5 best new to Netflix movies and shows to stream this week (Oct. 12-18)

There’s plenty of new arrivals heading to Netflix this week, and if you want a full rundown, you’re in the right place. The streaming service is adding 20 new movies and shows this week. That’s a lot of content to sift through, so I’m picking out some highlights for you.For starters, sports fans won’t want to skip “Tyson,” a new four-part documentary series that centers on Mike Tyson. The world-famous boxer is intimately involved, and the doc promises to provide a deeply personal look at his life and career, from the soaring highs to the crushing lows. Or if reality TV is your guilty pleasure, “Love is Blind” season 11 moves the dating experiment to Boston, as more hopeful romantics date without seeing each other in the flesh.Also, “The Diplomat” season 4 arrives this week, and the fallout from a reckless decision will be explosive. This political thriller is one of Netflix’s most acclaimed ongoing original series, so make sure you’re all caught up before Thursday (Oct. 15). Meanwhile, movie fans can enjoy a guilty pleasure watch of their own in “Cocaine Bear,” or a very influential crime epic, “Heat.”These are just some of the movies and shows heading to Netflix this week. Alongside my top picks, you’ll find a full schedule of everything new on Netflix over the next seven days. And for a complete overview, here’s a guide to everything new on Netflix in October 2026.New on Netflix this week: Top picks‘Tyson' TYSON | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Watch On What it's about: This four-part docuseries traces the life and career of Mike Tyson, one of the world’s most skilled and notorious boxers. From his chaotic upbringing in Brooklyn, through to his rapid rise to superstardom, Tyson quickly became a household name. But his story isn’t without its controversies, and this doc aims to cover all sides of Tyson.Why you should watch it: Tyson is one of sport’s most fascinating figures, crowned heavyweight champion at just 20; his career was one of great success, but also scandal, with in-ring incidents and personal drama never far away. “Tyson” was made in full collaboration with the man himself, so it should offer deeper, personal insights into Mike's fascinating journey.Watch "Tyson" on Netflix starting October 13Sign up to the weekly Tom's Streaming Guide to stay in the loop with the latest releases and top recommendations across your favorite streaming services. We’ve got you covered with a complete guide on what’s worth watching.‘Love Is Blind Season 11: Boston’ Love is Blind S11: Boston | Meet The Singles | Netflix - YouTube Watch On What it's about: It’s time to reopen the pods, as “Love is Blind” returns for its 11th season, and this time the sight-unseen dating show is heading to Boston, where romantic hopefuls will have to meet, date and propose all without seeing each other. After popping the question, they’ll finally meet in person, and then the real compatibility test begins.Why you should watch it: Like it or loathe it, you can’t deny that “Love is Blind” is one of Netflix’s biggest success stories. This reality show has become its own franchise, with double-digit seasons and a slew of international spin-offs. “Love is Blind” fans will no doubt binge this one as soon as possible, while those already burned out on the well-worn premise probably won’t be brought back into the fold. This Boston-set season doesn’t reinvent the formula.Watch "Love is Blind Season 11: Boston" on Netflix starting October 15‘Cocaine Bear’ Cocaine Bear | Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube Watch On What it's about: Inspired by a stranger-than-fiction true story, in a Georgia forest in the 1980s, a 500-pound black bear consumes a large quantity of cocaine after the drugs fall from a smuggler's plane. The illicit substance turns the bear feral, and it goes on a bloody rampage that puts the lives of everybody in the vicinity in danger.Why you should watch it: “Cocaine Bear” is a movie of simple pleasures. If you find the idea of a drug-fueled bear going on a violent rampage appealing, then it’ll deliver exactly what you’re looking for, but nothing more. There’s no substance here beyond the ridiculous premise, but “Cocaine Bear” has no delusions of grandeur, and wisely leans into the ludicrousness of it all.Watch "Cocaine Bear" on Netflix starting October 15‘The Diplomat’ season 4 The Diplomat: Season 4 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Watch On What it's about: With President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and Vice President Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) enacting their plan to steal Russia’s powerful Poseidon weapon, Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is caught in the fallout and may have to strike an alliance with First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) to prevent the world from spiralling into all-out war.Why you should watch it: With 10 Emmy nominations and a win for Janney, “The Diplomat” is one of Netflix’s most prestigious original series, and the fourth season of this political thriller show promises to raise the stakes even higher. But while you’ll come for the international political drama, it’s the human relationships at the show’s core that will get you invested. If you’re not all caught up, now is a great time to binge-watch “The Diplomat.”Watch "The Diplomat" season 4 on Netflix starting October 15‘Heat’What it's about: Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is in the twilight of his career, planning one last major heist, and then plans to walk off into the sunset to spend his ill-gotten gains. But between his unpredictable crew, including Van Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlis, and a committed police detective (Al Pacino) on his tail, getting away scot-free might not be so simple.Why you should watch it: Michael Mann’s “Heat” is one of the most influential crime dramas of all time, so it’s an easy recommendation. However, now feels like an especially great time to watch as the long-in-development “Heat 2,” which will see Mann return to direct and star Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, is reportedly entering production next month. It has quite the legacy to live up to.Watch "Heat" on Netflix starting October 16Everything new on Netflix: October 12-18OCTOBER 12"Free Leonard Peltier" (Netflix documentary)A new generation of activists fights to free American Indian Movement leader Leonard Peltier, who spent decades in prison for a disputed conviction."Fire Spike" season 1"Señora Acero" seasons 1-5"Wayne" season 1OCTOBER 13"The Trap" (DE) (Netflix series)Author Lisa Konrad hasn't left her house for 10 years since her sister's murder. When she believes she sees the killer on TV, she devises a risky plan."TYSON" (Netflix documentary)This gripping four-part documentary series explores the explosive life of Mike Tyson — one of the most feared and fascinating figures in sports history."Solar Opposites" season 6OCTOBER 14"Love Is Blind Season 11: Boston" (Netflix series)Boston singles enter the pods to find their soulmates and get engaged sight unseen. Will they walk down the aisle or will looks get in the way of love?OCTOBER 15"Hollywood Arts" (Netflix series)Class is in session at Hollywood Arts! Self-proclaimed icon Trina Vega returns to steer gifted teens toward stardom, status and hilarious havoc."The Diplomat" season 4 (Netflix series)One catastrophic moment shatters the fragile peace Kate Wyler has brokered between the US and UK, as well as the crumbling marriage she’s trying to save."The Storm" (SE) (Netflix film)When a storm traps old university pals at a luxury lodge, their civilized birthday bash spirals into a cyclone of betrayals, grudges and unfiltered chaos."Cocaine Bear"OCTOBER 16"The Disciple" (Netflix documentary)Academy Award-winning producer Joanna Natasegara makes her feature directorial debut in this true story of an outsider whose relentless determination catapults him into the Wu-Tang Clan's inner circle, where ambition and creativity converge to record an album poised to ignite global controversy."Money Trap: The Karun Treasure" (TR) (Netflix series)When a mythical map falls into the hands of a legendary scam artist, he decides to pull one last con before leaving it all behind for good."Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald" (Netflix documentary)Go down a wormhole in this documentary on master of deadpan humor Norm Macdonald, whose life and career were uncompromising yet full of contradictions."Sacrifice" (FR) (Netflix film)At a glitzy charity gala, a movie star (Chris Evans) facing an existential crisis is taken hostage by a radical warrior (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her followers."SERIOUSLY SINGLE TOO" (ZA) (Netflix film)Dineo and Noni — besties meant to take on the party scene together — suddenly face their biggest fear when Noni's boyfriend spontaneously proposes."Therapy Done Right" (AR) (Netflix film)A psychoanalyst who's lost faith in traditional therapy crosses every boundary to help a blocked novelist in this cutting Argentine dark comedy."Heat""The Fate of the Furious" Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. 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