October Kiss

The film opens with Poppy Summerall teaching a yoga class, only to realize she doesn't know the poses as well as her students; she promptly quits, illustrating her pattern of avoiding commitment. After a disastrous date with a man who suggests she wear his mother's wedding dress, Poppy's sister Megan suggests she take a temporary nanny position for Ryan Larson, a tech entrepreneur and widower. Ryan is obsessed with his 'Food with Friends' app and is preparing for a massive presentation to a Japanese firm, Yamaharo Global. His children, Zoe and Zach, are initially cold toward Poppy, but she wins them over by embracing Halloween—a holiday they haven't celebrated since their mother died. Poppy leads 'Operation Decoration,' turning the house into a festive autumn display and teaching the children to face their fears, such as Zach's fear of spiders. As Poppy and Ryan spend more time together, a romantic spark develops, though it is complicated by Ryan's ambitious colleague, Abigail, who clearly has designs on both Ryan and a promotion to Tokyo. The tension peaks when Ryan misses the kids' school 'Halloweek' party for work. In a unique turn, Poppy helps the children stage a formal 'performance evaluation' of Ryan's fatherhood, which forces him to acknowledge his misplaced priorities. Despite a romantic dance and a 'hug-adjacent' moment between Poppy and Ryan, Poppy becomes convinced that Ryan and Abigail are a better match after seeing them together. Fearing she will be hurt when her 'temporary' status ends, Poppy quits. On Halloween night, Ryan is in the middle of his career-making presentation to Mr. Hagashimoto. Realizing he is repeating his mistakes, he abruptly turns the presentation over to Abigail and rushes home to be with his children. Abigail reveals she has accepted a job in Tokyo and encourages Ryan to pursue Poppy. Ryan finds Poppy at her sister's house, dressed in a DIY starfish costume. He confesses his love, telling her he doesn't want a nanny but a partner. The film concludes with the family trick-or-treating together, with Poppy agreeing to stay 'permanently.'