After the HuntOut nowJulia Roberts stars in the latest from Challengers director Luca Guadagnino: a cancel-culture thriller set in the aftermath of an accusation of sexual assault on a college campus.She plays a philosophy professor at Yale, whose colleague Hank (Andrew Garfield) claims he is innocent of the charges against him.FrankensteinOut nowYears in the making, decades in the dreaming, Guillermo del Toro’s splendidly visceral take on one of literature’s true greats, starring Oscar Isaac as the eponymous scientist and an unrecognisable Jacob Elordi, asthe Creature, is long and messy and brilliant.It deserves to be seen on the big screen (though a Netflix release is following hot on the heels of this cinema release if you do miss it).SunlightOut nowComedian Nina Conti makes her directing debut with a deliciously dark road trip comedy that isn’t for the faint of heart.

A man on a macabre mission (Shenoah Allen) falls in with a hitchhiking monkey (Conti) for an unexpectedly touching journey, with Christopher Guest (Spinal Tap) on exec producing duty.RoofmanOut nowIt’s hard to disapprove of a criminal whose crime is to cut holes in the roofs of McDonald’s restaurants, and harder still to finger wag when you find out that after escaping prison, he lived secretly in a Toys R Us for half a year.Channing Tatum plays the guy nicknamed Roofman in this based-on-a-true-story comedy.Catherine BraySananda Maitreya23 October to 6 November; tour starts NorwichThe artist formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby showcases his chart-mauling 1987 debut album plus highlights from the other 12.Strangely underrated, songs such as Wishing Well and Sign Your Name deserve a place in the pop-rock canon.

Michael CraggCorto.altoManchester, 21 October; Bristol, 22 October; London, 23 OctoberA cinematic jazz journey from the adventurous Scottish scene, corto.alto is the much-streamed vision of Glasgow instrumentalist, composer and producer Liam Shortall – who cannily applies jazz flexibility to hip-hop, electronica, synthed strings, dub and much more on their latest venture Bad With Names.John FordhamLondon Symphony OrchestraBarbican Hall, London, 19 & 23 OctoberTwo concerts conducted by Thomas Adès consisting of music by Sibelius and Adès himself.In the first, Sibelius’s Third Symphony is surrounded with the UK premiere of Alex Paxton’s World Builder, Creature, Paul Ruders’s Paganini Variations (with guitarist Sean Shibe as soloist and Adès’s own Aquifer; in the second Sibelius’s Fourth and Sixth frame Rautavaara and, of course, more Adès.

Andrew ClementsConfidence ManThe Warehouse Project, Manchester, 24 OctoberThe Aussie electropop duo curate an all-nighter (well, 8pm to 3.30am), pairing their Zumba class-ready gonzo-pop with DJ sets from the likes of Romy and Sofia Kourtesis.More live sets come from Factory Floor, Real Lies and Antony Szmierek.MCWayne ThiebaudThe Courtauld, London, to 18 JanuaryLovely paintings of cakes – really, they are extremely good.It’s not American week on Bake Off, but a survey of this fine-tuned pop artist who painted sweet treats in a deliberately unemphatic way.

It wasn’t just cakes; he also painted small, exact, pastel-shaded still lifes of desserts and sweets,Artes Mundi 11Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Swansea & Llandudno, 24 October to 1 MarchThis global art prize once again takes place not only at Wales’s National Museum in Cardiff but galleries across the country,It is a curious event in its total refusal to be local, or stimulate Welsh art; instead it surveys the state of international art such as you’d see at a biennale,Helen MartenSadie Coles HQ, London, to 15 NovemberMultilayered collages, paintings or simply wall-hanging sculptures: call them what you will from the 2016 Turner prize winner,A story by Balzac is one of the inspirations for Marten’s latest works – she herself being a novelist as well as artist.

Allusive, mysterious, in the poetic vein of Kurt Schwitters.Suzanne TreisterModern Art Oxford, to 12 AprilVideo games and tarot cards collide in this artist’s visions of modern life.Might her prophecies come true? Treister speculates on “the death of the internet” as well as a future in which science and magic merge.Unfortunately, her prediction of mass extinctions in the climate crisis looks more realistic.Jonathan JonesDesiree BurchY theatre, Leicester, 23 October; touring to 14 MarchFrom songs to novels to sitcoms, the menopause is currently an extremely hot topic in pop culture.

Now California-born, London-based standup Burch arrives to wrest gags from the myriad irritations and indignities of female middle age in her new show The Golden Wrath.Rachel AroestiThe UnbelieversRoyal Court theatre, London, to 29 NovemberNick Payne’s work is always deeply intelligent and, even better, deeply felt.He wrote the brilliant Constellations and his latest play is about a teenager who disappears and a mother who refuses to give up hope.Starring Nicola Walker and directed by Marianne Elliott.Miriam GillinsonAfter SundayBelgrade theatre, Coventry, to 25 OctoberTy, Leroy and Daniel join a new Caribbean cooking group, led by their occupational therapist – in the hope that they might share, talk and face some uncomfortable truths.

This debut from Sophia Griffin also transfers to London’s Bush theatre on 10 November.MGTransform festivalVarious venues, Leeds, 21 to 25 OctoberThis leftfield festival includes a new show called Exxy from Australian choreographer Dan Daw; Eve Stainton’s The Joystick and the Reins (one of the references for that one is 1980s Crimewatch episodes); and Akeim Toussaint Buck’s Free, celebrating the joy and radical history of reggae.Lyndsey WinshipSign up to Inside SaturdayThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine.Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.after newsletter promotionLazarusPrime Video, 22 October Anything from the pen of thriller writer Harlan Coben is guaranteed to be utterly bonkers, and this tale of a forensic psychologist who is cursed by a patient – and duly starts communing with his father’s ghost – is no exception.

Danny Brocklehurst co-writes; Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy and Alexandra Roach star.Leonard and Hungry PaulBBC Two & iPlayer, 20 October, 10pmAn unconventional title for an unconventional drama with two unconventional heroes.Encyclopedia writer Leonard (Alex Lawther) and postal worker Hungry Paul (Laurie Kynaston) are best pals happily ensconced in a world of routines, board games and serene suburbia – until love and death intrude on their cosy contentment.Based on the novel by Rónán Hession.In My Own Words: Frederick ForsythBBC One & iPlayer, 21 October, 10.

40pmJust prior to his death in June, Forsyth – RAF pilot turned journalist turned author of multiple iconic novels (The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War) – collaborated with Bafta-winning director Ben Anthony on this probing, insightful film about his jaw-dropping life and career.Nobody Wants ThisNetflix, 23 OctoberThe magic of romcoms is that they end at the beginning – and season one of this warm, wry comedy concluded with outre podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) and rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) getting together.Now comes the hard part, as the unlikely pair must navigate petty disagreements and diverging life plans.RADispatchPlayStation 5, PC; 22 October to 12 November Episodic superhero story with some notable voice talent (Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, Laura Bailey) and a neat twist: instead of playing god-like beings, you’re in a dispatch centre deciding who they should save.Ninja Gaiden 4PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, out 21 OctoberThe notoriously difficult and spectacularly gory series returns after more than a decade with a new ninja, Yakumo, at the helm.

But don’t worry: familiar face Ryu Hayabusa is also back for the action.Matthew ReynoldsSudan Archives – The BPMOut nowExploring themes such as mental illness, self-love and heartbreak via the prism of a new persona called Gadget Girl, the audacious third album from this US musician finds healing on the dancefloor.It’s impossible not to move to songs such as the ludicrous Jersey Club banger Ms Pac Man.Ruel – Kicking My FeetOut now On his second album of glossy emo-pop, London-born, Sydney-based 22-year-old Ruel van Dijk is torn between begrudgingly blowing up a faltering relationship (the Dan Wilson-assisted Wild Guess) and a desire to settle down (The Suburbs).The midway point appears on I Can Die Now’s loved-up desperation.

The Last Dinner Party – From the PyreOut nowThe London-based baroque rock quintet return with the follow-up to 2024’s chart-topping debut, Prelude to Ecstasy.Produced by Markus Dravs (Coldplay, Wolf Alice), songs such as Second Best, which blooms out of a choral intro, and the galloping This Is the Killer Speaking highlight the band’s continued love of drama.Tame Impala – DeadbeatOut nowSince the release of the last Tame Impala album five years ago, Kevin Parker has kept himself busy via collaborations with the likes of Justice and Dua Lipa.He returns to his day job with Deadbeat, an album inspired by “bush doofs”, AKA sun-dappled outdoor raves held in the middle of nowhere.MCOuternationalPodcastVocalist and composer Amirtha Kidambi’s series on the intersections between music and revolution is a fascinating exploration of art’s power to effect change.

Guests include Angel Bat Dawid on community music-making in Chicago’s South Side.The Museum GuideYouTubeTour guide Jessica’s walks around the UK’s museums and cultural landmarks provide the perfect blend of historical context and surprising asides, from London’s cat statues to David Bowie’s outfits at the newly opened V&A Storehouse.Storyville: SanitoriumBBC Four, 21 October, 10pmIn the midst of Russia’s war with Ukraine, this incredible documentary charts a summer in a Soviet-era sanitorium on the shores of Odessa.Visitors bathe in black mud and others seek out friendship in uncertain times.Ammar Kalia