New Releases Coming to Netflix in October
October is here. That means one thing for Halloween fans: it’s the time for spooky season.
The month is filled with dark mysteries, chilling thrillers, and horror to excite your adrenaline. Netflix is the place for amazing new releases to binge and tune in to during the autumnal season.
Here at That Fangirl Life, we’ve gathered some of the exciting new releases coming to Netflix in October. Save the date and grab your blankets, cause it’s gonna get scary. Here’s a list of spooky new releases and some fun sci-fi, dramas, and light-hearted releases too.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan return with the third chapter of the anthology series, Monster. Monsters: The Ed Gein Story focuses on the shocking true-life tale of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber who inspired many of Hollywood’s most iconic on-screen killers, such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. In the official trailer, we see Gein’s house of horrors being investigated by the FBI, who are shockingly disturbed by what they witness in his haunting home. Murphy and Brennan don’t disappoint when it comes to horror thrillers, with Murphy being credited as a creator for American Horror Story and both having worked on Scream Queens.
Horror fans, mark your calendars and get ready to be thrilled as you watch the POV and inside look at the twisted mind of Ed Gein, played by Charlie Hunnam, premiering on Netflix on 3 October.
Steve
Steve is a 2025 film starring Cillian Murphy, adapted from the novel Shy by Max Porter. The film had its theatrical premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September and received accolades for its performance. It follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling 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.
Streaming worldwide on Netflix from 3 October, viewers can expect to see the film deliver intense, suspenseful drama; it will grip your attention and demand empathy. Will the boys with societal and behavioural difficulties do better? We will see their redemption arc, and will Steve be able to save the school from going into closure? You’ll have to find out.
Is It Cake: Halloween Special
Is It Cake? is back! It will be returning for the season for the Halloween special. Is it Cake? is one of Netflix’s fun, family-friendly competition shows. In a seasonal special edition, skilled bakers will compete and whip up hyper-realistic Halloween cakes. As always, Mikey Day will return as the host, steering the competition show with his signature humour, which fans love.
If you’ve seen former seasons of Is It Cake?, you can expect the same kind of playful “which cake is real?” challenges, but with spooky themes such as pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts, and creepy props. If you love shows that surprise your eyes and make you question what’s real, this is one to add to your watchlist for 8 October on Netflix.
Maze Runner: The Trilogy Collection
Exciting news for dystopian and sci-fi fans, Netflix has announced the complete film collection of The Maze Runner will be coming to the platform on 9 October. Maze Runner is a sci-fi dystopian novel by James Dashner and was adapted into a trilogy of films in 2014, 2015, and 2018, with stellar performances from Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Kaya Scodelario.
On 9 October, both longtime fans of the trilogy and newcomers will be able to relive Thomas’s thrilling journey from waking up in the maze with no memory, to uncovering the dark mystery truth behind WCKD’s dangerous experiments on humans. The trilogy will leave viewers in an exciting adrenaline rush as they experience the entire dystopian world of the Maze Runners. Grab your popcorn as these films are a promising, binge-worthy experience with its high-stakes action and suspenseful twists that capture the essence of dystopian sci-fi storytelling.
A House of Dynamite
On 24 October, viewers can enter the House of Dynamite on Netflix and witness a star-studded cast including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, and more. The political thriller, directed by Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim, centres on a sudden, unattributed nuclear-missile launch against the United States and the scramble among top civilian and military officials to determine responsibility and decide how to respond.
Among the leads, Idris Elba plays the U.S. President grappling with the attack. If you liked The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty, you’ll want to check out A House of Dynamite. The film delivers and echoes high-stakes conflict and moral ambiguity, and it explores the human cost of war while keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. This is a must-watch for anyone who craves a powerful, suspenseful political thriller.
The Woman in Cabin 10
Are you a fan of mystery thrillers and whodunnits, but with a darker psychological twist? If so, The Woman in Cabin 10 is the perfect film for you. The film takes place on a lavish yacht for an assignment, and a journalist sees a passenger go overboard. But when no one believes her, she risks her life to uncover the truth. The Woman In Cabin 10 is based on the best-selling novel by Ruth Ware, and this chilling film adaptation is directed by Simone Stone and starring
Kiera Knightley, Guy Pearce, and more. The film premieres on Netflix on 10 October.
Fans of thrillers can expect a tense, atmospheric mystery as the journalist navigates a sea of denial, gaslighting, and entitled egos among wealthy luxury passengers, building to a gripping unravelling of secrets that will keep viewers on edge until the final reveal.
Ballad of a Small Player
Ballad of a Small Player is a book adaptation of the same name by Lawrence Osborne. The British film stars Colin Farrell in a highly anticipated psychological drama, premiering on Netflix on 29 October. In the official trailer, we see Lord Doyle, played by Farrell, lying low in Macau, spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily, and gambling with the little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming, a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in a hot pursuit, a private investigator is ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in. This film delivers a psychological thriller ride for the viewers, and you’ll have to tune in on 29 October to see how the cards will be dealt with.
The Witcher: Season Four
Based on the dark fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the premise of the Witcher takes place in a dangerous world dealing with monsters, magic, humans. To survive, a Witcher must keep his sword, keep moving, and never try to outrun destiny. Season four will premiere on 30 October on Netflix with a new lead starring Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, replacing Henry Cavill.
In season three of The Witcher, the mystical dark fantasy series left viewers with a shocking continent-altering finale episode. Meanwhile, in its upcoming fourth season, the official trailer reveals that the stories will follow Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. This leaves viewers wondering if Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in. The viewers and fans of the show will have to tune in to see what adventures lie ahead.
Nobody Wants This: Season Two
Although October is usually known for scary horror movies and dark dramas, it’s also the month when a few light-hearted TV shows and films arrive to balance out the chills. If you love rom-coms and are a sucker for watching the girl end up with the perfect guy, this is the show for you.
Nobody Wants This tells the unexpected love story of an outspoken sex-positive podcaster and a rabbi. Starring Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, and more, the series premiered on 26 September 2024 on Netflix with positive reviews from critics. It quickly became a hit and following its success, Netflix renewed the show for a second season, which is set to premiere on 23 October.
The ending of Season one left viewers on a major cliffhanger, wondering if the couple would ultimately end up together. The second season trailer promises to deliver the same humour, heart, and romance that made the show a standout success, perfect for cosy binge-watching.
