Looking for something new to watch on Netflix? We’ve got you covered. October brings with it a trio of high-profile new movies coming to Netflix, all of the bone-chilling variety to differing degrees. But if you’re not in the mood for something spooky, there are a number of other excellent films newly streaming on Netflix this month. Whether you’re up for a historical epic, a classic rom-com or a true crime drama, there’s a little something for everyone.
Check out our list of the best new movies on Netflix in October below.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are married assassins – unbeknownst to each other – in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” The 2005 action comedy boasts a smart premise, as Pitt and Jolie play a married couple who are unaware that each works as a contract killer by day. But when they’re each tasked with killing each other, they must navigate a duty to their job and this new layer to their relationship. “The Bourne Identity” and “Edge of Tomorrow” filmmaker Doug Liman directs with an eye towards mixing action with comedy, and the chemistry between Pitt and Jolie is palpable (obviously).
Runaway Bride
If you’re looking for a good old fashioned rom-com – especially with Julia Roberts’ return to the genre coming up with “Ticket to Paradise” – “Runaway Bride” is a swell watch. Roberts plays a woman with a penchant for running out on her weddings on her wedding day, who is now being profiled by a writer played by Richard Gere. And wouldn’t you know it? They start to fall in love. Will she make it to the altar this time, or will she jet? Even if you know the answer, Roberts’ charisma makes this 1998 comedy an exceedingly pleasant watch.
Gladiator
If you’re in the mood for something epic and rousing, Ridley Scott’s Best Picture-winning “Gladiator” more than holds up over two decades later. Massive in scope but intimate in stakes, Russell Crowe stars as a Roman General who is ousted when the Emperor is killed by his own son (Joaquin Phoenix). His family is murdered and he’s exiled to become a gladiator, fighting to sport. He claws his way back to Rome, fighting in front of the man who ruined his life. Entertainment – and some incredible acting – ensues. Hans Zimmer’s score also rules.
The Ocean’s Trilogy
Is there a more breezy, enjoyable, free-wheeling film trilogy than “Ocean’s Eleven?” Steven Soderbergh’s original film is a star-powered, hilarious heist that is an absolute blast to behold. But what makes this series so special is how different each subsequent film is. “Ocean’s Twelve” shifts locales to Europe, offering up a more European style of filmmaking and a meta-textual narrative about the pressure of following up the first film. And “Ocean’s Thirteen” is the “This Time It’s Personal” of the series, venturing back to Vegas with Al Pacino giving a go-for-broke performance as the antagonist. These movies are perfect “feel-good” picks.
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The School for Good and Evil
“Bridesmaids,” “Spy” and “Ghostbusters” filmmaker Paul Feig tries his hand at fantasy with the new Netflix original “The School for Good and Evil,” streaming starting Oct. 19. Based on the book of the same name by Soman Chainani, the story follows two teens who are sent to a literal school for good and evil. But when the straight-laced friend gets sent to the School for Evil and the edgier friend gets sent to the School for Good, the two are thrown for a loop. Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington lead the ensemble cast.
The Good Nurse
True crime is all the rage, and Netflix offers a more dramatic twist on the genre with “The Good Nurse,” streaming on Oct. 26. Eddie Redmayne stars as a nurse who has been secretly murdering patients, while Jessica Chastain plays the colleague trying to pin him down for the crimes. Tobias Lindholm (“Another Round,” “The Hunt”) directs from a screenplay by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917,” “Last Night in Soho”).
Wendell & Wild
Henry Selick lives! The stop-motion filmmaker, responsible for perennial classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” hasn’t made a feature since 2009’s Oscar-nominated “Coraline.” But he’s finally back with a brand-new feature, “Wendell & Wild,” produced, co-written and starring Jordan Peele and streaming starting Oct. 28. In the movie Peele and his longtime creative partner Keegan Michael-Key play a pair of demons who con their way into our world via their relationship with a young girl (Lyric Ross). Sort of a more diverse, more thoughtful version of “Beetlejuice,” “Wendell & Wild” is crafted with Selick’s trademark handcrafted ghoulishness (he says his movies “scare not scar”) and will undoubtedly become another Halloween classic. A 24-frames-per-second marvel. – Drew Taylor
