All The Cool Stuff Coming To Netflix In October 2024
Apologies for the lateness of this preview. A perfect storm of personal circumstances delayed making a timely mention of “Heartstopper”’s new season. But it’s not too late to say October sees the arrival of new seasons of “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Hellbound” and “The Diplomat.”
Now Available
Blue Box Season 1–This sports/romance anime is based on Koji Miura’s popular manga of the same name. Taiki Inomata’s love of badminton is not matched by the skill level he needs to play in the nationals. Seeing upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out for the girls’ basketball team makes Taiki develop a crush on her. Thanks to a strange twist of fate, they start growing closer when Chinatsu and Taiki have to live together.
Chef’s Table: Noodles–It’s the return of the David Gelb-created food documentary series. This batch of deep-dive episodes looks into the art of noodle-making. Four world-renowned chefs are featured including Los Angeles’ Evan Funke with his handmade pasta and Oakland’s Nite Yun, a champion of Cambodian cuisine in the U.S.
Dan Da Dan Season 1–Science Saru (“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”) provides the animation for this hotly anticipated series. Tomboyish Ayase has a good heart and a strong interest in the occult. Lonely introverted Takakura aka Okarun strongly believes in the existence of extraterrestrials. Neither Ayase nor Okarun believes in the other’s obsession. So what happens when the two teens find themselves in a situation where both aliens and ghosts are real?
Heartstopper Season 3–It’s the new season of this British teen romantic and queer-positive comedy based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel and comic series. Even though Olivia Colman’s character won’t be in season 3 thanks to scheduling conflicts, there’s enough angst to go around. Charlie’s eating disorder problems take center stage, just as things are getting steamy between him and Nick. Elle (Yasmin Finney) wants to be more intimate with Tao, but she has gender dysphoria issues. And did we mention that this season will introduce the new and significant series character Oliver Spring?
It’s What’s Inside–Shelby, Cyrus, Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey, “The 100”), and most of their college undergraduate friend group has gotten back together to celebrate a member’s wedding. Joining them is Forbes, who suddenly resurfaces after mysteriously breaking ties with the rest of them. The prodigal friend convinces the group to play a game involving a machine that transfers one person’s consciousness into another person’s body. But will the game also allow the group members to liberate themselves from their current life anxieties?
The Missing–In this adult animated feature from the Philippines, shy Eric is a gay animator who literally lacks a mouth. One day, Eric’s loving mother Rosalinda (Dolly De Leon, “Between The Temples”) calls her son to tell him his uncle has gone missing. Eric and his crush Carlo discover the decomposing body of the missing man. The animator starts recalling his repressed and traumatic memories. But he also starts encountering the pesky alien who stole his mouth and is determined to take Eric off Earth. Submitted for official Oscar consideration.
The Mole Agent–Why is a private detective agency looking for independent men between ages 80 to 90 who happen to be good with technology? Recent widower Sergio wins the gig, and discovers the job is to infiltrate a retirement home to confirm the client’s mother Sonia is neither abused nor subjected to theft. Maite Alberdi’s unusual documentary uses this setup as an excuse to introduce viewers into the lives of the home’s aged residents and to challenge society’s tendency to forget its elders.
Orb: On The Movements Of The Earth–Studio MADHOUSE adapts this historical manga set in 15th century Europe. The brilliant Rafal’s future is undone by his valuing Reason above all else. His supporting the conclusion that the Earth revolves around the Sun unfortunately earns him the Inquisition’s stink eye and worse, as religious authorities teach as gospel that the Sun revolves around the Earth. A decade later, Watch Guild members Oczy and Gras find a trove of Rafal’s writings on heliocentrism. Will these Watch Guild members find an opportunity for profit or an opportunity to share Rafal’s terrible fate?
Ranma ½ Season 1–Rumiko Takahashi’s classic gender-switch martial arts comedy gets a remake courtesy of Studio MAPPA (“Chainsaw Man”). Teen martial artist Ranma Saotome has been pledged in marriage to one of Soun Tendo’s three daughters. Which daughter Ranma will marry is simplified thanks to an accidental dip in a magic pool which temporarily turns him into a girl whenever he comes in contact with cold water. That makes him a perfect match for the vocally boy-hating youngest daughter Akane. But can love somehow manage to bloom between the duo?
Yellowjackets Season 1–For those who haven’t checked out this acclaimed Showtime series, the tale takes place in two separate timelines. In 1996, a plane carrying a New Jersey high school girls’ soccer team to a Seattle tournament crashed deep in the Canadian wilderness…where the survivors were not found for nineteen months. In 2021, the survivors are now adults who are still scarred by their ordeal…especially as some of them resorted to cannibalism back then to survive.
October 8
Her Blue Sky–When Akane and Aoi Aioi’s parents are killed in a car accident, the older Akane stays in Chichibu to raise the younger Aoi. Doing so means giving up her dreams of moving to Tokyo with aspiring guitarist Shinno Kanamuro. Thirteen years later, Aoi has become an aspiring bassist while Akane works in Chichibu’s City Hall. A music festival intended to boost the town’s tourism accidentally leads to the sisters encountering a grown-up Shinno. So how can Aoi have encountered the Shinno of thirteen years ago?
October 9
Starting 5 Season 1–This new sports documentary series goes behind the scenes to recount the 2023-24 NBA season through the experiences of NBA All-Stars Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum. Their dramas include James’ efforts to stay healthy during his 21st season, Edwards’ rapid rise in the NBA, and Tatum’s efforts to help the Boston Celtics clinch an 18th championship.
October 10
The Life And Movies Of Ersan Kuneri Season 2–In this Turkish dramedy, Kuneri is a renowned erotic cinema figure who wants to creatively evolve. In 1980s Turkey, he started to make films in genres ranging from medieval action to heart-tugging melodrama to horror. But Kuneri’s willingness to experiment and watch a wide variety of films doesn’t always translate to his creating something that’s watchable by others.
October 11
In Her Place–Mercedes serves as secretary to a senior judge in 1955 Chile. But her unsatisfying domestic and professional existence is about to be overturned when the Maria Carolina Geel murder case falls into the lap of Mercedes’ boss. What begins as an errand to pick up some clean clothes for the celebrity murderer turns into Mercedes’ treating Geel’s home as a refuge from the many annoyances of her home and work life. (Note: The film’s depiction of the Geel case very much happened IRL.) Maite Alberdi makes her feature film debut here.
Outside–The zombie apocalypse has come to The Philippines. A family attempts to outrun the zombie outbreak by returning to father Francis’ childhood farmhouse and fortifying it against the “Dead Ones.” But what the family doesn’t realize is that a different sort of horror lurks inside the farmhouse that they’re using as shelter. Francis’ own mental instability soon compounds the family’s problems.
Uprising—Park Chan-Wook (“Oldboy”) co-wrote and produced this action-adventure film set during Korea’s Joseon era. As children, Jong-Ryeo and Cheon-Young were close friends despite one being a master and the other a servant. Years later, when the Japanese invade Joseon, King Seonjo abandons his people to protect his own hide. Cheon-Young, who by this time is an excellent swordsman, adds his fighting skills to that of the abandoned people to form a righteous army to fight the Japanese. But when King Seonjo brands the righteous army’s members as traitors, Jong-Ryeo and Cheong-Young become enemies.
October 12
A Virtuous Business–In 1992 South Korea, sex was still considered a taboo subject. That doesn’t stop a quartet of women who for various reasons become door-to-door salespeople for imported adult products in the rural South Korean village of Geumje. The Bangpan Sisters, as these women are called, wind up injecting healthy sexual energy into the lives of their single and married customers. The series is a remake of the UK series “Brief Encounters.”
October 15
Detroiters–Before Tim Robinson made the seminal “I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson,” he starred in this beloved series which does for Detroit what “The Wire” did for Baltimore. Sam Duvet (Sam Richardson) and Tim Cramblin (Robinson) have several things in common. They’re best friends and next-door neighbors who love Detroit. They both serve as creatives at the same work place: a Detroit-based ad agency. But since their agency lacks the money and connections to get the really big contracts, all they have to keep them going is their relentless ambition to build an advertising empire. In the meantime, keeping the lights on means making another low-budget TV commercial for a local business.
October 17
The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3–It’s the new season of David E. Kelley’s adaptation of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller novels. For those tuning in, idealistic Mickey Haller runs his Los Angeles law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln as it cruises the city’s streets. The new season adapts the novel “The Gods Of Guilt.” When Haller’s former client Gloria Days winds up dead, the lawyer takes the matter personally as he felt he’d gotten his ex-client out of a dangerous situation. But Haller’s search for answers takes him into very dangerous territory, which includes someone ramming Haller’s Lincoln off the road.
The Shadow Strays–Teen assassin Codename 13 is stuck in Jakarta’s slums on disciplinary probation. After she screws up a mission for the killer collective known as The Shadow, she’s ordered to lay low especially as the botched mission wound up with dozens of dead yakuza. But when 13 meets a boy who’s run afoul of the local crime syndicate, the young killer soon embarks on a very bloody and unsanctioned crusade which p**ses off The Shadow management. It’s the new ultraviolent action thriller from Timo Tjahjanto (“Headshot”).
October 18
The Man Who Loved UFOs–Diego Lerman’s (“Suddenly”) new film is set in 1986 Argentina. TV journalist Jose de Zer and his cameraman Chango travel to the mountain village of La Candelaria in the Cordoba region to check out reports of supposed UFO activity. However, the lack of any substantive evidence of UFO presence doesn’t stop de Zer from inventively sexing up the “story” over the next several weeks. Based on a true story.
The Turnaround–Kyle Thrush and Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot’s short documentary recounts the story of Philadelphia Phillies superfan Jon McCann. In 2023, the superfan’s beloved team had hit a major roadblock. McCann managed to inspire a surprise standing ovation for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, which helped turn the team around.
Woman Of The Hour–Anna Kendrick directs and stars in this true crime thriller. In 1978, aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) became a contestant on the popular TV dating show “The Dating Game.” She bonded with a bachelor named Rodney Alcala and picked him for her date. But Bradshaw soon discovered Alcala was a serial killer who had already taken the lives of five women.
Yintah–This Canadian documentary recounts a decade-long struggle against colonialist theft. Back in 1997, representatives of the Wet’suwet’en people proved in Canadian court that they had never ceded ownership of their 22,000 square kilometers of land to the Canadian government. That decision didn’t stop the Canadian government from letting fossil fuel giants build pipelines across Wet’suwet’en land. Subjects Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham become part of the group defending the land against armed Canadian cops.
October 21
Save The Children: A Concert For The Ages–In 1972 Chicago, Jesse Jackson put on the Operation PUSH exposition. One of the highlights of that event was a concert featuring some of the greatest Black performers of the time often performing their hits. The concert roster included Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, The Jackson 5, Isaac Hayes, and Curtis Mayfield. Stan Lathan filmed the concert, and now the film soundtrack’s been remastered for a new generation to enjoy.
October 22
Escape At Dannemora–This multiple Emmy Award-winning miniseries tells how married prison worker Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell (Patricia Arquette) becomes romantically and even sexually entangled with two prisoners: Richard Matt (Benicio del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano). That relationship would lead to Mitchell facilitating the escape of these two convicted murderers, thereby sparking a massive manhunt. Loosely based on the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape.
October 23
The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox–For 86 years, the Boston Red Sox had never made it to the World Series possibly thanks to “the Curse of the Bambino.” This docuseries recounts the 2004 team’s amazing postseason run, one which would involve a suspenseful championship series with their rivals, the New York Yankees. But making it to the World Series doesn’t guarantee the Red Sox winning the Series.
October 24
Territory–Think a cross between “Yellowstone” and “Succession.” Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor) owns Marianne Station, the world’s biggest cattle ranch located in the Australian Outback. But when Lawson’s anointed heir dies and generational inter-family tensions start rearing their head, other powerful interests ranging from cattle barons to mine owners smell blood in the water.
October 25
Hellbound Season 2–It’s the return of the horror series helmed by Yeon Sang-ho (“Train To Busan”), set in a world where demons suddenly appear on Earth to drag people to Hell. It’s now eight years after the first season, and Korean society has fractured into four different groups. They are: New Truth (which popularized the decrees sending people to Hell), Arrowhead (a more zealous group that’s attracted the mentally unstable), the Korean government (trying to dominate society again), and Sodo (a group secretly working to undermine New Truth and Arrowhead). How will the return to Earth of some souls who’ve been dragged to Hell in S1 affect this power struggle?
The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin–Mats Steen died at 25 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Parents Robert and Trude thought their son died lonely as he spent most of his time gaming. But when they use Mats’ blog to announce his passing, they soon learn their son actually led a rich love-filled life as character Ibelin Redmoore in the MMORPG “World Of Warcraft.” Winner of the Sundance Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary.
October 30
The Law According To Lidia Poet Season 2–It’s the return of this Italian historical drama loosely based on the life of the woman who became Italy’s first female lawyer. As the new season opens, Lidia decides that the only way to change the law that prevents her from becoming a lawyer is to convince her brother Enrico to run for Parliament. Meanwhile, Lidia’s very strained romance with Jacopo might get rejuvenated thanks to a covert shared investigation that affects them both.
October 31
The Diplomat Season 2–It’s the hotly anticipated return of the political drama series starring Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Taking up from the events of the Season 1 finale, the viewer finds out who lives and who dies. And will Kate have time to build a very important accusation, or will she get pushed into the vacant Vice President slot?
Murder Mindfully Season 1–In this German crime dramedy, Bjorn Diemel (Tom Schilling) is a successful lawyer whose work-life balance is seriously out of whack. His marriage is strained and his daughter feels neglected. A mindfulness seminar gives Diemel some ideas, which he applies in unexpected ways. The lawyer happens to represent a mafia boss, and what Diemel does to restore inner calm soon has both the cops and the mafia after him.
