In the age of Coronavirus quarantines, lockdowns and self-isolation, many more of us are relying on streaming platforms in search of distraction, escape and just plain entertainment. Luckily October certainly doesn't look to disappoint with an exciting new set of streaming releases offering a wide range of stories.
From the grand return of flagship shows like Mirzapur and The Mandalorian, to an army of Blumhouse horror stories on Amazon Prime Video, here are our picks of what's releasing this month across platforms.
When: October 9th
The latest Netflix acquisition of a Bollywood release is an energetic wedding rom-com starring Vikrant Massey and Yami Gautam as two people navigating the bumpy world of arranged marriages.
When: October 16th
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with the police and National Guard. Beyond that all you need to know is Aaron Sorkin, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baren Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon Levitt. We are so there.
When: October 2nd
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's latest intriguing Netflix project is an ambitious adaptation of Manu Joseph's acclaimed novel which sees the return of director Sudhir Mishra.
When: TBC
The highly anticipated BBC adaptation of Vikram Seth's celebrated book helmed by the one and only Mira Nair finally makes its way to a global release on Netflix. Expect an all-star cast including, Ishaan Khatter, Tabu, Namit Das, Vivek Gomber and many others.
When: TBC
A drama starring Shabana Azmi which follows the story of a 10-year-old girl who must save her family's village in Punjab from the restless ghosts of its horrific past.
When: October 23rd
Netflix continues its ambition expansion into the world of animation with a whimsical tale of a bright young girl who builds a rocket ship to travel to the moon and prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess.
When: October 9th
A fantastic idea for a reality series, Deaf U is a coming-of-age series which follows a tight-knit group of Deaf students at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
When: October 7th
Adam Sandler's latest for Netflix follows a man who thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbour have Hubie on high alert, and only he can stop them.
When: October 28th
The latest from the Netflix stable of feel-good rom-com stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey as two people who find themselves constantly stuck with awkward dates during the holidays. But when these two strangers meet during one particularly bad Christmas, they make a pact to be each other's "holidate" for every festive occasion throughout the next year.
When: October 2nd
Anushka Shetty stars as a talented artist who is deaf and mute. She gets entangled in a criminal investigation after unexpectedly witnessing a tragic incident that occurs in a villa that has a reputation for being haunted.
When: October 6th
The first of many Blumhouse horror projects on this list follows a single father who, after losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.
When: October 6th
Next up from Amazon's October horror fest tells the story of parents who desperately attempt to cover up a horrific crime after their teenaged daughter kills her best friend. Think horror…Drishyam?
When: October 13th
Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, a timid music student begins to outshine her more accomplished and outgoing twin sister when she discovers a mysterious notebook belonging to a recently deceased classmate. Sound creepy enough?
When: October 13th
What's cooler than a Jason Blum-produced horror project? One that's also co-produced by Priyanka Chopra. Based on the award-winning Audible Original, Evil Eye is directed by Elan Dassani and Rajeev Dassani, and follows a seemingly perfect romance turns into a nightmare when a mother becomes convinced her daughter's new boyfriend has a dark connection to her own past.
When: October 23rd
Everyone's favourite gangster drama is back. Prime Video India's flagship show returns for more revenge, action, violence and of course…Pankaj Tripathi.
When: October 30th
Simon Pegg. Nick Front. Need we say more? Truth Seekers is a supernatural comedy drama following a group of part-time paranormal investigators team up to uncover a deadly conspiracy.
When: October 16th
An anthology of five Tamil short films featuring stories of love, new beginnings, second chances, and a glimmer of hope – set and filmed in the times of the COVID-19 lockdown. Intrigued? The anthology brings together 5 of the most celebrated directors in Tamil cinema – Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratman, Rajiv Menon, and Karthik Subbaraj.
When: October 2nd
A shudh-desi comedy of errors which features Sanjay Mishra, Ram Kapoor, Raghav Juyal, Abhishek Chauhan, Nidhi Singh and Namit Das.
When: October 2nd
The martial arts blowout series returns for season 2. In San Francisco, Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy from China leads a colourful life as he becomes a hatchet man for a powerful tong. It's a bunch of gangsters and killer action and what more could your really want?
When: October 9th
This is the incredible story of America's first astronauts. Based on the bestselling book by Tom Wolfe, the eight-episode season is an inspirational look at the early days of the U.S. Space Program and the iconic story of America's first astronauts, the Mercury 7.
When: October 28th
Everyone's favourite family is back to teach us about life, love, parenting and pretty much everything along the way.
When: October 30th
Disney+ flagship series returns for more badass-ery across the galaxy. The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
When: October 25th
Pretty sure you can't go wrong with a TV show led by Nicole Kidman at this point. Throw in Hugh Grant 2.0 and we're sold. This new limited series focuses on Grace Fraser, a successful therapist, and her devoted husband, Jonathan. A chasm opens in Grace's seemingly perfect life which leads to a violent death, a missing spouse and a chain of terrible revelations.
When: October 9th
From director Hansal Mehta, Scam 1992 follows the life of stockbroker Harshad Mehta – his meteoric rise and catastrophic downfall. The series features an ensemble cast of Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sharib Hashmi, Ananth Mahadevan and more.
When: TBC
Saloni Gaur also known by her comic name Nazma Aapi brings a humorous sketch comedy show on current affairs with a middle class point of view. The original goes live this October only on SonyLIV.
When: October 30th
Surgical Operations Teams, is an edgy action drama original series which showcases the partnership of two ideologically and ethnically different individuals who get together to solve crimes of national threat.
When: October 3rd
India's largest television reality show Bigg Boss returns with host Salman Khan. Voot Select will offer unlimited access with 24-hour LIVE feeds from the BB house on weekdays. Because what better way to pass the time when we're all stuck at home than… watching other people being stuck at home.
When: October 5th
Created by and starring Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke, the series is told from the point of view of Onion (Johnson) a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of abolitionist soldiers and eventually finds himself participating in the famous 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry.
When: October 5th
The five-part docuseries from will include vintage performances and interviews with some of the many comics who honed their acts at the legendary club featuring behind the scene footage and interviews from world renowned standup comedians including David Letterman, Robin Williams, Jay Leno, Whitney Cummings amongst others.
When: October 9th
The Kannada film follows a young cricketer turned teacher who has to overcome a big challenge in his personal life; and teach a motley bunch of kids what it means to play hard but fair. Puta Tirugisi Nodi was premièred at the Bangalore International Film Festival 2016, where it won a Special Jury Award.
When: October 16th
Masala Chai is an documentary film about a drink that's the lifeblood for many in India: a simple caffeine boost for some, a way to drown out hunger pangs for others, and for many more a means of survival.
When: October 23rd
Shot in black and white and washed out tones, Toymaker (Kalippaattakkaaran) is an experimental and critically acclaimed film about a young toymaker trying to make sense of the impermanence of life that he has been forced to acknowledge through experiences of separation and death.
When: October 30th
From Rituparno Ghosh, Dahan tells the story of newly wed Romita is molested by five men and her tireless quest for justice in a society that would look to silence her.
When: October 23rd
The documentary from Tanuja Chandra follows two widowed sisters, aged 86 and 93 who do as they please, paying no heed to anybody's unsolicited advice.
When: October 20th
The Malayalam film follows an autorickshaw driver and her several adventures as she meets different passengers every day.
When: October 2nd
Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray reunite and that's all we need say about that.
When: October 2nd
A romantic comedy directed by Vijay Kumar Konda and produced by K K Radha Mohan with a cast that includes Raj Tarun, Hebha Patel and Malavika Nair.
When: October 16th
Morality tells a series of stories set in lower middle class, middle class and upper middle class strata of society and how they intersect.
When: October 23rd
A Telugu periodic drama, directed by Sandeep Raj and written by Sai Rajesh, the film stars Suhas, Sunil, Chandini Chowdary in lead roles.
When: October 2nd
A thriller which revolves around two couples and their extra- marital affairs. The plot takes a turn when jealousy and anger turns to violence and betrayal.
When: October 16th
Aftab Shivdasani leads season 2 of the ZEE5 thriller alongside Raai Laxmi, Pooja Chopra, Rahul Dev and Taher Shabbir.
When: October 21st
Saqib Saleem and Shweta Basu Prasad star in a rom com about a stand-up comedy duo and real-life lovers who draw inspiration for their scripts from their own real-life experiences.
When: October 29th
Bejoy Nambiar's latest is a revenge drama to be released simultaneously as a six-episode web series and as a feature film. A first-of-its-kind initiative which gives the viewers a custom-made choice of how they prefer to watch a story unfold.
When: October 7th
MX Player's latest is a promising looking drama which sees a war between drug dealers and the police, with an impressive cast including Akshay Oberoi, Prakash Belawadi and Ranvir Shorey.