Between the murder mystery The Perfect Couple, the engrossing rom-com Nobody Wants This and the polarising true crime drama Monsters, there really was something for everyone on Netflix last month.
Fortunately as we head further in the autumn, the streaming giant has even more up its sleeve to keep us entertained, and the name of the game this October is escapism.
Whether you’re watching the next chapter of everyone’s favourite TV love story, eye-watering new property porn, the return of your top trashy dating show or even the odd spooky season-appropriate new horror, Netflix is keeping us fed in the weeks ahead.
Here are our top picks of Netflix’s new films and series for October 2024…
Making It In Marbella (Now streaming)
Tell me more: Undoubtedly one that fans of Selling Sunset, Owning Manhattan, Buying London or sun-drenched property porn in general, are going to absolutely love, Making It In Marbella centres around a brand new cast of Swedish real estate agents, who took themselves from Scandinavia to the Spanish party city with the hope of shifting some luxurious properties.
Come for the poking around of rich people’s unbelievable houses, stay for the petty squabbles among the estate agents.
Netflix says: “In the most luxurious area on the Spanish sunny coast, Swedish real estate brokers earn millions by selling stunning homes to the rich and famous. The series revolves around Homerun Brokers and the firm’s young agents as they navigate their personal and professional lives.
“In Marbella, it’s a quick ride to the top, but the downfall can come sooner than expected.”
Love Is Blind (Now streaming, with new episodes every Wednesday)
Tell me more: Netflix’s most successful reality TV format, Love Is Blind, is now back for its seventh season.
As ever, expect plenty of fireworks as singletons try their luck at meeting the one and hopefully heading down the aisle with someone they got to know without ever seeing their face.
Netflix says: “The hit reality series is back for a seventh season, following a new set of singles from Washington, DC — all ready to cut through the static of modern dating and forge authentic relationships, sight unseen.
“This season, the singles form deep and immediate connections, setting the stage for an unexpected journey full of twists, turns, and shocking revelations that will test each relationship well after the participants leave the pods for the real world.”
Unsolved Mysteries (Now streaming)
Tell me more: You know the drill by now – Netflix presents its fifth volume of mysterious stories that still have people scratching their heads.
Some are supernatural, others involve true crime. Some are totally weird and wonderful, others are more upsetting. One thing they have in common – they are, frustratingly, all still unsolved.
Netflix says: “Unsolved Mysteries is back with new episodes with more perplexing cold cases and supernatural events.”
Heartstopper (Now streaming)
Tell me more: Kit Connor and Joe Locke return as TV’s most cherished young couple, alongside their stellar cast of wholesome cohorts.
Season three of Heartstopper has already won waves of praise for tackling trickier and more adult themes, as the show dives deeper into Charlie’s mental health struggles, other characters embark on journeys of self-discovery with regard to their gender identities and, yes, several of the show’s resident couples take their relationships to the next level physically.
Netflix says: “Charlie and Nick are ready to take things to the next level. As they get closer in every way, they face their relationship’s biggest challenge yet.”
It’s What’s Inside (Now streaming)
Tell me more: Part Bachelorette, part Freaky Friday, part Talk To Me, It’s What Inside is a new comedy horror arriving on Netflix just in time for spooky season.
A group of estranged friends come together the night before a wedding, with things taking a sinister turn when one of them proposes a new game that lets them get to know each other on a dark new level.
Netflix says: “A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a suitcase containing a mysterious device capable of inducing body swaps.
“Tempted into playing a twisted game, the group uncovers hidden truths, suppressed desires, and deep-seated grudges. As their lives are swept up by deceit and startling revelations, It’s What’s Inside peels back layers of intrigue with its mind-bending twists and turns.”
The Menéndez Brothers (7 October)
Tell me more: The whole world is talking about the case of the Menéndez brothers, who are both currently serving life sentences for the murder of their parents, off the back of Ryan Murphy’s true crime drama Monsters.
In their new documentary, Erik and Lyle Menéndez tell their own unique story in interviews conducted from prison, in the hopes of getting the world to reasess their case.
Netflix says: “In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menéndez were convicted for the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation.
“Through extensive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik, lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it, jurors, family, and other informed observers, acclaimed Argentinian director Alejandro Hartmann offers new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know.”
Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft (10 October)
Tell me more: Video game icon Lara Croft is a character who’s been brought to life on the big screen with varying levels of success.
However, this time around Lara’s story has been adapted for a new animated series on Netflix, with Hayley Atwell lending her voice to the legendary character.
Netflix says: “The animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft picks up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video game Survivor trilogy, and will chart the globetrotting heroine’s next chapter as the iconic adventurer.
“More than 25 years after her first appearance, Lara Croft continues to explore ancient mysteries and uncover lost truths across breathtaking and dangerous destinations.”
Lonely Planet (11 October)
Tell me more: October means even earlier dark nights, so if you’re in need of some comfort viewing, this low-stakes romance could be the trick.
Starring Oscar winner and Laura Dern and The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth, Lonely Planet tells the story of a novelist who takes a luxury trip in the hope of curing her writer’s block, only to… well, we assume, fall in love with Liam Hemsworth.
Netflix says: “A reclusive novelist arrives at a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer’s block. While there, she meets a young man ― what starts as an acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.”
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special (15 October)
Tell me more: Anyone who’s watched her Emmy-winning musical sitcom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will know that Rachel Bloom is an expert at taking on dark and difficult themes in a unique, refreshing way.
In her hit one-woman show, which has now been turned into a Netflix comedy special, Rachel relives the life-changing events of the Covid-19 pandemic on a global, but also personal level, looking back on a period in which she suffered devastating losses (including former collaborator Adam Schlesinger, who died from Covid complications in the early stages of the pandemic), and also became a mother.
Netflix says: Comedian and actor Rachel Bloom muses on birth, death, cosmic uncertainty and pungent trees in this whimsical and reflective musical comedy special.
Woman Of The Hour (18 October)
Tell me more: Both starring and directed by Anna Kendrick, this crime thriller tells the startling true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who had already murdered five women by the time he was matched up on the US equivalent of Blind Date in the 1970s.
Netflix says: “The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.”
Beauty In Black (24 October)
Tell me more: The first series to come from Tyler Perry’s multi-million dollar deal with Netflix, Beauty In Black packs in the drama as it tells the story of two women from completely different worlds who become intrinsically connected in one another’s lives.
Netflix is clearly expecting big things from Beauty In Black, as the first half of the show is due in October, with the second following next month.
Netflix says: “Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black follows two women leading very different lives. While Kimmie is struggling to make a living after her mother kicked her out, and Mallory is running a successful business, they find themselves entangled in each other’s lives.”
Don’t Move (25 October)
Tell me more: A thought-provoking horror in the style of A Quiet Place or Netflix’s own Bird Box, Don’t Move centres around a woman trying to escape a serial killer.
The twist is that she has been injected with a fatal substance, with only 20 minutes to get away before her body completely shuts down.
Netflix says: “A grieving woman hoping to find solace deep in an isolated forest encounters a stranger who injects her with a paralytic agent. As the agent gradually takes over her body, she must run, hide, and fight for her life before her entire nervous system shuts down.”
Simone Biles Rising (25 October)
Tell me more: Perhaps you caught the first half of Simon Biles’ Netflix documentary over the summer, right before the 2024 Olympics got underway.
Well, following her success in Paris, the world’s most famous gymnast has opened her life up to Netflix’s cameras once again, not just while at the Games but in the aftermath.
Netflix says: “Gymnast Simone Biles officially and gloriously returned to the international stage at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On 30 July, Biles and the US gymnastics team won gold, putting Biles back on top — and on 25 October, you can follow her journey in Episodes 3 and 4 of Simone Biles Rising.
“The second instalment of director Katie Walsh’s series follows Biles as she makes the US Olympic Team at the 2024 Trials, onward to her arrival in Paris, and continuing along her incredible blazing trail to become the most decorated gymnast in history.”
The Diplomat (31 October)
Tell me more: Debora Cahn’s hit thriller gripped the world in 2023, and it’s finally back for a new season.
Keri Russell returns as ambassador Kate Wyler in the new batch of episodes, in which she grapples with the events leading up to that cliffhanger ending – alongside new challenges, not to mention some exciting new additions to the cast.
Netflix says: “A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s world. Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.
“As Kate chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost-ex-husband Hal Wyler, very much alive, and very much involved. She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison, and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn.
“Stately homes. State secrets. High treason. High tea. From creator, showrunner, and executive producer Debora Cahn, the Emmy-nominated series The Diplomat returns for a second season.”
