If you’re looking for new movies to stream in October, you’ve come to exactly the right place. This month has a whole host of new movies to watch — and not just the Spooky Season kind. We’ve gone through everything new to streaming this month to put together a curated list of the best movies coming to Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+ and beyond. They range from a new action-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg to a mystery starring Keira Knightley to one of the year’s biggest blockbusters making its streaming debut.
Check out our list of the best new movies streaming in October below.
Everything New on Netflix in October
“Play Dirty”
Prime Video – Oct. 1
One of the year’s most entertaining films, “Play Dirty” is a breathless action thriller inspired by Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels (written under his pen name Richard Stark), with Mark Wahlberg essaying a character that had previously been portrayed by Lee Marvin, Jim Brown, Robert Duvall, Mel Gibson and Jason Statham (among others). After a member of his crew (Rosa Salazar) goes rogue, he tracks her down and joins her in a heist that involves the New York mafia (led by Tony Shaloub), an unstable South American government and the world’s richest man, an unseemly tech bro (played by Chukwudi Iwuji). Co-written and directed by Shane Black, whose credits include writing “Lethal Weapon,” “The Last Boy Scout” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” in addition to directing “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “The Nice Guys,” you can feel that he has a real grip on the pulpy, neo-noir specifics of the novel and gleefully combines those elements with punchy, oversized 1980’s action movie set pieces.
The resulting movie, peppered with superb supporting performances from LaKeith Stanfield, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane and Nat Wolff, is absolutely intoxicating. It feels like the kind of movie you’d rent from your local video store on a Friday night in 1991 and will go along perfectly with a piping hot pizza, a giant bottle of soda and a bowl filled to the brim with your favorite candy. It’s that kind of movie and it demands that kind of experience. It’s unclear if you’ll have as much fun with a movie all year long. And, yes, you will want them to make many more movies with Wahlberg as Parker – it’s the best he’s been in ages.
“Death Becomes Her”
Netflix – Oct. 1
Robert Zemeckis’ “Death Becomes Her” defies genre. It’s one part supernatural thriller, one part rom-com and one part slapstick. But it’s all delightful. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play two women who are in love with the same man, played by Bruce Willis. Years after Willis leaves Hawn’s character for Streep, Hawn’s character appears rejuvenated and looking more beautiful than ever. How? She took a secret beauty serum that’s made her immortal, and now Streep wants her hands on it. Hilarity ensues as Zemeckis delights in practical and special effects (including some killer makeup) throughout.
“Trick ‘r Treat”
HBO Max – Oct. 1
A Halloween classic, “Trick ‘r Treat” is a perfect pick to either kick off Spooky Season or celebrate on All Hallow’s Eve. The 2007 film is an anthology that tells five separate horror stories, all revolving around Halloween. Each one has terrifically spooky vibes, some intense R-rated gore and a twist ending that’ll have you reaching for the lights. The less said the better, but if for some reason you’ve never seen this one there’s no time like the present.
“The Craft”
Paramount+ – Oct. 1
Just one of the all-time great Spooky Season watches, 1996’s “The Craft” is maybe the best teen witch movie ever made. The film stars Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and Rachel True as high school friends who dabble in witchcraft for their own gain. But the unforeseen cost of these spells starts to throw their lives into chaos. Also the ’90s soundtrack is rockin’.
“The Lost Bus”
Apple TV+ – Oct. 3
“The Lost Bus” is based on the Camp Fire, a 2018 wildfire that wound up being the deadliest blaze in California history, with 85 casualties and thousands of acres of burned land. In the film Matthew McConaughey plays Kevin McKay, a screw-up and bus driver who ends up taking a dangerous mission to transport a classroom full of kids to safety. America Ferrera plays the kids’ schoolteacher who accompanies them on their potentially deadly trek. And Yul Vazquez plays Ray Martinez, the Cal Fire battalion chief, who is dealing with the administrative and organizational complications of the fire. (The fire was later blamed on poorly maintained Pacific Gas and Electric Company wires.) “The Lost Bus” was directed by Paul Greengrass, whose breathless kineticism brought life into “The Bourne Supremacy,” “United 93” and, most recently, “News of the World.” He brings the tragedy to life with an edge-of-your-seat immediacy but never loses sight of the emotional center. You’ve never seen fire sequences quite like this or worried for those in danger quite as much.
“Steve”
Netflix – Oct. 3
In Cillian Murphy’s latest tour-de-force performance, he portrays the title character, a headteacher in charge of a school for boys with behavior and societal issues. According to the official synopsis the film “follows a pivotal day at a last-chance reform school amid a world that has forsaken them. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and prevent its impending closure, he grapples with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.” The script by Max Porter is based on his bestselling novella “Shy,” with directorial duties handled by Murphy’s “Small Things like These” collaborator Tim Mielants. The film, which debuted at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, sounds absolutely devastating. But, you know, in a good way.
“Bring Her Back”
HBO Max – Oct. 3
Danny and Michael Philippou made the unlikely leap from YouTube wiseacres to very talented filmmakers with 2022’s “Talk to Me,” a movie that reframed demonic tinkering as a casual teenage party game. It was grim, it was thrilling, and it announced the Philippous as some of the most exciting filmmakers currently work. Their sophomore feature, “Bring Her Back,” might not hit the same highs as “Talk to Me” but it cements their place as fascinating and fearless, willing to mine genre conventions for something more emotional and odder. In “Bring Her Back” a high schooler and his partially sighted stepsister are adopted by an odd middle-aged woman (Sally Hawkins). Almost as soon as they arrive, they realize something about their new “mother” is off. And it only gets stranger and bloodier from there. It would be criminal to reveal any more about “Bring Her Back,” but just know this is considerably bleaker than “Talk to Me.” Maybe you’ll love it more? But just know that the Philippous are the real deal.
“Honey, Don’t!”
Peacock – Oct. 3
The second film in Ethan Coen’s so-called lesbian B-movie trilogy after last year’s so-so “Drive-Away Dolls,” “Honey Don’t!” once again stars Margaret Qualley, this time as a hot lesbian private detective who stumbles onto a mystery involving deaths connected to a church (led by a reverend played by Chris Evans). Even if “Honey Don’t” winds up as lousy as “Drive-Away Dolls,” there will undoubtedly be some fun to be had – the stellar supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Kristen Connolly and Billy Eichner and the trailer was intriguing enough. And hey, having a movie from one Coen Brother is better than having no Coen Brothers. That’s something, right? Honey, yes!
“The Woman in Cabin 10”
Netflix – Oct. 10
Streaming services love a starry based-on-a-bestselling-novel and “The Woman in Cabin 10” is the latest of these types of movies. Based on Ruth Ware’s 2016 book of the same name, “The Woman in Cabin 10” stars Keria Knightley as a hard-charging journalist who gets invited onto a yacht run owned by a rich guy of questionable morals (Guy Pearce). The other guests on the boat include Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey and Hannah Waddingham. But who is the titular “Woman in Cabin 10?” It’s a woman that Knightley sees but the rest of the yacht insists doesn’t exist. That’s right – we’ve got a real “Flightplan” scenario on our hands! The movie was helmed by Australian director Simon Stone, the filmmaker behind 2021’s acclaimed “The Dig,” and is the kind of slick mystery that works if you’re mesmerized, in rapt attention, or folding laundry and only half paying attention. Truly, a movie for everyone and every viewing experience.
“How to Train Your Dragon” (2025)
Peacock – Oct. 10
Dean DeBlois, one of the original directors of DreamWorks’ animated “How to Train Your Dragon,” returned for the live-action remake. And the results are unbelievable. This new “How to Train Your Dragon,” which follows the same contours of the animated original, feels vitally new and just as essential. Part of this is because DeBlois actually chose to embrace the practicalities of live-action, shooting the film in Northern Ireland and allowing the majesty of the actual landscapes influence the storytelling. And part of it is because the actors he chose, including Gerard Butler (reprising his mythic Viking role from the animated original), feel so committed to the material.
Nothing about this new movie feels like it’s simply going through the motions. Instead, it feels totally alive in a wonderful way. If you’ve never seen the original, you’ll be delighted by “How to Train Your Dragon.” And if you’re already familiar with the first film (and its sequels), you might like the remake even more, because you’ll appreciate just how well they captured that spirit. Only this time, you can really feel the wind rushing by your hair as you watch the relationship between young Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames) and the dangerous dragon he befriends, Toothless. It might not have made $1 billion like the live-action “Lilo & Stitch.” But it’s a much better film.
“John Candy: I Like Me”
Prime Video – Oct. 10
This one is going to hurt. John Candy, the beloved Canadian actor, passed away at the age of 43 back in 1994. It was a huge loss, for his family and for those who loved seeing him perform in countless films and television series. “John Candy: I Like Me,” which was directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, is a documentary devoted to the life and work of a singular comedic genius. According to Prime Video’s official synopsis for the movie, which just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, this documentary captures those who knew John best, sharing his story, “in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.” Among those who appear in the documentary are Mel Brooks, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Eugene Levy, Bill Murray, Martin Short and Steve Martin. Chances are high that you’ll laugh a lot. But you’ll also cry a lot too. It’s probably what Candy would have wanted.
“Vicious”
Paramount+ – Oct. 10
Bryan Bertino, the director of “The Strangers,” “The Dark and the Wicked” and “Mockingbird,” a found footage horror movie from Blumhouse that barely got released but is super underrated, is back with an all-new tale to keep you up at night. “Vicious,” which was originally scheduled for a theatrical release but will now be debuting on Paramount+ alongside digital retailers, stars Dakota Fanning in a positively “Twilight Zone”-y trap. According to the official synopsis, when Fanning’s character “receives a mysterious box from an unexpected late-night visitor, it comes with one rule: place inside something you need, something you hate, and something you love. When she opens it, she’s pulled into a surreal and shifting nightmare where every choice she makes leads to terrifying consequences.” This sounds very good to us. Bertino has been a perennially undervalued horror filmmaker and whatever he does next should be on any genre fan’s radar. So place “Vicious” there now.
“My Father the BTK Killer”
Netflix – Oct. 10
Kerri Rawson is the daughter of Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK (which stands for Bind Torture Kill), a notorious serial killer who terrorized the community around Wichita, Kansas, and murdered at least 10 people between 1974 and 1991. And she is the subject of this new documentary, “My Father, the BTK Killer.” Rawson has been the subject of books and countless true crime podcasts, but this it the first documentary feature to tell her story. Skye Borgman, who directed the recent Netflix doc “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,” helmed “My Father, the BTK Killer,” which Netflix describes as “impact of Rader’s crimes on his family and community, following Kerri as she confronts the possibility of additional victims and reckons with childhood memories that may hold hidden traumas. The film weaves together interviews with the investigators who helped uncover BTK’s identity and features chilling archival photos and sketches, and interrogation footage of Rader himself.” Whether or not you know about the killer and his crimes, this is still one of the movie’s must-watch documentaries.
“The Perfect Neighbor”
Netflix – Oct. 17
“The Perfect Neighbor,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was easily one of the most talked-about documentaries at the festival, interrogates the controversial “stand your ground” laws as it surrounds the murder of Ajike Owens by her “perfect neighbor.” If you don’t know the story, in 2023 Owens was shot and killed by her white neighbor Susan Lorincz. The documentary is put together using body cam footage from the officers at the scene, both in the lead-up to the killing, and in the immediate aftermath. The results, based on the early reviews, are profoundly disturbing. It was awarded the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at Sundance. And since then it has screened at the SXSW Film Festival, CPH:DOX, the Miami Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, where it received a Special Jury Award, and at Sheffield DocFest. It is currently playing at the New York Film Festival. And soon enough you can watch it at home.
“The Twits”
Netflix – Oct. 17
Will the Netflix Animation hot streak continue? Following the outsized success of “KPop Demon Hunters,” Netflix will now deliver “The Twits,” a Roald Dahl adaptation directed by Phil Johnston, who co-wrote the original “Zootopia” and directed “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” both for Walt Disney Animation Studios. The titular Twits, Mr. Twit (Johnny Vegas) and Mrs. Twit (Margo Martindale), run an absolutely repulsive amusement park and house some magical animals that should definitely be set free. When they threaten an entire town, it takes some plucky kids to keep them in check and potentially stop their reign of terror. Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, Timothy Simons, Alan Tudyk and Nicole Byer also provide voices, with new songs from David Byrne and Hayley Williams. At the very least it will pause “KPop Demon Hunters” for 98 minutes before you throw that back on again.
“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”
Hulu – Oct. 22
The original “Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” released in 1992 by Disney subsidiary Hollywood Pictures, was the kind of zeitgeist-capturing phenomenon that doesn’t happen anymore. Slickly directed by Curtis Hanson from a razor-sharp script by Amanda Silver and featuring gorgeous cinematography from the legendary Robert Elswit, it was about a psychotic nanny that gradually took over a nice suburban family. People were talking – could this actually happen in your own home? Now, more than 30 years later, we have a new “Hand That Rocks the Cradle” and this time it’s going straight to Hulu. This time around the mom, originally essayed by Annabella Sciorra, is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, while the sexy, scary nanny, originally played by Rebecca De Mornay, is now portrayed by genre queen Maika Monroe from “Longlegs” and “It Follows.” That’s a pretty solid cast for an unnecessary remake, but perhaps most exciting of all is the director. Mexican filmmaker Michelle Garza Cervera, whose first feature “Huesera: The Bone Woman” was very good and extremely scary, is behind this new “Hand That Rocks the Cradle.” Hopefully she’ll bring the sly social commentary and finger-on-the-pulse anxieties from the original film to this new iteration. That would rock.
“A House of Dynamite”
Netflix – Oct. 24
Thankfully, Kathryn Bigelow has returned. One of our most exciting filmmakers, whose previous films include “Near Dark,” “Zero Dark Thirty” and the Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker,” hasn’t made a movie since 2017’s powerful and extremely depressing “Detroit.” After dabbling in some other projects, including an adaptation of screenwriter David Koepp’s amazing novel “Aurora,” she has returned with “A House of Dynamite.” The thriller, set at the White House, is set in the immediate aftermath of a missile being launched at the United States by an unknown enemy. Bigelow, in her characteristically chaotic style, captures all of the maneuvering behind-the-scenes – Will America retaliate? Who fired the missile? Was it a mistake or intentional? – supported by a dazzling cast that includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Tracy Letts, Jared Harris, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee and Jason Clarke, just to name a few. Hey, when Kathryn Bigelow calls, you answer.
“Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost”
Apple TV+ – Oct. 24
Ben Still has been quietly working on a documentary about his parents, Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara, for years and now it’s finally coming to Apple TV+. The film explores their impact both on popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life and art often blurred. In the process, per the official synopsis, “Stiller turns the camera on himself and his family to examine Jerry and Anne’s enormous influence on their lives, and the generational lessons we all can learn from those we love.” If the trailer is any indication, this is going to be a candid and emotional look at how we view our parents when they’re no longer here.
“Ballad of a Small Player”
Netflix – Oct. 29
Edward Berger, who directed last year’s surprisingly satisfying Oscar contender “Conclave,” returns with a new thriller exactly a year later. (Both films premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.) “Ballad of a Small Player,” based on the 2014 of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, follows an obsessive gambler (Colin Farrell) hiding out in Macau and confronting his demons, both real and imagined. The original novel was praised for its incorporation of surreal imagery, which embellished and expanded upon its themes of isolation, loneliness and retribution, which maybe hasn’t translated as well. Early reviews out of Telluride have complained that the movie is a perfect example of style over substance, but have praised Berger’s direction and Farrell’s deeply committed performance (is there any other kind?) Either way, a new Edward Berger movie is always cause for celebration. Especially when it stars Farrell and Tilda Swinton. We’d bet all our chips that you will at least have a good time watching “Ballad of a Small Player.”
“Hedda”
Prime Video – Oct. 29
Nia DaCosta, the extremely talented filmmaker behind the new “Candyman” (and, um, “The Marvels”), is back with a new adaptation of classic play “Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen. And this time she’s cast Tessa Thompson, who worked with DaCosta on the underseen, underrated “Little Woods,” in the title role, who is usually the daughter of a general who is about to enter into a marriage she is unhappy with. “Hedda” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was warmly reviewed, with a brief theatrical run before it debuts on Amazon’s Prime Video platform. The film boasts a cast that includes Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots, with a score by Oscar-winning “Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. And you won’t have to wait long until DaCosta’s next film; she helmed the second “28 Years Later” film, slated for release in early 2026. The age of DaCosta is upon us. And we couldn’t be happier.
“Sorry, Baby”
HBO Max – Oct. 30
One of the few breakouts from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, A24’s “Sorry, Baby” marks the directorial debut of Eva Victor, who had previously written articles for Reductress, made short films on social media and appeared on Showtime’s “Billions.” It was produced Barry Jenkins who encouraged Victor to make a movie when she had expressed doubts about the process. In the film Victor plays a professor at a small liberal arts college in New England, who was sexually assaulted by a former professor years earlier. How that incident has shaped her life – and continues to shape it – is the main thrust of the movie; as an old friend (a wonderful Naomi Ackie) comes to visit her, the two parse out the past as best they can. The resulting film is surprising and warm and incredibly touching. A feel-good comedy about sexual assault isn’t probably something you thought you’d ever see. But “Sorry, Baby,” thanks to its thoughtful mixture of yuks and catharsis, absolutely makes that happen. It’s one of the very best movies of the year. And now you can watch it via your subscription to HBO Max. What a dream.
“Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Peacock – Oct. 30
The last entry in the “Jurassic World” franchise, an extension of the “Jurassic Park” series, was 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion,” which brought together the stars of the original movie (Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern) with the stars of the latter films (Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard) for a big dinosaur-filled extravaganza. That movie was plagued by production issues related to shooting during the pandemic, to the point that an entire separate movie was made lampooning its production (Netflix’s “The Bubble”), but it still made $1 billion at the global box office. Barring the discussion of whether or not three years is enough time to have a film series reborn, “Jurassic World Rebirth” does feel like an attempt to recapture the magic of Steven Spielberg’s original film. In this entry, a small team (led by Scarlett Johansson’s mercenary Zora Bennett) travels to a previously unknown island used for the development of dinosaurs, to capture DNA from creatures that reside in the land, sea and air. The implications for pharmaceuticals are huge.
But getting off the island alive proves to be the bigger challenge. Original “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World” writer David Koepp returns, this time joined by Gareth Edwards, who has a knack for placing small characters against giant creatures (his credits include 2014’s “Godzilla” and 2016’s “Rogue One”). If you missed it in the theaters, now is a perfect chance to catch up with the new movie – arguably the most satisfying installment since those early Spielberg favorites. We’re particularly enamored with the D-Rex, a freaky castoff dinosaur that looks a bit like the Rancor from “Star Wars.” Well done, dinosaur designers!
