DUNE – Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures
Another month is just around the corner and a big collection of movies are on the way to Netflix and below, we’ll be picking out our must-watch picks and/or our most anticipated titles on the way.
As always, we’ll be splitting our movie post into two halves (go here if you missed our September picks) with us covering all the most anticipated Netflix Original movies for the month first and then moving into some of the licensed movies on the way too.
For a full list of what’s coming up in October 2023, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.
Best New Netflix Original Movies Coming in October 2023
Pain Hustlers
Coming to Netflix: October 27th
An all-star cast will feature in Netflix’s big biopic which comes from Harry Potter series director, David Yates. Dreaming of a better life for her fledgling family, Liza (played by Emily Blunt) lands a job at a struggling pharma start-up, where Liza’s charm, drive, and guts catapult her into the high life. The good times don’t last forever, though.
The movie made its premiere at festivals over the past few weeks and while reactions haven’t been too great (it sits at a measly 42 on Metacritic), we suspect this is going to be a crowd-pleaser given the cast on offer.
If you’re looking for a primer ahead of Pain Hustlers, we’d highly recommend watching Netflix’s limited series Painkiller which touches on some similar themes.
Old Dads (2023)
Coming to Netflix: October 20th
Originally set for a theatrical release, Netflix snapped up Old Dads in the past few weeks and quickly set it to release globally on October 20th.
The comedy serves as Bill Burr’s directorial debut and sees him starring alongside Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine who are aging friends finding themselves up against anything born after 1987.
If you loved F is for Family, this looks like that but a live-action version. We can’t wait.
Disco Inferno / Flashback
Coming to Netflix: October 20th
Picture: Netflix
Netflix is heavily reliant on licensed titles for its Halloween lineup this year but if you love the likes of Black Mirror, Netflix is set to release two short movies from up-and-coming directors in the horror space.
Little beyond the headline talent and synopsis is known about the two shorts but here’s what you can expect from each:
“Disco Inferno: A young couple conjures a dark presence that hungers for their unborn baby as they prepare to burn up the dance floor at LA’s hottest disco.
“Flashback: A yoga teacher’s life flashes before her eyes during a deadly home invasion, sending her on a desperate race through her past to save the man she loves.”
Ballerina
Coming to Netflix: October 6th
Finally, we’d like to spotlight a new international title on the way and this one adds to Netflix’s already great collection of action thrillers to hail from South Korea.
In this movie, directed and written by Lee Chung-hyun, you’ll follow a merciless ex-bodyguard on the hunt for the man responsible for the death of her best friend.
Jun Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hun and Park Yu-rim star.
Best New Licensed Movies Coming in October 2023
Please note: these are specifically for Netflix US – other regions’ availability may vary.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Picture: DreamWorks Pictures / Paramount Pictures
Of the classic movies making their way onto Netflix, we’d thoroughly recommend a rewatch of Saving Private Ryan from Steven Spielberg. With its arrival, that means you can go on a Speilberg WW2 binge because he and Tom Hanks were notably behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific which dropped on Netflix last month.
In this movie that’s now a quarter of a century old, you’ll follow a group of US soldiers hunting down the last remaining Ryan after all of his brothers have fallen in battle.
Dune (2021)
Coming to Netflix: October 1st
For two months in a row, Netflix US has licensed a huge movie from Warner Bros.’s recent output. Last month, Don’t Worry Darling dropped on the service and this month it’ll be the sublime Denis Villeneuve sci-fi movie, Dune.
Again, a big cast provides an excellent way into this world previously explored by David Lynch but impressive visuals, grounded characters, great action, stunning score and a highly anticipated sequel just around the corner will keep you hooked from start of finish.
Get Out (2017)
Coming to Netflix: October 1st
It wouldn’t be an October list without some horror. Netflix has a few big horror titles coming up this year and two of our favorites come from Jordan Peele. We’re referring to Get Out and Us both of which arrive on the first of the first month.
The best out of the two has to be Get Out thanks to a mindblowing performance from Daniel Kaluuya who plays a dutiful boyfriend meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time but slowly discovers they’re not what they seem.
At this point, Get Out has become an annual watch for me, and now being able to flick it on Netflix is now an added bonus.
Brother (2022)
Coming to Netflix: October 3rd
Rounding out our licensed movie picks is Brother, an underappreciated gem that premiered during last year’s festival circuit. Arriving early in the month, you’ll get the follow the the two brothers who are confronting big questions about masculinity, identity, and family during the rise of Toronto’s hip-hop scene.
Reviews were extremely positive for the movie with IndieWire’s David Ehrlich giving it an 83 score concluding, “[Brother] is so unstuck in time and shot through with raw emotion that its clunkier moments tend to function like tender maps back to the heart of the matter.”
Clement Virgo serves as the director behind the movie and is currently working on a brand new series for Netflix in the form of The Madness.
What new movie will you be checking out on Netflix this week? Let us know in the comments.