35 best new Netflix movies and shows to watch in October 2020

21. Grand Army

Season: 1

Executive Produced By: Joshua Donen, Beau Willimon and Katie Cappiello

Starring: Odessa A’zion, Odley Jean, Maliq Johnson, Amalia Yoo, Amir Bageria

Release Date: Friday, Oct. 16

Even though it’s tempting to press play on your millionth binge-watch of your tried-and-true favorite shows, or even that one show you meant to watch years ago and are finally getting around to, there’s plenty of new content to consume this month on Netflix. One such new original series is Grand Army, which centers on a group of five teenagers attending the largest public school in Brooklyn and learning to survive and thrive in our current world. The 10-episode first season, based on Katie Cappiello’s Slut: The Play, makes its premiere on Oct. 16.

20. The Queen’s Gambit

Season: 1

Developed By: Scott Frank and Allan Scott

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Moses Ingram, Bill Camp, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Rebecca Root

Release Date: Friday, Oct. 23

After you finish binge-watching Grand Army, there’s still more fresh Netflix original series to add to your watch list in October. From Scott Frank, the creator of the Netflix miniseries and writer of Logan, and Allan Scott, The Queen’s Gambit adapts Walter Tevis’s novel of the same name into six-episode miniseries. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Beth Harmon, a young girl living in a Kentucky orphanage in the 1950s and developing a genius for the game of chess.

While Beth hones her talent for the game, she also finds herself entering an addiction for the tranquilizers provided to her, leading an obsession driven by personal demons. Still, she manages to break down walls for herself as a strong player in the male-dominated field of competitive chess. The Queen’s Gambit could be one of the most unexpectedly enthralling new binge-watches of the month. Don’t miss the new limited series when all episodes start streaming on Oct. 23.