October 2026’s Best Streaming Titles: GoldenEye, VisionQuest, The Shining, Die Hard, Lupin

Over the years, news of a Blade Runner sequel has always been met with trepidation and skepticism. However, Blade Runner 2049 was about as perfect a sequel as fans could’ve hoped for. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 may not reach the original’s mythic-ness, but it’s certainly of a piece thanks to its contemplative pacing, gorgeous effects and world-building, and a storyline that builds on the original’s themes.

Daniel Craig started off his tenure as James Bond with a bang in this reboot of the venerable spy movie franchise. As a newly minted “00” agent, Bond is assigned to track down a wealth financier who has been helping terrorists. Throw in a femme fatale or two, some excellent tailoring, and a slew of clever gadgets — not to mention Craig’s icy-yet-sympathetic portrayal of Bond — and you have a 007 film par excellence (read my review).

Of all the James Bond movies, I have a special fondness for 1995’s GoldenEye, which was Pierce Brosnan’s first outing as 007. Brosnan’s 007 is the perfect blend of charm, élan, menace, and edge, all of which are put to good use as Bond tries to stop a deadly Russian satellite from falling into the wrong hands. GoldenEye has everything you could want in a Bond film: gadgets, femme fatales, thrilling action sequences (like the tank chase through downtown St. Petersburg), and a couple of twists and betrayals. (The fact that Goldeneye also inspired one of the greatest video games of all time doesn’t hurt, either.)

More than forty years after its release, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark remains one of the greatest action/adventure movies of all time, and introduced one of cinema’s most iconic heroes: Indiana Jones, globe-trotting Nazi-punching archaeologist extraordinaire. Heavily inspired by the serials of the ’40s and ’50s, Indy’s movie debut finds him traversing the globe to find the titular biblical artifact before Hitler’s forces do. Raiders of the Lost Ark is filled with thrilling action set pieces and culminates in a truly unforgettable showdown between the forces of good and evil (read my review).

On paper, John Wick’s premise is pretty silly: a retired assassin returns to a life of violence to avenge his dead puppy in spectacularly bloody fashion. But of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the film boasts some of the best action filmmaking of the last ten years and a sense of style that’s only enhanced by Keanu Reeve’s dedication and intensity. John Wick spawned three sequels, each more outrageous than the last, and a truly fascinating mythology.

The casting of Jack Black as the voice of Po, a panda who dreams of being a martial arts legend, was clearly a stroke of genius. Set in an version of medieval China populated with anthropomorphized animals, Kung Fu Panda is a thoroughly entertaining action/comedy for the whole family that also packs some delightful depth beneath the martial arts hijinks. (And for what it’s worth, I contend that Tai Lung’s prison escape is one of the great cinematic action scenes of all time.)

Chuck Norris is J.J. McQuade, a former Marine and Texas Ranger who walks softly and carries a really big gun — which will come in handy when he has to square off against an arms dealer (David Carradine). One of Norris’ most iconic and successful films, especially for its “buried alive” scene, Lone Wolf Mcquade would eventually serve as the inspiration for Walker, Texas Ranger a decade later (read my review).

Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pretty cool and all. But does it feature a hero who’s really good at shoveling? When it was originally released in 1999, Mystery Men was something of a box office bomb, which is a shame. Its sendup of superhero tropes, as a team of misfit and wannabe superheroes try to take on their city’s arch-supervillain, is hilariously over-the-top. And it doesn’t hurt that the film boasts a truly awesome cast that includes the likes of Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, and Janeane Garofalo.

Tadanobu Asano and Joe Odagiri — two of Japan’s biggest actors — star in this Kiyoshi Kurosawa-directed drama about a pair of factory workers who really want to strike back at their boss. But that just scratches the surface of this drama. Bright Future doesn’t take a very direct route in its storytelling, but it offers up some poignant images about the need for beauty and transcendence in the midst of modern apathy and lost, directionless youth.

In this chilling ghost story set during World War II, Nicole Kidman plays a mother who lives in a remote house with her young children. But when otherworldly phenomena begin to occur, she must face the possibility that their house is haunted, and their souls in danger. Alejandro Amenábar knows how to build a sense of atmosphere and dread, and he uses it effectively. The Others is proof that you make generate solid scares without resorting to gore or crazy special effects.

Based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires, David Fincher’s The Social Network explores the founding of Facebook, from Mark Zuckerberg’s early days at Harvard University to the site’s meteoric rise in popularity and the resulting legal tribulations and broken friendships. Though it has been criticized for playing fast and loose with historical accuracy, The Social Network is regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s, thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning script and Jesse Eisenberg’s lead performance as Zuckerberg.

When Japan is rocked by an apparent terrorist attack by a mysterious group calling itself “Sphinx,” a demoted Tokyo detective is pulled back into service, only to discover an even bigger conspiracy than he could have possible imagined. Created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, best known for Cowboy Bebop, Terror in Resonance is a slick modern thriller that also boasts a stellar Yoko Kanno soundtrack. Fun trivia note: In 2015, the Chinese government banned 38 anime titles, including Terror in Resonance, claiming that they contained “scenes of violence, pornography, terrorism, and crimes against public morality” that could influence minors to commit similar acts.

A mysterious stranger in a sleek, ominous sports car suddenly appears in the Arizona desert, and begins killing members of a gang of car thieves. At the same time, a new kid arrives in town on a motorcycle and starts causing trouble. Could the two events be related? Do you even need to ask? The Wraith is classic ’80s action/horror, and stars Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, Sherilyn Fenn, and Clint Howard.

Following the events of 2021’s WandaVision, the resurrected android Vision lives in isolation in order to figure out who or what he is. To help his journey of discovery, he consults the various AIs located in his programming, which includes the villainous Ultron. Meanwhile, he encounters a young man who might just be his reincarnated son. Paul Bettany and James Spader reprise their MCU roles of Vision and Ultron, respectively. VisionQuest was created by Terry Matalas, who previously worked on Star Trek: Picard and 12 Monkeys.

Neil Gaiman’s darkly fantastical storytelling and Henry Selick’s stop-motion animation are a match made in movie heaven. Coraline’s titular heroine dreams of a nicer, more magical home — which is exactly what she gets when she discovers a portal to another world. Of course, given that this is Neil Gaiman we’re talking about, things soon get dark and weird, and Selick’s clever visuals are a perfect tool for conveying that (read my review).

Starring the voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emily Watson, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is a fanciful fairy tale about a young man who accidentally finds himself married to, well, a corpse. It’s certainly macabre and spooky, but what else would you expect from a Tim Burton film?

Ocean’s Eleven is about as slick as heist movies come, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney at his most charming) assembles a team to knock over three Las Vegas casinos in one night. Directed with all assurance by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven is just a joy to watch, as the twists keep coming and the stakes keep getting higher (read my review).

Arguably my favorite Wes Anderson film, The Royal Tenenbaums is a dark, drier-than-dry — and at times, quite poignant — comedy about a trio of genius siblings who must confront their deadbeat dad when he announces that he’s dying. The film stars the usual Anderson players, along with Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, and Gene Hackman as the conniving-yet-lovable father, Royal, who seeks to redeem himself after causing his family years of grief.

When Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker for a remote hotel, he looks forward to writing his new book. But malevolent forces in the hotel have other plans, and soon, Jack begins sliding into a madness that threatens the lives of his wife and son. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the 1977 Stephen King novel contains some of the creepiest and most indelible images in all of film history.

One of the greatest action movies of all time, period (read my review). Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a sardonic detective from New York who’s visiting his estranged wife in Los Angeles for a Christmas party at her office. And then, wouldn’t you know it, a bunch of terrorists break up the party and hold everyone hostage. It’s up to McClane to take on the terrorists — who are led by Alan Rickman at his most suave — armed with little more than some one-liners. Suffice to say, the terrorists don’t stand a chance.

In this supernatural comedy classic from 1984, Bill Murray leads a group of intrepid paranormal investigators who quickly find themselves in over their heads when an ancient god of destruction threatens New York with eternal doom. Ghostbusters also stars Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis.

By all appearances, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mild-mannered computer salesman. In reality, though, he’s a secret agent living a double life. But a terrorist organization’s latest activities threaten to reveal Harry’s secrets, putting his loved ones in danger. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, and Bill Paxton (RIP), and directed by James Cameron, True Lies is peak ’90s action comedy.

Jamie Foxx returns with another standup special following the success of 2024’s excellent What Had Happened Was…. The special will also feature Foxx’s daughter Anelise as a musical guest.

Matt Damon stars in this thriller based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel about a man who awakens with no memory but soon finds himself the target of the American intelligence community. Luckily, he possesses a set of deadly skills that will come in very handy. Also starring Run Lola Run’s Franka Potente, The Bourne Identity helped kick off the Bourne franchise, which delivered some of the best action/thriller films of the 2000s.

One of the greatest suspense films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is iconic, no doubt about it. After a young woman on the run disappears, her sister and a private investigator pick up the trail, which leads them to a remote motel in the middle of nowhere — and the creepy house overlooking it. From the famous shower scene to the final twists, Psycho is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time.

With its story about a young boy who can see dead people, The Sixth Sense is the movie that put writer/director M. Night Shyamalan on the map. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the movie features Haley Joel Osment in one of the best child actor performances of all time, and a solid supporting cast that includes Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, and Olivia Williams. And of course, one heckuva twist ending that blew audiences’ minds back in 1999 — and is still pretty effective even after multiple viewings (read my review).

You don’t get a more accurate movie title than Cocaine Bear. Based on a true story from 1985, Elizabeth Banks’ film is about a bear that ingests a large amount of cocaine, and decides to go on a rampage. The horror comedy stars Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, and Ray Liotta in one of his final film appearances.

A movie star trying to salvage his image and career appears at an environmental fundraising gala, only to be kidnapped by a cult seeking three sacrificial victims to toss into a nearby volcano in order to prevent humanity’s extinction. Directed by Romain Gavras, Sacrifice stars Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek, Charli XCX, and John Malkovich.

The first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was a rollicking and highly stylized cyberpunk action series (read my review). The second series is a completely new story set within the sordid streets of Night City, and a new set of characters seeking after revenge and redemption.

Netflix’s gentleman thief returns, only this time he’s behind bars, where he’s just serving out his sentence until he can be reunited with his family. But when a series of heists are pulled off by someone claiming to be Lupin, all of the evidences points back to him. So now he must escape prison in order to clear his name and save his family. To date, Lupin has been one of Netflix’s most popular non-English titles, and for good reason: it’s filled with plenty of twists and turns, not to mention lead actor Omar Sy’s boundless charisma.

This three-part documentary series celebrates the life and career of actor Matthew Perry, best known for his performance as Chandler Bing in Friends. Perry died in 2023 from an accidental overdose, and the series, which includes contributions from the actor’s family, explores his struggles with addiction as well as his comedy legacy.

Everyone’s heard of Saturday Night Live. But in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Canada’s SCTV delivered its own brand of sketch comedy, and in the process, gave us such beloved actors and comedians as John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Harold Ramis. This documentary, which includes footage from a 2018 cast reunion, reflects on SCTV’s production and comedy legacy.

A man wakes up in a hospital after a zombie plague has decimated England. Together with a ragtag group of survivors, he must find a way to safety even as they discover that human beings can be worse than zombies. On paper, 28 Days Later’s story doesn’t deviate too much from zombie movie tropes, but the vibrancy and immediacy of director Danny Boyle’s visuals elevate the material — and having Godspeed You Black Emperor! on the soundtrack doesn’t hurt either.

This Steven Spielberg movie about a group of people whose chance encounters with extraterrestrials cause them to leave their lives behind for some unknown quest is a sci-fi classic, if ever there was one. And it still holds up after more than 40 years, thanks to its sense of awe and wonder, which culminates in an iconic scene where the aliens and humans finally learn to communicate with each other.

If you’re looking for the ultimate over-the-top ’80s action flick, then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than Commando. Directed by Mark L. Lester, Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his musclebound ’80s-est as Colonel John Matrix, a retired Green Beret who’s forced back into action after mercenaries kidnap his young daughter (Alyssa Milano). Commando is utterly ridiculous as Matrix tears through wave after mercenary wave with machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and gardening tools.

In this suspenseful thriller set in London and Belfast, Jackie Chan plays a seemingly nondescript man seeking justice for his daughter after she dies in a terrorist bombing. Unfortunately for the bombers, he was a special forces soldier during the Vietnam War, and he’s not afraid to put his deadly skills to use in order to get vengeance. Grim and gritty, The Foreigner is a far cry from Chan’s usual action/comedy blend, but it’s also something of a revelation, and proof that Chan can carry purely dramatic fare.

Tom Hanks won a “Best Actor” Oscar in 1995 for his portayal of the titular character, a simple man with low intelligence whose various life experiences end up shaping American culture without him ever realizing it. Utilizing cutting edge (at the time) visual effects, Forrest Gump places the character in the Vietnam War, on stage with John Lennon, and in the Oval Office with Nixon. The film also stars Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, and a young Haley Joel Osment.

Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies is about as good as a classic kids adventure film can get. When a group of social misfits on the verge of being kicked out of their homes discover a pirate treasure map, they see it as the perfect solution to their problems — if they can survive the elaborate booby traps and vicious criminals on their tail.

Based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires, David Fincher’s The Social Network explores the founding of Facebook, from Mark Zuckerberg’s early days at Harvard University to the site’s meteoric rise in popularity and the resulting legal tribulations and broken friendships. Though it has been criticized for playing fast and loose with historical accuracy, The Social Network is regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s, thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning script and Jesse Eisenberg’s lead performance as Zuckerberg.

I still remember the first time I saw Spaceballs. I was in junior high at the time, and I had no idea what the movie was, but the moment I saw the “We brake for nobody” bumper sticker on Spaceball One, I knew my life would never be the same. One of the most quotable movies of all time — e.g., “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.” — Spaceballs is a true comedy classic.