It seems like just yesterday that we were all enjoying the warmth of summer and the long days that stretched into endlessly fun nights. And by that we mean we stayed inside all summer watching a hell of a lot of Netflix and it interfered with our sleep. But whether we had a chance to finish bingeing Stranger Things or not, life goes on and the calendar keeps turning, which brings us to the month of October and all the new content we have to make room for.
With the days getting shorter and your caffeine intake at an all-time high thanks to all the Pumpkin Spice Lattes you’re secretly drinking, why not enjoy the autumn weather by sitting in front of a screen and watching TV until you can’t feel feelings anymore? Whether you think the fall is for romantic strolls on gold and crimson leaf-strewn pathways, a time to cry into a warm blanket over your constant loneliness, or simply that time of the year when Twitter gets all Halloweeney, throw out your notions of what October means and just focus on this: the 15 New Additions To Netflix You Need To Watch This October.
Note: Since Luke Cage actually premieres on the last day of September, it does not appear on our list. But rest assured, it will be awesome and it will be very much worth your time.
15. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - October 1
Whether you’re back to school or still in an endless loop of work, there’s no bad time to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But perhaps the best time to watch it is now, with the calendar turning, summer fading away in the rear-view mirror, and all of us wanting just a taste of what Ferris has when he finally gets that well-deserved day off.
Still as funny, inspirational, charming, weird, and iconic as ever, Ferris Bueller is the movie of a generation -- and every generation after that. John Hughes created an '80s teen masterpiece, but the film succeeds in spanning ages and timelines by being so darn great on every level. Whether its Matthew Broderick singing twist and shout or Alan Ruck’s Cameron nearly drowning in the pool, every moment of Ferris Bueller is a well beloved memory that the entire world shares. Unless of course, you’ve never seen the movie. But if that’s the case, with the film’s appearance on Netflix helping kick off the month, you have no excuse not to give this classic a go.
Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
14. Titanic (1997) - October 1
Surely you’ve seen Titanic, the, um, titanic hit that swept the world (and the Oscars) back in 1997. As what was once the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic was seen by pretty much the entire moviegoing world. But Titanic came out nearly 20 years ago, and two decades later Leonardo DiCaprio is (finally) an Oscar winner and director James Cameron is spending his life promising people that more Avatar sequels are coming. The point being, a lot can change in two decades, but it seems that one constant is the quality and agelessness of Cameron’s masterpiece.
Famously difficult to make and cutting edge right down to every historically accurate detail, Titanic still serves as the ultimate piece of historical filmmaking. And although we all know how the film ends and we remember the ground-breaking visual effects of the Titanic’s ultimate demise, what’s so spectacular about Titanic is that all these years later, the first half – and all the little stuff between Rose and Jack – remains endlessly entertaining.
13. American Horror Story: Hotel: Season 5 - October 4
Just when you thought American Horror Story was beginning to show its age and run out of ridiculous ideas to throw at us, American Horror Story: Hotel came along. With a bountiful supply of weird sex, strange characters, inexplicable mysteries, and extravagant set designs and costumes, just like that, American Horror Story was back in the public consciousness as either the show that people loved or the show that people loved to hate; it all depends who you talk to.
Were you one of the (fairly popular) opinion that Hotel/season 5 was the worst of the bunch? In that case, its arrival on Netflix allows you the unique opportunity to just rip it off like a bandaid. A swift binge will open you up to the connections that Season 5 made with previous seasons, as well as give you an idea of where Season 6 may be headed. And if in the end you decide that, nope, AHS: Hotel isn’t for you after all, then just stick with Season 6 until you decide that you just can’t anymore, and continue down the path of watching an episode or two of each American Horror Story season, realizing you don’t care for it, then repeating the next year. Spooky, right?
12. The Flash: Season 2 - October 4
As experienced binge watchers, we know that an explosive first season of a TV series is often accompanied by the distinct possibility of a huge letdown in the second. So perhaps that;s why year two of the hit CW series The Flash blew by our expectations and delivered a stellar follow-up to one of television’s most exciting superhero series.
Now on Netflix before the third season premieres on October 4th, The Flash is setting the standards for what superheroes on television should look and feel like. Endlessly entertaining, fun, colorful, and packed with enough twists and turns to fill a Barry Allen obstacle course, The Flash came along at a time when superhero TV was struggling to really take off – with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. plodding around somewhat aimlessly, Agent Carter failing to ignite anyone’s senses, and Gotham struggling with its dark tone – so it’s amazing to see the show flourish as it has. Now ready to be enjoyed in one superhero sized dose thanks to Netflix, watch The Flash if you haven’t yet, or re-watch it if you have; it’s that good.
11. The Grinder: Season 1 - October 4
The 2015 television season was one of the worst in decades as far as network comedy was concerned, having passed us by without a major breakout hit and the floundering of many existing ones. With NBC essentially giving up on comedy altogether last year, CBS pumping out its usual array of "meh"-inducing series that skewed towards older audiences, and ABC seemingly unwilling to shake things up, FOX came in and gave us one of the best new comedy series in a long time with The Grinder. Then, what with them being FOX and all, they cancelled it.
Starring a brilliant Rob Lowe and a perfect Fred Savage in his return to small screen stardom, The Grinder was the type of ridiculous, self-referencing, fourth-wall-breaking meta-comedy that the world needs right now. It was laugh out loud funny while managing to be brilliantly self-deprecating, and at the end – perhaps tragically, once the writers knew the show would be cancelled – it finally reached its full potential by being as serialized as any comedy could hope to be. In the end, The Grinder was too beautiful for this world, and we can only hope that with FOX’s current love of reviving old shows, they will one day revisit the series with a revival called The Grinder: Sustained.
10. Arrow: Season 4 - October 5
Joining The Flash as another bright spot of superhero television is Arrow, which has been going strong for four seasons now and looks to keep that trend alive with a fifth season on its way. The series may have experienced some hit and miss moments in season 4, but it remains one of the strongest comic book adaptations currently on the small screen, and is therefore a perfect fit for a Netflix binge night when you want something that will keep you entertained into the early hours of the morning.
Picking up after Season 3’s finale where Arrow hung up his suit for good (which was obviously never going to last), the fourth season of the show served as a solid jumping on point for new fans, and an even better continuation for those that have been tuning in from the beginning. It's far darker than its Arrowverse spinoffs, of course, but it's still a welcome tonal departure for those that have been watching too much of the Marvel TV Universe on Netflix. Arrow is the perfect Netflix show when you're looking to strike just the right balance between high octane television and low-key fun.
9. Russell Peters: Almost Famous (2016) - October 7th
Let’s take a look first not at the content of Russell Peters’ new standup special, but at the title, which itself is a perfect look into the mind of one of the world’s top comedians. With his new Netflix original standup special, Russell Peters: Almost Famous gets into the shocking fact that despite Peters being tied for the fourth highest paid comedian on the planet, he’s still somehow not a household name. But with this special, perhaps Russell Peters will move from being almost famous to (we can only hope) famous.
Continuing on with the mix of racial humor and deft observational comedy that made him almost famous in the first place, Canada's Russell Peters finally brings his stand-up to the world with a special that’s set to debut to all Netflix subscribers around the globe at once. Since Peters’ type of comedy knows no bounds and has no troubles crossing borders, look for his newest special to prove once and for all why Peters is the force in the world of comedy that he is -- and why his next special deserves to be called Russell Peters: Finally Famous.
8. The Ranch: Season 1, Part 2 - October 7th
A few months ago, Netflix, never afraid to try something new, threw its hat into the ring of multi-camera comedy and came up with the Ashton Kutcher-starring series, The Ranch. Launching Season 1 in two parts, the first part didn’t catch on with the legions of Netflix faithful that came to the service because of the promise of Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman, Master of None, and other spectacularly intelligent single camera comedies. But that’s okay, because the laugh track-driven comedy will get a chance at redemption with the release of Part 2.
Still starring Ashton Kutcher, The Ranch is presumably everything that those who liked The Ranch are hoping that The Ranch will still be. There’s still a ranch, so we assume. And that pesky laugh track that makes all those jokes stand out is still there. So, yeah, take it or leave it, but either way it’s here on Netflix and you can do with that information what you’d like.
7. Portlandia: Season 6 - October 12th
Portlandia may be the perfect show to come on Netflix, if only because it’s way easier to watch here than it is week to week on its home channel of IFC. Weird, absurd, hilarious, and great in any sized dose, Portlandia is the sketch show that you should throw on anytime you can’t commit to a big dramatic series.
Since you’ll no doubt be reconsidering your choice of sampling every new fall TV series at this point in October, take some time away from your DVR and let your brain clear itself with some nonsense-filled fun of the Portlandia variety. Sure, there’s lots of TV to watch, but why bother trying to figure out what’s good, what’s great, and what can be ignored when you can just ignore it all by watching six seasons of Portlandia? Seriously, there’s no need for fancy prestige dramas or cerebral comedies of any sort when Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein can guide you through life in a series of short sketches about Portland.
6. DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1 - October 13
Another day, another DC series added to your Netflix list. This time it’s the fascinating DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, otherwise known as “that superhero show where the brothers from Prison Break team up in this insanely cheesy way. But cheesiness aside, Legends of Tomorrow is actually a surprisingly fun superhero show that all comic fans should be watching, as it’s great to finally see a superhero team-up done right on the small screen.
Perhaps the only flaw of the show’s first season was its complicated plotting and strange reliance on the CW’s DC TV Universe. But that’s why we’re glad Legends of Tomorrow is being added to Netflix, because now we can watch it, understand it, and not be as surprised by just how gloriously cheesy the whole thing felt at first glance. With Season 2 set to premiere soon and more time-travel shenanigans and DC crossover goodness, be sure to catch up on Legends of Tomorrow before tomorrow is already here and you find yourself living in a past devoid of quality superhero TV shows.
5. Mascots (2016) - October 13th
If you’re at all a fan or student of classic comedy, then you should know the name Christopher Guest pretty well. As the writer of Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and This Is Spinal Tap, Guest has become a pioneer of mockumentary filmmaking, and he’s looking to continue along his legendary path with his new Netflix Original Film, Mascots.
Primed to be as hilarious and star-studded as every other Guest film, Mascots takes a look at the lives of the people behind everyone’s favorite sports mascots as they compete for the prestigious World Mascot Association’s Gold Fluffy Award. With stars like Jane Lynch, Chris O’Dowd, Jennifer Coolidge, Zach Woods, Ed Begley Jr., and a litanny of other well-known comedians, Mascots is set to be the little Netflix gem that you can tell your friends and family about and be praised as a genius for discovering it.
4. Haters Back Off: Season 1 - October 14th
This entry on our Netflix list may cause some groans, but if you’re a hater, you better back off. That’s because the first season of Netflix’s newest original Haters Back Off is coming, and whether you’re a fan of YouTube sensations or not, you should still give this show a fair shot.
By taking YouTube star Miranda Sings and putting her in the middle of a fictional family comedy revolving around her road to fame, Netflix looks to cross demographics and draw in the very same millennials that may mock Netflix for being no more than “a longer, more boring YouTube.” With an eight episode first season and the pedigree of being the first ever mainstream comedy revolving around a YouTube star, Haters Back Off has the potential to be the type of show that takes everyone by surprise and turns into a cross-generational hit. In fact, Miranda Sings herself (actual name; Colleen Ballinger) compares the show to David Guest’s Waiting For Guffman, so after you’ve watched Mascots on October 13th, be sure to find Guffman, then come back to Netflix for Haters Back Off and see if your lifetime goal of seeking out quality comedy is one step closer to becoming a reality.
3. Black Mirror: Season 3 - October 21st
Gear up for Halloween in a big way with the long-awaited continuation of Black Mirror, brought to us by the dream-granting omnipotent genie that is Netflix. For anyone that saw the original run of Black Mirror episodes, you’d know that the show is a gut-wrenching, horrific, tragic, soul-gnawing nightmare factory that you absolutely can’t get enough of. Intelligent and prophetic in ways that no other show would dare to be, we’re thankful that Black Mirror is coming to Netflix for the whole world to see, and we couldn’t be more excited about the talent involved. Among the stars involved: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis, Michael Kelly, Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, as well as directors such as Joe Wright and writers that include Rashida Jones and Mike Schur.
With that much talent in front of and behind the camera, as well as a show with such a strong pedigree, you may think that Black Mirror is the type of show that you need to watch all at once; but you couldn’t be more wrong. Be sure to watch Black Mirror over the course of many months; watch one episode, let your mind and body heal itself for a few weeks, then watch another. That’s how horrific and life-altering it can be.
Finally, it’s somewhat ironic that Black Mirror has found a new home on Netflix, a technological giant that makes its money by distracting the masses by shoving premium content into their faces at all times; which is the exact type of technology nightmare that Black Mirror would feed off of. But what do we care? Whether we’re doped up, drooling, and devouring Black Mirror on a screen four inches from our faces or not, we’re just happy to have more of the most innovative show to come around in decades. And, since Netflix ordered at least 12 episodes, look for six more to come… Eventually.
2. Big Eyes (2014) : October 25th
Christoph Waltz’s head-scratchingly mixed-up accent aside, Big Eyes remains a fascinating look at a fascinating story that was fascinatingly directed by a fascinatingly restrained Tim Burton. And although Burton did get to go a little Burton-esque with the scenes where Amy Adams’ lead character broke down, it’s refreshing to see a Tim Burton movie without a single Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter performance in sight.
Don’t let the failed Oscar campaign of Big Eyes hurt your idea of this film. Despite critics not taking note of what many had initially predicted as Oscar bait, Big Eyes deserves a clean perception free from big Oscar expectations. Somehow managing to be reserved while still going big and bold when it needed to, Big Eyes is an entertaining peek through the big eyes of real life painter Margaret Keane; and that’s all it needs to be. The film works as a biopic and an art-piece, as everything comes together to harmoniously paint a portrait of a larger-than-life story that almost none of us would have known without Big Eyes, and now even more of us can experience it thanks to Netflix.
1. Into The Inferno (2016) - October 28th
As we’ve noted before in our monthly lists of What’s New On Netflix, sometimes there’s nothing better on Netflix than a quality documentary. Sure, binge watching political thrillers and depressing comedies is all well and good, but some days, you just feel like challenging yourself and being an intelligent, contributing member of society. And when that day comes, boy does Netflix have a new original documentary for you: Into The Inferno.
Not only does the title make you sound like a badass when you inevitably recommend it – because, let’s face it, you’re not going to watch a documentary unless you can rub your good choices in everyone’s face – but the subject matter is actually equally as badass. Following Werner Herzog (German Director Badass) and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer (Volcano Expert Badass) on a global journey to explore volcanoes, Into The Inferno takes a deep look at the mythical volcanos of the world and their special relationships with the people who live near them. Mysterious, historical, and beautifully shot, Into The Inferno blends science and culture into a breathtakingly fiery journey inside those lava-spewing mountains that we all know so little about.
--
Which of these new additions are you most excited about? Is there anything you couldn't care less about? What would you add to Netflix if you were in charge? Head over to the comments and let us know!