Although most movie theaters have returned to their original function, streaming is still a safer option. Those who stay at home and enjoy the new content are often rewarded. Most streamersNetflix and Hulu, Amazon and Disney+ do a little shuffle at the beginning of each month. They add new movies and take away old ones. io9 can help you make better decisions.
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The Nerds Watch is io9's monthly column that highlights the best sci-fi and fantasy movies (and TV shows) available on the largest streaming services. There's lots of new content in October 2021. Let's get to it.
What's next for Netflix in October 2021
Available October 1,
A Knights Tale – Heath Ledger and Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk and many jousting. There is nothing better than love!
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Ghost - Although it's best known as a love story, this mega-hit starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze is also an Oscar-winning Whoopi goldberg. It is also a murder mystery that is sure to please everyone and is an all-around crowd-pleasing blockbuster from the 1990s.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider - Angelina Jolie won the Oscar for her portrayal of Lara Croft. Isn't it crazy to think about that statement? (Also available on Amazon and Paramount+
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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves -- This star-studded adaptation of Robin Hood's story is a classic of the 1990s blockbuster era. Its memorable Bryan Adams theme tune helps to make it stand out.
Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2 : The Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3 : Game Over - These are all action-packed Robert Rodriguez films, which are very family-friendly. Even though there are diminishing returns, it is well worth the effort.
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Waterworld - This big-budget Kevin Costner film about a genre called Waterworld didn't make it as successful as expected, but it is a captivating, beautifully made film worth revisiting. Here's a look back.
Available October 5,
Escape the Undertaker: We have not seen this Netflix original movie, but it is a choose-your-own adventure-style movie that stars WWE superstars and legendary wrestler the Undertaker...in a haunted house. You can watch the trailer here.
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Available October 6
There's Someone Inside Your House- A new Netflix original from James Wan (The Conjuring), and Shawn Levy (“Free Guy”) The story is about a murderer who terrorizes a small town in masks made of the victims. It kinda reminds me of Scream. If you are interested, here is the trailer.
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Available October 9
Insidious Chapter 2 - One of the most original horror films in recent memory, Insidious was the first. Chapter 2 took the entire series to a new level by adding some more mythology to the series' spooky dimension, the Further.
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Available October 12
The Movies That Made Us Season 3 - This is my favorite Netflix show and it's back for its third season. There will be behind-the scenes documentaries for many titles. Aliens, Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street are just a few of the titles that will get their own behind-the-scenes documentaries. Yes, indeed.
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Available October 22
Locke & Key Season 2: The family-friendly horror comic book adaptation of Locke & Key is back with season 2. The Locke children discover more about the mysterious keys they found all around their home.
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Available October 25,
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword by Guy Ritchie - I was one of the few who really enjoyed this Guy Ritchie take on the King Arthur legend. It's a great film for fans of magical fantasy films.
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Available October 26
Army of Thieves Welcome, Snyderverse. Army of Thieves, a prequel to Army of the Dead, is the story of a group of people who rob banks across Europe. The zombie plague then begins in America.
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What's next for Amazon in October 2021
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Available October 1,
Fight Club – We don't want to break Fight Club's first two rules, but this 1999 masterpiece starring Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and Helena Bonham Carter remains as compelling as ever.
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Last Action Hero - In this action-comedy, a young boy is transported to an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film franchise.
The Last Exorcism: Toss a rock into the air and you'll hit a found footage exorcism film from the past 15 year. There are many. There are many. But The Last Exorcism is the most terrifying and gruesome.
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The Thing - This prequel/remake is for 2011, not the 1984 original. It might be less appealing, but it is one of the most direct remakes I have ever seen. This is because it connects to and sets up the original very well.
Available October 3
Prometheus – Ridley Scott's Prometheus is a prequel to horror films that are beloved. It is not directly related to Alien story-wise but it is in the same universe as Alien and links back in subtle ways. It's a very divisive film, but it remains a wonderfully creepy sci-fi horror movie.
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Available October 15,
I Know What You Did Last summer - This series is based on the Lois Duncan YA thriller as well as the 1990s slasher film. It follows a group Hawaii teens who commit a Very Bad Thing, and discover the hard way that it's impossible to pretend it never happened.
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Available October 16
Cowboys & Aliens – Let's get this out the way. This movie is terrible. It is also a bit disappointing because it was made by the same people who created Iron Man and The Mandalorian (director Jon Favreau); Lost and Star Trek (writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman); Lost, Star Trek, and Watchmen (writers Damon Lindelof); Apollo 13 (producers Ron Howard, Brian Grazer); Apollo 13 (producers Ron Howard); and James Bond (Daniel Craig); and stars James Bond and Harrison Ford (the guy who played Indiana Jones and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). It was a complete disaster.
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What's next for Hulu October 2021?
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Available October 1,
Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence – Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the Stanley Kubrick story, starring Haley Joel Osment & Jude Law, just celebrated its 20th year. It's time to re-enter this complex, fantastic world.
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Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldeneye and Goldfinger. Licence to Kill, The Spy Who Loved Me. - The new Bond film No Time to Die hits theaters October 8. Why not get back to some of the greatest Bond films ever made? (also available on Paramount+
Flatliners - Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland headline this 1990 horror-thriller about medical student who kill and then revive each other in order to discover the afterlife. It was remade recently. It was terrible. This one is better. (Also available on Paramount+
Happy Feet, Happy Feet Two: Between Mad Max movies director George Miller made these animated films about a penguin that dances, Way Better Than They Have Any Right To be.
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The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games Part 1 and Part 2 - Jennifer Lawrence stars as this blockbuster movie about a world in which young children are forced into a deadly battle royale. This is one of the best YA adaptations and franchise films in recent memory.
Mad Max - The movie that started it all. George Miller directed, Mel Gibson stars, and thus was born the post-apocalyptic action series of all post-apocalyptic franchises. Paramount+ also available.
The Mask of Zorro: Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones star in this 1998 fantasy. It offers a great reimagining of Zorro's legend.
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Species, Species II and Species III are the sequels to Species. Although the first movie is cute, strange, and decent, I cannot speak for the quality of the others. (Also available on Paramount+
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Motion Picture Star Trek II Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek, Insurrection, Star Trek VI Star Trek VI: Nemesis Paramount+ also has Star Trek 1-6
Signs - M. Night Shyamalan's most popular film is about a family that finds itself in the middle an alien invasion. Crop circles and bats for baseball play a part.
Teen Wolf - Sports movies are rarely mixed with other genres, but Michael J. Fox movie in which a child transforms into a werewolf to learn how to play basketball. It's amazing... and a little bit cheesy. (Also available on Paramount+
Total Recall - Arnold Schwarzenegger stars... Is that what you are asking? What is that? Never mind. (Also available on Paramount+
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The Village - This Shyamalan film is not one of his greatest or his worst. However, it follows a small community in the past that is terrorized by an evil. They think so.
Wrong Turn 2: The best Wrong Turn movies are now available on Hulu. It includes all the gore and campy fun you would expect from a horror franchise film.
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Available October 14
Censor – A woman who works to censor films begins to discover clues that the deaths she is seeing aren't fake. This is a terrifying horror film that has been released this year. Here's our review.
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Available October 22
Gaia – A woman is lost in the woods when she finds herself being captured by a father and son who have lived there all their lives. They are protecting the world from some evil. But what exactly is it? This is our review of this eco-thriller.
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What's Disney+ October 2021 like?
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Available October 1,
Alvin And The Chipmunks, Alvin And The Chipmunks The Road Chip - While these live-action remakes are not as good as the animated series, they do have some Chipmunk spirit.
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Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales: The Lego Star Wars specials are among the most popular Star Wars specials available on Disney+. This one should be a lot fun.
Available October 6
Black Widow - Only $30 more required With your regular Disney+ subscription, Black Widow becomes a permanent member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe collection.
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Available October 8
Muppets Haunted Mansion: The Muppets go spooky with this Halloween special. It features Gonzo and Pepe, the Prawn, agreeing to spend the night at a haunted home and then quickly regretting it.
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Available October 22
Rookie of The Year - This is a hilarious comedy about a boy who accidentally breaks his arm. He then becomes good enough to pitch in major leagues. Quotable. It's dumb. Perfect.
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What's next for HBO Max in October 2021
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Available October 1,
Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, Bill And Teds Bogus Journey- Two friends journey through time, and the afterlife in these hilarious comedies that, last year, provided the perfect ending to the trilogy for which they had been waiting for 30 years.
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Cats - Come on. You already know that you want to.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - Quentin Tarantino's bloody revenge thriller, in two parts, is one of the most thrilling films of his career.
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Mama - Andy Muschietti was the director of the It films and the Flash movie. He also directed this scary ghost story with Jessica Chastain, which is often overlooked. Guillermo del Toro produced.
Fandom is bad, but you think misery is a good thing? Consider the Stephen King author who is kidnapped, tortured, and killed by a fan. Kathy Bates was nominated for an Oscar.
Poltergeist II, The Other Side, Poltergeist III – The original Poltergeist was a masterpiece. While parts two and three aren't quite up to it, they're worth the effort to get to the end of the story.
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Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Jude Law are the stars in this action-packed, fast-paced spin on the classic detective, which is directed by Guy Ritchie. Good stuff.
Super 8 - What if J.J. Abrams attempted to make his own Amblin Steven Spielberg movie. This would be a sci-fi movie that is almost as good, but still worth the effort.
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The Book Of Eli - Denzel Washington stars as a blind man who survives in a post-apocalyptic environment in this beautiful comic book adaptation.
The Invisible Man – This intense reimagining the Universal Monsters character was released right before the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. This is a change. Its excellent.
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The Running Man - This 1987 film had the idea of a game show in which real people would compete in a game that was both life and death. We have reality shows today where people can date with prosthetic makeup that turns them into animals or makes them sing via an avatar. These are not far-fetched ideas.
Twelve Monkeys – Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis star in this 1995 sci-fi movie about time travel. It's so good that you have to watch it over and over again.
Underwater - Kristen Stewart plays Kristen Stewart as one of the scientists who dive deep beneath the oceans' surface to discover something strange. This fun and unique creature feature is rapidly becoming a cult favourite.
Vin Diesel did not make 2 Fast 2 Furious, he wanted to create this franchise about an extreme sport star who becomes a super spy. What a 2002! It did well and was even made into a few sequels. It's not Fast and Furious.
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Available October 8
Voyagers – This sci-fi thriller, which was released earlier in the year to little fanfare and very little hype, is basically Lord of the Flies set in space. Although it's not great, it's a movie that you might have missed. You can read our complete review here.
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Available October 10, 2010
It: Chapter 2. - While not quite Chapter 1, It: Chapter 2 is a worthy cap on that superior film.
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Available October 14
Teen Titans Go! Seasons 1 - DC heroes Beast Boy and Robin, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire join this hilarious animated series that's funny for all ages.
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Aquaman: King Of Atlantis - This animated miniseries was produced by James Wan and features the DC character voiced by The Walking Deads Cooper Andrews.
Available October 21
The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made me Do It - Also known as The Conjuring 3 Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back in this story about a man who murders and pleads guilty because he is possessed. Their characters, the Warrens will prove it is possible. It was originally on HBO Max in theaters, and is now available here.
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Available October 22
Dune - It's finally here. Denis Villeneuve's long-awaited, highly anticipated adaptation of Frank Herberts Dune has finally arrived. We mean this in theaters as well as HBO Max, which has the ad-free option. We loved it. If you feel comfortable, we recommend that you go to the theater. It's also possible to watch it at home, which is a great luxury.
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What's next for Peacock in Oct 2021?
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Available October 15,
Halloween Kills – We don't usually include Peacocks in Nerds Watch (though the company may change this), but the fact the new Halloween movie, which picks up exactly where the 2018 reboot/sequel left off, is arriving on streaming (as also in theaters) during Halloween gets a special mention.
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What's next for Paramount+ October 2021?
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Available October 1,
Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones, and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones, and the Temple of Doom. Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones, and the Last Crusade. Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones, and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While Indy 5 is filming, catch up with the rest of Stephen Spielberg's classic archaeological adventures (slash Nazi-punching), featuring Harrison Ford, Harrison Fords whip-cracking hero.
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Minority Report - Tom Cruise joins Spielberg for more crime in this 2002 classic.
The Crow, The Crow - City of Angels is a re-imagining of Brandon Lee's last movie. Also, this adaptation of James OBarrs classic comic will show you how the series was re-established after his tragic death.
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The Devil Within - It's the season of found footage horror! A young woman investigates the terrifying exorcism her mother performed after she murdered three Catholic priests. She discovers that there are still ancient evils.
The Monster Squad - A classic horror movie, the story follows a group monster-loving fans who accidentally find themselves in conflict with their classic monstrous idols. They race against time to help Van Helsing's descendants destroy an amulet that will make Dracula and his friends go to limbo.
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Vampire in Brooklyn: Eddie Murphy, the Vampire Maximillian is searching Brooklyn for a Dhampir. He turns out to be Angela Bassetts NYPD Detective Rita Vederso so that he can survive the curse that will kill him before the next full Moon.
Available October 11
G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Remember the G.I. You probably haven't seen Joe this year. You can look back at those films and see that they were terrible. In this high-stakes plot, Cobras master of disguise Zartan enters the White House to declare Joes traitors.
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Available October 28
Star Trek: Prodigy is back! Yes, Kate Mulgrew's Voyager Captain is a hologram, this time playing guide to a crew of teenage aliens aboard a Starfleet-hacked experimental Starfleet vessel, but it's time to be bolder in this CG-animated, kids-focused Star Trek series.
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Available October 29
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin- The next chapter of Paranormal activity, which is intended to revive the series' stalwarts, gets a sneaky drop from Paramount+. If you are interested, here is the trailer.
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Unknown Dimension: Paranormal Activity's Story - This Joe Bandelli-directed documentary reveals the history of Paranormal Activity and how it rose to become one of the most popular horror series. Another excellent idea for October viewing.
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