Fall is the best time of the year. The weather is cooling down, the trees are beginning to change colors, and the kids that were terrorizing your block are back in school. Football has returned, and family-themed holidays are just a few months away. Sexy nurses and sexy cops will soon populate Halloween house parties and costume-themed clubs. As the temperature drops, people will be spending more time inside. That means more time to catch up with your favorite shows, or indulge in a new series.
Netflix must be aware of this, because their Fall line-up of shows and movies is on point. The video streaming service took the industry by storm a few years ago by offering a subscription package that murdered rental services. Then, Netflix shook the game up once more when they started producing their own original series of shows and movies. Netflix's original shows like Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards have created cult-like followings while amassing a wealth of critical acclaim. This Fall, Netflix will be bringing back one already successful series of theirs, Stranger Things. The highly anticipated second season will continue to employ 80s nostalgia and suspenseful sci-fi storytelling when it drops right before Halloween. If monsters and Reagan-era references aren’t your thing though, there are several interesting new shows and movies dropping over the next three months, including a host of timeless movies being added to their ever-expanding catalog of films. Marvel is set to deliver another branch of their universe, while Spike Lee is getting a modern-day rendition of one of his most celebrated classics. Creepy Halloween movies and throwback comedy flicks also make an appearance.
So whether you're indulging in cuffing season and need some Netflix and chill time, or you’ve formed a binge-watching habit and need a new show, there’s something for everyone in this run-down of must-watch shows and movies for the Fall.
Here’s our list of the best Netflix has to offer this Fall.
Donnie Darko
This cult classic underperformed at the box office, but would eventually engrain itself in American culture. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Patrick Swayze, this is your perfect Halloween flick. The story is based around Donnie, a seemingly schizophrenic youth who is being manipulated by Frank, a mysterious figure in a haunting rabbit costume. Don’t watch this one alone.
The movie will hit Netflix on October 11th.
Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood
A Wayans brothers classic, Don’t Be A Menace is a gangsta flick parody movie. Although I’m Gonna Git You Sucka is widely regarded as the spoof movie that started the reign of the Wayans, Don’t Be A Menace was the movie that thrust them into the comedic stratosphere. Shawn and Marlon hilariously spoof famous Black films such as Do The Right Thing, Above The Rim, Juice, New Jack City, and Poetic Justice. Starring alongside the comedic duo is Vivica A. Fox, Bernie Mac, Helen Martin, and Suli McCullough.
Don't Be A Menace hits Netflix screens on October 1st.
Stranger Things (Season 2)
The first season of Stranger Things has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is no easy feat. The story centers around a rift in space and time that was opened by curious researchers. The rift connects Earth to another dimension, called the “Upside Down.” When a monster escapes the void and kidnaps young Will Byers, the neighborhood children decide to investigate. Stranger Things takes place in the 80s, and plays off nostalgic 80s memorabilia and music. This Netflix original series stars Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, and Finn Wolfhard.
The second season of Stranger Things returns to Netflix on October 27th, so you can binge-watch it on Halloween.
Chirs Brown: Welcome To My Life
This documentary-style drama takes a first-person look into the life of Chris Brown. Controversial yet talented, Chris has made headlines over the last decade for beating Rihanna, fighting with Frank Ocean, and of course, beefing with Drake. Directed by Andrew Sandler, Welcome To My Life features appearances by Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Lopez, Tyga, and more.
The documentary debuts on Netflix October 7th.
The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson reunite once again for this bloody western. The story is based around a group of bounty hunters who take refuge in a lodge during a blizzard in the years following the Civil War. Tensions run high as treacherous yet hilarious characters come to blows over bounties. The film also stars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Walton Goggins.
The Hateful Eight will arrive on your Netflix account on October 25th.
MINDHUNTER
Based on the book Mind Hunter: Inside FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit written by John E. Douglas, this Netflix original series looks like the perfect binger. Based in the late 70s, the series follows two FBI agents who question imprisoned serial killers in order to learn more about the minds of criminals. The duo then uses this information to hunt killers. MINDHUNTER stars Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, and Hannah Gross.
MINDHUNTER season one will hit 'Flix on October 13th.
The Punisher
Marvel is on a roll. After the success of their connected movie universe, Marvel decided to launch a television universe that used the same concept. Frank Castle first appeared in the second season of Daredevil, in which viewers got to see his progression from Frank to The Punisher. He is a tortured soul who becomes a vigilante after the murder of his family. I suggest watching the previous Marvel/Netflix shows, or at least The Defenders and Daredevil season 2, before diving into The Punisher. Jon Bernthal stars as the titular character, while Ben Barnes, Deborah Ann Woll, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Amber Rose Revah make up the rest of the cast.
The Punisher's exact release date has been redacted by Netflix. Stay tuned.
Suburra: The Series
This Italian crime series is a ten-episode foreign drama the features English subtitles. Suburra literally translates to “slums,” which is where the drama takes place. Ostia, a seaside village outside of Rome, is being gentrified and converted into a gamblers paradise. The Vatican, the Mafia, drugs, prostitution, politics, and money laundering all play a central role in Suburra. This Netflix series stars Alessandro Borghi, Giacomo Ferrara, Eduardo Valdarnini.
If you're into foreign features, check this one out when it debuts on Netflix on October 6th.
The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has been labeled the most powerful drug trafficker in the world and has graced the Forbes magazine three times as one of the most powerful people in the world. This Netflix documentary is the story of Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. Kate details her meeting with the titular drug lord using never-before-seen footage and personal stories. If you're a fan of Narcos, this is right up your alley.
The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story impacts Netflix on October 20th.
Godless
This dark and gritty Netflix original series is a western based in the 1880s. The show's main character, Frank Griffin, is hunting down his partner-turned-enemy Roy Goode. Roy betrays his brotherhood of outlaws and takes refuge in a town primarily made up of women. Lucky him. Godless stars Jeff Daniels, Jack O’Connell, Michelle Dockery, and Scoot McNairy.
Watch Godless on Netflix come November 22nd.
She's Gotta Have It
Here’s a remake that excites me. Spike Lee directed the original She's Gotta Have It, which was released in 1986. The series follows Darling, a young woman juggling three lovers while trying to finding herself. This juicy remake is sure to hook viewers who love scandal, sex, and drama. Lee is back in the director’s chair while his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, serves as the series executive producer. She's Gotta Have It stars DeWanda Wise, Cleo Anthony, Lyriq Bent, Shemekka Epps, Chyna Layne and Anthony Ramos.
She's Gotta Have It makes its Netflix debut on November 23rd.
I Love You, Man
This romantic comedy is based on one man’s search to find his Best Man. Peter Klaven, a Groom with no friends, goes on a series of man-dates to find a best friend that he can appoint as his Best Man. Peter befriends Sydney Fife, a wildcard who puts a strain on Peter’s relationship. Hilarious and heartwarming, I Love You, Man is the third collaboration between Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. The movie also stars Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Favreau.
I Love You, Man will join Netflix's stash of movies on October 1st.
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
James Brown is an icon and a legend in the music industry. Mr. Dynamite features never-before-seen pictures and footage released by the Brown Estate for the first time in history. The documentary follows Brown from his first hit “Please, Please, Please” in 1956 to his last moments as “the hardest working man in show business.”
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown will be added to Netflix on October 2nd.