What’s New to Stream on Netflix for October 2021

Crossing the Streams is a series of columns spotlighting all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for October 2021. They include some new horror, a pair of movies from the far-away year of 1990, and more!

Netflix Pick of the Month for October 2021

The director of Creep returns for a more traditional slice of horror with There’s Someone Inside Your House (premieres October 6th), and it’s pretty damn great. Patrick Brice delivers a smart, stylish, and wonderfully gory slasher that sees a small town descend into terror when a vicious killer starts targeting teens. Produced by James Wan and Shawn Levy, it’s very much in the spirit of Wes Craven’s Scream. That’s not a bad thing as it’s a fun and bloody good time with a terrific lead performance by Sydney Park. With any luck that Scream comparison continues and we get a college-set sequel for more carnage and character.

More Netflix Chills & Thrills!

Netflix’s adventure with interactive entertainment continues with their first horror-themed entry, albeit one for the kiddies (and WWE fans). Escape the Undertaker (premieres October 5th) sees WWE triple-team The New Day enter The Undertaker’s haunted home in search of the big man’s magical urn. It’s silly, but I’ll admit I laughed aloud when I chose “I’m too scared” — at the very first prompt — and it immediately cut to end credits. The film is far from creepy, but its target audience should find some fun.

Norway enters the ring with a dark, new thriller about an unhappily married couple who retreat to a cabin in the woods — each planning on killing the other. The Trip (premieres October 15th) takes that already fine premise, though, and adds a new wrinkle in the form of outsiders who pose a whole new threat to the couple. Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead) directs with the solid pairing of Noomi Rapace and Aksel Hennie as the murder-minded wife and husband.

A chauffeur finds his own double-barreled trouble in Night Teeth (premieres October 20th) when two passengers reveal their bloody plans for the evening. Sucked into their dangerous world, he is forced to fight any way he can in order to make it home. Knowing nothing more than the synopsis and the title I’m guessing they’re vampires? Ideally, that wouldn’t be the case, but Netflix delivered an entertaining vamp tale just a few months ago with Blood Red Sky, so I’m not complaining. Plus, Megan Fox! (Who also sees her 2021 indie thriller Till Death hitting the service this month.)

Netflix has brought more than a few non-English genre films to its service. Well, this might just be the first time they’ve produced a sequel to one. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is a slasher from Poland — their first! — and while it doesn’t exactly add anything new to the game it delivers what it promises. Forest-set terrors. Bloody kills. Obnoxious teens. It looks good in the process, which is something far too many slashers can’t claim. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight Part 2 (premieres October 27th) continues the carnage!

An Unexpected Prequel!

Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead was a big deal for Netflix over the summer, and while it has its fair share of issues it still delivers a fun enough time with its tale of a heist unfolding in a zombie-ridden Las Vegas. But did you know it was getting a prequel? Army of Thieves (premieres October 29th) comes from director Matthias Schweighöfer, who also stars — he returns as safecracker Ludwig Dieter, a bright character spot in the first film — and follows him on an earlier heist in the early days of the zombie apocalypse. He probably survives this time… and that’s a good thing as the character is an entertaining one. It’s unclear at this point how much the zombies will play into the tale. But if it delivers a fun enough heist they won’t be missed.

The Oldest New Arrival

One of the areas where Netflix could use a little improvement is in its curation of older films. Each month we point out the oldest addition as a way to highlight the issue. This month, two movies tie for the honor. And both are from the ancient year of 1990. Awakenings (1990) is a critically acclaimed drama from Penny Marshall starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. It’s sweet and engaging and an absolute tear-jerker for those of you with a heart. Williams plays a doctor whose methods help bring ill patients out of their catatonia, but the joy is short-lived. Terrific film.

Ghost (1990) is also based on a true story — I kid, ghosts aren’t real — and follows the efforts of a recently deceased Patrick Swayze in saving his wife, Demi Moore, from a bad friend. It’s a bit quaint now, but the film is a fantastic example of a near-perfect blockbuster. It delivers romance, laughs (Whoopi Goldberg won an Academy Award!), action, horror, thrills, and some sexy pottery shenanigans. You’ve seen it, but it’s worth a rewatch.

The Complete Netflix List for October 2021

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