Coming to Netflix: October 2020
There’s a variety of films coming to Netflix this month with lots of original productions in the line up. We’ve teed up our reviews so you can make informed choices for family entertainment. (Note that our reviews for Netflix originals will be posted on release date.)
October 1
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Ace Ventura takes a trip to Africa – and provides plenty of offensive material for parents to worry about. PG-13, Grade: D
Basic Instinct. While investigating the murder of a rock star, Detective Nick Curran finds a prime suspect – a novelist whose latest book has a familiar plot. Restricted. Content details only.
Employee of the Month. Zack has always been a slacker, that is, until a pretty blonde joins the crew. PG-13, Grade: C-
Free State of Jones. This film is based on the true story of a southern farmer who leads a rebellion against the Confederacy and had Jones County, Mississippi declared a free state. Restricted: Content details only.
Ghost Rider. Johnny Blaze is a motorcycle stuntman by day; by night, he’s a fiery demon who uses superpowers to bring bad guys to account. PG-13, Grade: C
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. When a womanizer encounters his late uncle and other ghosts, he rethinks his promiscuous habits. PG-13, Grade: C-
Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet who tangles with his neighbors when their gang-affiliated son tries to steal his car. Restricted, Grade: C+
Human Nature.This documentary examines genetic engineering, with an emphasis on CRISPR technology. Unrated, Grade: B+
Hunt for the Wilderpeople. A darkly comic film from New Zealand, this is the story of a foster kid and his reluctant caregiver on the run in the woods. PG-13, Grade: B-
Poseidon.A tidal wave has capsized a luxury cruise ship. Now the passengers have to work their way up to the bottom of the boat if they hope to be rescued. PG-13, Grade: B-
Stranger than Fiction. A conventional IRS auditor finds his life turned upside down when he starts hearing a woman’s voice narrating his daily life. PG-13, Grade: B-
Superman Returns. After a five year long absence, Superman has returned to earth only to discover that life goes on and Lois Lane has moved on. It feels like everyone’s forgotten him…except for Lex Luthor. PG-13, Grade: A-
The Dukes of Hazzard. A pair of cousins run a moonshine operation in Georgia, resulting in plenty of car chases. PG-13, Grade: D+
The Outpost.Fifty three US soldiers originally deployed on community development projects are under fire at their outpost in northern Afghanistan. Restricted, Grade: D-
The Pirates! Band of Misfits. The hapless Pirate Captain tries, once again, to win the coveted Pirate of the Year skull trophy. Chaos, mayhem, and comedy ensue in this Aardman claymation family movie. PG, Grade: B
The Prince and Me. Edvard, Crown Prince of Denmark is sick of fame and the paparazzi so he runs off to Wisconsin to find some anonymity on a college campus. There he meets Julia, a pre-med student with no interest in celebrities of any kind. Both of the are going to have to figure out what they really want. PG, Grade: B
Troy.Based on Homer’s Iliad, this movie dramatizes the war that broke out when Helen, Queen of Sparta, left her husband for Paris, Prince of Troy. Restricted, Grade: C+
Yogi Bear. Yogi Bear and his sidekick Boo Boo have been doing well pilfering from picnic baskets, until their thefts start driving visitors away from the park. With the logging rights being put up for sale, the bear buddies are going to have to save their home. PG, Grade: B+
October 2
Dick Johnson is Dead. This Netflix documentary by Kirsten Johnson is based on her experience moving her father from his home to her apartment. As she struggles to accept his pending death, she decides to stage different ways of dying. (Netflix Original) PG-13
You’ve Got This. A husband and wife can’t agree on whether or not to have child. He’s ready to be a dad but her career is just starting to take off. This movie is in Spanish with English subtitles. (Netflix original) Unrated
Vampires vs the Bronx. Teens are out to save the Bronx from two evils: gentrification and blood-sucking vampires. (Netflix Original) PG-13
October 4
Colombiana. Having witnessed her parents’ murder as a child, Cataleya grows up to be an assassin with a personal mission of vengeance. PG-13, Grade: D
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. The famed host of countless nature programs makes a highly personal documentary about his experience chronicling the natural world. (Netflix original) PG
Hubie Halloween. Adam Sandler plays a man who battles real life monsters although no one else believes they are real. (Netflix Original) PG-13
October 9
The 40-Year-Old Version. This Netflix original comedy drama centers on a female performer who reinvents her career to become a rapper before her 40th birthday. (Netflix Original) Restricted
October 14
Moneyball.Based on a true story, this film follows Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland A’s whose unique approach to signing players turned baseball upside down. PG-13, Grade: B+
October 15
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting. When her charge is abducted by monsters, a babysitter comes to the rescue in this adaptation of the book series. (Netflix Original) Unrated
October 16
The Trial of the Chicago Seven. This historic legal drama re-enacts the trial that resulted from the 1968 Democratic National Convention. (Netflix Original) Restricted.
Unfriended.A chat group finds themselves haunted by the ghost of a dead friend who is seeking revenge for online wrongs. Restricted. Content details only.
October 18
ParaNorman. Norman has an unusual gift: he sees dead people. This makes him the subject of mockery until it just might save everyone. PG, Grade: B-
October 20
Carol. Therese is a young salesclerk in a New York City department store. One day a customer named Carol walks in and the two fall in love. Restricted. Content details only.
October 21
Rebecca.Netflix’s adaptation of Daphne duMaurier’s gothic romance follows a bewildered young bride to her husband’s estate. But Manderley isn’t theirs alone – his late wife cast a long shadow. (Netflix Original) PG-13
October 22
Cadaver:A horror film set in a post-apocalyptic world, this story sees a family attending a charitable event, only to discover that the guests are disappearing. (Netflix Original) Unrated
The Hummingbird Project. In a world where fractions of seconds can be worth millions of dollars, two cousins decide to lay a fiber optic cable in a straight line from New York to Kansas City. Easier said than done. Restricted. Grade: C-
October 23
Over the Moon: In this animated Chinese tale, a young girl builds a rocket ship so she can meet the moon goddess. (Netflix Original) PG
October 28
Holidate. Since they both hate the holidays, Sloane and Jackson promise to be each other’s dates for those annoying seasonal festivities. (Netflix Original) Unrated
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight. This Polish horror movie is set in a camp for teens with cell phone addictions that is soon taken over by sheer evil. (Netflix Original) Unrated
October 30
Bronx. A gang war is taking place in Marseilles and the police are trying to find suspects for the murders. Netflix Original) Unrated
His House. After fleeing war-ravaged Sudan, a young couple are relieved to be accepted as refugees by England. But their new home is anything but safe…(Netflix Original) Unrated