3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (October 26-November 1)

Published Oct 25, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. October is slowly coming to an end, but Halloween is still a top priority for Netflix. The streamer has plenty of horror hits for spooky season, including The Black Phone and Fear Street. I don't mind watching something that can scare me, but I prefer to stream thrillers. One of the movies with the best titles has recently been added to Netflix in the U.S. The premise involves a gigantic animal eating something illegal and going crazy. Need I say more? The next movie involves a game of hide and seek, but the consequences of the game are deadly. My top selection of the week involves fine dining and theatrics. 3 Cocaine Bear It's exactly what you think it is This is one of those times when I wish I was an actor. You get a call from your agent, who says they want you to make an audition tape for this new movie. When you ask what movie it's for, they say, "Cocaine Bear." That is not an error. The movie is called Cocaine Bear, and the title explains it all. Interestingly, the movie is loosely based on a real story about a bear who mistakenly ate a ton of cocaine. As for the movie, it's 1985, and a drug smuggler drops his stash of cocaine out of a plane into the forest. However, this criminal never makes it to the stash. Instead, a gigantic American black bear finds the cocaine and eats some of the drugs. The bear goes absolutely berserk and kills a hiker. Several people converge on the woods, including drug dealers searching for the cocaine, a few teenagers, a nervous mother, and a park ranger. Unbeknownst to them, a drug-fueled bear is on the loose, and it's taking no prisoners. I'll be the first to admit that Cocaine Bear sounds silly, and on the surface, it is. However, it's much darker and funnier than expected. There are some genuine laughs, thrills, and WTF moments. As the kids say, Cocaine Bear understood the assignment and delivered a raucous horror-comedy. 2 Ready or Not Start running ​​​​​​​ Scream ushered in the era of the horror movie with comedy, thrills, and spills. For every violent encounter, there was a witty joke on the other side. Every bloody kill was packed with suspense and tension. You even get some dark humor in there, especially from the killers. Ready or Not certainly owes a lot to Scream. However, the 2019 horror film from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett fully embraces its eat-the-rich satire, becoming a wildly entertaining thriller in the process. Samara Weaving, one of Hollywood's modern scream queens, stars as Grace MacCaullay, who is set to marry Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien) of the Le Domas family games company. On her wedding night, Grace meets Alex's family, who are an eclectic bunch. Per family tradition, Grace must play a game with her new in-laws. She draws the hide-and-seek card. Naturally, Grace plays it off like a children's game. It turns out the Le Domas family made a deal with the devil that, in exchange for their fortune, they must play the game. The game requires the Le Domas family to find and sacrifice Grace, or they will all die. It sounds like a lovely family! Ready or Not has some nasty sequences, but many bloody encounters end with a comedic twist. Weaving is worthy of being a true final girl. It's no surprise that the success of Ready or Not helped establish Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett as directors of two Scream movies. This isn't an ordinary dinner ​​​​​​​ If you're a foodie or influencer, I hope you have thick skin, because The Menu doesn't pull any punches. Mark Mylod's excellent black comedy is a sharp critique of a culture obsessed with likes, reposts, and clout. It pokes fun at those content creators who can't even share a meal without pulling out their phones. Don't worry, foodies—The Menu also goes after the tech bros, the societal elites, and the critics. Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) accompanies foodie Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) to a private island to dine at a high-end restaurant run by chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). Among the guests are a jaded movie star (John Leguizamo), a food critic (Janet McTeer), and a group of arrogant business partners. An unforgettable dinner is promised. If by ‘unforgettable’ you mean a meal where you can't leave and crazy things happen, then yes, it delivers. I don't want to give away too much in case you haven't seen it. The Menu is a black comedy rooted in sharp satire. I enjoyed laughing at a room full of pretentious and despicable people. More movies and shows to watch on Netflix There are several returning shows on Netflix this month. Nobody Wants This is back for Season 3, while Lupin returns for Part 4. If you prefer to watch Netflix documentaries, then give Sly or Instadocs: AI Gone Wild a chance. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four