10 movies and shows to watch this October, from Matchbox to MKO

Ten picks for your screen this October, from a John Cena action romp on Apple TV to the MKO documentary opening in Nigerian cinemas on Friday. These are the movies and shows to watch, ranked by GistMatrix. It is an editorial ranking, not an official chart.

Three of the ten are already out. Four more land on Friday, 2 October, two on Friday, 9 October, and one Nollywood title arrives later in the month. GistMatrix checked every date and platform against official announcements and published listings at about 11am WAT on Thursday, 1 October, and some of the buzz did not hold up.

Animals and Matchbox, for example, are not streaming yet. Both arrive on 9 October.

What are the best new movies and shows to watch this October?

1. Matchbox: The Movie (Apple TV)

Mattel’s toy cars get a John Cena spy caper. Sam Hargrave directs Cena as Sean Walker, a spy who reunites with childhood friends and ends up kidnapped by a gang hunting a nuclear warhead. Jessica Biel and Danai Gurira co-star, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the film.

Why it ranks: It is Apple’s big action release of the month, and the global launch means Nigeria gets it on the same day as everyone else.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Apple TV from Friday, 9 October, worldwide, according to Apple’s press office. It is not out yet.

2. East of Eden (Netflix)

Florence Pugh takes on one of fiction’s coldest villains. Zoe Kazan’s seven-episode limited series retells John Steinbeck’s saga of the Trask family, with Pugh as Cathy Ames alongside Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist, What’s on Netflix reported.

Why it ranks: All seven episodes landed on Thursday, 1 October. Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 James Dean film of the same novel.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Netflix, out now. Netflix releases its originals worldwide, Nigeria included.

3. MKO (Nigerian cinemas)

Abiola’s story, told on the big screen. Ose Oyamendan’s documentary revisits the life and final days of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. It is a documentary, not a dramatised biopic, and President Bola Tinubu was due at its Lagos premiere on Independence Day, Thursday, 1 October, Channels TV reported.

Why it ranks: It is the most talked-about Nigerian release of the week, and it opens nationwide a day after Independence Day.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Nigerian cinemas from Friday, 2 October, through Nile Entertainment, What Kept Me Up reported. It is not on streaming.

4. Wuthering Heights (Prime Video)

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi bring Brontë’s moors to your living room. Emerald Fennell’s version of the 1847 novel opened in cinemas in February and took $241.6 million worldwide against an $80 million budget, according to Wikipedia’s box-office figures.

Why it ranks: Missed it in cinemas? This is the home-viewing moment for one of 2026’s biggest romances.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Prime Video from Friday, 2 October, according to Vital Thrills’ October listings (a US list). Nigerian availability not confirmed.

5. Animals (Netflix)

Ben Affleck directs himself in a kidnapping nightmare. Affleck plays a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. As he and his wife scramble to raise the ransom, they are drawn into a web of lies. Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington and Steven Yeun co-star, What’s on Netflix reported.

Why it ranks: A star-led, R-rated thriller from two-time Oscar winner Ben Affleck.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Netflix from Friday, 9 October. It is not out yet.

6. The Last First: Winter K2 (Apple TV)

A deadly race to the top of K2 in winter. Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary follows a 2021 winter expedition to K2 and the money, power and class questions behind modern mountaineering, according to Apple.

Why it ranks: For documentary fans it is the most gripping new title of the week.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Apple TV from Friday, 2 October, worldwide, according to Apple’s press office.

7. A Land Apart (Nigerian cinemas)

What if farming, not oil, ran Nigeria? Bem Pever’s political drama imagines an alternate Nigeria built on agriculture. An agribusiness magnate’s secret daughter becomes his heir and has to fight off family and corporate enemies to keep her inheritance. Richard Mofe-Damijo, Onyeka Onwenu and Daniel Etim Effiong star, Nollycritic reported.

Why it ranks: It screened at the Zanzibar International Film Festival on 27 June, Nollycritic reported, and it is one of only two Nollywood titles on this list.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Nigerian cinemas from Friday, 23 October, through Nile Entertainment, What Kept Me Up reported.

8. Drawn Together (Prime Video)

The heiress, the bodyguard and a lot of tension. Ester Expósito plays a businessman’s daughter who is kidnapped and released, then falls for the bodyguard her father hires. The film is based on Mercedes Ron’s novel Marfil and directed by Óscar Pedraza, according to SlashFilm.

Why it ranks: It went to No 1 on Prime Video’s global film chart, topping it in 23 countries, SlashFilm reported.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Prime Video, out since 9 September. Nigerian availability not confirmed.

9. Crazy Rich, Incredibly Broke (Netflix)

Rich on Instagram, broke at home. In this Saudi comedy directed by Ahmed El Gendy, the AlThahabi family find out the money is gone, and decide to fake their fortune rather than lose face, Martin Cid Magazine reported.

Why it ranks: Any Lagos family that has “managed” an owambe on a tight budget will get the joke.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Netflix, out now (from Thursday, 1 October).

10. I Would Rather Die (Prefiero la muerte) (Prime Video)

A zombie apocalypse, Mexican style. A Prime Video original from Mexico. A young man bitten by a zombie at a corner shop teams up with his goth best friend to stop the end of the world. It is a zombie comedy series, not a straight thriller, according to Vital Thrills.

Why it ranks: A fun, gory change of pace to close the list.

Where to watch in Nigeria: Prime Video from Friday, 2 October, according to Vital Thrills. Nigerian availability not confirmed.

What happens next

MKO opens in Nigerian cinemas on Friday, 2 October, the same day The Last First: Winter K2 lands on Apple TV and Wuthering Heights and I Would Rather Die reach Prime Video. Matchbox: The Movie and Animals follow on Friday, 9 October, and A Land Apart opens in cinemas on Friday, 23 October.

FAQ

What is new on Netflix in Nigeria this week?
East of Eden and Crazy Rich, Incredibly Broke both arrived on Thursday, 1 October. Animals follows on Friday, 9 October.

When is MKO in cinemas?
The MKO documentary opens in Nigerian cinemas on Friday, 2 October 2026, distributed by Nile Entertainment.

Is Matchbox: The Movie out?
Not yet. It premieres worldwide on Apple TV on Friday, 9 October 2026.

Which one are you watching first? Tell us in the comments.

Read next: MKO documentary premieres in Lagos with Tinubu, cinemas Friday; A Different World hits Netflix top 10 with an RMD cameo; New on Netflix Naija this week