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The 12 Best Things Coming to Netflix in October 2026
Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington race against the clock in ‘Animals’ and Keri Russell returns for a new season of ‘The Diplomat,’ plus new docs on Mike Tyson, Norm Macdonald and Matthew Perry
5-minute read
Kerry Washington and Ben Affleck plunge into family chaos in “Animals,” a Netflix original film premiering Oct. 9th.
Warrick Page/Netflix
It’s autumn — who’s ready to grab the quilts and get comfy on the sofa with some excellent TV watching? Good thing Netflix has its eye on the calendar, because the streamer is here with 12 terrific new titles for our cozy viewing pleasure, including a new thriller from Ben Affleck and a fresh season of The Diplomat.
Need a laugh? Check out our new guide: The 10 Best Standup Comedy Specials Streaming on Netflix
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Coming Oct. 1
East of Eden
Florence Pugh is one of the most electrifying young actors working today, and she may have landed the role of a lifetime as the literary classic’s morally enigmatic antiheroine, Cathy Ames. Previously adapted in 1955 with a dazzling James Dean performance, the new East of Eden turns this dysfunctional family saga into a sprawling, seven-episode limited series that’s guaranteed to be memorable.
Coming Oct. 2
Doing Life (2026)
The busiest man in show business is back! Tyler Perry, 57, whose comedy sequel Why Did I Get Married Again? was a Netflix hit last month, returns with this powerful drama about second chances. Naomi Baker plays a pregnant corrections officer who is saved during a violent prison riot by one of the inmates (Jay Reeves). After his release, they reconnect and slowly fall in love. Is she willing to ignore her family’s advice and give her heart to an ex-con with a troubled past?
Coming Oct. 8
Below
If you always thought Steven Spielberg’s Jaws could use a mysterious Stephen King twist, this six-episode horror-thriller series is right up your alley. Josh Hartnett stars as a Newfoundland fisherman and single dad whose small coastal community is terrorized by a harrowing, mysterious sea creature. What is it and what does it want?
Coming Oct. 9
Animals (R, 2026)
Ben Affleck, 54, cowrote, directed and stars in this vise-tight moral thriller about Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose picture-perfect life is shattered when his young son is kidnapped. As Kimball and his wife, Abigail (Kerry Washington), desperately race to raise the ransom, the crisis exposes strains in their already troubled marriage. The excellent supporting cast includes Gillian Anderson, 58, and Steven Yeun.
Coming Oct. 13
Tyson
What more is there left to say about Mike Tyson? Apparently, quite a bit. In this warts-and-all four-part documentary about the troubled former heavyweight champ, 60, we get an intimate look at the vulnerable, insecure man behind those punishing sledgehammer fists. During his career (and in its immediate aftermath), Tyson was his own worst enemy, to be sure. But this series puts all his pain — both physical and emotional — into perspective as he struggles with how much of himself to reveal to the cameras.
Coming Oct. 15
The Diplomat, Season 4
The best series on Netflix is finally back. After season three’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger finale, the action picks back up with the U.S. and Britain on a collision course with Russia. When diplomat Kate Wyler (Keri Russell, 50,) finds out about a top-secret political operation involving her VP husband (Rufus Sewell, 59 on Oct. 29) and the U.S. president (2026 Emmy winner Allison Janney, 66), she struggles to keep her marriage alive while also forming an unlikely alliance with the first gentleman (Bradley Whitford, 67 on Oct. 10). Circle this one on your calendar.
Coming Oct. 16
Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald
Norm Macdonald was often called “a comic’s comic,” which is a nice way of saying that many people didn’t get his style. It’s a shame because the Canadian comedian (who died of leukemia in 2021) was unrivaled at pointing out the hypocrisies and foibles of humanity with a dry, absurdist touch. He wasn’t someone who begged for laughs. Whether on the comedy club stage or behind the Weekend Update desk on SNL, Macdonald was a one-of-a-kind generational talent. This new doc about his life and legacy may turn doubters into converts.
Sacrifice (R, 2025)
In this eat-the-rich showbiz satire, former Captain America Chris Evans plays a down-on-his-luck movie star attending a glamorous environmental charity gala on an island in Greece. One problem: A group of armed eco-warriors led by Anya Taylor-Joy invades the event, taking Evans and some 1-percenters hostage. The all-star cast includes Salma Hayek Pinault, 60, John Malkovich, 72, and Vincent Cassel, 59.
Coming Oct. 22
Nobody Wants This, Season 3
Netflix’s charming, opposites-attract romantic comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returns with 10 new episodes, further exploring the unlikely relationship between an agnostic podcaster and a young rabbi. And guess what? They’re moving in together, so expect plenty of hilarious, culture-clash mishigas. Sarah Silverman, 55, and Andrew Rannells join the cast as new series regulars.
Coming Oct. 27
The One About Matthew Perry
A new three-part documentary exploring the life and tragic early death of the Friends star who died from a ketamine overdose in 2023. This personal, family-driven look at the man who gave us the indelible character of Chandler Bing aims to paint a fuller portrait of the actor beyond the sitcom that made him a star, exploring his well-documented struggles with addiction.
Coming Oct. 30
Beat Luke Littler, Live
Baseball is heading into the World Series homestretch, football season is in full swing and hockey and basketball are just getting underway. But we know what you’re thinking: What’s happening in the world of professional darts? Glad you asked. In this live special, amateurs get a chance to take on two-time PDC World Darts Champion, 19-year-old Luke “The Nuke” Littler, for a grand prize of £501,000 ($667,000).
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of
For the uninitiated, SCTV was a proudly under-the-radar Canadian sketch comedy show like SNL’s cooler, more obscure cousin. It was also an early, star-making showcase for future legends like Martin Short, 76, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, 79, and Rick Moranis, 73. Last month, Netflix added SCTV to its streaming menu; now this documentary lets its cast members and superfans like Conan O’Brien, 63, explain its place in comedy history.
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