Netflix has confirmed its October 2026 slate, and the streaming service is set to add 70 movies to its library over the month. That’s a lot of new options for your watchlist.
To help you figure out where to start, every month I turn to the review site Rotten Tomatoes and find the recently added Netflix movies with the highest critical scores. While a high RT rating isn’t a guarantee a movie will appeal to your specific taste, it’s a useful indicator if you’re on the hunt for a film that is broadly considered high-quality.
Before diving into October’s top five, here are a few rules you should know: Netflix originals that haven’t been released yet are excluded (they don’t have an RT score yet), and in the event of a tie, I’ve used RT’s viewer rating to break the deadlock. Now that’s cleared up, here are the 5 movies added to Netflix in October 2026 with the highest scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
New to Netflix movies in October 2026, ranked by RT score
5. 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013)
In the 2000s, Matthew McConaughey was known for starring in subpar rom-coms. After a two-year hiatus, he returned with a focus on more prestigious dramatic roles. This was dubbed the “McConaissance,” and it culminated in “Dallas Buyers Club,” an acclaimed biographical drama that saw McConaughey win an Oscar for his role as Ron Woodroof. On the same night, Jared Leto also took home an Oscar for his supporting performance.
Based on real events, Ron is a salt-of-the-earth type Texan whose life changes in an instant when he’s diagnosed with AIDS and given just 30 days to live. Ostracized by his friends and family due to the homophobic stigma surrounding AIDS at the time, he is left in a dire situation. Refusing to give up, he begins smuggling unapproved drugs into the U.S. to treat his condition. He also starts assisting his fellow AIDS patients who are in a similarly life-threatening condition.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream "Dallas Buyers Club" on Netflix now
4. 'The Bourne Ultimatum' (2002)
Netflix has added the complete Jason Bourne franchise in October, and while the most recent Bourne movie, simply titled “Jason Bourne,” was a dud, the original trilogy, comprised of “The Bourne Identity,” “Supremacy” and “Ultimatum,” makes for perfect marathon material. 2002’s “Identity” should be your starting point if you’re new to the series, but to date, trilogy capper “The Bourne Ultimatum” scores the highest with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Following the events of “The Bourne Supremacy,” Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) continues his quest to unravel his past. His hunt for answers takes him all over the globe, with Bourne traveling to Europe, Russia, Africa, and back to the United States. With shadowy government agencies on his tail, he has to stay one step ahead of his enemies. It’s a thrilling trilogy capper that delivers adrenaline-spiking action and answers some big questions.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream "The Bourne Ultimatum" on Netflix now
3. 'Call Me by Your Name' (2017)
“Call Me by Your Name” was the breakthrough role for one Timothée Chalamet. His role in this Luca Guadagnino romantic drama forced the movie world to take notice and earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination to boot. Almost a decade later, Chalamet has gone on to greater heights, but his performance here still ranks among his very best, and the rest of the film is also phenomenal, with strong direction from Guadagnino and a picturesque setting.
Set over a sun-soaked season in 1980s Italy, 17-year-old Elio (Chalmaet) experiences a transformational summer when his father’s 24-year-old assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer), comes to stay. The pair's friendship quickly blossoms into a passionate affair, and while both know their romance can’t last beyond the summer, it has a profound impact on them. It’s a deeply intimate portrayal of first love that unfolds with a tender heart and youthful optimism.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Stream "Call Me By Your Name" on Netflix now
2. 'Psycho' (1960)
“Psycho” is one of those movies that really doesn’t need an introduction. Alongside “Rear Window,” it’s Alfred Hitchcock’s most recognizable movie, which is saying something because his body of work is overflowing with classics. Now that Spooky Season has arrived, there’s no better time of year to switch off all the lights and (re)watch this intense horror that continues to influence the genre to this day. Just don’t get the twist spoiled before you do.
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 from her employer and plans to run away with her lover Sam (John Gavin). On the road, she stops at the Bates Motel and encounters the shabby establishment's meek owner, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), whose domineering mother clearly runs the place. The next morning, Marion is reported missing, so her sister Lily Crane (Vera Miles) heads to the motel to investigate.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream "Psycho" on Netflix now
1. ‘Moonlight’ (2016)
It’s not a surprise to see “Moonlight” topping this list. Critics fawned over the film upon release, and in the decade since, its reputation hasn’t diminished. It’s regularly cited as one of the best movies of the past decade, including by your truly in my own roundup last fall. Winner of Best Picture at the 89th Oscars — yes, that was the year with the infamous “La La Land” snafu — it’s a powerful picture that neatly leaps between tragic and tender on a dime.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight” follows the childhood, adolescence and early adulthood of Chiron, played by three actors across the movie’s three chapters: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert. The drama covers his youth, growing up in Miami, his relationship with a drug dealer/father figure, Juan (Mahershala Ali), and his attempts to understand his sexuality. It’s a poignant masterwork.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Stream "Moonlight" on Netflix now
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