What to watch on Netflix in October

The surfeit of streaming options today can often overwhelm those looking to settle in front of the TV for an evening, from the casual viewer to the aficionado of the arthouse. So, with time being precious, after all, especially in an age in which attention spans are being buffeted by the day, we’ve done the bulk of the research for you by focusing specifically on Netflix and creating a tightly considered selection of the best films, series and documentaries that will be added to the platform in the month ahead…

The latest addition to Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Monster anthology tells the true-life tale of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber who inspired many of Hollywood's most iconic on-screen killers. This one isn’t for the faint of heart.

Starring Cillian Murphy in the titular role, Steve centres around a head teacher at a reform school who struggles to keep his students in line while also battling with his own mental health issues.

Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce star in this psychological thriller based on a 2016 novel. Knightley’s character, a journalist, is covering the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise ship and becomes convinced she has witnessed a passenger being thrown overboard, despite all guests and crew members being accounted for.

The 6 Kings Slam is an annual tennis exhibition tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where six of the world’s top tennis players are invited to compete for a substantial cash prize. Now in its second year, the 2025 tournament will feature world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, as well as the USA’s Taylor Fritz, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

The Diplomat is a political drama that stars Keri Russell as a diplomat juggling her new high-profile job as ambassador to the UK and her turbulent marriage to a political star. This season, it looks as though things are set to get a whole lot more complicated with the arrival of First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) on the scene.

Katheryn Bigelow’s latest film is a political thriller starring Idris Elba as the President of the United States. The plot follows U.S. government officials as they scramble to deal with an incoming nuclear missile launched by a foreign power at the city of Chicago. Strap in for plenty of nail-biter moments.

Part 1 of Wednesday’s second season ended with a cliffhanger that left fans hungry for more. Thankfully, Part 2 has just dropped, meaning Wednesday obsessives can get stuck back in and hopefully get the answers they’re looking for. Look out for cameos from the likes of Lady Gaga, Joanna Lumley, Billie Piper and Steve Buscemi.

Mike Leigh’s 2024 indie drama stars the legendary Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy, a depressed, anxious and volatile woman who refuses any help from her beleaguered yet well-meaning family. It’s a tough watch, but peppered amid the pain are moments of levity, hope and humour.

This two-part documentary series charts actor Charlie Sheen’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall under the bright spotlights of Hollywood in the 2000s. Now seven years sober, Sheen candidly opens up for the cameras, discussing the rumours, scandals and self-destruction that tormented him throughout his tumultuous career and personal life.

Starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman as brothers who run Black Rabbit, a trendy New York restaurant, this new Netflix drama centres around the trials and tribulations of the high-pressure NYC nightlife scene. The brothers, who share a loving yet volatile relationship, must face old traumas and new dangers that threaten to upend everything they’ve built.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight swaps the streets of 20th century Birmingham for 19th century Dublin, with House of Guinness, a historical drama inspired by one of Europe’s most renowned and enduring dynasties. The story follows the four Guinness children in the wake of their father’s death, as they grapple with the fate of the iconic brewery.

This August, Jenna Ortega returns to our screens as Wednesday Addams – and she’s as deadpan and darkly witty as ever. As she begins her second year at Nevermore Academy, she’s not alone – unfortunately for Wednesday, her family – brother Pugsley and parents Morticia and Gomez – are in tow, making for some particularly prickly dynamics. The second part of Season 2 will arrive a month later on 3 September, giving you plenty of time to binge it all before Halloween.

At 15, James “JJ’88” Jacobs took a life – only to lose his brother three days later. As the perpetrator and victim of violence, the incarcerated rapper uses music as a path to redemption and healing in this poetic visual album, conceived from behind bars and directed by Contessa Gayles.

Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson, The Iron Claw tells the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers as they make history in the fiercely competitive world of 1980s professional wrestling.

This new political thriller centres around a state visit that doesn’t exactly go to plan. When the British prime minister’s husband is kidnapped and the visiting French president is blackmailed, the two political leaders face an impossible choice. There’s not much else that we know at this point so keep an eye out for more!

The Thursday Murder Club is a Netflix film adaptation of Richard Osman’s wildly popular novel of the same name. It features a star-studded cast including Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie, who portray the elderly members of the Thursday Murder Club. The film follows the members, who get together to solve cold case murders, as they become embroiled in a real-life murder investigation.

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