Welcome to TechRadar’s new Max movies guide. In this article, we’ve compiled a full list of all of the new movies that are joining the streaming giant in October 2023. In short: you don’t need to go anywhere for a rundown of what’s on the way.
Given spooky season has officially arrived, it’ll come as no surprise that there are lots of horror films coming to Max this month. You’ll find a couple of the best ones in our highlights section, which is where we’ve picked out six of the best films to stream on Max in October. But, if you’re not a fan of being scared silly, regardless of what time of year it is, there are plenty of other less terrifying flicks descending on one of the world’s best streaming services this month, too.
If you’re looking for a selection of the greatest films available on the platform, our best Max movies list is what you’ll be after. For now, though, here are all of the new Max movies set to join the streaming titan over the next 31 days.
New Max movies: the best films to stream in October
Beetlejuice
Release date: October 1
Tim Burton’s iconic fantasy comedy-horror flick makes for perfect viewing during Halloween season. The movie, which stars Batman actor Michael Keaton as the titular mischievous bio-exorcist, is as beloved today as it was upon initial release in March 1988 – and with good reason. In typical Burton fashion, its gothic sensibilities, surreal humor, bizarre visuals, and fantastically horrifying elements are as wonderful as they are unsettling.
Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, a recently deceased couple who contact Bettlejuice to help scare away their former home’s new inhabitants. Unfortunately, things don’t go as well as the Maitlands hope. A sequel, which has been in development for decades, is on the way, too, with Burton attached to write and direct. Keaton is expected to reprise his role as Beetlejuice, while Wednesday superstar Jenna Ortega will play its protagonist.
Blade Runner 2049
Release date: October 1
Director Denis Villeneuve rocked Hollywood in 2021 with his starry adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal space adventure Dune, but it was his ambitious 2017 sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner that proved he had the filmmaking chops to tackle big-budget (and beloved) sci-fi material.
Set 30 years after the events of Scott’s 1982 original, Blade Runner 2049 follows LAPD officer K (Ryan Gosling) who, after stumbling upon an existential secret, goes looking for former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). Every bit as visually stunning as its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 is a more-than-worthy companion piece to one of cinema’s most iconic movies. A must inclusion in our new Max movies highlights section.
The Final Destination movie series
Release date: October 1
Before other popular horror movie franchises like Saw dominated the landscape, the Final Destination series was one of the more enduringly successful, albeit not-well-received, film collections.
All five movies are based around the same premise: a group of teens and/or young adults escape impending death after one of them sees a sudden premonition and warns their friends, thus saving them from being bumped off. However, the group are subsequently picked off by an unforeseen force – usually by way of an accident – that’s desperate to collect their souls.
The Final Destination series became fairly predictable by the end of its five movie run. For a time in the early 2000s, though, it was as innovative as horror movies got.
If Beale Street Could Talk
Release date: October 1
Director Barry Jenkins followed up on the success of his Oscar-winning Moonlight with If Beale Street Could Talk, a powerful portrait of love and loss in 1970s New York that deserves more attention that it garnered upon release in 2018.
Based on James Baldwin’s novel of the same name, the film stars KiKi Layne as a young woman, Clementine “Tish” Rivers, who we follow as she desperately attempts to clear the name of her wrongly charged partner (Stephan James). Diego Luna, Pedro Pascal, Brian Tyree Henry, and Regina King also star in If Beale Street Could Talk, which is anchored by a stellar score from Succession composer Nicholas Britell. Definitive viewing and worthy of a place on our new Max movies list.
Jumanji
Release date: October 1
Robin Williams was one of the world’s most beloved actors who elevated every movie he was in, including this 1995 fantasy comedy adventure.
In Jumanji, Williams portrays the aged-up version of Alan Parrish, a kid who’s sucked (and subsequently trapped) in Jumanji, a supernatural board game, in 1969. When two new kids on the block – Judy and Peter Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) – discover the same table top game 26 years later, they inadvertently rescue Alan from his fantastical but dangerous prison. Oh, and they let a bunch of jungle-based hazards loose on the small US town of Brantford. Oops.
Critics weren’t too kind to Jumanji upon its initial release but, bolstered by Williams’ undeniable star power, it became the 10th highest-grossing movie of 1995. Numerous TV and movie sequels have followed since, but this Williams-starring flick will always be the best entry in the franchise for us.
The Scream movie series
Release date: October 1
Like the Final Destination franchise, the Scream movies were hugely popular in the late 90s/early 2000s, and helped to usher in a new era of horror genre fare.
Wes Craven’s deliciously metatextual slasher films were boldly original in their makeup, made stars of their largely female cast – including Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox – overnight, and introduced audiences to Ghostface, one of the most iconic horror movie villains of all-time.
After an 11-year hiatus, most likely due to failing box office returns and mixed audience reception to Scream 3 and 4, the franchise was revived in 2022 and met with critical acclaim. Scream 5 and 6 introduced the series to a new generation, all the while reinventing its stale premise and subsequently storming the box office. Unsurprisingly, a seventh Scream film is in development, so we can expect even more gruesome murders and self-aware humor very soon.
NB: only Scream 1 through 3 are available to stream on Max.