7 must-watch movies and TV series on Netflix this October

 New anime Dan Da Dan, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Anna Kendrick's new thriller Woman of the Hour, and more are streaming on Netflix this month

(Image credit: Netflix)

It's officially the best month of the year, so gather your candies and pumpkin-flavored drinks. Yes, it's Halloween season, but in addition to fall fashion, we have a brand-new Netflix list that will be available to you in October.

Netflix's library is brimming with excellent movies and television series that are waiting for you to start binge-watching, so the streamer has a whole slew of tricks and treats in store.
A ton of new anime series and the eagerly awaited Lara Croft TV series, which continues up where the video games leave off, are among October's Netflix highlights. Of course, no October Netflix roundup would be complete without a few eerie thrillers and horror films, including Anna Kendrick's feature debut directed by her about a real-life prolific serial murderer, which is also included!

So, why do you hesitate? Why not make the most of the newest films and TV series available on Netflix? Continue reading as we walk you through the most recent titles available this season on the massive streaming service.

New on Netflix in October 2024 

Dan Da Dan

(Image credit: ©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee) 

Release date: October 3

A recent Netflix anime series that has the potential to rank among the finest is a great place to start for our list. Dan Da Dan centers on a pair of classmates: one comes from a family of mediums and spirits, while the other is described by Netflix as a "occult freak." However, an argument breaks out as it becomes apparent that one of them solely believes in aliens and the other believes in ghosts, and they are forced to compete to establish the presence of anything they both believe to be genuine. 

The show is based on a massively successful manga series by Yukinobu Tatsu that has sold millions of copies worldwide. Dan Da Dan has already received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and based on the plot summary, we can be certain that we're in for an exciting, eerie, and very romantic adventure. Now let's move!

The Platform 2 

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 4

The Platform, a psychological horror film from Spain that stunned audiences more than five years ago, has a sequel that appears to be as bit as horrific as the first. The Platform 2 is set in a prison where inmates live on different floors of a concrete tower and are fed according to which tier they occupy, just as the first film. However, there is nothing left for the inmates on the ground floor when the food buffet reaches the bottom tier in a building full of avaricious tenants. It is up to the prisoners to establish their own guidelines and ensure their survival in this psychological torment. This time around, though, the social experiment is a little more difficult because there is a mysterious commander in charge of the Platform who essentially sentences anyone who eats from the wrong dish to death.

It’s What's Inside

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 4

Naturally, a Netflix list for October wouldn't be complete without a little Halloween fun, and this one is more of a treat than a trick. In the film It's What's Inside, a group of friends get together for a pre-wedding celebration. However, when an enigmatic guest delivers a device that may cause body swaps, their entire world is flipped upside down. The question of how well we actually know ourselves pushes the boundaries of friendship and identity in this Bodies bodies bodies meets Freaky Friday movie. Starring with Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, and Gavin Leatherwood is director Greg Jardin's horror sci-fi bash.

Ranma ½

(Image credit: Mappa)

Release date: October 5

Fans of anime, rejoice! Not only does our October list have one of the most intriguing new series, but it's an even crazier ride than Dan Da Dan.

Inspired by the well-known manga series of the same name published in the late 1980s to early 1990s, Ranma ½ tells the story of a young martial artist who is cursed to change into a woman whenever he comes into contact with cold water. However, his curse comes in handy when he falls in love with a young, non-male martial arts prodigy.
If all of that seems a bit too familiar, it's most likely since a seven-season adaptation of the manga was already made back in 1989. To the joy of fans, the first trailer for the show gave us a glimpse of a few characters, and it appears that the series will be a lot like the original adaption. Even better, Noriko Hidaka, who plays his romantic interest, is reprising her role as love interest for Ranma, with Kappei Yamaguchi, who played the role of the male version.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft 

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 10

 The animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft has finally premiered, three years after it was initially teased. We also have good news for fans of the Lara Croft video games, since the program takes up immediately after the events of the final game in the Survivor trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The show, which stars Hayley Atwell as Marvel's Peggy Carter, centers on the adventures of hero Lara, who travels the world and solves more old secrets in perilous places, much as she has done countless times in the past. In addition, video game voice actor Earl Baylon, who is reprising his role as Jonah, is in the cast as Allen Maldonado (Zip).

Woman of the Hour 

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 18

What could be more unpleasant than having a disastrous first date with someone who is totally wrong for you? Would you be interested in dating a serial killer? For that is just what transpires in this brand-new thriller from Netflix Original. The most startling aspect, though, is that it's based on a real story. Woman of the Hour, starring Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect, centers on an aspiring actress in the 1970s who is chosen for a popular dating program called The Dating Game, only to be paired with a serial killer in the throes of a multi-year killing spree. However, this isn't your run-of-the-mill true crime turned drama since this movie focused on the victim rather than the killer, and puts the audience in the shoes of someone standing face to face with a serial killer. It sounds scary.

Don’t Move

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 25

Last but not least on our list is a terrifying thriller that revolves around escaping a crazy serial killer. This October is feeling a little bit like Halloween. This one, though, is a little different because the victim in Don't Move is unable to run at all, completely turning the conventional plot on its head. 

The film, which stars Finn Wittrock from American Horror Story and Kelsey Asbille from Yellowstone, is produced by Sam Raimi of Evil Dead and centers on a bereaved woman who is seeking solitude in a remote forest until she is discovered by a strange man who injects her with a paralyzing substance. The assassin informs her that she has precisely twenty minutes to get away from him before the pills totally immobilize her. The first teaser for this film gave us a creepy preview of how tight and oppressive it may get. Let's just say that this might be the scariest movie you have ever seen if you have claustrophobia in any form.