Get ready to pull the trigger on spooky month. Streamer Showmax is first out the gate, ready to announce its mix of tricks, but far more treats, in October. Here you’ll find our personal recommendations, while the complete monthly line-up can be found here.

Series

Hands down, the most appropriate biggie of the month is IT: Welcome to Derry. This prequel horror series, which draws on the IT movie duo (based on Stephen King’s original novel), jumps back in time to 1962, to an earlier incident of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård) coming out of hiatus. As before, a group of children investigate strange disappearances in the Maine town, although some adults have their eyes open too. The series has been developed by the IT movies’ Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, with Andy directing at least the first four, of eight, episodes.

Watch IT: Welcome to Derry on Fridays from 31 October.

There are loads of Dexter fans out there, and they’re likely going to be thrilled at the prospect of watching second sequel series Dexter: Resurrection, starting this month. Michael C Hall is back as the serial killer who targets unsavoury types in this dark crime drama. This time, though, our antihero wakes from his coma and sets out to find his son in New York City, in order to make things right. However, the past is hot on his heels. Look out for the likes of Peter Dinklage, Krysten Ritter, David Dastmalchian, Neil Patrick Harris and John Lithgow in the cast.

Catch the ten-part Dexter: Resurrection on Tuesdays from 7 October on M-Net and Showmax.

If you love The Office (the American version), you’ll want to line up ensemble mockumentary series The Paper. Co-written and -created by The Office and Parks and Recreation’s Greg Daniels, this new ten-part show is set in the same universe and adopts a similar “fly on the wall” approach to capturing life at a workplace. Except now, said office is failing Midwestern newspaper the Toledo Truth-Teller. Domhnall Gleeson is the new editor-in-chief brought in to revive publication sales and quality. Season 2 has already been greenlit.

Watch weekly episodes of The Paper on Wednesdays from 8 October.

For some serious star power on the small screen, check out British crime drama MobLand. Tom Hardy stars as Harry Da Souza, a fixer for the Harrigan organised crime family, headed by Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren’s characters. The problem is that a long-held feud with rival family the Stevensons has escalated into a battle that threatens to topple both empires. Some other familiar faces in the cast include Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Janet McTeer and Toby Jones. Guy Ritchie is among the show’s producers. Again, this one is going to have a second season.

Binge all ten episodes of MobLand from Wednesday, 15 October.

Film

October is South African Pride Month, and in addition to local documentary film Young, Gifted & Queer, acclaimed romantic comedy A Nice Indian Boy is screening to tie into the inclusive, “love is love” spirit. Though they’re aware of his sexual orientation, doctor Naveen (Karan Soni) is still reluctant to bring his fiancé Jay (Jonathan Groff), a white orphan photographer, home to meet his traditional Indian family. Mindy Kaling executive produces.

Stream A Nice Indian Boy from Thursday, 2 October.

Need some more Middle-earth in your life? Showmax has scored original anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. From Ghost in the Shell franchise veteran Kenji Kamiyama, The War of the Rohirrim jumps back almost 200 years before the events of TLOTR, to focus on the horseback warriors in the kingdom of Rohan. Before it became known as Helm’s Deep, the ancient fortress Hornburg was central to a battle between ruler Helm Hammerhand, his spirited daughter Héra, and the forces of their vengeful enemy Wulf.

Stream from Sunday, 12 October.

Ignore the not particularly exciting title. One of the most acclaimed movies of 2025, Black Bag is a gripping spy drama from filmmaking auteur Steven Soderbergh. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett head up the cast as veteran intelligence agents, and husband and wife, George and Kathryn Woodhouse. When Kathryn is suspected of treason, George faces the ultimate test of loyalty. Also with Marisa Abel, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan. 

Stream from Monday, 13 October.

Your South African movie of the month is throwback style family comedy drama Finding Optel, which won the Best Production Design award at this year’s kykNET Silwerskerm Festival. Mikayla Brown, who also wrote, and co-directed the film with her brother Jesse, plays Capetonian teenager Claire Abrahams, who runs a lost and found service. When Optel, the community dog, goes missing, amateur sleuth Claire embarks on her biggest case yet – one that forces her to confront her brother’s disappearance.

Stream Finding Optel from Friday, 24 October.

Documentaries

We love a good documentary that exposes viewers to a world that many people are unfamiliar with – and that’s definitely the case with three-part docuseries Navajo Police: Class 57. Shot over a year, the documentary follows the lives of a group of young Navajo Police cadets as they train, and serve people on the largest Indian reservation in the United States. The Navajo Police Department is the only tribal law enforcement agency with its own Police Academy, but with just 180 officers overseeing the massive territory and a population of 190,000, they’re struggling to deal with rising crime and neglect.

Watch all of Navajo Police: Class 57 from Thursday, 23 October.