Horror, Thriller & Sci-Fi on Netflix in October 2026

Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi & True Crime on Netflix in October 2026: What to Watch!

October is almost here, which means Halloween season is officially upon us. And Netflix U.S. is bringing plenty of horror, thriller, sci-fi, and true crime titles to the streaming service throughout the month.

There are some exciting new releases to look forward to, including the Below limited series, which puts a mysterious sea creature at the center of a supernatural thriller. We’re also especially intrigued by the German psychological thriller The Trap, about a reclusive author who uses herself as bait to catch her sister’s killer.

But October 2026 isn’t just about new Netflix titles. The month also brings a fantastic selection of older horror and thriller favorites, including The Menu, Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Crimson Peak, Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, The Strangers, The Sixth Sense, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Dracula, and the original Psycho movies.

In other words, whether you’re looking for something brand-new or want to revisit an old favorite, Netflix has plenty of dark entertainment lined up for October.

Here’s what you can expect!

October 1, 2026

October gets off to a very strong start for horror fans.

The Menu (2022)

Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes star in this dark and satirical thriller about a young couple who travel to a remote island for an exclusive restaurant experience. Unfortunately, the chef has prepared some very unexpected surprises.

Ad Astra (2019)

Brad Pitt stars in this slow-burn sci-fi epic about an astronaut who travels to the far reaches of the solar system in search of his missing father.

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Jessica Rothe returns as Tree Gelbman in this horror-comedy sequel. This time, Tree finds herself trapped in a brand-new parallel-universe time loop where dying over and over again is only part of the problem.

Hush (2016)

Mike Flanagan’s tense home invasion thriller stars Kate Siegel as a deaf and mute writer who must fight for her life when a masked killer appears outside her window.

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

This acclaimed supernatural horror movie from Mike Flanagan is set in 1967 Los Angeles. A widowed mother and her daughters run a fake séance business, only to accidentally invite something very real and very evil into their home.

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

Kate Beckinsale returns as vampire death dealer Selene in the fifth installment of the action-horror franchise.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Guillermo del Toro directs this visually stunning gothic romance about a young author who moves into a decaying English mansion filled with dark secrets. Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Hiddleston star.

Evil Dead (2013)

Fede Álvarez’s brutal reimagining of the 1981 Sam Raimi classic is still an absolute bloodbath. A group of friends gathers at a remote cabin to help one of their own through drug withdrawal, but things take a horrifying turn when they read from the Book of the Dead.

If you like your horror drenched in practical blood and completely unapologetic about the gore, this one remains a particularly nasty treat.

Friday the 13th (2009)

Jason Voorhees gets a 21st-century makeover in this reboot, as a group of young adults encounters the iconic machete-wielding killer at Camp Crystal Lake.

The Strangers (2008)

Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star in this terrifying home invasion horror movie about a young couple terrorized by three masked strangers at a remote vacation house.

Red Dragon (2002)

Edward Norton stars as an FBI profiler who turns to imprisoned serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, for help catching a new killer known as the Tooth Fairy.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s legendary psychological thriller starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment arrives on Netflix.

Lake Placid (1999)

A gigantic man-eating crocodile turns a quiet Maine lake into its own personal buffet in this fun late-90s creature feature. And yes, Betty White is here too!

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. star in this quintessential 1990s slasher about four friends being stalked by a hook-wielding killer.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

Kenneth Branagh directs and stars alongside Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter in this ambitious adaptation of the gothic horror classic.

Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola’s lavish adaptation of Bram Stoker’s vampire classic stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins.

Psycho Movie Collection

The original Psycho (1960), Psycho II (1983), and Psycho III (1986) all arrive on October 1.

That is quite the first day of October for horror fans!

October 5, 2026

The Boogeyman (2023)

Based on Stephen King’s classic short story, this atmospheric supernatural horror movie follows a grieving therapist and his two daughters after a disturbed patient leaves behind something terrifying.

The entity feeds on trauma and thrives in the dark, making this one a particularly good choice for anyone who enjoys supernatural horror with plenty of jump scares.

October 6, 2026

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Jane Austen gets a bloody undead makeover in this action-horror comedy starring Lily James as Elizabeth Bennet, who happens to be just as comfortable with a sword as she is navigating 19th-century society.

October 7, 2026

Inside the Circle: Season 1 (2026)

The murder of a popular actress opens a Pandora’s box of secrets and espionage that threatens to destroy four childhood friends.

October 8, 2026

Below (2026) Limited Series

This is one of the October releases we’re especially looking forward to.

When a mysterious sea creature begins terrorizing a small Newfoundland town, a hard-bitten fisherman must fight to protect his family, his community, and his way of life.

Josh Hartnett stars in this six-part supernatural thriller, which brings a mysterious creature lurking beneath the water to a remote coastal community.

If you’re a fan of monster horror, isolated settings, and stories where something enormous is lurking just out of sight, Below looks like one to keep on your radar.

October 9, 2026

Animals (2026)

Ben Affleck and Gillian Anderson star in this tense political thriller about an LA mayoral candidate and his wife, whose son is kidnapped. They must scramble to raise the ransom while making increasingly difficult choices that threaten to tear their lives apart.

October 13, 2026

The Trap (2026) Limited Series

Another October title we’re particularly curious about is The Trap, a German psychological thriller.

Author Lisa Konrad hasn’t left her home in 10 years following the murder of her sister. Then she believes she sees the killer on television.

Rather than simply waiting for the police to do something, Lisa comes up with a dangerous plan. She will leave her isolated life behind and set a trap for the person she believes murdered her sister.

The catch? She plans to use herself as bait.

That setup alone makes The Trap one of the more intriguing thrillers arriving on Netflix this October.

October 14, 2026

Cocaine Bear (2023)

Inspired by a bizarre true story, this wildly over-the-top horror-comedy follows a black bear that accidentally ingests a huge amount of cocaine and goes on a violent rampage through a Georgia forest.

Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, and Ray Liotta star in this gloriously ridiculous creature feature.

Sometimes October calls for subtle psychological horror. Sometimes it calls for a cocaine-fueled bear.

October 16, 2026

Sacrifice (2026)

Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this satirical action-thriller about an existential movie star who is taken hostage by eco-warriors during a glamorous charity gala.

October 21, 2026

The New Stanford Prison Experiment (2026)

Thirty people enter a real prison for two weeks and are randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners in this modern reimagining of the infamous Stanford prison experiment.

As the power dynamics shift, the participants are forced to confront questions about hierarchy, control, morality, empathy, and how people behave when placed inside a system designed around power.

October 29, 2026

Balaraw: Blood Island – Season 1 (2026)

This atmospheric Filipino horror mystery follows a young woman who travels to an uncharted island in search of her missing mother.

Years after her mother disappeared, Sabina follows a mysterious clue that leads her to the island, where she discovers dark secrets hidden within her own family.

October 30, 2026

Dead-End Job (2026) Limited Series

A young man drowning in debt takes lucrative part-time jobs through a mysterious agency. The money sounds too good to be true, and it turns out there’s a very good reason for that.

This dark Korean fantasy-horror series turns the gig economy into something considerably more nightmarish.

A Couple of Lies (2026) Limited Series

This Swedish Nordic Noir thriller begins with what appears to be a picture-perfect home swap between two wealthy couples.

Helene and Carl trade their home in Stockholm’s archipelago for a villa in Sicily with Scarlett and Adam, a couple they have never met. But once the couples settle into each other’s homes, unsettling details begin to emerge.

Secrets, surveillance, manipulation, and mistrust soon turn the idyllic vacation into something much darker.

Collision Course (2026)

Set in Spain in 2013, this twist-filled thriller follows a group of robbers whose bank heist quickly spirals into something much more complicated.

Betrayals and lies that began long before the robbery begin to surface, revealing that nobody is quite who they seem to be.