October is racing by, which means that the biggest weekend of the month is almost upon us. Inconveniently enough, Halloween’s on a Thursday this year, which means that unless you want to try to extend the creepy vibes into November (admirable, but not always easy), the party weekend for spooky season is just one week away! 

If that catches you off guard and you haven’t planned a costume yet, don’t worry. There’s more than enough inspiration right here on Netflix, so you can spend this weekend taking it in and making a game plan for what to wear to your celebrations. Whether you want to lean into the scares, turn up the romance, or keep things comfy when you hit the town for Halloween, there’s a perfect movie or show to get you there. Happy streaming, and good luck getting dressed! 

But first, what’s new on Netflix?

A new case. Season 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as the title character from Michael Connelly’s bestselling book series (book 5 of which, The Gods of Guilt, inspired the new season), is ready to take the stand. You object? Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour is a crime thriller dramatizing the true story of a woman (played by Kendrick) who crossed paths with a serial killer on The Dating Game in the ’70s. Not your movie of the moment? Have a laugh with Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special, in which the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator and star gets real talking (and singing) about a variety of subjects.  

If you have just a night … 

Say it in a look. Jennifer Kent’s 2014 horror hit The Babadook — now a cult classic — will scare you silly and give you major hat envy. Essie Davis stars as a widowed single mom whose son begins behaving oddly, apparently in response to the content of a creepy children’s book. As the strange and inexplicable occurrences ramp up around them, the book’s titular menace, the Babadook, seems to be responsible. 

If you have a whole day … 

Fall in love (and look great doing it) with a trio of well-dressed period pieces. Start in the early 19th century with Persuasion, Carrie Cracknell’s 2022 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic, starring Dakota Johnson as steady heroine Anne Elliot and Cosmo Jarvis as the dreamy Captain Wentworth. Fast-forward to the 1920s with Downton Abbey, Michael Engler’s 2019 feature-length continuation of Julian Fellowes’ beloved series, which returns to the drama of the Crawley family (including the late, great Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess Violet Crawley). And jump ahead to the ’40s with the 2004 tearjerker The Notebook, Nick Cassavetes’ adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. 

If you have the entire weekend … 

Put it all on the table — except your comfort, that is. Turn to Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s dystopian thriller series from South Korea that imagines a high-stakes competition in which struggling people play children’s games to win an enormous cash prize — but risk their lives in the process. Wildly popular upon its 2021 release, the series (Season 2 of which arrives in December) also inspired a reality-competition spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge, in 2023. And best of all? It’s full of cozy tracksuits and sensible jumpsuits! 

Don’t forget, you have one last chance … 

For playtime. Six films from the creepy Child’s Play franchise — John Lafia’s Child’s Play 2 (1990); Jack Bender’s Child’s Play 3 (1991); Ronny Yu’s Bride of Chucky (1998); and Don Mancini’s Seed of Chucky (2004), Curse of Chucky (2013), and Cult of Chucky (2017) — bring the possessed killer doll to life. He’ll be your friend till the end — of the month, that is.

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