Spooky season has arrived, but that doesn't mean you have to take an axe to your energy efficient light bulbs and settle in for yet another Human Centipede marathon. Not only are there plenty of new horror-adjacent films on Netflix, but there's macabre action, psychological dramas and heart-racing documentaries on offer, too.
That's why we've rounded up all the stuff you should be looking forward to, from the return of some of the streamer’s most popular shows to all-new projects.
Beckham
A four-part documentary series diving into the rise and rise of one of the biggest names on the planet; one half of Brand Beckham, David Beckham. With Searching For Sugarman’s John Battsek as one of the co-directors, it will clue viewers in on all the drama of the footballer’s life, both on and off the pitch.
Release date: October 4.
Race To The Summit
What could also be called 'Don’t Look Down', this documentary focuses on the rivalry between two of the fastest climbers in the world. It explores the competition Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold share and the life-threatening lengths and heights they’ve gone to in order to win competitions – all played out “solo”, that is, without any safety equipment, across the European Alps.
Release date: October 4.
Ballerina
This hyped Korean thriller sees a grieving female ex-bodyguard Okju (Jun Jong-seo) track down the man responsible for killing her best friend, Minhee, to exact a terrible act of revenge on him.
Release date: October 6.
Fair Play
Will this be the film to herald the return of the (good) erotic thriller, we asked back in the summer? We have high hopes, as Phoebe Dyvenor and Alden Ehrenreich navigate the choppy waters of competing careers in the cut-throat finance world alongside being engaged to each other, as they work out what, or who, comes first.
Release date: October 6.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher
How closely this Mike Flanagan-directed series follows the original Edgar Allan Poe short story remains to be seen, but setting it all in the world of Big Pharma is a smart touch for this gory dramedy. Starring Mark Hamill, Bruce Greenwood and T’Nia Miller.
Release date: October 12.
The Devil On Trial
In 1981, 19-year-old Arne Cheyenne Johnson murdered his landlord, and the resulting murder trial became known as the only court case in the country’s history to use “Demonic possession” as a defence. This documentary looks at the highly shocking case, and examines the controversial demonologists and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Release date: October 17.
Bodies
A time-twisting police detective thriller, lifted from the pages of a graphic novel by Si Spencer, in which the same body is found in London’s East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053. The four detectives involved in the case – spanning across 150 years – are stumped, but could it all have something to do with a strange political leader, Elias Mannix, played by the always mesmerising Stephen Graham?
Release date: October 19
Neon
Wannabe musician Santi has plans to make big moves in the Reggaeton scene, and this comedy series follows him (played by Tyler Dean Flores) and his mates Ness (Emma Ferreira), Felix (Jordan Mendoza) as they hustle to make it happen. If you liked Dave, Atlanta or Remy, give this one a spin.
Release date: October 19.
Life On Our Planet
The documentary opens with a staggering fact: that despite there being 20 million species on our planet, 99 per cent of Earth’s inhabitants are lost to our deep past. With the latest in CGI and scientific advancements, this film series will attempt to explore some of those long-extinct creatures for a modern audience.
Release date: October 25.
Pain Hustlers
Emily Blunt and Chris Evans star as pharmaceutical scammers, based on a true story, in which a struggling mum has to weigh up her ethics against the chance to make a load of cold, hard cash.
Release date: October 27.
Pluto
A long-awaited adaptation of a manga “masterpiece”, this animation takes place in a neo-futuristic world where humans and high-functioning robots live in complete harmony.
Release date: October 27.
