Best new movies and TV series on Netflix UK: October 2023

Each month, loads of new films and TV shows are added to Netflix UK’s library. Critic Claire White presents her picks for titles worth watching. For the full list of everything arriving on the platform, scroll down.

Top Picks: TV

Beckham (October 4)

There is more to David Beckham than being Posh Spice’s husband and inspiring the title of the film Bend It Like Beckham. All jokes aside, this new docuseries follows English football superstar David Beckham and his meteoric rise from a kid with a ball to becoming one of the most famous sportspeople in the world. With never before-seen-footage, this is a fascinating look at how fanatically sports stars can become idolised and the pure mania of celebrity.

Everything Now (October 5)

After a lengthy stay in hospital recovering from an eating disorder, teenager Mia is thrust back into life at school, where she finds her friends have moved on without her. Feeling held back, she creates a bucket list of quintessential teen experiences she missed out on while she was away. Australian actress Sophie Wilde star as the Londoner, Mia. Last seen in the runaway hit Australian horror film Talk to Me, and Stan original film The Portable Door opposite Sam Neill and Miranda Otto, this series cements her as one of the most promising rising stars.

The Fall of the House of Usher (October 12)

Happy Halloween, because we have an all-new Mike Flanagan mini-series to sink our teeth into. This new series is loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe short story of the same name, as the children of a corrupt pharmaceutical family dynasty begin to die in mysterious ways. Starring regular Flanagan collaborators such as Rahul Kohli (Hunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass) and T’Nia Miller (The Haunting of Bly Manor), this little gothic-horror Succession meets Knives Out is sure to please. Also, I just found out Flanagan (arguably, a King of Horror) was born in Salem, Massachusetts, so that explains a lot.

Top Picks: Movies + Specials

Fair Play (October 13)

The very hot Alden Ehrenreich and the very hot Phoebe Dynevor star in this erotic thriller as a newly engaged couple who must hide their relationship at the hedge fund they both work at—until a promotion pushes their devotion to each other to the brink in the name of corporate advancement. It’s great to see Ehrenreich back on our screens after being away for so long, and Dynevor is no stranger to sex and romance on screen due to her breakout role in the racy period piece Bridgerton. Love to see them both in something a little bit different—fiery tension of arrogance, power, and showing your true colours.

Pain Hustlers (October 27)

This month seems to be all about the downfall of greed (and pharmaceuticals)! Emily Blunt stars as a down-on-her-luck single mother who takes up a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep only to fall into a business of racketeering. With an all-star cast including Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass and Brian d’Arcy James, I’m mainly intrigued by whatever Chris Evans’ hair is doing, because it’s kind of working for me. Is it wrong to objectify a man who once graced the cover of Sexiest Man Alive? I don’t think so.