Netflix in October: the 5 best new shows and movies to add to your watchlist

October is now here, so anyone with a Netflix subscription (or thinking of re-subscribing) will probably want their monthly confirmation that it's the best streaming service for them.

That means checking what's coming to the platform in the next few weeks – and the good news is that it looks like a jam-packed month. We've taken a fine-toothed comb through the listings to see what the major highlights are for Netflix this October, and have brought you five shows and movies worthy of your attention.

Heartstopper (Season 3)

Heartstopper: Season 3 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Thursday October 3rd

This teen romance show has become a total sensation, just like the books it's based on, and fans have been impatiently awaiting its third season, which should pick up where things left off last time out. 

Our main characters Charlie and Nick might now be in a happy, out relationship, but that doesn't mean that life has become simple overnight. 

Depression is clearly going to be a bit of a theme this time, along with bigger roles for various supporting characters, which should make for some interesting new dynamics. 

The Platform 2

The Platform 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Friday October 4th

While Halloween might fall right at the end of October, it's nonetheless an honorary spooky month, which means that a few horror films are a must over the course of its lengthening nights.

The Platform was a fan-favourite a few years ago, a Spanish-language horror-thriller that took a fairly wild concept and really committed to portraying it. 

Now it's got a sequel, and things look even more deranged than before, with its vertically-arranged prison getting some new features. 

The Menendez Brothers

The Menendez Brothers | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Monday October 7th

Monsters has been doing huge numbers on Netflix since arriving recently, and it's propelled a big new wave of interest in the real-life story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. 

Almost as if it predicted that success, Netflix has a documentary to accompany the series on the way, and it promises to give us direct access to both brothers in the form of phone interviews from prison. 

Whether this will tell us more about the crimes they committed, or flesh out their reasoning, any fan of the series will want to tune in...

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Friday October 11th

If you're more into swooning romance and want to sink into a movie night full of comforts and bubbling chemistry, then perhaps Lonely Planet will float your boat midway through the month.

Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth play unlikely lovers who find themselves drawn together when they meet at a writers' retreat that neither of them is particularly enjoying. 

It looks pretty ravishing, although only watching it will reveal whether the two of them really have that all-important on-screen spark. 

Woman of the Hour

Woman of the Hour | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Friday October 18th

We've already said that Halloween is about horror, though, and our final pick really underlines that – it's Anna Kendrick's directorial debut and it looks absolutely terrifying, frankly.

This isn't supernatural by any means, though – Woman of the Hour tells the creepy true story of a serial killer who earned a date with a young woman through a dating show right in the midst of his spree. 

With some super scary moments to endure, it might be a perfect pick for late on Halloween itself, if you're feeling brave.