and TV picks ahead of Halloween. Its selections include Wildwood, Clayface, Wicker, The Cycle, and returning Netflix series Nobody Wants This and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Esquire has published its weekend watchlist for Oct. 23, 2026, pointing readers to new theatrical releases including the stop-motion fantasy Wildwood, DC Studios horror film Clayface, and romantasy drama Wicker, alongside streaming and television picks. The guide arrives one week before Halloween and covers releases across cinemas, Shudder, Hulu, YouTube and Netflix.
In its report, Esquire identifies Wildwood as a major theatrical recommendation. The LAIKA stop-motion film adapts Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel and follows Prue, a Portland girl whose baby brother is taken by crows into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness. Esquire describes the story as a dark fantasy involving talking animals and warring tribes, and praises its animation and themes of family and bravery. Those assessments are the publication’s editorial judgments, not independent audience or critical consensus.
The other theater selections span different genres. Clayface is described by Esquire as a psychological horror film set in Gotham City, tracing actor Matt Hagen’s transformation after he tries to repair his disfigured face. Wicker stars Olivia Colman as a woman who commissions a basketmaker, played by Peter Dinklage, to create a husband; Alexander Skarsgård plays the resulting living figure. The guide calls the film a romantasy drama and says it has attracted attention online.
For home viewing, the list includes Shudder creature feature The Cycle, Hulu true-crime series Swipe Right on the Devil, and Adam Conover’s YouTube stand-up special, scheduled in the source report for Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. ET. Netflix selections include Nobody Wants This season three, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, and the return of Tony Scott’s True Romance. The source presents these as weekend options but does not provide a full release calendar or availability by region.
A Crowded Weekend Before Halloween
The guide offers a snapshot of a busy late-October release slate, with new theatrical titles competing for attention while streaming services add horror, returning series and older films. For readers deciding what to watch, its value is practical: it groups options by where they can be seen and distinguishes between cinema releases and at-home viewing.
The choices also show how distributors and platforms are approaching the pre-Halloween period. Horror appears in several forms, from the body horror premise of Clayface to Shudder’s creature feature and Hulu’s crime documentary. At the same time, the list includes animation, romance, comedy and a returning science-fiction anime series, so the weekend is not limited to seasonal horror viewing.
Esquire’s recommendations are editorial picks rather than a ranking or a guarantee of broad availability. The report’s enthusiastic language about individual titles reflects the editors’ opinions. Readers may want to check local cinema listings and platform catalogs before making plans, particularly where release dates or regional access differ.
Wildwood Colin Meloy illustrated novel
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The October Releases in Esquire’s Guide
The article frames the weekend as the final stretch before Halloween, noting that October still has new films and season premieres after the release of You Can See Everything, which it references at the start. It organizes recommendations into two main groups: movies in theaters and titles available through streaming or television.
Several picks are new installments or follow-ups. Nobody Wants This returns for a third season, with its central couple moving in together, while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 follows a new group of characters in Night City rather than continuing the original series’ story. The guide also notes that True Romance is returning to Netflix that week. The source does not specify a precise date for every title.
Esquire’s discussion of Wildwood links its visual approach to LAIKA’s earlier stop-motion films, including Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings. That production background helps explain why the editors single out the film, but the article does not report box-office figures, audience data or outside reviews.
““one of the most breathtaking movies I’ve seen all year””
— Esquire’s review of Wildwood
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Availability and Reception Remain Open
The source is a recommendation article, not a release-status report. It does not establish how widely each title is available, whether all listed services carry the same programming in every country, or whether the films will be showing in every local theater. The YouTube special is given a specific release time, but the report does not supply exact dates for every other selection.
Esquire’s descriptions of films as “excellent,” “breathtaking” or a viral sensation are editorial characterizations; the source provides no audience totals, box-office results or detailed critical averages to substantiate those broader assessments. It also does not say how the titles performed after release. The article’s final discussion of True Romance is cut off in the supplied source material, so its full assessment is unavailable.
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Check Listings Before You Watch
Readers can use Esquire’s list to choose among the featured releases, then confirm showtimes and streaming access directly with local theaters and the relevant platforms. The special by Adam Conover is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. ET according to the report; the publication also points readers to Conover’s interview with Lisa Hanawalt as a companion watch.
Further details that could clarify the weekend’s reception include audience response, cinema attendance and platform availability. Esquire’s piece does not provide those figures or announce follow-up coverage, so the immediate next step for viewers is to check current listings rather than assume every title is accessible in their area.
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Key Questions
What is Esquire recommending in theaters this weekend?
The guide highlights Wildwood, Clayface and Wicker as its theatrical picks for the weekend of Oct. 23, 2026.
Which horror titles are on the list?
Esquire includes the DC Studios film Clayface in theaters and Shudder’s creature feature The Cycle for streaming. It also lists Hulu’s true-crime series Swipe Right on the Devil.
When does Adam Conover’s special come out?
According to Esquire, Adam Conover: Big Divorce Energy is scheduled to be released on YouTube on Oct. 23, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET.
Are all the recommendations available everywhere?
The report does not confirm availability by country or local theater. Check current cinema listings and streaming platforms for the options available in your area.
Source: rss
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