11 Netflix originals to binge in October

The Kominsky Method: Season Two – October 25

Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin are back for a second season of age jokes and uneven comedy as Chuck Lorre’s uncharacteristic sitcom The Kominsky Method gets another chance to tie it all together. While the first season got mixed reviews – understandable considering this is Lorre’s first sitcom in 30 years shot without a studio audience to guide him – both Douglas and Arkin did manage to get Emmy nominations for their performances as an aging acting coach and his aging agent, respectively.

The Netflix series seems to be trying to cash in on the recent trend of sitcoms pushing into the realm of edgy drama and dark themes á la Bill Hader’s Barry or Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, but without much originality or poignance. After a somewhat unsuccessful attempt at blending sitcom humor with human issues, Lorre says that season two will be taking a slightly more upbeat direction. “There was a lot of loss and melancholy in the first eight episodes, and it just felt right to take these characters in a different direction,” Lorre explained. If you’re a Chuck Lorre fan and a man over the age of 60, you’ll probably love it.

Brotherhood: Season 1 – October 25th

This Brazilian crime thriller features Seu Jorge as a prisoner who becomes the leader of a growing crime faction within the prison. Some of you probably recognize the name and may even be familiar with his music, but in case you didn’t know, he did all those amazing David Bowie covers for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Anyway, his sister (Naruna Costa) is a lawyer who discovers that her estranged brother has become this prison gangster and she’s tasked with infiltrating his life and informing on the operation. Things get pretty confusing as she begins questioning her values. The series was created by Pedro Morelli (City of Men) and also stars Lee Taylor and Hermila Guedes. The trailer promises tension, family drama, forbidden romance, and high stakes situations – all in all, some pretty riveting stuff.

Nowhere Man: Season 1 – October 31

Shockingly, this is Netflix’s first Chinese language original series. The first of three upcoming Chinese language offerings, Nowhere Man follows the jailbreak of a death row inmate when he discovers that his son has been kidnapped. What follows is a suspenseful high action narrative as he attempts to save his son and find redemption, but not without an unexpected twist. Apparently, he also “begins to experience unique visions allowing him to follow alternate timelines.” Cool.

Nowhere Man is written and directed by Taiwanese filmmaker DJ Chen, who made a big splash with her first feature film at age 24 with a gay rom-com called Formula 17. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the film was banned in both Singapore and China, but that hasn’t kept her from being considered as the leader in a new wave of innovative Taiwanese filmmakers. Be on the lookout for a cinema renaissance coming out of the area with Chen at the forefront.

What Netflix originals are you most excited to watch this year? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!