October is right around the corner and the line-up of movies coming to Cyclone Cinema offers a balance of blockbuster and horror films to match the Halloween theme.

October lineup:

“Thor: Love and Thunder” – Sept. 29 – Oct. 2
“Black Phone” – Oct. 6 – 9
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” – Oct. 13 – 16
“Top Gun: Maverick” – Oct. 20 – 23
“Nope” – Oct. 27 – 30

Usually, movies selected for Cyclone Cinema are based on the box office performance of each film. Surprisingly enough, a pattern has risen, indicating that Iowa State students might be interested in smaller films that audiences might have missed during their theatrical run.

During September, it was expected that movies such as “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Lightyear” were going to be the films that would attract the most ISU students. However, from all 4 movies displayed this month, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” came out on top, even though it is an independent film with a smaller budget.

This shows that Iowa State students go to Cyclone Cinema to watch films which they might have missed on the big screen, and positive word of mouth influenced them to check those movies out with friends in a university environment.

If this pattern is to continue, perhaps movies such as “Black Phone” and “Nope” will be the ones to attract the biggest audiences. Compared to films such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” they did not perform as well at the North American box office. However, due to positive word of mouth and fitting a Halloween theme, they have a good chance of being the most popular.

“I am probably the most excited to watch ‘The Black Phone’ because I did not get a chance to watch it in theaters yet,” Kara Dieke, co-director of Cyclone Cinema, said.

Of all five movies being displayed this month, “The Black Phone” made the least returns at the box office, grossing just over $159 million; however, it received a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Nope,” the newest film by Jordan Peele, finds itself in a similar situation with a modest box office performance but high critical acclaim.

“We are talking about doing a Halloween night for ‘Nope,’” Dieke said. With “Nope” coming out on Halloween weekend, the showing of the movie would be different as it encourages students to dress up in Halloween costumes to match the theme of the holiday.

All Cyclone Cinema movies are displayed at 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday in Carver 101. All films are free admission. Drinks and snacks are available for $1 and $2, respectively.