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October is one of the best times for streaming. The weather’s cooling down, Halloween is approaching and, crucially, a ton of new movies are hitting your favorite streaming services.
To that end, we’ve gone through and made a curated list of the best new movies added to Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+ and more this month. They include a brand new Ben Affleck thriller, an indie gem from earlier this year, a new Steven Spielberg movie, some excellent new comedy documentaries and more spooky movies than you can shake a broomstick at.
Check out our list of the top new movies streaming below.
“SOULM8TE”
Hulu – Oct. 1
It seems almost quaint to think of a time when “M3GAN,” the surprise hit about the doll-like killer cyborg, was being envisioned not as a series of PG-13 horror movies but as a vast universe that could contain all sorts of stories. One of those stories was “SOULM8TE,” which combines the dynamics of a 1990’s erotic thriller with the technological unease of a contemporary sci-fi thriller. David Rysdahl plays a nerdy scientist who has just lost his wife and works at a next-gen tech company. He agrees to beta test the company’s new lifelike female sex robot, who he names Sara (Lily Sullivan). As you can imagine, things soon go horribly wrong, Sara starts killing people and must be shut down.
It’s actually a lot of fun, and has some interesting things to say about sexual dynamics in the modern world and some sly commentary on the “trad-wife” phenomenon we’re seeing in social media and in politics. The problem, of course, was that “SOULM8TE” was being finished when “M3GAN 2.0” was released theatrically and performed so, so poorly. Post-production was paused while Universal searched for a potential partner and when that didn’t happen, they opted to just release it direct-to-digital themselves, stripped of any connection to “M3GAN” or its once-promising universe. And it’s a shame because “SOULM8TE” is actually pretty underrated.
“Psycho”
Netflix – Oct. 1
If you’re looking to watch a scary movie for Halloween, why not pick a classic? Alfred Hitchcok’s “Psycho” still holds up 60 years later, as the tale of Norman Bates and his murderous goings-on at the Bates Motel works not just because of its story, but how its told. Hitchcock wasn’t deemed the “Master of Suspense” for nothing, and if you cozy up with a blanket and bowl of popcorn this makes for a terrific night in.
“Crimson Peak”
Netflix – Oct. 1
If Gothic Romance is more your thing, Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” has only grown in esteem since it was first released in 2015. Mia Wasikowska plays a precocious young woman who marries a kind but mysterious wealthy man played by Tom Hiddleston, who whisks her away to what turns out to be a decrepit mansion called Crimson Peak. He lives there with his sister, played by Jessica Chastain, but soon Wasikowska’s character is plagued by horrors and ghastly visions. Is the house haunted? And where did all these ghosts come from? This thing is lush and a joy to take in as del Toro spared no expense in building out a dreamworld of Gothic horror.
“Ouija: Origin of Evil”
Netflix – Oct. 1
Now if you want to watch something scary, try “Ouija: Origin of Evil.” Yes this is technically a prequel, no you don’t have to watch the very bad first “Ouija” movie to enjoy it. This film was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, of “Haunting of Hill House” and “Doctor Sleep” fame, and is a truly spooky tale set in 1967 Los Angeles of a widow and her daughters who run a faux psychic business out of their house.
“The Witch”
Prime Video – Oct. 1
What’s scarier than a board game? Witchcraft. Robert Eggers, who would go on to direct hits like “Nosferatu” and “The Lighthouse,” first burst onto the scene with the 2015 indie “The Witch.” The film also marked the big debut of Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays a young woman living in 1630s New England whose family is plagued by misfortune, seemingly at the hands of an actual witch. The extreme realism of the film — this is a period piece that looks and feels like it was shot in the 17th Century — only adds to the terror, as it makes the scares that much more tangible.
“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”
Mubi – Oct. 2
Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun earned a legion of new fans with their 2024 A24 film “I Saw the TV Glow,” a trippy allegory for being trans in a world that doesn’t accept you for who you are. Schoenbrun returned this year with something a bit more joyful in “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” which is again heavy on the allegory but this time about a more fun subject: sex. “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder plays a filmmaker hired to direct a new installment in the slasher series “Camp Miasma” who tracks down the star of the original, played by Gillian Anderson.
“Evil Dead Burn”
HBO Max – Oct. 2
The latest installment in the long running “Evil Dead” franchise, which began with Sam Raimi’s influential original in 1981, is helmed by French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček. Souheila Yacoub stars as a young woman who loses her husband and who tries to find community with her in-laws. Of course, this being an “Evil Dead” movie, all hell breaks loose (literally), as the spirits from the Book of the Dead begin to inhabit the family members. “Evil Dead Burn” garnered strong reviews and solid box office (making more than $72 million globally on a budget of just $20 million), serving as a direct sequel to 2023’s even-more-popular “Evil Dead Rise” (stick around after the credits for a key post-credits scene). And while fan reaction was mixed, an “Evil Dead” movie is like pizza – even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.
“Who Is Martin Mull?”
Netflix – Oct. 7
Joining a slew of comedy documentaries debuting on Netflix this month is “Who Is Martin Mull?,” which chronicles the life and career of the celebrated performer and comedian whose true passion lies in… painting? You know the face, now get to know the man.
“Disclosure Day”
Peacock – Oct. 9
“Disclosure Day” deserved better. It certainly couldn’t have been timed better, with the United States government opening a publicly accessible depository of UFO-related material and selectively unsealing classified documents, like the Navy’s engagement with a Tic-tac-shaped craft off the port of San Diego. (The phenomena around disclosure was the subject of a recent Time Magazine cover story.) Maybe it was the woo-woo marketing campaign, but “Disclosure Day” only racked up $241 million on a budget of $115 million, which is a disappointment. It’s also a shame. Because “Disclosure Day” is one of Steven Spielberg’s very best movies, a rip-snorting chase thriller about a whistleblower (Josh O’Connor) who steals documents related to the United States’ knowledge of UFOs and threatens to, in his words, “share it with the whole world, all at once.” Emily Blunt is a local weatherwoman who gets drawn into the mystery and Colin Firth is the man hunting them both down.
There’s a propulsive oomph to the narrative; David Koepp’s screenplay (based on a story by Spielberg) zips along admirably, from one expertly staged set piece to the next. And it ends on a somber, hopeful note that will have you wiping away tears. “Disclosure Day” is what you think of when you think of a “Steven Spielberg movie,” full of wonder and terror, awe and suspense. A truly perfect Friday night – or any other night, really – movie. And one of the year’s greatest films.
“Animals”
Netflix – Oct. 9
Just a few months after Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had a massive streaming hit with Joe Carnahan’s “The Rip,” the boys are back for “Animals.” While Damon was meant to star in this lean, Los Angeles-based thriller, he instead committed to some little art house movie called “The Odyssey” and Affleck stepped in to replace him as an LA mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped on Halloween, just a few hours before the election. This leads him on a mad scramble to meet the kidnappers’ demands and save his campaign (and his marriage to Kerry Washington). Adding to the tension is that he’s already overextended himself financially to fund the campaign, which becomes downright desperate when Gillian Anderson enters the picture as a shady operative promising the safe return of their son … for an unimaginably large price.
“Animals” was based on a buzzy spec script by Connor McIntyre, which was subsequently rewritten by Affleck and studio pro Billy Ray, who assembled a strong team both in front of the camera (Steven Yeun and Ray Fisher are supporting players) and behind it (with legendary cinematographer Robert Elswit and composer Harry Gregson-Williams among others). At 106 minutes, too, “Animals” doesn’t overstay its welcome, offering just the right amount of political commentary, edge-of-your-seat thrills and delicate character moments. Roar.
“Matchbox”
Apple TV – Oct. 9
The second movie based on a Mattel movie released this year (following this summer’s silly fun “Masters of the Universe”) is “Matchbox: The Movie,” based on the tiny toy cars of the same name. John Cena plays a spy who, after reuniting with his childhood friends, is coerced into a stealing a nuclear warhead that the CIA is convinced he and his buddies have stolen. What any of this has to do with the original toy line is anybody’s guess. But it sounds fun, the cast is killer (Jesica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris and Corey Stoll are also in the cast) and it was directed by Sam Hargrave, who helmed the first two “Extraction” movies for Netflix (don’t worry, he’ll be back for the third). Rev your engines. Grab your favorite car. And get ready for “Matchbox: The Movie.”
“Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Hulu/Disney+ – Oct. 9
Last year’s global, sold-out Oasis reunion tour was such a startling improbability that people were betting on whether or not the shows would happen at all. The fact that it did happen – and was so spectacularly well-received – feels borderline miraculous. And everything that went into that reunion and the subsequent tour has, mercifully, been documented in “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” a feature documentary that premiered earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival before playing in select theaters and now, winding up on Disney+ and Hulu.
Warmly reviewed, the film hails from Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, who made the terrific LCD Soundsystem farewell tour doc “Shut Up and Play the Hits” (which ultimately became less a farewell than “we’ll be back soon” from the band) and “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” an adaptation of Lizzy Goodman’s nonfiction book about sleazy New York City rock (including, yes, LCD Soundsystem). “Don’t Look Back in Anger” was written by Steven Knight, one of the most fabulous British screenwriters (and creator of “Peaky Blinders” and “The Crown”) and shot by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, who regularly collaborates with Kenneth Branagh. But the star of the show is, obviously, Liam and Noel Gallagher, the endlessly talented, hot-tempered brothers who made Oasis and then broke Oasis. Hearing from them is what makes “Don’t Look Back in Anger” a must-see documentary. Maybe they’ve mellowed in their old age. But probably not.
“Hokum”
Hulu – Oct. 10
Over the summer NEON released “Hokum,” which starred Adam Driver as a tortured novelist who checks into an extremely haunted house in rural Ireland, was mostly overlooked, with audiences instead focusing on viral sensations “Backrooms” and “Obsession.” And it’s a shame, too, because “Hokum” is really, really great – the kind of sturdy, old-fashioned (but never dull!) ghost story that draws you in and keeps you there. Driver’s Ohm, who is visiting Ireland to distribute his late parents’ ashes and to attempt a conclusion to a hugely popular trilogy, is a huge jerk.
The kind of character that every actor loves to play. But as he gets sucked into the mystery, both supernatural and earthly, his demeanor starts to soften; the edge starts to fade. And the character that lies underneath is vulnerable and susceptible to everything that the hotel throws at him. It must have been a lot of fun to play. Damian McCarthy, the filmmaker behind 2024’s “Oddity,” knows how to build a sequence and is smart enough to make things spooky but never trite, leaning on folklore and colorful characters, to create a beautiful, atmospheric tapestry. Now that it’s on streaming, don’t skip “Hokum.” Pretty soon you’ll be recommending it to all of your friends.
“Love of Your Life”
Prime Video – Oct. 14
Fresh off its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, filmmaker Rachel Morrison’s romantic drama “Love of Your Life” hits Prime Video this month. Margaret Qualley plays a nurse mourning the loss of her husband (Gabriel Basso) who flees the U.S. to get away from all of her problems. But will the running make a path towards healing, or will her ghosts keep chasing her?
“Sacrifice”
Netflix – Oct. 16
Romain Gavras is one of the best filmmakers working today and one that you’ve likely never heard of. The son of “Z” director Costa-Gavras, Gavras got his start making provocative music videos for Justice and Kanye West, before graduating to features. His last feature, 2022’s “Athena,” was a whirling, aggressive, sharply political action movie full of virtuosic shots that seemed borderline impossible, putting you in the middle of an urban uprising. For his follow up, the exquisitely bizarre “Sacrifice,” he follows a group of eco-terrorists who, fueled by ancient mythology, set out to kidnap some celebrities and hurl them into a volcano, in an effort to prevent a worldwide catastrophe.
You know, that old chestnut. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the zealous leaders of the terrorists, with Chris Evans an action star that is kidnapped by the group. (Vincent Cassel, a frequent Gavras collaborator, plays a Jeff Bezos-style billionaire who is also kidnapped and destined for the volcano.) Co-written by “Succession” alum Will Arbery, “Sacrifice” is a spiky, unexpected satire that will make you think and make you LOL. It’s beautifully shot, full of exotic locations and embroidered by a gorgeous score by Gavras’ multimedia art band Gener8ion (who performed a song with Yung Lean, who is in “Sacrifice,” on the MTV Video Music Awards) and some genuinely whacked-out performances by Evans, Taylor-Joy and Malkovich, as her father. Once you get on the same wavelength as “Sacrifice,” you should have a good time. Until you arrive at the volcano that is.
“Tenzing”
Apple TV – Oct. 16
This based-on-a-true-story drama, which premiered earlier this year at the Telluride Film Festival was directed by Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, who previously helmed “Sherpa,” a documentary about the 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche. Peedom returns to Mount Everest for this narrative feature, which follows New Zealand adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary (played by Tom Hiddleston) and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok) as they ascended the mountain in 1953. (They would be the first climbers to reach the summit of Everest, the mountain on earth above sea level.) Willem Dafoe plays fellow adventurer John Hurt and Caitríona Balfe also stars. The movie got rave reviews in its festival screenings and the trailer is genuinely thrilling. If you want real-life edge-of-your-seat suspense, “Tenzing” should do the trick.
“Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald”
Netflix – Oct. 16
One of the quartet of comedy documentaries arriving this month on Netflix and potentially the buzziest, “Norm: The Tale of Norm MacDonald” is a documentary about MacDonald, the comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member who died in 2021 at the age of 61. Structured mostly like someone surfing the internet looking for clips of MacDonald, it also features some insight into his personal life, which was sad and strange but in a way that lines up with his public persona. MacDonald’s battle with cancer, which impacted him as a young man and eventually took his life, is addressed but not in depth. That’s because MacDonald kept his diagnosis secret and only a handful of people even knew that he was sick. “Norm” is overlong (but hey, it is a Judd Apatow movie), but it is incredibly funny, even if it just replays some of the MacDonald clips you’ve already seen countless times before (you’ll still laugh). As a portrait of a man, it leaves something to be desired, but as a celebration of one of the greatest, most oddball comics of his generation, it’s a profound monument. It will make you miss Norm very much. Even more than you already do.
“The Death of Robin Hood”
Netflix – Oct. 16
A fine complement to Christopher Nolan’s thematically similar “The Odyssey,” “The Death of Robin Hood” follows the titular archer (played by Hugh Jackman) who, towards the end of his life, finds himself on a remote island being tended to by a healer (Jodie Comer). We see flashes of his life, not as a hero but as a highwayman and murderer, prowling the countryside with a similarly psychotic Little John (Bill Skarsgård) and eventually living alone, killing anyone who dares confront him for his past deeds. (The violence in the movie is pretty gnarly.) On the island, though, Robin Hood looks back on his life and attempts to take accountability, before accepting his fate as a man condemned to die. Is it the cheeriest movie of the year? No. But it investigates the power of myth, creating an earthy fable about how storytelling can consume, heal or destroy. “The Death of Robin Hood,” helmed by “Pig” and “A Quiet Place: Day One” filmmaker Michael Sarnoski, is one of the better, more underrated efforts from A24. Hopefully it finds an audience at home. It hits the bullseye.
“The Invite”
HBO Max – Oct. 23
One of the best films of the year is finally on streaming. “The Invite” is a hilarious, devastating relationship comedy/drama about a married couple (played by Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen) who invites their adventurous upstairs neighbors (played by Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz) over for dinner. The whole film takes place in this one apartment, but over the course of the evening, Wilde and Rogen’s characters lay bare the issues in their marriage, the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other and struggle to decide whether they belong together – all in front of these two strangers. It’s funny and heartbreaking all at once.
“Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story”
Netflix – Oct. 23
Maria Bamford is one of the most celebrated comedians of our time… in the world of comedians. Director Judd Apatow chronicles the life and career of this extremely special person in this new documentary, which finds Bamford reluctantly participating in a way that is both hilarious and fitting. The movie tackles why she decided to lay bare her mental health struggles on stage, and what it’s been like getting so much acclaim from the comedy world but not quite finding mainstream success.
“Minions & Monsters”
Peacock – Oct. 28
“Minions & Monsters” might be the best movie in the “Despicable Me” franchise, full stop. And yet it was something of a box office disappointment, making “only” $525 million worldwide against a budget of $85 million. But it will have its day. The film mostly takes place in 1920’s Hollywood, where the Minions have found themselves and where they decide to make their own monster movie. Of course, they come across an enchanted book and end up conjuring an actual monster. You know. Classic “Minions” shit. But director/co-writer Pierre Coffin (he also voices the Minions) has stuffed the movie with loving throwbacks to classic cinema and has enough surprises up his sleeve to keep even the most jaded viewer fitfully entertained. The movie, as it shuttles along, becomes more conventional but no less fun. This is the highlight of the franchise and one of the very best animated movies of the year. Yes, we’re as surprised as you are.
“SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of”
Netflix – Oct. 30
The fourth and final comedy documentary premiering this month on Netflix is “SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of,” a side-splitting portrait of the beloved, hugely influential Canadian answer to “Saturday Night Live” and perhaps the funniest, most moving doc of the entire bunch. Though archival materials, including some rarely seen footage, new interviews with cast members like Cahterine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Martin Short and – yes! – Rick Moranis, and clips from the series, the Jason Hehir-directed documentary highlights just how funny things were in the Great White North and how many people are still influenced by them today. (Bill Hader is frequently interviewed and is nearly crying laughing every time, just recounting his favorite sketches.)
There is a bit of melancholy to the documentary, too, which goes a long way, considering how many cast members and close creative collaborators the “SCTV” team has lost along the way, including John Candy and, just a few months after she recorded her interviews, O’Hara herself. If anything, the sadness makes the comedy even more powerful. What they were doing was special and it can still make you giggle uncontrollably, even through the tears. Just ask Bill Hader.
