New horrors from Mike Flanagan and Guillermo del Toro? Yes please.
By Rob Hunter · Published on October 3rd, 2022
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 2022. They include a new horror anthology from Guillermo del Toro, a new limited series from Mike Flanagan and Christopher Pike, and more!
Netflix Pick of the Month for October 2022
In this house, we love horror anthologies and anthology shows — despite knowing that they’re almost always a game of odds. Some segments/episodes will rock, others will stink, and the remaining ones will be merely okay. The odds increase in our favor, of course, when there are talented filmmakers involved, and that’s why we’re so damn excited for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (premieres October 25th). Del Toro, sadly, doesn’t direct any of the eight episodes here, but we do get talents like David Prior, Jennifer Kent, Panos Cosmatos, Ana Lily Amirpour, Vincenzo Natali, and more. The episodes are a mix of original tales and adaptations, all at home in the horror genre, and our bodies are ready for some hellish delights.
New Horrors!
Preteens big into horror fiction these days have access to everything, but back in the 80s and 90s the options — depending on your parents — were often limited to young adult fare as the shelves were filled with terror tomes for the “kids.” Christopher Pike was one of the big names at the time, and as with the work of R.L. Stine (Fear Street), the folks at Netflix are keen on bringing Pike’s The Midnight Club (premieres October 7th) to the screen. The great Mike Flanagan — seriously, one of the genre’s best working right now — brings the YA novel home in a limited series format, and while I’m only a few episodes in so far, I’m already confident in saying it’s another gem from the filmmaker. It follows a group of teens riding out their last days at a hospice group home, but while they know death is heading their way, they’re also exploring their own tales of horror and something dark in the hospice’s history.
Horror antagonists come in numerous forms, but there are two fighting an uphill battle with me — killer dolls/kids and murderous old folks. Both fall into the category of threats that just don’t work once you know they’re a threat. Because at that point, you would simply dropkick their weak ass across the room. The new German film Old People (premieres October 7th) looks to challenge that concern with its story about a woman and her kids who find themselves under attack by some bloodthirsty elderly people. Can it manage scares and/or thrills with wrinkly-skinned monsters shambling after the protagonists? We’ll see.
While the running time is maybe off-putting, and YA adaptations are hit and miss, there’s quite a bit going for The School for Good and Evil (premieres October 19th). It’s directed by Paul Feig (Spy, Bridesmaids) and stars Rachel Bloom, Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne, Kerry Washington, and more. The story focuses on a magical school designed to train both heroes and villains, and of course, various characters, both students and teachers, ultimately take sides. It looks to be meant for younger viewers, but the talent assembled means there’s a good chance the rest of us will be entertained too.
New Action!
Your tastes may vary, but Gerard Butler is a pretty reliable lead in action cinema. Think Den of Thieves, Geostorm, the Olympus Has Fallen franchise — the films may sometimes stumble, but Butler is an entertaining bull in a china shop. His latest may not have gotten a wide theatrical release, but that’s no reason to count him out just yet. Last Seen Alive (2022) kicks off like The Vanishing as Butler’s character loses his wife at a gas station, but rather than having a creepy serial killer behind the abduction, Butler finds himself digging into a small town’s criminal element. The filmmakers have only directed/written one other film, another limited release that no one’s seen, but here’s hoping their latest collaboration brings the goods.
They don’t get the attention of their bigger sibling, but Universal 1440 Entertainment is home to some entertaining movie fare inspired but Universal Pictures’ theatrical releases. Did you know they’ve made sequels to R.I.P.D., Sudden Death, Tremors, Backdraft, The Car, and more? They’re rarely all that good, but sometimes the right combination of talents ends up delivering a good time. We’re hoping Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022, premieres October 25th) is one of those exceptions despite the lack of Keanu Reeves. We do get Anna Akana, Dustin Nguyen, Mark Dacascos, and Mike Moh, though, so if nothing else, there’s a good chance the action will delight.
The Oldest New Arrival on Netflix for October 2022
Of the many criticisms lobbed Netflix’s way, the one about their clear and present lack of older films is the most accurate. To document that, we take a beat each month to highlight the oldest new arrivals hitting the streamer. This month sees a tie, and both films are well worth a revisit. First up, National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) remains a silly time delivering big laughs, fun characters, and the sophomore directorial effort from the late Harold Ramis. It’s funny! If the mood strikes you, you can make it a marathon as two of the sequels also drop this month with European Vacation (1985) and Vegas Vacation (1997).
The second film to earn the oldest title moniker is the still stellar Risky Business (1983). Tom Cruise stars as a young man whose prim and proper plans for life after high school take a turn for the illegal, preposterous, and somewhat sexy as he essentially begins running sex workers out of his house in his parents’ absence. Writer/director Paul Brickman — this is his debut, he followed it seven years later with a forgettable drama, and he never directed a movie again — crafts a fun 80s romp that ticks the T&A boxes while also delivering some big laughs and outrageous beats. Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur, Bronson Pinchot, Curtis Armstrong, and more co-star, and it remains a good time even beyond that subway scene.
The Complete Netflix List for October 2022
Release DateTitleNote
10/117 Again (2009)
30 Minutes or Less (2011)
60 Days In: Season 3
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Barbie: It Takes Two: Season 2
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Charlotte’s Web (2006)
Chocolat (2000)
City Slickers (1991)
The Color Purple (1985)
Gladiator (2000)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
I Love You, Man (2009)
Labyrinth (1986)
Land of the Lost (2009)
Last Seen Alive (2022)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
Point Break (1991)
Risky Business (1983)
Robin Hood (2018)
Runaway Bride (1999)
Rush Hour (1998)
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
Sex and the City 2 (2010)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (2005)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (1990)
Vegas Vacation (1997)
Walking Tall (2004)
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Yes Man (2008)
10/2Forever QueensNetflix Series
10/3Chip and Potato: Season 4Netflix Family
10/4Hasan Minhaj: The King’s JesterNetflix Comedy
10/5Bling Empire: Season 3Netflix Series
The Fight for Justice: Paolo GuerreroNetflix Series
High WaterNetflix Series
Jumping from High PlacesNetflix Film
Mr. Harrigan’s PhoneNetflix Film
Nailed It!: Season 7Netflix Series
TogoNetflix Film
The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai CaveNetflix Documentary
10/6Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal EarthquakeNetflix Documentary
The Joys and Sorrows of Young YuguoNetflix Documentary
10/7Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer TapesNetflix Documentary
Derry Girls: Season 3Netflix Series
Doll HouseNetflix Film
GlitchNetflix Series
Kev Adams: The Real MeNetflix Comedy
Luckiest Girl AliveNetflix Film
Man on PauseNetflix Series
The Midnight ClubNetflix Series
The MoleNetflix Series
OddballsNetflix Family
Old PeopleNetflix Film
The Redeem TeamNetflix Documentary
Tiger & Bunny 2: Part 2Netflix Anime
10/9Missing Link (2019)
10/10LEGO Ninjago: Season 4 Crystallized- Part 2
Spirit RangersNetflix Family
10/11The CageNetflix Series
DEAW#13 Udom Taephanich Stand Up Comedy ShowNetflix Comedy
Iliza Shlesinger: Hot ForeverNetflix Comedy
Island of the Sea WolvesNetflix Documentary
10/12Belascoarán, PINetflix Series
Blackout
Easy-Bake BattleNetflix Series
The Nutty BoyNetflix Family
Wild Croc TerritoryNetflix Series
10/13Dead End: Paranormal Park: Season 2Netflix Family
ExceptionNetflix Anime
The PlaylistNetflix Series
The Sinner: Season 4: Percy
Someone BorrowedNetflix Film
Sue Perkins: Perfectly LegalNetflix Series
10/14Black ButterfliesNetflix Series
The Curse of Bridge HollowNetflix Film
Everything Calls for SalvationNetflix Series
Holy FamilyNetflix Series
Mismatched: Season 2Netflix Series
Take 1Netflix Series
10/15Blippi’s Spooky Spell Halloween
Under the Queen’s UmbrellaNetflix Series
10/16Dracula Untold (2014)
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019)
10/17Waffles + Mochi’s RestaurantNetflix Family
10/18Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy Live From Los AngelesNetflix Comedy
LiSA Another Great DayNetflix Documentary
Somebody Feed Phil: Season 6Netflix Series
Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 3Netflix Series
10/19The Green Glove GangNetflix Series
Love Is Blind: Season 3Netflix Series
Notre-DameNetflix Series
The School for Good and EvilNetflix Film
The StrangerNetflix Film
10/2128 Days HauntedNetflix Series
Barbarians IINetflix Series
DescendantNetflix Documentary
From ScratchNetflix Series
High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug MuleNetflix Series
ONI: Thunder God’s TaleNetflix Family
Pokémon Ultimate JourneysNetflix Family
10/22LOL Surprise! Winter Fashion Show
10/23Franco Escamilla: EavesdroppingNetflix Comedy
10/24The Chalk LineNetflix Film
10/25Barbie Epic Road TripNetflix Family
Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022)
Fortune Feimster: Good FortuneNetflix Comedy
Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of CuriositiesNetflix Series
Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 3Netflix Series
10/26Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos GhosnNetflix Documentary
The Good NurseNetflix Film
HellholeNetflix Film
Love Is Blind: Season 3Netflix Series
Robbing MussoliniNetflix Film
10/27CiciNetflix Film
Daniel SpellboundNetflix Family
Dubai BlingNetflix Series
EarthstormNetflix Documentary
Family Reunion: Part 5Netflix Family
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
Romantic KillerNetflix Anime
10/28All Quiet on the Western FrontNetflix Film
The Bastard Son & The Devil HimselfNetflix Series
Big Mouth: Season 6Netflix Series
Drink Masters Netflix Series
I am a StalkerNetflix Series
If OnlyNetflix Series
My Encounter with EvilNetflix Documentary
Wendell & WildNetflix Film
Wild is the WindNetflix Film
10/29Deadwind: Season 3Netflix Series
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Related Topics: Crossing the Streams, Netflix
Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he’s so damn young. He’s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast News’ as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.
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