What To Watch This Weekend: 'Halloween,' 'What They Had' And More

In a timely fashion, "Halloween" makes a big splash on the big screen this weekend, as Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role that made her a star.

Also headed to theaters is the Lee Israel biopic "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," starring Melissa McCarthy as the late literary biographer. Meanwhile, Hilary Swank and Blythe Danner shine light on Alzheimer's in the searing drama "What They Had."

Craving a period piece? "Wildlife" makes its debut on the big screen, starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal as a couple of lost souls trying to save their marriage and family.

Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

Movies Out This Weekend

"Halloween" — Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, directed by David Gordon Green

Remember Michael Myers, the masked psycho-maniac who was ever-ready to wreak havoc and homicide? Well, he's back in the direct sequel to the 1978 film, "Halloween." (No need to watch the other eight disappointing sequels.)

In it, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her iconic role as Lorie Strode — the young woman who narrowly escaped Myers' savagery 40 years prior.

This time around, Strode, now a grandmother living in seclusion, has been waiting patiently for her chance to get even with Myers (Nick Castle). Will she finally get her wish to face him for their final confrontation?

See it. The Curtis-Green duo resuscitates the “Halloween” franchise from death.

Watch the trailer:

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?" — Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, directed by Marielle Heller

In Marielle Heller's biopic, Melissa McCarthy stars as the late biographer Lee Israel who finds herself involved in felonious escapades.

During the thrilling 1970s in Manhattan, Israel has authored two best-selling biographies, earning her an entry into New York's stylish literary scene. However, when her third book, a biography of Estee Lauder, tanks, her downfall ensues. In the blink of an eye, she becomes a social pariah living in poverty.

But soon enough, fate intervenes. After stealing and then selling two letters written by stage pioneer Fanny Brice from a public library, she concocts her next career — a sophisticated forger of correspondences from literary and entertainment greats. Suddenly, life is once again looking up for Israel, until the FBI follows her trail of crime, theft, and deception.

See it. The title poses a provocative question, and the startling answer lies in Heller’s deft direction and McCarthy’s commanding performance.

Watch the trailer:

"What They Had" — Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Blythe Danner, directed by Elizabeth Chomko

Writer-director Elizabeth Chomko's first feature film is about a family in crisis. At the center of the story is Bridget (Hilary Swank), a California chef who returns to her childhood home in Chicago to deal with her mother, Ruth (Blythe Danner), who is suffering from Alzheimer's.

Upon arrival, Bridget learns that her brother Nicky (Michael Shannon) believes their mother should be placed in a "memory care" nursing facility, but her father, Bert (Robert Foster) insists that Ruth's place is with him at home.

As the whole family wrestles with the horrors of their mother’s disease, Bridget must find a win-win solution for everybody, since she has power of attorney for both of her parents. In the meantime, she is also grappling with her own troubled marriage.

See it. Over-sentimental, it’s not! Poignant, and fearless to speak the harsh truth, it is! Plus, the whole cast is on fire.

Watch the trailer:

"Wildlife" — Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, directed by Paul Dano

Paul Dano's directorial debut follows the deepening rift between married couple Jerry Brinson (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Jeannette Brinson (Carey Mulligan), a golf pro and a stay-at-home mom in 1960s Montana.

At the center of the coming-of-age story is 14-year-old Joe (Ed Oxenbould), the Brinsons' only child who grows up feeling the pressures of parental strife, ultimately experiencing the dissolution of his parents' marriage.

The period drama, which is based on Robert Ford’s novel of the same title, opens with the Brinson family trying to get settled in their new home. Everything in their life is seemingly acceptable — that is, until Jerry becomes unhappy with his job. What ensues is a series of complications when the patriarch sets off to help fight a massive wildfire.

See it. Mulligan delivers her career-defining performance to date, while Dano’s adroitness behind the camera is in full display.

Watch the trailer:

Other entertainment news:

• Patch Living: Your October Entertainment Guide
• The Most Anticipated Movies Of Fall 2018
• What's New On Netflix: October 2018
• Reviews of 'First Man,' 'Bad Times At The El Royale,' 'Beautiful Boy,' And 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween'
• Reviews of 'A Star Is Born,' 'Venom,' 'The Hate U Give'
• Reviews of 'The Old Man & The Gun,' 'Night School,' 'Smallfoot' And 'Hell Fest'

Top Photo: Jamie Lee Curtis attends the premiere “Halloween” on October 17, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Universal Pictures)