Words: Jonathan Wells
Time to shift your sofas — because you’re going to need something to hide behind. October is always a month of chills and thrills, but Netflix has pulled out all the scary stops this year, and is dropping a whole hair-raising bunch of blood-curdling, nerve-wracking titles across the coming weeks.
There’s a modern classic from Tim Burton, a brand new series from Midnight Mass creator Mike Flanagan and an anthology of tales curated by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro. Add to that two chilling dramatisations of real-life horror and you’ve got enough pillow-clutching entertainment to see you through to Halloween…
Sleepy Hollow, October 1st
Director Tim Burton has worked with Johnny Depp on eight different films. But, whether you’re more into Ed Wood or Edward Scissorhands, the duo’s indisputable high point is Sleepy Hollow, 1999’s rollicking gothic horror that pits Depp’s squeamish constable against the murderous, mysterious ‘Headless Horseman’.
The Last Vermeer, October 1st
In World War II, Dutch portraitist Han van Meegeren sold a forged painting to Hermann Göring during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This 2019 film tells the folk hero’s story, casting a grey-wigged and bristly-moustached Guy Pearce in the central role. Look out for strong support by Danish actor Roland Møller.
Togo, October 5th
This film may share its name with Willem Dafoe’s Alaskan sled-dogging epic, but Uruguay’s first Netflix original tells a more modern tale. We’re introduced to ageing parking attendant Togo, played by Diego Alonso, before following his efforts to tackle the traffickers attempting to force him and his neighbours to sell drugs on the street.
The Midnight Club, October 7th
Filmmaker Mike Flanagan is the new king of Netflix horror. Creator of Midnight Mass, Gerald’s Game and the acclaimed The Haunting of… anthology, his next project returns to the dead of night. Adapting a 1994 novel, The Midnight Club sees a handful of haunted hospice patients meet every evening to share sinister stories.
Blackout, October 12th
From Sam Macaroni, an assistant director on the brutal-but-brilliant John Wick films, this new thriller stars Josh Duhamel as a smart-suited man who wakes up with no memory in a Mexican hospital. When warring cartel factions descend, demanding he return something he has stolen, everything starts to go a bit Keanu.
The Watcher, October 13th
Will Ryan Murphy ever stop? The super-producer has given Netflix titles including Halston, The Politician, Hollywood, Ratched and Dahmer — Monster in the last two years alone. This latest effort, starring Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale, tells the true story of a couple who moved to New Jersey and were stalked by an anonymous letter-writer.
The Playlist, October 13th
Tech start-up stories are all the rage — from Super Pumped, charting the rise and fall of former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, to Hulu’s The Dropout — and now Netflix uploads its own attempt; The Playlist. A ‘fictionalised’ history of Spotify, the Swedish show stars Vikings star Edvin Endre as founder and CEO Daniel Ek.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, October 25th
Just in time for Halloween, the Oscar-winning director has curated a collection of eight horror tales from some of the industry’s most spine-tinglingly talented filmmakers. With every episode introduced by del Toro (Twilight Zone-style), expect standalone stories from the people behind The Babadook, Splice and Mandy.
The Good Nurse, October 26th
If you’ve finished Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer — Monster, and are on the hunt for another chilling, true-life tale of serial murder, this crime drama stars Eddie Redmayne as Charles Cullen, perhaps the most prolific serial killer in recorded history. Directed by the man behind Mads Mikkelsen’s compelling Another Round, expect edge-of-your-seat stuff.
All Quiet on the Western Front, October 28th
This latest adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s epic 1929 novel, starring previous Gentleman’s Journal cover star Daniel Brühl, has been entered as Germany’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Set during World War I, it follows the enlistment and disillusionment of German soldier Paul Bäumer.
Want more Netflix recommendations? Here’s the best new titles to land on the streaming service in September 2022…
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