14 Shows and Movies You Need to Watch on Netflix This October

Netflix is getting serious this month.

From movies with early awards buzz to a documentary featuring a harrowing real-life killing using found footage, the streamer aims to engage this October with high-brow entertainment.

The stars are there to back them up, too: Colin Farrell leads the pack as a down on his luck gambler; Cillian Murphy takes up the role of a struggling reform school teacher; Keira Knightley attempts to solve a murder from a very hazy point of view in a highly-anticipated adaptation; and Charlie Hunnam scares as he takes on the role of notorious serial killer Ed Gein.

Looking for something lighter? Don’t fret, for this month will also bring back. October 2025 will also bring back reality fave Love Is Blind and the scripted romance comedy series Nobody Wants This.

Here are 14 shows and movies you need to watch on Netflix this month, whether you’re already getting the tissues ready or just want a 30-minute laugh.

Love Is Blind season 9 (Oct. 1)

Love Is Blind is back for another season on Oct. 1.

The reality show, in which daters get to know potential spouses from the other side of a wall, is set in Denver this time around, with a group of new singles who have various motives for wanting to date without seeing or being seen by a potential partner.

Watch Love Is Blind season 9 on Netflix on Oct. 1

Dirty Dancing (Oct. 1)

Ready to head back to Kellerman’s? This boundary-breaking dance drama follows Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romantic entanglement that all starts with a rousing night of bumping and grinding.

What follows is a classic setup in which Baby has to learn a complex dance with Johnny in a short amount of time, forcing their proximity. What shocks, though, is a meaningfully done abortion storyline that pulls on the heartstrings and displays what can happen when people do not have access to safe, comprehensive medical care.

And the final dance makes it all worth it.

Watch Dirty Dancing on Netflix on Oct. 1

Sister Act 1 and 2 (Oct. 1)

Whoopi Goldberg stars as a lounge singer turned nun in these mafia/witness protection comedies with huge hearts. The first movie follows her initial journey from boisterous, selfish nightlife entertainer to thoughtful, caring member of her community, and the second sees her take on a new challenge, teaching a class of difficult students.

Incredible music, Goldberg’s delicate handling of her character and an impressive secondary cast, including Maggie Smith and Lauryn Hill, make the Sister Act movies some of the best entertainment the ’90s has to offer.

Watch Sister Act 1 and 2 on Netflix on Oct. 1

The Way Home seasons 1 and 2 (Oct. 1)

Popular Hallmark series The Way Home is making its way to Netflix at the top of October.

Fans of Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh will love this heartfelt fantasy show that takes viewers back in time and deep into the layers of one family’s drama.

Watch The Way Home seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix on Oct. 1

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Oct. 3)

Ryan Murphy is back with another stomach-turning take on a true crime story. His newest installment centers on Hunnam as Gein, the infamous serial killer known for fashioning human body parts as furniture and clothing.

The fictionalization is bound to upset and entertain in equal measure, especially after the success of last season’s sensational take on Lyle and Erik Menendez’s story.

Watch Monster: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix on Oct. 3

Steve (Oct. 3)

This psychological drama kicks off Netflix’s slate of award-hunting movies with Murphy in the driver’s seat as a troubled teacher trying to get through to his students at a school for kids with behavioral concerns.

The movie is based on a book called Shy, which is also the name of the main student. The novel describes just a few hours in Shy’s life, which is brought to life on-screen through the delicate acting of Jay Lycurgo.

Watch Steve on Netflix on Oct. 3

Boots (Oct. 9)

Boots takes a non-traditional look at the Marine Corps through the lens of new recruits trying to bond and figure out who they want to be in the first days of training camp.

Starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga, this off-kilter drama has a fair amount of comedy too, as it confronts both how the military attracts young people with less resources and direction and how the main character deals with his hidden gay identity.

Watch Boots on Netflix on Oct. 9

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Oct. 10)

Ruth Ware‘s beloved novel The Woman in Cabin 10 is finally coming to the small screen! The movie stars Knightley as a travel journalist who struggles to piece together her memories as she investigates what she believes to be a murder on board a luxury yacht.

With a supporting cast of Hannah Waddingham, Guy Pearce and John Macmillan, the adaptation promises to bring Ware’s skillfully written suspense to life.

Watch The Woman in Cabin 10 on Netflix on Oct. 10

The Diplomat season 3 (Oct. 16)

Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell are back to calm global tensions and whisper-fight about their failing marriage, yet again. The Diplomat, which follows the two actors as Kate and Hal Wyler, features intense storylines of international relations and the dynamics of all those who work in the field.

Season 3 picks up after the cliffhanger of season 2, which made viewers (and Kate) question everything they thought they knew.

Watch The Diplomat season 3 on Netflix on Oct. 16

The Perfect Neighbor (Oct. 17)

This revolutionary documentary chronicles the real-life story of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens and her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, who escalated her anger over Owens’ children’s behavior to an act of senseless violence.

Expertly edited found footage and body cam tape position this story of bigotry and real-life violence as if it were a horror movie. The effect is jaw-dropping, paying respect and homage to the Owens family and the children at the center of Lorincz’s vitriol.

Watch The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix on Oct. 17

Nobody Wants This season 2 (Oct. 23)

This hit comedy is back for another season in mid-October. Starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as star-crossed lovers contending with their different faiths and his position as a rabbi, Nobody Wants This delivers swoon-worthy romance and laugh-out-loud moments in equal measure.

Season 2 plans to pick up with the main characters’ relationship and see what hurdles they have to jump over now.

Watch Nobody Wants This season 2 on Netflix on Oct. 23

A House of Dynamite (Oct. 24)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, A House of Dynamite is a dramatic political thriller about the moments between an unidentified missile being spotted heading for the United States and its initial impact.

The film’s main characters grapple with questions like “Who sent it?” “What was their motive?” and “How do we get rid of it?” putting the audience into their shoes and questioning what authorities in the U.S. would actually do if the situation were real.

The cast is incredibly starry with Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Idris Elba and Gabriel Basso racing to save the country.

Watch A House of Dynamite on Netflix on Oct. 24

Mo Amer: Wild World (Oct. 28)

The critically acclaimed comedian Mo Amer is back with another comedy special! His first for the streamer arrived in 2018 and garnered a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Since then, the comedian and actor has starred in Ramy and his own Netflix show called Mo.

While his identity as a Palestinian American imbues all of his work, Amer’s comedy touches on the immigrant experience at large, his experiences living in the south and modern dating.

Watch Mo Amer: Wild World on Netflix on Oct. 28

Ballad of a Small Player (Oct. 29)

This raucous feast for the senses stars Farrell as a wild gambler slowly losing it all. Ballad of a Small Player, which is directed by Edward Berger, is inspired by a book of the same name and features a cast that includes Tilda Swinton and Fala Chen.

The costume design alone makes this film a must-watch.

Watch Ballad of a Small Player on Netflix on Oct. 29